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Woodhead conversionn for Prefect front shocks
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safechief



Joined: 04 Jan 2012
Posts: 57
Location: Suffolk

PostPosted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:35 pm    Post subject: Woodhead conversionn for Prefect front shocks Reply with quote

Hullo again, just had a thought after reading the interesting Pop 103 post. Has anyone got an engineering drawing of the convesion telescopic damper brackets so I can get some made up.?
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best car ever Daimler V8 saloon 1965, cost me £450. first car Model y Ford cost £15.cars ove 50 years A40 Devon, a30, 35 , consul 375,mini cooper 1962 herald,viva hb Opel ascona, austin1100 capri mk2 many cortinas, saab
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Rene



Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't have drawings but i had a set bought,these are made of cast iron and a real easy fit.
Making a set yourself is possible but if you want to make it of welded together flat bar you have to use very heavy steel to get the same strength as the casted ones.
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safechief



Joined: 04 Jan 2012
Posts: 57
Location: Suffolk

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hullo Rene, yes saw those on small ford spares site but Iam sure Ihave seen some pre-fabbed ones somewhere
Regards
Jeff
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best car ever Daimler V8 saloon 1965, cost me £450. first car Model y Ford cost £15.cars ove 50 years A40 Devon, a30, 35 , consul 375,mini cooper 1962 herald,viva hb Opel ascona, austin1100 capri mk2 many cortinas, saab
Peugeot, renault etc
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At £250 for the SmallFordSpares cast mounts[which use the existing damper mounting holes] , it's a case of whatever suits?

In the past, fabricated mounts were probably sold by hte likes of Ballamy, or Buckler, amongst others. Not around these days, however.

If you can weld, then it ought not be a problem replicating the general idea.

Some thick plate steel for the mounting brackets, and some thick walled tube to produce the top mount? As an idea, use the sort of thickness you find for engine mounts.

Main thing is, first, find out the distance the suspension moves through, from full drop, to full compression.

Then find a shock absorber that exceeds this travel?

An eye either end is favorite...but, if making your own mounts, then , if you have something different to hand, the mounts can be altered accordingly.

The Ford front axle does have an excellent amount of articulation [hence why it was a popular fit to trials car specials?....aside from easy availability, that is]....so it is too easy to find the shock absorber being the 'bump stop'...not good for it.

My Dellow has a Ford front axle .....and telescopic dampers. Not sure what damper they are, size-wise, without taking them off......but the rear dampers were topping out too easily, so I had to raise the top damper mounts an inch or two...all ok now. {Woodhead used to have a table of sizes, ie range?]
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Rene



Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fabricating such shock mounts won't be the problem,finding the right measurements is.
The mounts from small ford parts i bought were under an angle,sideways and backwarts,you had to use shocks from a vw bus and replace the bushings for saab bushings.
If you get the angles wrong it would fail,this is because the mounting holes are on the wrong spot to get the mounts lined up with the lower mounts on the axle.
Sadly in don't have the car enymore and have no pic;s available
René
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
Posts: 429
Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woodhead conversion is on my list to do. I will measure and draw the parts when I get them but it may be a while before I get around to it.
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Rene



Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The woodhead conversion is something i strongly recommend on a Pop or Prefect,the ride is so much better...........
On a certain moment the leaf spring are gonna be worn out and should be replaced,with a woodhead conversion you can mount coil-overs instead of dampers which is cheaper and even more improvement.
The only thing what beats a woodhead is a Ballamy conversion.......if you can find one Very Happy
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
Posts: 429
Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you think they will be strong enough to take the weight of the car and not just for damping.
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Rene



Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you use coilovers you can order different strength,leave the leafspring in place so you don't have to chance enything.
On my Anglia i did the coilovers at the rear and removed the leafspring,i had to chance everything like ladderbars and panhard rod,mounting points for the shocks,you name it.
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
Posts: 429
Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am planning to remove some leaves as the spring is far too hard and the car jumps on bumps in the road. Keeping the leaf springs would also keep the 2 points on the 8 point rule for keeping the historic number.
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I advise not removing leaves from the spring, on a standard-weight car.[Ford got the spring rates absolutely right all those years ago].

If you do remove leaves, then you'll find the spring too soggy....a smooth ride you won't get.

The only time leaves need removing on the Ford suspension is when that suspension is being used under a lightweight 2 seat bodyshell.

With a beam axle the ride will be a bit choppy, tending to dart about on the road surface.

Don't forget, if the spring bushes are worn, together with track rods, kingpin, etc, then there will be a lot of slop in that axle....it will steer itself, and not via the steering gear either! Bump steer can be to blame..and the narrow tyres, tall wheels, etc will also tramline like crazy, if there is slop in the bushes, steering box, etc.

That's ''the nature of the beast'', and needs to be gotten used to?

For better control of the front axle [so it doesn't try & swing in an arc]... make & fit a panhard rod.

Whilst you are at it, check the steering arms for cracks? The stock items are prone to cracking.
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Rene



Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alistairq you are right.
On my Anglia the ride was also bumpy,the original shocks are most times doing nothing and don't provide eny damping.
I replaced the leaf springs for new ones and mounted the woodhead conversion(with vw bus shocks)and this improved the ride by 200%.
As Alistairq says all must be in good shape.
Still it stays a pre-war design,you can improve it but it will never gonna be a Rolls-Royce Very Happy
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