83 yr old Technology , the Front axle

19ED30

19ED30

Senior Member
Looking for information , opinion & experience !!
I have searched hear & on the Internet but unable to find what I'm looking for,
I have two car's , One is a 1930 Sedan , Hot Rod , Not a street Rod !
With a 4 bar front suspension , cross steer , I drive the car about 300 miles a week , & have been over 100 mph a time or so , With no issues ,
My second car is a 1932 Sedan , pretty much stock,
39 motor & train, 40 juice brakes , None split wishbone
Wheels are radial tires, 15x6 steel wheel with 205,75,15 25 psi in tires ,
Tires , Speed Balanced .
I dove the car with stock spring ,& around 55-60 I could feel the front start to shimmy (( not death wobble)
So I put a Posie reversed I spring in , it lower it 2 1/2 in front .
Shackle 45-50 degree
Test drove , Bump in road ,,,death wobble, at 35 or so,
Checked the to camber at backing plate , positive 1 degree
Checked caster ,positive 9 degree at kingpin
Checked kingpin seem ok , checked steering , about 1/2 inch play at steering wheel ,
Checked toe , it was 1/4 toe in ,so I changed it to 1/16 ,
Test drove , font end wondering now , set toe again ,
Now 1/8 th , Better , now back to 50-55, I can feel the front starting to shimmy,
Now my question , on a car with a 83 year old front Technology ,
Should I change the camber to negative 1 degree ,
I am also looking to cut a set of steel wheels down to 4.5 to 5 inch wide
Or a set of 16x4.5 for the front ,
I have drove a lot of different trucks ,cars , Equpmint , but driving
the 32 for about 30 miles , it's a work out on my arms ,
Front end feels so heavy !!!
Am I expecting too much from a 83-year-old technology,
My 30 drives Nice , but RIDES like a Hot Rod ,,
The 32 Rides like a Cadillac under 53 mph!!!
BUT STEERS LIKE A FARM TRACTOR & over 53 ??

I would like to be able to drive to 70 mph with no issues if needed !!!!
 
I know more air will make it steer easier , ,
Will it also make it shimmy easier and @ a lower MPH,
 
My stock 33 with the rebuilt stock shocks will do 75 - 80 mph over bumps etc no shimmy. cross plys and all.
Lawrie
 
I basically have same front end set-up as you, with stock shocks, on my '41. Can go 75-80 all day, over all sorts of trashy roads, with no problem. I developed a "shimmy" after changing to radials 20 yrs ago. Make sure you have a good steering box and get a GOOD balance job with 32 PSI tire pressure. Solved my problem.
 
32 ford barn said:
what's the difference in a street rod and a hot rod? Jim
Click to expand...

Whats the differnace by definition??
It seems to be more about attitude and how the car becomes what it will be determines what it is,
Seems a hotrod is usually a lower buck deal more backyard.Were as the parts are usually home modified and fabricated production parts.And all ideas are owner thought up.
And street rods seems more professionaly built and designed and fabricated.And use many aftermarket parts and kits.
But at what point is a hotrod a streetrod or viseverse?? I've heard the definition of horsepower determining street from hotrods,
In the 80s -early 90s a lot of Hot Rod where turned in to Street Rod's Cruiser !!
Not a Custom , Lead Sled ,
To me , my 32 is a cruiser , stock Full fenders with 40 brakes , & radial Tire's ,
My 30 is No bling , it is a hand Full !!! It was a 680 hp motor , I bump it back to 550hp it still ?? I only pull 1st & half of 2nd gear and lift
 
Check the HAMB and search for death wobble. Could be a bunch of things causing it. Super long thread on it over there.
 
I have been reading about death wobble , when these cars were engineered and Built there was no paved roads they weren't Driven at 50 and 60 mph on smooth roads .
I want to know if I can get a Stock 1932 front axle , stock wish bone to drive like the
Cross steer 4 bar on my 1930 , I need to check the ball on the wish bone , that the only thing I have no checked,
I do Not have death wobble, A shimmy , car feel like it's following the seams in the road ,
But no seam seen,
 
Start with reading the Ford Service Bulletins. Then throw away that P$%&^*( spring and put everything back original. After checking kingpins, tierood ends, tires, steering gear, then go to a good front end shop that can check the castor and camber. A stock ford with 16" rubber will easily go down the road at 80 MPH.
 
Check king pin inclination, if the front wheels have too much offset, it can cause this. This was popular to show off the Buick drums. bad idea.
 
Well, my father's '32 all-stock sedan except 16" wires will go 75-80 all day long without issue.

What ever you want to call it; shimmy, death wobble, etc., you've got something wrong or bad with your front end, rims, tires, etc.
 
Yes I was thinking the wheels also ,
Tires I have balanced 3 times , different shops , two different set of tires ,
they are 6 inch wide , I was going to cut them down to
4.5 or 5 wide , My lathe is not big enough , No machine shop will cut them ,
Looking for a set of 16x4.5 local.
I checked both sides of Axle 8.5 positive caster , 1.5 positive camber , toe in .200 thousands
I have played with the Toe from 0 to 1/16 , 1/8 , .200 is the best
It states that Radial tire should be set at 0 on camber , 1933 ford
 

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What are you using for shocks? They need to be in excellent condition. Best if original type. If not then must be real shocks, not the cute little ones sold for easy installation.
Do check the rubber ball on the wishbone. If you do not know the condition then it is probably bad. Get a real one from Barnfind. A tight wishbone joint prevents the axle from going crooked which results from "wobble". It also sets caster.
Wheel offset- contact patch point- Very very important. If you have or can borrow a set of original wheels with correct offset and 6.00 16 tires, give them a test. Heavy ,wide oversize tires on wrong spaced rims will not work as to easy steering or high speed driving.
Rear tire pressure very important in this situation.
"Correct " size wheels and tires will allow you to go fast and steer easy.
Just an opinion
 
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