Homemade Friction Shocks | Boat-tail Speedster Pt.10

[@Neptune730]

WHAT!?!?! Just graduated high school!?!? This kid is going to be a force to be reckoned with. He has the skills of a much older professional fabricator. My hat's off to you! I think I'm going to have to subscribe now.

[@MacroMachines]

great to have you watching :)

[@jonathanw4942]

Enjoying the build! Looking great.

[@Crewsy]

Another great Macro Machines video Vince. You truly are going old school with this and are willing to sacrifice ride comfort for authenticity. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

Look up Belleville washers for your friction shocks. They work better if you put two of them cup to cup on both sides of the shock. Fiberglass works well for friction material. Lay up some mat to the thickness you want & cure it between two heavy plates with wax paper then cut them out with a hole saw. The natural color looks vintage.

[@MacroMachines]

good to know. ill keep it in mind

[@jpkalishek4586]

I was going to recommend the same type of washers, but you snooze . . . For friction disks nylon washers work best, fiberglass especially if died slightly, looks a bit like the old asbestos ones, and leather was used as well. I would probably go with nylon and put a ring of leather around it so it looked authentic, and the type of locking nuts that don't have nylon in them. But that's just me. Oh, and if you want a dense fiberglass, hit up a hobby shop for the FRP chassis blanks for making radio controlled cars. I've seen it used for friction disks in a deep sea reel.

[@artworkbyjohn3254]

RBR f1 team uses them

[@adobedirtblues1321]

No water jet? No problem! It’s wonderful seeing old-school methods.

[@yatsen2000]

man you are very talented young man

[@90FF1]

A search for DIY friction shocks brought me here. Good looking project to follow. Better late than never, right?

[@peterhaywood1305]

Hi (from England), I've only just watched your video on your friction shockers, although I have seen a lot of your later videos. Congratulations on the skills and talents that you have which results in the very high level of workmanship. The reason for contacting you, although you will by now, have solved the problem of your springs on your shock-absorbers. During the Twenties and Thirties in England, a lot of cars used the friction type. These were made by a company called Andre-Hartford who are still in business and can supply the 'spider' type of spring. Anyway, good luck with the final work.

[@JSMachineWorks]

This is Coming along really nicely!

[@jamesmaroon6161]

OK, OK now I got questions, and I am sure that everyone in this country has the same questions I have. One of them being, where did you learn how to do all this, and where did you come up with the ideas. I mean did your dad teach you or did you learn it in college?? Help us all with your story. Because wondering minds want to know, just a tinny bit about you. take care man and happy 4th of July.

[@MacroMachines]

I've always been involved in making things since I was little. My dad taught me some basics, but most of the stuff he does is with wood. Once I learned to weld I started doing much more advanced projects, and would teach myself different skills along the way. Lots of people ask where I went to college, but I just graduated high school in June and haven't started college yet haha. I've learned basically everything through experience and watching other people online.

[@johnw.peterson4311]

Marco, your have a good mind and talent. I hope you pursue engineering because you, unlike engineers I had the misfortune to deal with have a working knowledge and that is a huge advantage.

[@Norse-Viking]

I have been watching your videos for awhile now, and i must say, you allways find a way to make me go: dang that kid know's alot ;) Love watching your vids keep it up bud ;)

[@MacroMachines]

haha sometimes I surprise myself too

[@Norse-Viking]

You do some amazing work my friend, cant wait to see the progress of this build of yours ;) Wishing you a Happy Happy independence day ;)

[@Tshizzle42o]

Bellville washers will work well for your shocks. They are a concave spring washer

[@davidsnyder2000]

For someone who is in college, some have oddly enough acquired 10’s of thousands of dollars worth of fabricating equipment…..as a 50yr old, I’m still working on acquiring those items. Some are more blessed in life than others I suppose 🙂 I’d be utilizing the equipment as well to create👍

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Amazing what you can do when your father teaches about work ethic at 12 and to buy your own bike and or save up for your first car like mine did. Old equipment is cheap too especially if you want to put in some work. Most of mine including the welder were free as part of clean out jobs. Just saying.

