The Ford Barn

tennsmith · 04-22-2011, 01:26 PM

Anybody out there have a 1936 Ford frame without front fenders and radiator who could make a couple of measurements for me? I'd like to know the center-to-center distance between the holes in the brackets that come up off the frame and mount the headlights (I'm talking the hole that the headlight bolts through) and it would be helpful to have the center-to-center distance between the holes that mount the radiator.

Another valuable piece of information would be whether the "sides" of the framerail are supposed to be vertical from front to back or whether they are purposefully "angled" as they go from being parallel down to the 28 1/2" dimension across the very front. My frame has had the front part of the original X member cut away during a previous "mod" and I am thinking that doing this has allowed the sides to "splay" such that they are at an angle as opposed to vertical.

I have the Wescott Auto drawing and it doesn't have the aforementioned headlight measurement and, for me, is difficult to interpret as to which radiator mounting dimension I should use.

The Wescott drawing has a number of erroneous/missing measurements on it and while I started out using it, I am now becoming reluctant to believe measurements that are considerably "different" from what I measure on my frame. I'm reassembling the frame after having disassembled it for sandblasting prior to boxing it and now know (that hindsight thing) that I should have made one hell of a lot more measurements than I did before I disassembled it. I've got a small book's worth of data on things NOT to do already and I don't have it back together yet!

I'll be glad to discuss in a PM any questions anyone might have who is considering doing the same thing.

danliveshere · 04-23-2011, 05:31 AM

I will be at the shed on Monday, if you don't have replies I will measure frame as accurately as possible. I can't give you headlight mounting centres as my 36 frame has had all that removed to mount 35 parts. I will measure the frame on top as well underneath to see if this is supposed to be parallel. If you need any other measurements let me know, Dan.

tennsmith · 04-23-2011, 08:17 AM

Thanks Dan, in lieu of the measurement you can't make, it would be valuable to me to know if the rails measure the same distance across on both top and bottom at a few places along the front section where the frame is tapering from being parallel at the rear to narrow that the front.

sawzall · 04-23-2011, 08:27 AM

tenn

I have a frame out behind the garage thats perfect for what you want.. but if you had a photo showing what dimensions you wanted it would be alot easier to ensure you get what you want..

'36 5W · 04-23-2011, 05:46 PM

I have the front sheetmetal off my 36 coupe, but still have the headlight stands mounted.
To get you started, the width of the stands, measured at top where the light buckets bolt
up = 33 1/2", center to center.

The radiator frame mount bolt holes = 21".

tennsmith · 04-23-2011, 10:33 PM

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Thanks a bunch '36 5W, those are the measurements I needed.

tennsmith · 04-23-2011, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sawzall

tenn

I have a frame out behind the garage thats perfect for what you want.. but if you had a photo showing what dimensions you wanted it would be alot easier to ensure you get what you want..

Sawzall, I'll try and get you a picture on Monday. I have no way to mark on or annotate the picture, but with the picture, I think I can describe what I need.

'36 5W gave me two measurements, but I'd sure like to have a cross-check from a second source to see if the numbers are consistent.

ford1 · 04-23-2011, 11:45 PM

go to westcotts auto on the net, on the left side of the page click on tech and there you will find drawing from the T to the 40.s if you have trouble email me and i will send you a drawing [email protected]

tennsmith · 04-25-2011, 09:55 AM

For Sawzall:

OK, this is a picture of the framerails held in a jig I made and the picture is made at the front, looking rearward. The front crossmember can be seen...it's just sitting in the framerails not attached. Just in front of the front crossmember, on either side, are two brackets bolted to the bottom of the frame. These brackets arch upward and inward to support the radiator at the forward-innermost point. I need the center-to-center dimension between the holes as measured across the frame, not hole to hole in a single bracket.

The other requested dimension is the distance (across the frame) from the large holes in the top of the two brackets that rise upward off the frame and tilt outward on each side to support the headlight buckets. The holes in these brackets are about 3/4" in diameter and I need the center-to-center measurement or a "inside to inside/outside to outside" measurement of the holes and I can calculate the center-to-center.

danliveshere · 04-26-2011, 07:39 AM

Tennsmith the measurement for the radiator bracket is 21" centers.
In my picture there are 4 holes in front of the shock. I have taken 2 meaurements across the frame rails, one on top and one underneath. one on top is directly above the top hole on the left in my picture. The top of the frame is 28 3/4" wide. The bottom of the frame is 28 11/16". So my frame is wider on top by 1/16". This info is only any good if somebody else confirms the same measurement at the same point. Dan.

tennsmith · 04-26-2011, 08:42 AM

Thanks Dan, that is valuable information and I'll make a measurement on mine today. Your 21" measurement is consistent with that given by '36 5W. Mine measures a bit less than that, but I'm thinking I've got the front frame horns too close together although they are in agreement with the Wescott drawing.

