1933 front shock mounting

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Were the front shocks on a 33 V8 mounted on the inside or outside of the frame rails? My car has the two mounting holes plus a larger center hole which would make it seem like they would have been on the inside, but the exhaust is so close there.
Thanks
Jim S.

 

[Bob C]

Looks like the inside, see the link. http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/shockidentification.htm


Bob

 

[DavidG]

Inside, unless your front cross member has been replaced with the '34 version (a common occurrence).

 

[SoCal32]

In the interest of learning something new..Why is it common to swap a 33 crossmember for a 34?

 

[TerryOH]

33 is weak in areas around the spring pocket and tend to crack.

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Thanks - I did replace the front crossmember many years ago, but I sure don't know if it was a 33 or 34 piece I used. I wouldn't know the difference I suppose. There aren't enough of these cars cars around to look at and compare.
I wouldn't have thought the crossmember would affect the shock mounting. The sheet metal inner fender piece (whatever it should be called) is sort of in the way for outboard mounting of the shock, but if they go inside they would have to be quite stubby.
All of the original shocks have been replaced over the years, and probably not with the correct ones.
Jim

 

[DavidG]

Jim,

The weakness of the two versions of the original '33 front cross members (the first and rarely encountered version carried over the 12" spacing of the front motor mounts and the second garden variety version with 17" motor mount spacing) was evidently beyond just the area above the front spring as the '34 version is much wider at the ends where the cross member is attached to the frame side rails. In addition, the riveted-on gussets in front that the radiator mounts on were widened.

It appears that Ford did not provide either of the '33 versions for service once the '34 version was put into production.


The photos below show the three cross members and the two different front gussets discussed above.


These cross member changes explain the progressive shortening of the V8 engine splash pans (once for '33s and then when the '34 cross member was adopted) as well.

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Thanks for those pictures, David. I'll have to look at my car closer now. It's at a friend's shop - we are working on fixing up a few things, including removing the tube shocks I had put on the rear when I was young and stupid (er). It would be nice to find enough parts to make it as original as possible. It sounds like it would be better to use outside mount fronts - that's how it would have been repaired back then anyway. Finding some arms won't be so easy either I suppose.
Jim

 

[DavidG]

The arms on the outside-mounted '34 shocks are pressed on and not separate parts, unlike one the inside-mounted shocks.

 

[deuce lover]

The front crossmember of my 33 had been replaced with a '34 at some time in its life.The front shocks were missing when I bought the car.I found some 35 rebuilt rears and did some minor trimming to the case and fitted them inside the frame rails.A fordbarn member had some NOS front shock arms which I purchased.All okay now.