Rear wheels upward travel limitation

D

Don S

Senior Member
I have a 31 Coupe with an 8 leaf rear spring . With adults in the rumble seat at times ,poor roads will cause a bump sound . To add to the issue I have made and installed fender skirts with clearance for the hub. The wheels are 1935 16” size.I really like the look but even with what I think is enough clearance,the skirt will contact the hub when driving through a deep depression in the road. Is there any way to stop the bottoming out with something like the conical rubber piece used by more modern vehicles. I would prefer to not change the spring to a stiffer one. If I was able to post a picture ,it would explain my choice of skirts. I could e-mail A picture to a member to post .please let me know.
Thanks
 
A word of caution:

When rolling down the highway and you encounter speed bumps, railroad tracks, or a badly rutted road and the car bounces on the rear spring, immediately take your foot off the gas. No matter what rear spring you have installed, it can easily lift the back wheels clear of the pavement. When that happens and you keep your foot on the gas the rear wheels will increase in speed tenfold and when they reconnect with the road, something has to give and it is usually the pinion gear. It can easily clean all the teeth off of it.

Back in about 1952 me and another teen ager were rolling down the road at about 45 mph in a 1928 Model A coupe when we crossed over some very nasty RR tracks. The rear wheels momentarily left the pavement and the driver kept his foot on the gas. We came to a rolling stop on the other side of the tracks. At first we thought we had lost the clutch. Later we found all the teeth on the pinion gear were gone.

Tom Endy
 
Found out how to upload a picture,hope you like it.

Thanks , Don
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    122.4 KB · Views: 109
You probably need a Panhard rod to locate the diff.
Shackles are allowing the diff to swing sideways.
 
From your picture it doesn't look like you have more than a couple inches of travel room. You could maybe put a pair of air shocks on the rear which would be adjustable for when you were carrying a load.
 
I don't see why you couldn't make up a couple rubber snubbers. That would limit the axle travel. More modern vehicles have used axle and pinion snubbers for decades.
 
Thanks for the various comments.
Updraft, your idea of a panhard rod to stop sideways movement is not a motion that should happen with torque tube drive,something would have to break for that to happen,I think.

Redmodelt, shocks are good and working as expected

WmWs, air shocks may work,but I don't really want to go that route until other possibilities have been exhausted.

Patrick L , in my original thread I mentioned the use of rubber snubbers, how and where to mount them would be the question.

Don S
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top