Fordors · 04-26-2011, 06:27 PM

The jig looks good, I wish I had room for a deal like that. My next step would be to stretch a string from the front spring center bolt hole to the center of the rear crossmember. I'm assuming you have checked the frame for square with diagonal measurements so with everything square I think I'd place some sort of straight edge across the h/l supports and drop a plumb bob to my c/l. Look to see that your h/l supports are not just "x" dimension apart but each one is in fact the same amount from center. 75 years is a long time and anything could have happened to them.
danliveshere's frame shows a 1/16" variation, only 1/32" from vertical on a side and I'm not saying that is wrong but I bet if a Ford frame was within an 1/8" on just about any dimension they said "ship it!".
The Wescott drawing is split with the left side showing your frame dimensions and the 21" dim. for the radiator mount holes corresponds with '36 5W's measurement. The right side gives '39 De Luxe and up frame dimensions.

04-22-2011, 01:26 PM	#1
tennsmith Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 53	1936 Ford frame measurement(s) Anybody out there have a 1936 Ford frame without front fenders and radiator who could make a couple of measurements for me? I'd like to know the center-to-center distance between the holes in the brackets that come up off the frame and mount the headlights (I'm talking the hole that the headlight bolts through) and it would be helpful to have the center-to-center distance between the holes that mount the radiator. Another valuable piece of information would be whether the "sides" of the framerail are supposed to be vertical from front to back or whether they are purposefully "angled" as they go from being parallel down to the 28 1/2" dimension across the very front. My frame has had the front part of the original X member cut away during a previous "mod" and I am thinking that doing this has allowed the sides to "splay" such that they are at an angle as opposed to vertical. I have the Wescott Auto drawing and it doesn't have the aforementioned headlight measurement and, for me, is difficult to interpret as to which radiator mounting dimension I should use. The Wescott drawing has a number of erroneous/missing measurements on it and while I started out using it, I am now becoming reluctant to believe measurements that are considerably "different" from what I measure on my frame. I'm reassembling the frame after having disassembled it for sandblasting prior to boxing it and now know (that hindsight thing) that I should have made one hell of a lot more measurements than I did before I disassembled it. I've got a small book's worth of data on things NOT to do already and I don't have it back together yet! I'll be glad to discuss in a PM any questions anyone might have who is considering doing the same thing.

04-23-2011, 05:31 AM	#2
danliveshere Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Cairns , Australia Posts: 746	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) I will be at the shed on Monday, if you don't have replies I will measure frame as accurately as possible. I can't give you headlight mounting centres as my 36 frame has had all that removed to mount 35 parts. I will measure the frame on top as well underneath to see if this is supposed to be parallel. If you need any other measurements let me know, Dan.

04-23-2011, 08:17 AM	#3
tennsmith Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 53	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) Thanks Dan, in lieu of the measurement you can't make, it would be valuable to me to know if the rails measure the same distance across on both top and bottom at a few places along the front section where the frame is tapering from being parallel at the rear to narrow that the front.

04-23-2011, 08:27 AM	#4
sawzall Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 420	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) tenn I have a frame out behind the garage thats perfect for what you want.. but if you had a photo showing what dimensions you wanted it would be alot easier to ensure you get what you want.. __________________ Pennsylvania has two seasons. Hershey week, and everything else https://sites.google.com/site/eastcoastwoodies/

04-23-2011, 05:46 PM	#5
'36 5W Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vancouver, Wa. Posts: 193	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) I have the front sheetmetal off my 36 coupe, but still have the headlight stands mounted. To get you started, the width of the stands, measured at top where the light buckets bolt up = 33 1/2", center to center. The radiator frame mount bolt holes = 21".

04-23-2011, 10:33 PM	#6
tennsmith Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 53	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Thanks a bunch '36 5W, those are the measurements I needed.

04-23-2011, 11:45 PM	#8
ford1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: oroville ca. Posts: 1,554	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) go to westcotts auto on the net, on the left side of the page click on tech and there you will find drawing from the T to the 40.s if you have trouble email me and i will send you a drawing [email protected]

04-26-2011, 08:42 AM	#11
tennsmith Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 53	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) Thanks Dan, that is valuable information and I'll make a measurement on mine today. Your 21" measurement is consistent with that given by '36 5W. Mine measures a bit less than that, but I'm thinking I've got the front frame horns too close together although they are in agreement with the Wescott drawing.

04-26-2011, 06:27 PM	#12
Fordors Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orland Park,IL Posts: 1,402	Re: 1936 Ford frame measurement(s) The jig looks good, I wish I had room for a deal like that. My next step would be to stretch a string from the front spring center bolt hole to the center of the rear crossmember. I'm assuming you have checked the frame for square with diagonal measurements so with everything square I think I'd place some sort of straight edge across the h/l supports and drop a plumb bob to my c/l. Look to see that your h/l supports are not just "x" dimension apart but each one is in fact the same amount from center. 75 years is a long time and anything could have happened to them. danliveshere's frame shows a 1/16" variation, only 1/32" from vertical on a side and I'm not saying that is wrong but I bet if a Ford frame was within an 1/8" on just about any dimension they said "ship it!". The Wescott drawing is split with the left side showing your frame dimensions and the 21" dim. for the radiator mount holes corresponds with '36 5W's measurement. The right side gives '39 De Luxe and up frame dimensions.