Category: dear welder series

Paul Horton’s replies to actual tech emails.

Dear Welder Series… thanks for sending me three cats.

Dear Welder Series…
Just wanted to say thanks again for a smooth transaction.
Also wanted to let you guys know I got 3 catalogs with my order, not a bother really but thought I’d let you know so you’re not wasting them!

Dear Karman…
Thanks for this note, Karman. We send the catalogs because customers told us friends were always “borrowing” the one we sent out, but not returning it. If someone asks for one (or two) now, you can give them out and still have one on your bench.
I hope we can help with other parts for your projects.

Dear Welder Series… how do I find axle centerline?

Dear Welder Series…
I have already stripped my truck down to the bare chassis and am looking to purchase an IFS for the front end. With the suspension now out of the chassis and gone to the scrap yard (wasn’t thinking there) can I center the new suspension by measuring from the front spring mounting holes to the rear spring brackets or should I re-position the cab and fenders on the chassis to center the wheels? The chassis goes to the sandblaster on Thursday and then I’m boxing it and getting it ready for your parts to go on. Thanks in advance for your help with this… you are going to make a few dollars off of this build for sure.

Dear Writer…
I always like to mock things up so I know that the look is what I want.  It does take longer, but gives better odds that things don’t have to be undone and redone.
Thanks for asking.

Dear Welder Series… do you sell RUBBER BUCKET?

Dear Welder Series…
Hello Customer,
Greetings to you, well I would like to know whether you sell RUBBER BUCKET. Let me know the models,sizes and prices of them. Also I would like to know whether you accept credit card payment. Hope to hear back from you soon.

Best Regards,
Tommy Harrison

Dear Tommy…
Thanks very much for your time and personal request for RUBBER BUCKET. I appreciate your inquiry; I’ve been known to occasionally question the Home Depot salesman as to the availability of cross country skis at their fine store. While our product line is rather large, containing (no pun intended) many varieties of gussets, tabs, and other parts to make building a hot rod a little easier, we unfortunately have not diversified to the point of offering RUBBER BUCKET at this point. In fact, we don’t even sell Mustang II control arms or spindles. My grandpa used to say “DW, you need to get into the RUBBER BUCKET business. If you don’t, some day someone will be beating down your door (they spoke of doors back then… now it would be “beating down your inbox”) wanting all different sizes, and the prices of RUBBER BUCKET, and you won’t have any RUBBER BUCKET to sell. Alternatively, you could sell hot rod parts.”

You see, Tommy, my grandpa was right. He knew that the only alternative to selling many models and sizes of RUBBER BUCKET was to do something I enjoyed.

I took the liberty of doing a quick Google search for you and came up with a nicely made RUBBER BUCKET for equestrian purposes. I’m not sure if you’re into horses or hot rods… maybe that’s why you were asking for different models. I didn’t check if they have a hot rod RUBBER BUCKET. http://kioskkiosk.com/products/rubber-bucket

Thanks again for your time.
DW Horton

p.s. Sorry, I forgot to mention that we do accept credit card payment (and PayPal).

Dear Welder Series… what comes in the 8.8 four link kit?

Dear Welder Series…
I am interested in buying this product, but I am unsure if it contains everything I need, can you give me a parts list for this kit? That would be wonderful.

I am using a 67 chevelle rearend with the stock triangulate four link setup, and I am just trying to make sure I can use the existing top mounts.
Thanks for your help!

Dear Alexander…
The parts in this kit are:
Frame brackets for the upper and lower bars.
Lower bars with one end adjustable. The other end has a sleeve for the urethane bushing.
Upper bars with one end adjustable. The other (axle) end has a bracket that wraps around the stock GM bushing on the axle differential casting. This bracket must be welded to the bar after the bar has been cut to length. It might be necessary to drill this bracket to the correct bolt size.
Axle brackets for the lower bars. The brackets have holes to mount coil-overs or shocks.
Urethane bushings and hardware. Bolts and nuts for the axle end of the upper bar are not included. (The stock GM bolt & nut can be used.)
Installation instructions.
The kit is available in component pieces that you would weld together or with all welding done that can be done by our shop.
Thanks for asking. I hope we can help with your project.
Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… 1951 Chevy Mustang II?

Dear Welder Series…
I want to start purchasing the parts to the Mustang II kit, I have a 51 Chevy Coupe. I was looking at this:

I have a couple questions.

  1. What track width do I select for that car? I’m probably going to run stock steel wheels and 640 Bias Ply tires.

2. When I do purchase the upper spring hat, will it allow me use air bags??

Dear Drew…
Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts, Drew. The 56″ track width is right for your Chev. The kit for stock-type springs will let you use air bags. The bag companies have a top hat looking adapter.

Dear Welder Series… 1950 Studebaker Four Link?

Dear Welder Series…
Hi I’m going to narrow the frame on my 50 studebaker car so I can pro street it which would you recommend a 4 link with a panhard bar or a triangulated 4 link without the panhard I like the triangulated better but I’m not sure which is stronger the car is putting out around 350 to 400 H.P.
Thanks Jim

Dear Jim…
Jim, there’s not much difference, strength wise, between the parallel and the triangulated kits. If you don’t want or need the adjustments of the Pro/Street kit, I’d suggest you go with the kit you like best.

The parallel kit is easier to install and easier to adjust because the Panhard does the left-to-right without changing the pinion angle or the  squareness of the rear end to the frame centerline. The Panhard might be fairly short, depending on how narrow the frame is. You could use the 2184 kit to keep the bar as long as possible.

