Suspension "mods"

R

Ross6860

Senior Member
OK, I know my '36 Tudor will never be a Porsche, but short of a Mustang II front end and a 4-link rear with coil-overs (or IRS), are there any tried and true upgrades for these transverse leaf vehicles?

My goal is to make is to make it just a more enjoyable driver. Going around a corner at even modest speeds invokes quite a bit of roll.

Seams like someone would make fiberglass springs and anti-roll bars. Anything like that out there, or do you have to custom fit an anti-roll bar from something else?

Is there a bolt-on kit for modern shocks? I don't want to get into welding if possible (mostly because my welding skills are poor, I haven't struck an arc in over 20 years).

I've found spring upgrades with plastic button sliders, springs with reversed eyes for modest lowering, and so on. Is that all there is?

Thanks all for a wonderful site.
 
Hello Ross6860, We found a markedly better ride and cornering experience after having our original shocks rebuilt. Have you done that yet?

Here's a thread with two different recommendations for someone to do the work. Personally we used Bill Wzorek, a very long time supporter of FordBarn, and were very happy with the end result.

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114421

That's what I'd suggest.

-VT/JeffH
 
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Rebuilt shocks or correctly mounted tube shocks will make a world of difference. Also quality spring shackles and bushes. Make sure the spring u-bolts front and back are really tight. Anti-roll bars shouldn't really be necessary with this design.
 
All of the above and I add a rear track bar from a 41-48, stops sideways slop. I also like the period accessory tube shocks that mount going forward on either side of the rear end. These are tried and proven methods that worked well on whiskey cars.
 
Chassis Enginering sells a front anti swaybar Kit and maybe rear and kits to use the airplane shocks. When i was 16 i drove my 39 sedan on 2 wheels more than 4 because of no swaybars and poor shocks. I still own it and never wrecked it.
 
I don't know if this is possible on a 36, but on my 39 coupe, I installed a 40 Deluxe sway bar in Front. It required removal of 2 rivits and 2 new holes to be drilled. This made the Best improvement re sway/roll
 
I installed Chassis Enginerings front and rear sway bars as well as there tube shock kits. They bolted on and made my car handle like a dream!
 
VeryTangled said:
Hello Ross6860, We found a markedly better ride and cornering experience after having our original shocks rebuilt. Have you done that yet?

-VT/JeffH
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Only had a couple weeks. Still working the bugs out of a vehicle that has not been driven more than a few blocks in who knows how many years.

That's what you get from an estate sale. They admit to about 18 months of no running since the owner passed away, and the last owner only drove it twice. Ran out of gas once (gage works fine?), and the ignition failed the second time. Not sure how many years he owned it. He had it shipped to Ohio from CA, but who knows what kind of running it had out there.

The car looks very nice, so it may have been for lookin' at, not driven' it;)

I haven't done anything to the suspension yet. I'm still working out the kinks and discovering what "doesn't work" or isn't quite right with the car.

No thermostats, ****** pops out of 2nd gear when decelerating, drivers rear window doesn't work, radiator and engine needs cleaned out, engine needs cleaned, funny sounds from underneath when cornering (haven't even got it up on ramps yet).

jimTN said:
All of the above and I add a rear track bar from a 41-48, stops sideways slop. I also like the period accessory tube shocks that mount going forward on either side of the rear end. These are tried and proven methods that worked well on whiskey cars.
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Track bar same as a panhard rod?

Marv said:
Chassis Enginering sells a front anti swaybar Kit and maybe rear and kits to use the airplane shocks. When i was 16 i drove my 39 sedan on 2 wheels more than 4 because of no swaybars and poor shocks. I still own it and never wrecked it.
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++1

felix37 said:
I installed Chassis Enginerings front and rear sway bars as well as there tube shock kits. They bolted on and made my car handle like a dream!
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Thanks to all. That's what I needed.

You guys are da' bomb...

