It never ceases to amaze me how broad the interests are of the GRM community. From auto-x to rat rods...it's neet to see the various interests.
This is a picure of our 1951 Henry J in Amarillo Texas.
We are currently building a Studebaker gasser. I am struggling with the pitman arm/drag link arrangement. I would love to see what you got and how you worked around your issues.
Anyone?
It appears that you drive the car on the street, what running gear and e.t. are you running?
My only experience was getting to drive my late b-in-law's slant 6 powered Austin in the late 60s. The car would wheelie in the first 3 gears. Exciting stuff for a teenager.
I'm not a huge Gasser fan, but I dig the look on certain cars like this '55 Olds 88.
oh god yes and that olds is one of my favorites
Oh yeah. If that was in your GRM garage I would vote it up.
I couldn't find any good pictures online, but what about the 2WD Jeep MJ Comanche / XJ Cherokee setup?
It's a 4 link coil sprung setup. The 4WD setup is identical except for the live axle. There's plenty of room between the inner fenders of an XJ for a SBC too. If the track width is close to the Stude...
I have most of what you would need sitting in my back yard. The donor '96 Cherokee Sport is still sitting out there waiting for me to have time to finish it off. It has a live front axle, but no engine so it's easy to see everything.
I need to keep the 2WD front axle in my Comanche, but it's a good reference point too.
Looks like my Comanche would have been available with a manual steering box making this even easier.
I'll try and grab some pictures today. The camera is over at the shop. So are some stickers. 
What makes it a "gasser"? I've heard the term all my life but don't know the distinction.
I love the look and have a few in mind I'd like to build one day.
carguy123 wrote: What makes it a "gasser"? I've heard the term all my life but don't know the distinction.
This is a great book that covers the era:
Mid-50's to late 60's. It now describes the aesthetic of a car from that period (or earlier--usually more of a 50's and earlier thing), big slicks, jacked-up front end with a straight axle, blown drag motor, runs on gasoline rather than alcohol or nitro.
Willys and Henry J's were the poster cars of the "movement".
It's a very cool aesthetic. The cars just looked fantastic.
This was one of the cooler ones from later in the period:
I don't always watch drag racing..but when I do, I watch doorslammers.
Can't help with your suspension links, though. I don't know if I've ever had to worry about getting that much power to the road.
I like the look. I used to have a chevy s10 with a 3" lift spindles on the front and stock rear. It had 30" all terrain tires and for fun i put the stock steelies with wide tires on the rear and skinny cragars up from that i had lying around for the gasser look. I got a few thumbs up from old time hot rodders and wierd looks from the s10 crowd.
Stacks and straight axles!
I got some pictures of the Cherokee front suspension. Between the lighting and the dog wanting to help, they didn't turn out so great.
Here's some shots from the wonderful world of hotlinking:
Best pic I could find for a stock front end:
Lifted front end:
2WD axle is in the foreground:
I hope this helps some.
Graefin10 wrote: It appears that you drive the car on the street, what running gear and e.t. are you running?
4.10:1 with no OD. Big roller. Econoline Steering colum, Major set back...it's hard core. 1500 miles since Labor Day.
Graefin10 wrote: My only experience was getting to drive my late b-in-law's slant 6 powered Austin in the late 60s. The car would wheelie in the first 3 gears. Exciting stuff for a teenager.
Sweeet!
2WD axle is in the foreground:
I could make that work. If you change your mind.....
carguy123 wrote: What makes it a "gasser"? I've heard the term all my life but don't know the distinction.
Generally speaking....NHRA earliest classing (app 1958) had stock bodied, stock wheelbased, full interior, engine-modded cars running gasoline in the Gas (Gasser) class and the altered cars in "you guessed it" Altered. Both classes had weight divided by Cubic Inch bracketing.
As power went up, they raised the car (for the most part) between 1962 to 1967. In the later part of 1967, the drag racing world was radically changed when the slick design changed. The new tire design did not require the CG to be high in order to get good traction. The high altitude of the mid 60's gasser was a major contributor to the 4' wheelstands and the extreme popularity of the class (still alive today).
