1936 Ford Rear Tube Shocks Conversion

Bursonaw

Bursonaw

Senior Member
I am looking to upgrade to tube shocks for my 1936 Ford rear end. I have seen bolt on kits for the front axle, however I cannot find anything for the 36 rear axle. Any suggestions or pictures of a tube shock conversion specifically on 35 or 36 rear axle?
 
Today might be your lucky day.. I installed tube shocks to the rear of my '36 Ford coupe in 1955 when I changed my car from an original Columbia to a 47-48 Columbia. I used the '47-48 axle tubes and axles with the '47-48 Columbia. I used the original '36 center section and torque tube. The 48 Fords had tube shocks utilizing a bracket that bolted to the backside of the backing plates and a mount attached to the rear cross member. The '48's also had a rear sway bar that I installed on my car.
The '47-48 rear axles are two inches wider than the '36, however, an additional inch on each side is not a big deal, the tires move outward in the fender well which is hardly noticeable.
I used '39 drums on the car with '36 wheels hub caps. Attached is a couple of pix showing the Columbia differential under my car. Standard '47-48 axle tubes/axles could be used in lieu of the Columbia. The '36 radius bars won't work, '37's will have to be used, they will bolt to the backing plates and attach to the torque tube using a longer bolt and a 3/4 spacer on each side to slightly spread the radius bars to line up the holes with the mount.
 

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There is a company called pure hot rods , they make the brackets for model A to 1948 ford . I am using them on my 40 coupe with monroe shocks they are great $119.00
 
Here's what I did. Shocks are '50 Plymouth fronts. Top is fastened to the cross member with a shock bolt and the bottom is fastened to the radius rod with another shock bolt.
 

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d.conrad said:
Here's what I did. Shocks are '50 Plymouth fronts. Top is fastened to the cross member with a shock bolt and the bottom is fastened to the radius rod with another shock bolt.
Click to expand...



Looks like a great solution as the radius rods create an obstruction issues for 35 & 36 rear ends. I see that you also have a rear sway bar installed. Can you elaborate on what you did there as well. Thanks for you response.

Regards

Tony


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
d.conrad said:
Here's what I did. Shocks are '50 Plymouth fronts. Top is fastened to the cross member with a shock bolt and the bottom is fastened to the radius rod with another shock bolt.
Click to expand...

It's just hard to beat the K.I.S.S. system. That is simplicity on steroids! DD

294449
 
Just to let everyone know, the 35/36 rear radius rods are the issue with rear shocks as they interfere with most all the shock mount kits . Both Blucar & Talkwrench are showing 37 and later rear ends so that won't help. I doubt someone will change their whole rear end for new shocks. Also, CaliforniaBorn36 showed a good kit and Flathead53 mentioned the same kit but again, it will not work with a 35/36 rear because of the radius rod interference. WoodieWagon46 , Chassis Engineering does not make a rear kit for 35/36 with stock radius rods.
D.conrad shows a good solution and I like the idea.I would like to know what the bracket is that is used on the rear radius rod as it looks like a piece of strap that is bent or maybe a piece of angle cut down. It is not very easy to see but we do get the idea and it's a good one.
I know they made a kit in the 70's/80's I think ? that sandwiched the radius rods in front of the rear end with 2 brackets and that created the lower mount.
The upper mount is the easy part on a 35/36 as it is the same as most and can be bolted to the rear cross member or the frame. Maybe someone will show other solutions for 35/36 rear ends.
 
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The lower mount is 2 pieces of flat stock that are welded together at the correct angle and bolted to the radius rod-spring hanger. No welding on the rear end like the Pete and Jakes. Welding on the rear end housing can warp the housing. And it can be hard to weld on the car.
 
The sway bar is a clamp on unit from Chassis engineering. The ends had to be shortened about an inch to clear the radius rods. Most of the pieces I've gotten from them have to be modified to fit.
 
Thank you everyone for your post. D. Conrad great idea looks like a simple solution.


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Another way to go about it...3x2 tubing cut diagonally to make the rear end brackets with mounting holes for a standard shock bolt...

30981332806_6cce41ae79_c.jpg


And some regular square tubing with one side removed and sleeved to support a regular bolt that goes through the rear crossmember...

30715283800_ba755d92f6_c.jpg
 
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d.conrad said:
The sway bar is a clamp on unit from Chassis engineering. The ends had to be shortened about an inch to clear the radius rods. Most of the pieces I've gotten from them have to be modified to fit.
Click to expand...
FYI.. The bar shown in the pix is not a "sway bar", it is an anti-roll stabilizer to control body roll on turns. A sway bar is mounted to the chassis and axle via solid links to maintain proper chassis alignment to the axles... The bar shown in my photo's is a sway/track bar. It is a stock '48 Ford bar.
If the person doing the shock modifications and has an electric welder and the skill to use it, then a number of components can be welded together to make shock mounts. However, if a stock looking appearance, with no cutting/welding is more to a persons ability, then bolt together Ford parts has merit.
 
When Ford did this in '47-48, they used a bolt/stud that went all the way through the rear crossmember for support. I don't really like the arrangements with a short bolt through one flange...that looks flexy to me, as it obviously has to take a lot of force...Rusk's upper setup addresses the need for support. The Ford way could be accomplished with just holes and no welding on the crossmember.

Edit..the Ford piece was a sort of stepped stud allowing the piece to be fully captured and tightened at both ends. That could be accomplished in a '36 crossmember by using a long through bolt through a piece of tubing in the actual "U" of the crossmember so that it could be fully tightened against both flanges.
 
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A sway bar is mounted to the chassis and axle via solid links to maintain proper chassis alignment to the axles... The bar shown in my photo's is a sway/track bar. It is a stock '48 Ford bar.

There may be some variations in the use of the word "sway" bar. What you are describing as a sway bar, I know as a "panhard" bar or rod. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhard_rod

The Plymouth shocks look a little short to me. I am curious that no one is discussing shock length to suspension travel and no one has given measurements for any of these adaptations.
 
But sofaking, the other one is called an anti roll bar, so a sway bar is what? Is it an anti roll bar or a panhard bar?
Martin.
 
scooder said:
But sofaking, the other one is called an anti roll bar, so a sway bar is what? Is it an anti roll bar or a panhard bar?
Martin.
Click to expand...

A rose by any other name.... in my vocabulary, a "sway bar" is an "anti-roll bar". A hood or bonnet, flashlight or torch, sparkplug or candle, wrench or spanner, we have the luxury of flexibility.
I'd still rather know how long are those Plymouth shocks? I think I have about 5.5" between axel and bump-stop. Perhaps its the pictures but it looks like they only have about 5-6 inches travel in total, not enough for compression and rebound without becoming a limit themselves.
 
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