The pictures on this page are for a chassis going to Tommy Jenkins of Hot Rods and Custom in Ipswich, Ma.  He is one of the top builders on the East Coast. Watch for this car to be in a magazine soon.

Pinch Nose 1932 with Heidt's Open Wheel Front End and Halibrand Quick Change

You have heared me say, "ride height" in various places throughout this website.  When building an IFS, measurements become more important than when building a chassis with an axle.  You need to first pick out the wheels and tires you plan to use on your car before you build it.  These measurements are needed to determine "ride height".  Mr. Jenkins and I discussed this matter several times. He decided to run 24's up front and 29's in the rear.  After the "ride height" was determined, the frame rails were placed at the proper angle.

All of our Stage III Chassis are "C-Notched" in the rear to get the car down.  Ride height is 3" below the top of the "C-Notch." Special care is taken to assure proper alignment and to set the pinion angle.  We have special jigs to locate the rear end housing to set "ride height."  Ride height in the rear is 14.5" from the centerline of the axle to the ground.  This is one-half of the determined 29" tire in the rear.

In this image the rear end is not set at the correct pinion angle yet.  Because of the radical difference in the axle and IFS, we have to check the engine angle before we weld the brackets on the housing.

Yes, even I screw up once in awhile.  I forgot to allow for the Quick Change when the rear coil over member was installed.  This will have to be redesigned to allow for QC to travel up and down.  In order to get your car down low, you have to modify the trunk floor.   This chassis will have the rear end "bobbed" also.  You can see the string line along the bottom of the chassis.  All measurements are taken from the center line out as well as side to side.  The human eye is a very fine instrument and you will know when something is off.  Our chassis have that "look" of perfection.

This is what the rear looks like with the new cross member installed.  The body is sitting 2" higher because the floor has to be notched.  Page 5 has additional pictures of this chassis.

Heidt's Open Wheel Front End.  "Ride Height" is 12" from the ground with a 24" tire.  Set the lower A-Arms parallel to the ground and the front of the cross member 90 degrees from the ground.  Forget about what angle the frame rails are.  Think parallel and perpendicular to the ground not the frame.  We used a long rod to locate the lower bracket, these rods are parallel side to side and to the ground.  Locate the upper rear bracket by lining it up with the front brackets and 7/16" lower than the front bolt.  This will build in the anti-dive.  The spindle is located at 90 degrees before any brackets are welded in.  You can now realize how important it is to determine "ride height".  Measure, cross measure then do it again 3 more times.

The string line on the bottom is used even in the front.  Did you ever wonder why your chassis is hard to line up?  Did the chassis builder ask you what wheels and tires you were going to use?  You get what you pay for. That is why we charge a little more for our chassis.  Look at it this way you only had to pay for it once and not have to re-do it.  Engineering goes into building a sound chassis, believe me.

Page 5

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