In a message dated 00-12-14 16:59:23 EST, ArthurK101@aol.com writes:
<<
In a message dated 14-Dec-00 10:37:31 Eastern Standard Time, Rikrock@aol.com
writes:
> As luck would have it, yesterday I was able to compare two bare 4A frames
> (solid axle and IRS) side by side . From what I see (and others confirm),
> the IRS frame is nothing more than a solid axle frame with the diff
> mounting
> bridge piece and two rear diff mounting studs added. Converting the frame
> to
> solid axle looks "easy" ;>)
>
That's not quite right - it's backwards. The TR4A frame was a completely
new
design (AKA "a bell and an 'A' ") designed specifically for IRS. This new
frame was one of the big reasons why the TR4A was called a TR4"A". Some of
the TR4A frames were modified to take the old solid axles from the TR4.
This
was done at the factory for the US market. You have described the
modification which deleted the larger bridge piece for the coil springs and
added some brackets underneath the chassis to hold the front of "swing"
springs. Again, this mod was done to make the IRS frame (which was what the
engineers wanted the frame to be) capable of accepting the old solid axle
configuration from the TR4.
Art Kelly '64 TR4 CT33118L original owner
VTR TR4 vehicle consultant >>
Art,
It's the "modification" to the IRS frame I was trying to understand. When I
saw that it amounted to not welding some pieces on.............You are right,
though. It was an IRS design "first".
This got started when I was trying to figure out if a TR4A IRS frame could be
used to replace the badly rusted frame on a TR4A solid axle car. The answer
is yes, just remove the bridge piece from the IRS frame and use the front
leaf spring attachment pieces unbolted from the solid axle car.
Why I find odd, though, is that the IRS frame I was looking at has the leaf
spring mounting brackets (rear) and the drawings of the IRS frame in my
factory workshop manual indicate these pieces were welded on all TR4A frames.
Why? I mean if the frame was designed for IRS from the start, what's the
point? It certainly makes the job of converting from IRS to solid axle
easier, but is that what they were thinking??!!??
Rich Rock
Pottstown, PA
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