[@legitcontent1085]

Wow, you've come so far! i finally cought up with all your videos because iv'e been working on my go-kart. Anyway, great job and can't wait to see other vids!!! 👍 👍 👍

[@lomsomesGarage]

Like the friction shock build leather work well on them and another great viedo keep up the great work

[@jameshickman5299]

Greetings, Once again, another great video. Your fabrication skills continue to amaze me. Your friction shocks would look good on a Model T, but hydraulic shocks were starting to come in by the late twenties and thirties. Might I suggest some Houdaille shocks? They’re period appropriate, relatively abundant, adjustable and rebuildable. Just a thought from a kibitzer. Keep up the good work. Let’s be careful out there.

[@jakeminogue]

should put the mounting bracket in the center of the two shock arms, that would double your friction area.

[@MacroMachines]

yeah, that's what I ended up doing

[@TheScoutYard]

Another great video. Thanks for the content man!

[@brianparker9924]

Damn your hand placement with the band saw scares the shit outa me. Im pretty confident you know what you're doing, it's just one of those tools that doesn't have a good place to put your hands.

[@paulpaul5606]

Another good video 🇬🇧

[@jimmytillery3717]

Your a very talented young man

[@kimalter6620]

Ok i have to leave a comment regarding some of your safety practices . Please use a piece of wood or something when your pushing small metal threw portaband saw . The blade will hit the wood before your fingers . And you do a lot of hand tapping ., you seem to do ok . The best way is in your mill with a tap follower to insure a straight hole . You do great work , and i really injoy your videos . Thank you for all the time you spend on your videos.

[@masterhandmade9859]

Looking great! I love indy car! Good luck from Ukraine!

[@moo.johnference869]

Well , let's see , if I can't find one I guess I'll just make one ... I have to say , " DUDE YOU GOT IT GOING ON " keep up the excellent work although it doesn't look like work to you .🙂

[@dannycurll9343]

Great job

[@MacroMachines]

thanks!

[@anthonyrobertson1787]

Looking good 👍

[@kennethellison9713]

"They work well enough to not be dangerous." said every racing engineer ever.

[@Broadshore]

Everytime I watch you videos. That table makes my eye twitch. Have you looked into welding in some industry wheels to your build table? Also, again!!! Amazing work! I can't wait to see your Period Indycar finished!

[@rolliekelly6783]

Have you thought of using Belleville washers as your compression source for the shocks. Too, you might want to use brake reline material for your friction material. Enjoying the project.

[@MacroMachines]

Those should work pretty well, but I really love the look of the five pronged spring washers so thats what im going to try for

[@krekautofunilaria9730]

No capricho parabéns... excelente trabalho

[@russellnixon9981]

Spider springs indicator discs and wooden friction discs are available from UK suppliers

[@mrfrog3350]

Cool build. What engine will you use?

[@youtube-handle-are-a-joke]

I may be late but those star springs are still available from Andre Hartford in the UK in different sizes and shapes.

[@kiritvara257]

I think you could use small clutch plate center spring damping plates.

[@mack_titan]

Hi, those friction discs, where can I buy those? I have a motorcycle project that needs this. Of course lower capacity ;)

[@doug.patterson4732]

i second that you are amazing you talent level for a young man awsome

[@MC_05-2]

Nice work... I just think that the friction spring thing doesnt resist if you just sopport it at one side

[@MacroMachines]

Yeah, I changed it so that the flange of the mounting bracket is in the center.

[@unknownsauce3768]

Could you link to the 5 prong spring example. The car looked interesting.

[@ianstradian]

For that plate spring you might try and source a small pressure plate for a clutch,,,, the center part of the pressure plate. To find one small enough is the issue. Try old farm equipment as these were not high speed engines and transmissions.

