1935 with 1946 spindles which drag link?

[Ball and Chain]

Originally Posted by V8COOPMAN

Kevin, and a few others here...........1941 Ford spindles are frikken' ROUND.......PERIOD! SOME 1941 spindles have the rear-most DRAG LINK hole tapered from the bottom just like '37-'40 ROUND-back spindles. SOME 1941 round-back spindles have the rear-most DRAG LINK hole tapered from the TOP. If you'll read one of my earlier posts in this thread, I noted that there were two DIFFERENT drag links that can be found on 1941 Fords. One mounts the taper from the TOP, and the second mounts the taper from the BOTTOM. Whether or not it was an "early/late" thing, I ain't got a clue!

As scooder noted above, SQUARE-back spindles were used only on 1942-'48 Fords. Tom.......I have no idea what you REMEMBER the Ford dealer telling you fifty-five years ago, but if he told you that SQUARE-back spindles were '41s, he was either full of it......or lied to ya. One more thing, Tom.....I can tell you that I personally own two of these "worthless", oddball '41 spindles with the taper from the top. They're worthless on '40 and earlier 'cuz you can't utilize the '40 drag link because it'll hit the wishbone. Anyway, these oddball '41s have the same 78A- number forged into them just like the other ROUND '37 thru '40 spindles. Obviously, they were merely finish-machined (tapered) in the opposite direction in that rear hole.

If ya'll will refer back to Kevin's first un-edited post, he very clearly stated that he had "juice brakes via 1946 spindles". In fact, this thread's title notes 1946 spindles. And Kevin's picture shows SQUARE-back spindles, which are 1942-1948 ONLY.

Im not sure what post i edited? But I sent you a pm DD

[skidmarks]

Just to make it even hard for anyone reading this. I cut up a rough 42 ford business coupe and it had round back spindles and the early style 1939 to 41 backing plates. This was an all original car that wasnt pieced together or parts swapped around. Fricken round back spindles!!!

[Fordors]

I'm not trying to muddy the waters here, but how about this? Could the issue with the '41 spindles be the taper of the tie rod holes and not the drag link? I have an old article written by Neal East, a long time hot rodder/author, and he states that the '41 spindles are the only ones with the tie rod that mounts over the steering arms and that would be an advantage when using a dropped axle as the t/r will clear the wishbone with less bending of the steering arms.
I don't know if Neal was correct in what he stated, but just thought I'd throw that out there. Anybody have an original '41 front suspension that we could see a picture of?

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by skidmarks

Just to make it even hard for anyone reading this. I cut up a rough 42 ford business coupe and it had round back spindles and the early style 1939 to 41 backing plates. This was an all original car that wasnt pieced together or parts swapped around. Fricken round back spindles!!!

I could imagine THIS scenario of parts being used, especially on an EARLY '42, which was a short-lived production run anyway. I've never seen a specific release date for the "new" SQUARE spindles, nor for the LATER style backing plates. Everyone should remember that the round spindles and the square spindles required DIFFERENT-length king pins. DD

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Fordors

I'm not trying to muddy the waters here, but how about this? Could the issue with the '41 spindles be the taper of the tie rod holes and not the drag link? I have an old article written by Neal East, a long time hot rodder/author, and he states that the '41 spindles are the only ones with the tie rod that mounts over the steering arms and that would be an advantage when using a dropped axle as the t/r will clear the wishbone with less bending of the steering arms.
I don't know if Neal was correct in what he stated, but just thought I'd throw that out there. Anybody have an original '41 front suspension that we could see a picture of?

The '41 TIE ROD still mounts on the BOTTOM of the steering arms. Neal E. was probably too well-versed in this stuff to state that type of mis-info. DD

[Fordors]

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Too well versed? Well he put it into print in the 1975 Ford Street Rods, a one-shot publication from Rod Action Magazine. I didn't say he was correct, just reported what he wrote.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Fordors

Too well versed? Well he put it into print in the 1975 Ford Street Rods, a one-shot publication from Rod Action Magazine. I didn't say he was correct, just reported what he wrote.

Sorry.......I didn't mean to imply that you were making it up or anything like that. I merely meant that as experienced as Neal was with these old hacks, what he stated in that '75 article about '41 spindles was slightly askew of reality. Another thing we keep seeing is that people continue to confuse the terms tie rod and drag link. DD

[Fordors]

Apology accepted DD, I shouldn't get my hackles up so easily. Guess I might want to ease up on the caffeine!

[TJ]

With old Fords we should not use the words "Always" or "Never". It will get you into trouble frequently. Ford used up parts that were on the shelf to get cars in the hands of the public. That was the goal. They were not in the business of building concourse correct cars for future generations.