Getting their cars lower has been the focus of rodders for decades, and the Magnum Axle Company has just put out a new product to answer the eternal "go lower" quest we are all after. The latest in a long line of great-quality Magnum products is their 5-inch dropped I-beam front axle for '28-36 Fords. While the technology is nothing new, the deepest drop ever available in a new I-beam front axle certainly is!
We installed one recently in one of our projects and were just as happy as the first guy who installed a dropped beam over 70 years ago.
The additional drop of the...
The additional drop of the new 5-inch dropped I-beam axle from Magnum is all the more obvious when compared to an old original axle with an approximate 3-inch drop.
An added bonus to the new...
An added bonus to the new Magnum axle is a lower shock-bung cast into it, eliminating the need for a bolt-on lower shock mount. The added lowness also requires that the shock not hang down below the axle.
The first step in assembly...
The first step in assembly was mating the spring, perches, and shackles to the axle. Then the spindles were installed with a pair of fresh king pins. The brakes selected for this vehicle were a pair of very traditional Lincoln-style units from MT Car Products.
Because every installation...
Because every installation is unique, leading to different part selections like steering (cross-steer or side-load) and axle locating (hairpins, four-bars, or in this case, split '34 wishbones), the steering arms will probably need a bit of adjustment. Even the deepest dropped steering arms would still need some tweaking to get the tie rod under the wishbones (and most likely below the scrub line). An alternative was to use a shorter arm and bend the arms up to run the tie rod on top of the bones. After fitting the arms and measuring the amount they would need to be bent, the arms were marked in the locations where heat would be applied.
With the steering arm held...
With the steering arm held securely in a vice, heat was applied to the marked area, and once the arm was cherry red, pressure was applied with a large crescent wrench to move the arm to the new desired shape. Not an exact science, so go slow and do not try and push the arm too far at one time. Note that these arms were originally heat-forged, not cast. Cast arms should not be heated, as it will make them far less safe and prone to failure.
The new hub went on next with...
The new hub went on next with the new brake drum sliding right over it. With all the pieces in place, the complete assembly was ready to slide under car.
The new frontend bolts up...
The new frontend bolts up to the SO-CAL chassis with a spring perch kit also from SO-CAL.
The finished setup uses mostly...
The finished setup uses mostly all-new pieces, but has a completely timeless traditional look that will never go out of style. Additional weight and settling will bury the nose of this ride deep in the weeds once the driving begin. Note: The tie rod on top of the wishbones works in this application because the engine is set back far enough that the dampner and lower pulleys will not contact the tie rod. Each installation is unique but safety is universal.