Wishbone too long

Logan

Logan

Well-known member
Has anyone else experienced this happening? I'm restoring my deluxe phaeton, and i just installed the motor and ****** in the frame over the weekend. When i went to connect the wishbone to the bell housing, it was about 3/4 of an inch to an inch to long to go in the hole... I am 98% sure this is the same wishbone that came out from under the car, but it has been about 4 years since i took it all apart. The reason there is a 2% doubt is because a lot has happened in the last 4 years and i can't remember if i switched this out for another one or not now that i'm sitting here thinking about it, but i wouldn't have had another to switch it with. The wishbone has an "A" part number embossed on the bottom side by the ball. I switched the car from RHD to LHD so i did replace the bell housing, but there shouldn't be any variance correct? I did replace the front crossmember, and straightened the frame while restoring the rails within a 1/16 of an inch variance, but the engine, transmission and rear end all lined up like they were suppose to with no budging or forcing them into place. I have stock motor mounts front and rear so everything is in the right place. This is probably the 10th or so chassis I've built, and this is the first time i have ever seen/heard of something like this happening. Anybody have any suggestions or help with this matter?

I have 2 other A's sitting next to this one being built, and i went underneath and measured different spots on the wishbone/front axle the best that i could with them under the cars, and it all seems to be fairly close to what i am trying to put under this car. I say fairly close because its hard to get an accurate measurement with it in the car. But both other cars measure within 1/8 inch with me working around all the components and measuring by myself.

Anyone else experience this or have any suggestions before i go digging for another wishbone and tear apart my completely built, freshly painted front end?
 
RHD & LHD same dimensions, Thinking & not checked but if rear mounts the wrong way around can that move engine back a little ? once r/rod at correct height should fit ok tight but not an 1" out , Derek in very hot NZ
 
Also, if the front axle is not set at the correct caster angle that could also add some dimension to where the radius ball lines up with the bell housing.
 
I had that happen to me once. Loosen the "U" bolts that are holding the spring to the front cross member and try again.
 
Trust me when I say, I've done all this. This isn't my first car that I've built. I physically can not get the ball to line up. I've even dropped the spring out of the cross member, attatched the ball and then jacked the front back up to try to pry it into the crossmember and the center spring bolt landed outside the front of the crossmember when I tried to jack it back up into place, that's how far off it is. Someone else told me earlier tonight that it's probably a defect in the crossmember that I bought to put in it. And that I'll have to cut the wishbone, shorten it, reset the camber and weld it back up. I just really don't want to do that if I can somehow avoid it.
 
I once nearly bought a nice looking wishbone at a swap meet for my coupe. When I told the seller that it was for a Model A, he kindly informed me that I was looking at a 1932 Model B wishbone, which is slightly longer. Any chance you might have picked up one from 1932?
 
Been there done that. My first A had a goofy front motor mount and the front of the engine was too high. It does not take much to move the bell housing forward at the ball attachment. Beat myself up on that one.
 
Logan
I've had this happen as well before and many are tight and I use a Model T screw jack to get the ball up in the socket. I've had to use a pry bar to force the assembly against the spring forward. 3/4 sounds like lit but I know I've moved them that much before. If you really think you off they much with the front out drop a plumb line down the center bolt hole with the crossmember level with a level and see if the measurement back to the socket is relatively close to another A which should be easy to measure.

I've had them tight many times before.
I've always installed as an assembly with spring installed first but you could try installing the spring and then the axle and ball upward at your own determination of what you connect first to see how close it is. Spreader probably required on the spring.

Confident you will get it
Larry Shepard
 
I've also had to use a pry bar to move it back far enough to get it in the cup. I'm thinking I may have used a long 2 x 4.
 
I've had this problem recently;
Somehow the spring is not perfectly vertical.and sits forward

I had to Jack the frame off the front spring , connect the wishbone ball ,
and lower the frame down close to the spring and push the spring under the
crossmember, then push the spring back with a 2x4 or a bar till its under the crossmember and then lower the frame on to the spring

Hope this helps
John Cochran
 
I would guess that your 180A is in from Uruguay or Argentina being RHD ( why did you go LHD ??? RHD is COOL!!! .I leave my USA P/U LHD in RHD England no driving problems . I too have a RHD 180A imported from Argentina it had a extended front cross member to allow the front spring to be mounted further ahead . The spring was longer so was most likely 33/34 . I had to cut all the modifications off to return the spring to the correct location so it could be your front cross member is out of position due to past "improvements" to the frame holes . Just a thought . I would like to buy your RHD parts I should be in sunny Chandler AZ Dec through March .Right now I am building a 30 P/U in AZ from the ground up so could make it RHD my plan is to take it back to UK anyway.

John in sunny spells snow showers Suffolk County England .
 
I had the same problem reinstalling the wishbone on my 31 Cabriolet. the front spring is not into the front cross member properly. Take off the U-bolts and drop the spring to the lower portion of the cross-member. Have a jack under the axel. Place the ball into the cradle of the bell housiing and snug it up about 3/4 of the way. If the mounting bolts are not long enough you may have to use a jack here also. With the ball in the correct location and the spring is in the correct left/right position (spring center bolt will go into the hole in the cross-member), jack up the axle getting the spring up into the cross-member. Tighten everything up and you are good to go! Ed
 
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