Rear tube shock conversion

[Rustedjunk]

Has anyone come across these or similar, or have them in their garage. They are pieces that you bolt to your upper rear cross member to add tube shocks to your 41 - 48 Ford. All you need is a bolt to clamp them on. I am having a hell of a time finding anything even close.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Rustedjunk

Has anyone come across these or similar, or have them in their garage. They are pieces that you bolt to your upper rear cross member to add tube shocks to your 41 - 48 Ford. All you need is a bolt to clamp them on. I am having a hell of a time finding anything even close.

Well, here are some ideas for you, including what are Ford factory parts in the third picture. The first picture MAY be the part portrayed in the PARTS drawing. DD










.

[Rustedjunk]

What is the length of that first bolt? I think I have them but when I tried installing them, they just didn't seem long enough. Also, can you tell me more about what's in the second picture?

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Rustedjunk

What is the length of that first bolt? I think I have them but when I tried installing them, they just didn't seem long enough. Also, can you tell me more about what's in the second picture?

You've got to realize that I don't have those pieces in hand. They are just some neat parts that might just come in handy for a guy like you, and I just happen to file-away pictures of stuff like that. Therefore, I have no idea what the length is on the shaft in first pic. Looking at several features of that chassis, I would guess that it is a '46-'48 Ford. The neat thing about it is that it would be very easy to fabricate a pair of those that would function as needed for a guy with just a little creative aptitude.

The pieces in the second picture....I ain't got a clue as to their origin, but if I ever ran across a pair like that at a swap meet, they would be going home with me. DD
.

[TJ]

The lower brackets can be bought new from a company called Pure Hotrods in Illinois. The upper brackets can simply be a regular shock stud that can be found at many parts stores or if you want a different style upper you might call TCI in Ontario, California or go to Chassis Engineering and see if you can just by a pair of their upper shock brackets,

[flathead48]

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The shock stud will not work for upper mount on crossmember because it is boxed and you cannot get in there to put a nut on it you need to make it like the Ford parts book shows that goes all the way through the cross member and nut is fasten from back side. The cross member is drilled on both sides for this purpose. There use to be an after market kit that used special shaped U bolts to fasten a stud bracket to C member but that was back in the 60s .

[Ol' Ron]

Once you find, or make your brackets. The shock chosen should be for the same weight as your application. At one time this was listed in the specs of the shock. I find the small GM car shocks have a 70/30 valving and provide a good ride. No one makes any mounts for these so you have to make your own. the lighter the car the more difficult it is to find a suitable shock. I used Chevl shocks on myKB-1 worked pretty good (3400 lbs)
Gramps

[Automotive Stud]

It's not much help, but I have a pair of upper brackets like in your first picture, they are under my '47. I think I found them on here years ago with a wanted ad. I've also used regular shock studs on the upper mount, but that may require trimming the crossmember lip for shock clearance.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by flathead48

The shock stud will not work for upper mount on crossmember because it is boxed and you cannot get in there to put a nut on it you need to make it like the Ford parts book shows that goes all the way through the cross member and nut is fasten from back side. The cross member is drilled on both sides for this purpose. There use to be an after market kit that used special shaped U bolts to fasten a stud bracket to C member but that was back in the 60s .

You are correct about the about the boxed crossmember. I have used a hole saw and put an access hole in the crossmember and you can get a nut in there to fasten the shock stud. The access hole does not weaken the crossmember.

[Rustedjunk]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

Once you find, or make your brackets. The shock chosen should be for the same weight as your application. At one time this was listed in the specs of the shock. I find the small GM car shocks have a 70/30 valving and provide a good ride. No one makes any mounts for these so you have to make your own. the lighter the car the more difficult it is to find a suitable shock. I used Chevl shocks on myKB-1 worked pretty good (3400 lbs)
Gramps

Thanks for the advice. I did get the GM small car shocks. I don't know where to start making my own. Any suggestions?

[Rustedjunk]

Originally Posted by TJ

You are correct about the about the boxed crossmember. I have used a hole saw and put an access hole in the crossmember and you can get a nut in there to fasten the shock stud. The access hole does not weaken the crossmember.

Do you have pictures?

[blucar]

The tube shocks on the rear of my '36 is basically a '47-48 Ford set up with an aftermarket mount attached to the rear cross-member. As you can see in the pix, the shocks are mounted on an angle, which works well, you should also note the panhard/sway bar which is a stock '46-48 Ford item, except for the cross-member mount.
One of these days I am going to change the cross-member mounts to '70's Ford F100 mounting attachments...I have a pair I harvested off of a '72 F100, it is a simple one hole application.

Several of the aftermarket rear tube shock applications use mounts that put the shocks vertical. I don't care much for that application because there is limited space for the shock between the tire and the body. Vertical front shocks work very well because there is ample room between the frame and the wheel,

[Rustedjunk]

Originally Posted by blucar

The tube shocks on the rear of my '36 is basically a '47-48 Ford set up with an aftermarket mount attached to the rear cross-member. As you can see in the pix, the shocks are mounted on an angle, which works well, you should also note the panhard/sway bar which is a stock '46-48 Ford item, except for the cross-member mount.
One of these days I am going to change the cross-member mounts to '70's Ford F100 mounting attachments...I have a pair I harvested off of a '72 F100, it is a simple one hole application.

Several of the aftermarket rear tube shock applications use mounts that put the shocks vertical. I don't care much for that application because there is limited space for the shock between the tire and the body. Vertical front shocks work very well because there is ample room between the frame and the wheel,

I can't see the upper mount that the upper part of the shock bolts meets.

[blucar]

Basically the upper shock mount is the same as the one shown in the first pix Coop posted in #2.

[B-O-B]

Look closer at that picture. It has the little inboard ring supported underneath & goes to the frame.