Clarke Hot Rods » Tech Articles http://clarkehotrods.com a hot rod & custom shop Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:11:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 en hourly 1 A Doane Spencer Style ‘32 Chassis for Barry Hilderbrand – UPDATED 12/22 http://clarkehotrods.com/2009/a-doane-spencer-style-32-chassis-for-barry-hilderbrand http://clarkehotrods.com/2009/a-doane-spencer-style-32-chassis-for-barry-hilderbrand#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:56:29 +0000 Clarke http://clarkehotrods.com/?p=1039 chassis-shot-2-dsrIn the last few years, the guys up at the Rolling Bones shop in New York have taken an old idea and worked it back into style. The ‘Bones guys took the Doane Spencer ‘32 front suspension setup, and put their own spin on it, and have put some really great looking hot rods on the street in the last few years. The basic idea that Spencer had was to place the spring behind the axle, and mount the spring perches to the wishbones. This lowers the front of the car dramatically, without dropping the axle. The axle is pushed forward just slightly, lengthening the wheelbase, but keeping the axle behind the chin of the grille shell. The front frame horns are pinched  about 10″ from the cowl, allowing the frame rails to follow the bottom of the hood sides, and disappearing into the grille shell at the front.

Here are some early shots of the Hilderbrand’s frame going together in our shop - At this point, just another basic '32 frame Our Standard X-member Foundation The frame is pinched where it would come from underneat the hood side Flanges of Rails notched for the Pinch Pinched, with front Cross Member Trimmed to Fit Pinched - Fitting Front Crossmember Rear of Front Crossmember Notched to Achieve Correct Caster Top View of Pinch Area Frame Horns Now removed Finished front crossmember Front detail Pinch Detail

]]> http://clarkehotrods.com/2009/a-doane-spencer-style-32-chassis-for-barry-hilderbrand/feed 1 How-To: 1932 Ford Front Mainleaf Reversing http://clarkehotrods.com/2009/how-to-1932-ford-front-mainleaf-reversing http://clarkehotrods.com/2009/how-to-1932-ford-front-mainleaf-reversing#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:39:19 +0000 Clarke http://clarkehotrods.com/?p=1005 Yesterday at the shop we reversed the main leaf for the front of Joe Malki’s ForDor – this is pretty simple tech, and is the fastest, cheapest way to get a couple inches of lower on your Early Ford.

Step one is to obviously dis-assemble the spring back, clamp it, take hte bolt out, and slowing back the clamp off. Next we like to lay the spring on the floor, and draw the arc of the spring out with some chalk. Next, mark the spring in 1 1/2″ increments from one end to the other, and the top of the leaf. I fogot to snap a picture of this, but basically starting from the hole in the center, make a mark ever 1 1/2″ down the spring until you get about 2″ from the rolled portion at the end.

From here we go to the press, and place to blocks 5″ apart, and press each mark that we made on the spring 5 times each. We bring the press down until it makes contact on the leaf, then give it five hits with the press, and move to the next mark. Continue back and forth along the lenght of the spring until it is prefectly straight. This may take a few passes. Don’t get impatient and try to do 6-7 hits per mark, as you may kink the leaf, by trying to bend too much at a time in one location.

Once you get it straight, continue the process in the same direction, until you have the correct arch going in the opposite direction. Re-assemble the spring and enjoy your new ride height!

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