I apologize for all the "dumb questions". 60s and 70s vehicles, and some of the new stuff I'm OK on. These babies are a whole different animal. Different vendors, different expertise required.

Again, thanks to all for tolerating a newbie to the "antique" vehicle world. I don't want to do any harm to the car, even though it's not rare or anything, I think it's too nice to hacking away at it like some rube. Someone either took really good care of it, or lovingly restored it, or both.
 
"Track bar same as a panhard rod?"

Similar but mounted different. A track bar can be used to jack weight but that is not desirable on a street car. Mounted properly it makes a very good sway bar.
An anti roll bar works very well on these cars. You might have to fabricate it yourself though. You don't want to do any cutting, welding or heat bending on a factory one. They are a torsion bar and depend on the heat treat in the bar to work.
An anti roll bar on the front only is usually all you need.
These cars can be made to handle like a sports car or as jimTN said, a "whiskey car".
 
Pete said:
"Track bar same as a panhard rod?"

Similar but mounted different. A track bar can be used to jack weight but that is not desirable on a street car. Mounted properly it makes a very good sway bar.

I'll have to look it up. Got a link or photos? Is a track bar in three pieces, like a Z? Panhard rod is typically one piece I believe attaching the rear end to the frame

Wouldn't think you would need lateral support with transverse springs, but I guess there will be play in the shackles and the springs may also bend and twist a little.


These cars can be made to handle like a sports car or as jimTN said, a "whiskey car".
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That's where I need to go. Love the sound oof the little flattie winding up;)

Keep forgetting folks kept makin' and runnin' hooch after prohibition, and these are the cars they used at the time.
 
Unless I've forgotten something, a complete 40 deluxe front end should bolt in. Longer spring for better ride and a factory sway bar (a roll bar that also offers sideways location).

The 37-40 steering box would also offer a useful improvement over the stock 36 type. Superior design with less friction.

You could retro fit your 36 spindles and mech brakes to the 40 axle if necessary.

Mart.

Edit: Not sure about the brake retrofit: were 36s still rod or had they gone to cable?
 
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40cpe said:
Tell me about the springs, your car looks lowered.
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I used Chassis Engeneerings complete front end kit. dropped axle, reverse eye spring, split wish bone, sway bar and shock kit. Everything bolted on using original holes and additional holes needed were drilled using the installed bracket as a template. The only thing that took any skills was splitting the wish bone and the welding of the the threaded bungs to the end of the bones. Excellent and easy to understand instructions.
 
felix37 said:
I used Chassis Engeneerings complete front end kit. dropped axle, reverse eye spring, split wish bone, sway bar and shock kit. Everything bolted on using original holes and additional holes needed were drilled using the installed bracket as a template. The only thing that took any skills was splitting the wish bone and the welding of the the threaded bungs to the end of the bones. Excellent and easy to understand instructions.
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From what I see at their web site they don't have a front stabilizer bar for an original '37-39 front axle.

What is your rear suspension?
 
Kahuna said:
I don't know if this is possible on a 36, but on my 39 coupe, I installed a 40 Deluxe sway bar in Front. It required removal of 2 rivits and 2 new holes to be drilled. This made the Best improvement re sway/roll
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The 40 sway bar does work on a 35-36. Toughest part is removing the 35 spring perches from the axel and wishbone to put the 40 in. Like Kahuna said 2 rivits and 2 new holes and your good to go. Dave/Green Bay
 
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One thing that hasn't been mentioned, and, in my opinion, is the best thing you can do to improve handling, is to fit radial tires.
 
40cpe said:
From what I see at their web site they don't have a front stabilizer bar for an original '37-39 front axle.

What is your rear suspension?
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I used your their parralel leaf spring kit,shocks and sway bar along with a Buick Grand National rear end. It's backing plate to backing plate was Identical to the original ford banjo I took out. Things begun to snow ball once I decided to run juice brakes and a T-5!
 
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