Most of the high straight axle cars were typically light weight cars. The Willys, HenryJs, Stude coupes, Austin, Anglias, Falcons, Novas, Mustangs, and 55-57 Chevies were common to the higher classes (AA, A, BB, B, CC, C). While bigger cars were used in the lower gas classes (E, F, G, etc.).
Our HJ has had a straight axle in it for many, many decades. However we have not found any indication that it competed.in the hay-day. 1967 cars were still on a production frame (which our car did have with the previously installed straight axle). We currently have 2 pieces of box tube in the front (which was not legal until 1968 for gassers) with an original Chevy axle previously installed in a 35 Chevy. We had to change it do to frame rot.
The Mustang above is actually on a Willys frame. 1968 saw the stock frame rule go away, and new bodies were more aero and the new slicks did not lead to the crazy high wheelstands, so the Funny's took over in popularity, and the gas classes ended in the early 70's.
FWIW, the cars weren't tubbed. The gasser class rules required stock inner fenders and the outer could be cut for "bigger tire" clearance. Not to suggest that our HJ is a period correct representation. We have 2 pieces of box tubing in the front frame and the front inner fenders are gone.
Today - folks call any car with a cut out rear wheel openings and a straight axle or high front end a gasser.
wheels777 wrote:2WD axle is in the foreground:I could make that work. If you change your mind.....
Well I need something on the front of the Comanche. That truck is supposed to live and the front axle out of the Cherokee has a different home.
I'll do some digging and see if another 2WD axle can be found. Most Jeep guys don't want them.
I've seen this in person. Yes, it will wheelie at will.
Don't forget the forklift battery in the trunk :)
Anyone ever use a Woodward SCA500?
Decription says....
SLA200 Slide Yoke - A slide yoke allows a rack and pinion to be mounted on a straight axle. As the axle moves up and down, the distance from the chassis to the pinion changes, so the steering shaft must be capable of sliding in and out like a driveshaft. Note that the sliding travel required of a slide yoke depends on its mounting angle. Mounted horizontally it will need less than an inch of movement; inclined at 45 degrees it will require a stroke equaling almost three-quarters of the total suspension travel. In extreme cases it may be necessary to utilize an SCA500.
SCA500 Engine-bay collapsible section - There are still some late model chassis in which a safety steering column cannot be installed correctly without refabricating the mounting points. An alternative for these cars (as well as for street stocks and other classes required to retain the OEM column) is to install an SCA500 splined telescoping section between the rack or steering box and the firewall bearing as a first line of defense in the “crush zone.” Installation is fairly simple. Just shorten or extend the tube as necessary and weld the appropriate U-joint or splined adapter to the open end. See the Steering Universal Joints section for U-joints to connect the unit to most popular steering-gear splines.
NOTE: This component is designed to replace the intermediate steering shaft in the front or engine bay, NOT the steering wheel shaft. It should ONLY be used as an intermediate shaft with a universal joint at each end. Its torque tube has a reduced diameter for header clearance and
a relatively thin wall, which is NOT intended to take bearing loads from the steering wheel of a full-size automobile. Although various mail-order houses sell adapters to attach a steering wheel to the SCA500, this is an unapproved and unsafe practice, and we specifically recommend against it.
http://www.woodwardsteering.com/images/safety%20steering%20columns.pdf
The catelog point to this if the shaft angle is more than 45 degrees if mounting R&P on the axle. I never liked that, but lately I have been rethinking that position. My how times have changed
Problem solved. Picked up a mid-60's vette steering box at Carlisle. The drag link will run about 2" fore-aft, but it will be 39" long. Next part of the project will be finishing the floor boards.
I was going to suggest a drop pitman arm that the offroad guys use, but I'm not sure of the actual problem and you already have it solved. However, your car looks great.
RossD wrote: I was going to suggest a drop pitman arm that the offroad guys use, but I'm not sure of the actual problem and you already have it solved. However, your car looks great.
Thanks Ross
Remember kids vans always rule!
lots of good pics and such here: http://gassermadness.com/
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