Technical 56 ford mainline front end.

hi ya'll.

working on a 1956 ford 2 door mainline wagon.
i'm in need of a crossmember and i know there was that company that made them for 300 bucks but the guy retired. there is another place called tee bird but, they are out of stock with no delivery date. the place on e bay, johnny something or ot her, sorry the name escapes me, only has the mustang two set up. so if anyone knows of another please pass it on.
also, i understand that a great spring choice is "areostar" springs. is that a set of springs for a ford areostar minivan type thing or a brand of springs? and while i'm asking, do granada spindles also retro fit and further lower the front end?
please, if anyone has used this set up(s)i'd love to hear from you.
thanks again for everyones input.

 

I can answer the Aerostar spring question...yes, stock van springs and they work great. That’s what is in my car in my avatar for stance reference.

 

I can't help you with a name but here is a pretty good diagram with all the measurments if you want to fab. one or have it fabbed. Good luck with the wagon.


I hope this helps.

 

Aerostar spring work great. Moog part number CC850
Found the part number for the shocks used after Aerostar springs were installed
Monroe 5821

 

My input is simple: never buy anything from johnny something!
It is part of the Hoffman Group. For plenty of information on why this is bad, search 'Hoffman' on the HAMB.

 

thanks for the input and the part number for the springs.
those johnny guys were trying to sell me a complete mustang 2 conversion kit for $1200.00 i can just guess what a horror show that kit must be.
is there any info on the process to replace that crossmember? it would be great to have a bit of direction on the correct way to do it instead of free styling it!
thanks

 

m2 kit under a full size car? Uggg, what a way to get a piece of crap driving ride...

Any good fab shop can knock this crossmember shown above out pretty easily...

Aerostar coils, drops the front end, spring rate is perfect for the 50s cars... Ride is factory...

 

@sidevalve8ba has the best idea and it's nice there is a blueprint for it. Saving that print for backup for pops 55 Vicky. My dad has a NOS front cross member with the Ford tag on it so I can pull any measurements you need from that as well.

 

I can answer the Granada spindle question. You have to ream the spindles in order to get them to fit onto the ball joint. The more you ream the higher the car sits. Mine were reamed the minimum amount to gain maximum drop. I also have the Aerostar springs and they have stopped settling at this point. Some say this combination is too much drop for them and have decided to go with either the springs or the spindles. I am no longer running the Y block up front which I suspect why I am okay with the combination.

 

The "Johnny" you mentioned is the current main outlet for Helix suspension parts that are part of the Hoffman group junk.

 

hi ya'll and thanks for all the replies.
dos chinos, i love the stance of your ride. you said that one of the reasons was that you removed the y block. is the stance a result of the weight change? what are you running?
also, i have found a source for the cross member. tee bird is the place. contact is 610 363 1725. it was pretty pricey at $425 but i ordered it. i'll let you know what it looks like!
thanks

 

I replaced mine in my 56 from one I bought on ebay for 300 bucks. it was pretty easy.

 

thanks instant t. any tips?

 

Yes my drive ability and stance are a result of removing the yblock. I am running a lighter and more modern 302. The heavier yblock would possibly result in bump steer and why others say that you can't run both dropped spindles and lowering springs. I'm happy with my setup.

 

Sorry. I put allthread where theshoxks go and adjusted the control arms to be in the same position.
Then I measured the front a arm bolt to the ground.
I cut out theold crossmember after pulling the front a arm bolt. Banged in the new cross member and bolted thefront a arm in. I knocked it around until it measured right and then welded it up.
Took me and a buddy about 4 hours and a 12 pack

 

gdrummer, I would like to hear how the crossmember for Tee-bird looks when you get it. Also, as you put it in if you come up with any photos or installation tips that would be awesome! I'm not looking forward to replacing mine but at this point it's a must. I'll probably go for the Areostar springs while I'm in there for a change from the original stance on my 20 year old restoration. Thanks