1935 with 1946 spindles which drag link?

[flatheadfan]

Kevin-

I am not sure what you are trying to do with the '41 drag link. The only reason you would need a '41 drag link is if you are using a '41 spindle. All '35-'48 spindles require a bottom mounted tie rod ends (except the '41). Both the 11A and 78 arms are 1.25" longer than the 48. If you use an 11a or 78 you will find a hard turn to the right will cause the pitman arm to hit the left wishbone. A hard turn to the left and the drag link will hit the oil pan. Stay with the 48.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Ball and Chain]

Kevin-

I am not sure what you are trying to do with the '41 drag link. The only reason you would need a '41 drag link is if you are using a '41 spindle. All '35-'48 spindles require a bottom mounted tie rod ends (except the '41). Both the 11A and 78 arms are 1.25" longer than the 48. If you use an 11a or 78 you will find a hard turn to the right will cause the pitman arm to hit the left wishbone. A hard turn to the left and the drag link will hit the oil pan. Stay with the 48.

Hope this helps.

Tom

Sorry im not trying to be a pain, but youre saying run my stock 1935 (4 pitman arm? The reason I bought a 1941 drag link is my square back spindle is drilled taper down like in this pic, is this not correct?

Thanks Kevin

 

[flatheadfan]

Kevin-

You have a '41 spindle NOT a '42-'48. Again, use a 48 pitman arm and a '41 drag link..

Tom

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Sorry im not trying to be a pain, but youre saying run my stock 1935 (4 pitman arm? The reason I bought a 1941 drag link is my square back spindle is drilled taper down like in this pic, is this not correct?

Thanks Kevin

I don't have a SQUARE-back spindle near-by to look at, but I thought that the drag link hole was tapered from the top also, as in this drawing. DD

 

[Ball and Chain]

Perfect I have a 21A pitman and a 41 drag link on the way. So I should be good to go! Thanks for the Tom DD and everyone else!

PS my spindle is Square, did someone trim the edges or are 41's square?

Kevin-

You have a '41 spindle NOT a '42-'48. Again, use a 48 pitman arm and a '41 drag link..

Tom

 

[Ball and Chain]

I found an old pic before it was all taken apart to restore the front end
Does this help?

 

[Randy in ca]

Kevin, didn't take the time to read this whole thread and not sure why Tom says you have '41 spindles, which are round. Those in your picture above are clearly '42-'48 square backs.

 

[flatheadfan]

Randy-

To the best of my knowledge the only year Ford used a top fit drag link spindle was in '41 (11A-3105). I have never seen a round spindle only the square type but that doesn't mean a round type doesn't exist. It just means I have never seen one.

Enclosed is a picture of a '41 spindle on my '35. It is not the best picture but if you look closely you can see it is square with a top load drag link end.

As I understand it, Ford did not make the spindles. So, it could be "possible" that spindles were made by two different suppliers with different backing plate platforms. I doubt if Ford engineering would allow it but, it "could" be possible.

Tom

 

[flatheadfan]

Another picture:

 

[Randy in ca]

Randy-

To the best of my knowledge the only year Ford used a top fit tie rod end spindle was in '41 (11A-3105). Enclosed is a picture of a '41 spindle on my '35. It is not he best picture but if you look closely you can see it is square with a top load tie rod end. As I understand it, Ford did not make the spindles. So, it could be "possible" that spindles were made by two different suppliers with different backing plate platforms. I doubt if Ford engineering would allow it but, it "could" be possible.

Tom

OK, as I said, I read very little of the thread and was basing my comments about Kevin's spindle entirely on the picture he posted above, which if you look closely has the tie rod end coming up from the bottom the same as all other 1942-48 spindles.

I admit to not knowing a lot about the 1941 spindles, other than they're the "odd man of the bunch" and that they're not even all the same from one model to the next. This is the first I've ever heard of a "square back" 1941 though - perhaps a very late version? Are you sure your's are from 1941 and that they couldn't be 1942 or later with the tie rod arm ends re-tapered?

 

[Mart]

The arrow is pointing to the tie rod, the drag link is behind it and the ball is entering from above. All tie rods enter from below, regardless of year.*

*Edit: Post 34 that is.

 

[scooder]

The square back spindles on my 42 pickup were tapered from the top, I've used square back spindles a time or two in the past, these were also tapered from the top. Talking about the drag link hole in the spindle.
I'd say that it ain't only 1941 that was tapered from the top, I believe the only round back spindles tapered from the top are 1941.
Just my observations an experience.
Martin.

 

[flatheadfan]

Randy-

I bought them new ($5), from a local Ford dealer in 1960 when I was converting my '35 over to hydraulics. As I recall the part number was on the tags. They are definitely untouched '41s.

Tom

 

[flatheadfan]

Mart-

You are correct, all tie rods enter on the bottom. Only the '41 drag link is attached from the top. I think there has been a misused of terms. The drag link is the what the question is about not the tie rod.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Randy in ca]

Seems to me we're talking "apples and oranges" here. Are we referring to the tie rod or the drag link or what? If you re-read my previous post I stated "the tie rod end coming up from the bottom the same as all other 1942-48 spindles". I didn't even mention the drag link, but I could have also added that as far as they go all 1942-48 enter from the top. I stand by my statement that the one pictured above by Kevin is a 1942-48 as it meets all of these criteria.

 

[flatheadfan]

Seems like this post series is getting more and more confused. Tie rods connect on the bottom. Whereas the '41 drag link (also possible some '42s) connect from the top and use a 11A-3306-B (bent design). The '42-'48 use 21A-3306 drag link (non bent). Evidently, 41's can have a round or square back. This should keep everybody happy!

Tom

 

[Randy in ca]

Well I see that you have edited you original post (#28) Tom, replacing the original "tie rod" with "drag link" and citing the reason as a spelling error. However your original post to which I was replying and where you were referring to tie rod ends is still highlighted in red were I quoted it and replied in post #30. I have often thought that the edit function is frequently abused and this is but one more example.

 

[JSeery]

Well, as you can see from my first post, I was confused from the beginning, and it hasn't gotten much better! (from my prospective of confusion). Now I'm headed out to the garage to look at some spindles!!!!

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Perfect I have a 21A pitman and a 41 drag link on the way. So I should be good to go! Thanks for the Tom DD and everyone else!

PS my spindle is Square, did someone trim the edges or are 41's square?

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.

 

[JSeery]

That help! Thanks Coop.