The triangulated kit is less money, because there’s no Panhard to buy. You might consider running the upper bars from just inside the frame to a crossmember above the driveshaft. Weld the kit’s upper bar frame brackets to this crossmember. This will give more stability to the upper triangulation.

In either case, since the car will be Pro/Street, you should consider adding a gusset to the lower bar bracket.
I hope this helps with your decision. Please ask if you have other questions.

Dear Welder Series…
Thanks for answering my e-mail only I’m not sure about the gusset to the lower bar bracket you mentioned is there anyplace on the website with a photo?
Also I’m guessing the car is going to weigh  around 3,000 lbs. estimated. Is there a specific triangulated 4 bar kit for that size of a car?
Thanks again Jim

Dear Jim…
There aren’t pictures of the lower bracket gusset. This is just a suggestion if you plan to beat on the car with stickier tires.
The 318500 kit (shown above) is a versatile triangular rear 4-link that would work fine.

Thanks for getting back to me.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… 1935 Plymouth Mustang II?

Dear Welder Series…
hi–do you guys make  a mustang 2 kit for a 1935 plymouth coupe?? either weld-in or bolt-in?? thanks for your time–tom

Dear Tom…
Tom, our 56″ kits are the ones to use in your Plymouth.

 

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts for your build.

Dear Welder Series… 1937 Ford Truck Boxing Plates?

Dear Welder Series…
I wanted to check that your 35-40 ford boxing plates will work on a 37 ford truck frame. If so I will be ordering immediately.
Thanks

Charles

Dear Charles…
Charles, 1935-41 Ford car and 1935-41 Ford pickups used the same frame rails. Yes, our plates will work with your ’37. They are in stock.

 
Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts.

Dear Welder Series… 1989 Chevy Pro Street Pickup Four Link?

Dear Welder Series…
I am building a 89 Chevy c1500 street/drag I am wanting to go with a narrower rear end and do a 4-link set up. I was wondering what 4 link set  up would you recommend for me?

Dear Jon…
Our pro/street rear 4-link can be set up so the bars are parallel for street driving or they can be adjusted to get the instant center that you want for racing. The kit comes with urethane bushed bars. Serious racers use these on the street but change them to rod ends for the track.

Thanks for looking at Welder Series parts for your project.

Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… Mustang II in a 1936 Chevy Pickup?

Dear Welder Series…
Can I make your Mustang II kit work on a 1936 Chevy pickup frame? Thanks.

Dear Mike…
Our 56″ kits would be the right size for your Chev pickup.

 

I hope we can help with your project.
Paul Horton

Dear Welder Series… Mustang II installation questions

Dear Welder Series…
I recently came across your MII installation instructions, and I am really impressed. A great tool for a builder!

I have few questions; (The more I study it the more I have questions!)
1. Am I correct in saying that your instructions will only establish the desired ride height, if on assembly,  the lower control arm is positioned as you assumed it would be when you wrote the instructions? What position does the lower control arm need to be in? (The old method of placing a straight edge under the cross member and the control arm resting on it?)

2. I see on your web site you answer questions about maximum outside frame width to avoid frame notching to clear coil springs. You point out that the maximum varies depending on ride height… understood.
I am looking at installation of an MII in a 1934 Chrysler which will need the frame narrowed considerably because it “flares” out to 36 inches- outside width (the existing frame runs to the outside of the existing coils spring.) I am looking at narrowing the “flare” to 29-1/2” (outside) to match the existing frame dimension on the firewall side of the “flare”. I would like to narrow the frame sufficiently to avoid any frame notching for spring clearance. I am not building the car to be super low… a car that will allow me to roll a floor jack under the cross member.
Will 29-1/2” be a fairly safe number to avoid frame notching for MII coil springs on a 56”or 58” system?

3. If the frame dimensions and the cross member dimensions are such that the cross member gets welded to the underside of the frame and the OUTSIDE of the frame, doesn’t the section of the cross member outside the frame interfere with the springs?

4. I see you recommend longer tie rod ends for the 58” system. Does this not create bump steer because it changes the relationship of the hinge points of the control arms relative to the tie rod hinge point?

5. The Internet tells me that the tubular lower A arms are failing where they extend to the rear of the cross member. Do you have experience with this issue?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Keith

Dear Keith…
Keith, what a great list of questions.
1. At ride height, the Mustang II suspension is designed to have the stock spindle 3-1/2″ higher than the lower arm pivot bolt center. This is the dimension used in our crossmember and tower design. Dropped spindles would be 5-1/2″ higher than the pivot bolt center and this is referenced in the instructions.

2. 29-1/2″ will be fine for either the 56″ or 58″ kits.

3. The 56″ crossmember is 30″ outside the “wings”. The spring almost always clears the crossmember wings, even when they are on the outside of the frame. We used to taper the outer edge of the wings up and in towards the frame more for cosmetics than clearance. Although the 58″ crossmember is wider than the 56″ (32″ vs 30″), the upper towers mount 2″ farther apart when the 58″ crossmember is used so the clearance stays the same.

4. The geometry does change, but in the “real world” the bump steer is not noticeable. I try very hard to steer clear of discussions about this because the difference MIGHT be noticed by Tony Stewart, but not by me. Rack extensions are the correct way to go.

5. I have read about this on the internet but have no personal or business experience with this issue. I do believe the people who say they had a problem, did have the problem. I have tubular lowers on our ’40 Ford with about 50,000 miles on them over all types of roads.

Thanks very much for your questions. I hope we can help with your project.
Paul Horton