Got a worse-for-wear Model A, '32, or '33-34 frame that's near or beyond repair? Simple: Replace it with an aftermarket one. Same can "sort of" be said for '35-36s and the latter, but unlike with the earlier eras, your choices and options are dramatically limited. So, what to do? Fix it, of course.
Recently, Circle City Hot Rods (CCHR) proprietor Jimmy White acquired a 1940 Ford pickup truck. An old hot rod, its chassis had not only seen better days, it had been victim to some questionable modifications, and very poorly done mods at that. From the front to the back, pretty much most of the pickup's frame—and suspension/running gear—had been molested. No problem for CCHR ... just fix it.
Going back to stock was not an option, let alone even a consideration. So, a call was put in to the folks at Chassis Engineering (CE) to obtain the "goods" to continue the '40's life as a hot-rodded hauler. This month, we'll address the rear end: installing (incorporating) CE's bolt-on parallel leaf kit, which includes everything from their Slider springs to frame brackets/hangers. Next month, we'll properly clean up the frontend, re-splitting the wishbone and reconstructing the forward X-member in proper fashion. Stay tuned.
1. Chassis Engineering's bolt-on parallel leaf kit (PN AS-2016) will provide the necessary hard parts to bring the Circle City Hot Rods '40 Ford pickup up (more like "down") to snuff.
2-3. First order of business: measure, mark, and locate the front spring hanger/mount. Start by using the factory X-member center rivet in lower frame lip (scribe mark).
4-5. With a heavy straight edge squarely clamped to the framerail, Dylan marked the axle centerline using a square.
6. Both upper and lower rear X-member rivets are drilled out and removed for spring mount locating.
7. The front spring mount is bolted to the frame via the lower X-member rivet hole ...
8. ...positioned squarely, then the vertical mounting holes are drilled into the side of the framerail.
9. Holes are enlarged on the backside for installing the hardware (to provide clearance for the socket).
10-11. In order for the rear spring mount to install correctly, the previously damaged lower framerail lip required heating and flattening.
12. The forward mounting hole on the rear bracket should match up to the existing hole in the framerail; drill rear hole and install hardware.
13-14. Leaf spring installs with front eye rolled on top of the leaf (rear shackle end is reverse-roll).
15. With parallel leaf springs loosely installed, White and Dylan mocked up the 9-inch rearend housing for squaring/alignment as well as the forthcoming spring perch installation.
16. Dylan bolted the supplied perches and spring plates/lower shock mounts onto the housing...
17-18. ...and then centered the rearend between the framerails in order to locate and install the upper shock mounts onto the factory '40 rear spring crossmember.
19. With the upper mounts in place and shocks bolted on, the job was almost complete...almost.
20. Installation wraps up with the inclusion of the last bits of the forward leaf spring hangers—the interior bracket supports.
21-22. As far as any "fine-tuning," the rear spring crossmember required some massaging for the differential and shock body clearance (the additional removed metal is from a previous exhaust job).
23. Save for setting the pinion angle and welding the spring pads onto the rearend housing, that wraps things up for this go-round. Next month, Jimmy White and crew move their sights—and efforts—forward on the '40.