[@lukekolodziej9631]

hey so just wondering, what engine are you planning on putting in this? happy 4th!

[@MacroMachines]

its a surprise :)

[@thefirstmissinglink]

I think you need to sandwich your mount plate between the two arms to get a better friction setup.

[@MacroMachines]

yeah, that's what i ended up doing

[@heatingbeating4089]

Try harley shovelhead clutch springs

[@Ivangomez-bo7vs]

use a leaf spring to make those 5 prong spring things cuz it's obviously spring steel

[@MacroMachines]

that's my plan, but I need to find springs off of something small because car springs are way too thick

[@Ivangomez-bo7vs]

MacroMachines yeah you're probably going to have to soften the steel, cut it, heat treat and temper the steel to bring it back to its springy state

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@@MacroMachines one of those japanese mini trucks maybe?

[@randomvideos3026]

Where did you get the rear diff from?!??!

[@MacroMachines]

its off of a '41 Ford, and i got it from a very generous friend

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

its a banjo rear end. look them up

[@lannysanders6043]

looking good young man. this is the kind of thing i did when i was young. vidya games are bad.

[@simoneleven338]

Do you earn living doing this, or is it just a hobby? Great progress btw

[@MacroMachines]

really just a hobby. I do get a little bit from youtube

[@jth1987leb]

why not use a new style of tie rod? cheaper and easier to find. i'm just wondering

[@MacroMachines]

because I already had those vintage ones, and I want to keep the traditional look as much as possible

[@stefankaufmann8257]

Nice clip, but i don't believe, that this will work properly, because you only made one joint to the chassis. Only the friction pad between the chassis and the first connection to the axle will cause friction, the other ones will just turn with the rods without causing any friction. So you should stack them, one to the chassis and one to the axle, one to the chassis and one to the axle and so on.

[@Ron36415]

if you look for older military windshields where they have the springs you are looking for. look for m35 or dodge m37 parts. probably very close to what you need

[@RemyTerjanian]

At 2:27 was that Sheep from Animals by Pink Floyd? I approve!!

[@GarnettM]

Why not just get torsion bars from an older dodge car 75 to 79 4 feet long spring steel un breakable use them for your torsion bars mill them down .

[@MacroMachines]

do you mean for making the hairpins? because that would be super heavy, and hairpins aren't supposed to flex like torsion bars

[@GarnettM]

MacroMachines I just thought of something welding on the end's will shatter the torsion bars they are so hard, The molecules are length ways for twisting they'd splinter, Just remembered seeing that on a car the hex end stripped on the control arm tried welding it and shattered,

[@Krawl_addik]

I love to see your video butt.. plz putt up your sounds .. always putt up my volume to listen you

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Now lets get remotely serious. Friction shocks with a 1920s chassis engine and tyres may be just ok. This clearly is not. So will be dangerous. As for friction material it was generally cork, Never nylon!! That is in effect a lubricant. 60 years ago everyone changed them for telescopic shocks as the were at best poor and worst uncontrollable on rough roads. Those hairpins too are dangerous, in effect you will have a front axle working as a sway bar and it will pick up inside wheels at 5kmh. 4 link is not a great deal better. 3 link works well but probably not ideal for a road driven vehicle. for that probably a 4 link with one top joint using rubber bushings instead of heim joints. Which will not bind the suspension as much. That ball mount stud with screw in joints will fail on the first big bump.And even with that 3/8 mount will still flex and eventually crack the chassis. you are moving your pivot point outboard of the chassis. The commonly used tierod ends ditto. 25 years of playing with these designs on classic speedway proves all of the above. And watching street hotrods that are simply dangerous.

[@youtube-handle-are-a-joke]

Those friction shock are so ineffective that you find them on Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Miller... And you do realize that you can add a Panhard bar on the front suspension to avoid any ill effect?

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

dude....shut up.