drive train modifications

s.e.charles

s.e.charles

Senior Member
rookie questions, but trying to get a handle on things. search results were sending me in places i have no reason to be yet!

Q: what drive train modifications were applicable to the Model A in the immediate years after its release?

overdrive units - or are these a more recent application?

suspension upgrades?

four wheel drive conversions?

thanks
 
Others will have more insight into what was available in the day but I changed the gear ratio in my rear end for my first Model A, bought in 1960. The car came with 4.11 gears and I changed it to 3.78. That gave me a little more high end speed and I mostly drove on level roads. Some vehicles were changed the other way when they were mostly driven in mountainous regions.
 
There were accessories manufactured specifically for Model-As during production, -and post production. Regarding drivetrain accessories, there were ‘power adder’ items such as high compression heads, better flowing carburetor & intakes, free-wheeling clutching, faster gear ratios, accessory balloon tire wheels, and the list goes on. There is a book with many advertisements of the “unauthorized accessories” that is a good read. Hopefully Brad Minners will post some of his advertisement collection depicting these accessories.
 
If you include the engine as part of the drive train, as Brent has said, there were a ton of add on accessories available in the day.
 
The holy grail is the Ruckstell Two-Quiet High transmission for the model A but they are rare units that gave a 25% overdrive.

Auxiliary transmissions were made by several companies but most were for the early model AA trucks to get better selections out of 40 horse power to pull heavy loads. The later 4-speed model AA transmission was better but some folks liked the ability to split shift. Most of these were underdrives.

2-speed rear axles were manufactured by Price-Hollister (Twin-X) and likely Ruckstell but many of these require a tall set of ring and pinion gears to get the desired effect since they aren't overdrives.

Jesse Livingood made 4WD conversions but the only ones I've seen are the ones for model T vehicles. There may have been some for model As but I haven't seen any yet. Marmon Herrington had agreements to convert Ford trucks but they didn't start making them for light vehicles till the mid 1930s.
 
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thanks for the suggestions and leads to more research.

Q: has anyone actually read the book referenced above?

i ask because i've gotten 2 books in the past month and the print is so d%$# small i'll need a hand lens to read then.
 
With a model B zenith carb, a B camshaft, a Synders 5.5:1 head, a Mitchell overdrive, and a 3.27 rear end, you'll go so fast things will begin to pucker (especially if you have manual brakes). Speaking from experience.
 
Oldgearz, I have manual brakes, and they have been redone with modern linings, and cast iron drums. I have very good brakes. One of the guys in my club drove my car, as I was trying to teach him how to work the overdrive unit. When he stopped for a light he said "you got some really good brakes on this A". Linkage brakes can be good.
 
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