I got a 52 and am going to just nova clip it.. I am not going to get the slammed stance I want with a dropped beam plus the clerance from oil pan to beam. Plus the Nova costed me 350 bucks with a 350/350. Built ford tough with Chevy stuff!.. haha I have a 302 I am building in the meantime but since the 350 combo runs why not use it till I get the other engine running. Ive heard awesome things about the Jag front end's too..
Yeap, looks great. I would like to get a truck from those years in thew future and get to that same stance. well done insane.
One of our HAMB members who shall remain nameless for now unless he wants to put his hand up, has a nice low 1961 F100 sorry if I got the year wrong. He has a hotrod style transverse spring in the rear and boy that seems cool. This guy knows his stuff!
I am in the middle of lowering my '58, and the more I hear people complain that they want to take the IFS route- the more I am convinced that I made the right decision to keep the straight axle in my truck. No offense, but if I wanted a dime-a-dozen '96 F150 with power-everything I'd go buy one- for next to nothing right now, I might add. If you're worried about cornering, Classic Performance Products makes a sway bar kit-- for less than $150 I think. For steering, I'm going with a power box. The '79-'83 Toyota is the common swap, and it works with a FoMoCo or GM pump. It's not full-on "Traditional", but it's the one concession I am willing to make. Even then, I know 50 year old steering geometry isn't going to feel like a modern truck. But that's the goddam point, right!!! Anyway, there have been many threads started on this exact subject: This is the ultimate lo-buck way to do it: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153730 Classic trucks magazine did a whole feature on our trucks: http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0610cl_ford_suspension/index.html http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0611cl_1960_ford_f100/index.html Here is a thread on the Toyota box: http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...ta_Steering_Box_Swap_For_19481960_Trucks.html in general- the only manufactured dropped axle available is a 2" unit. You can also have a shop drop your existing axle, but the possibiliy exists that you may run into problems. If you're worried about camber issues, i would guess that using the existing axle is your riskiest option-- any excessive wear or distortion from heating in the kingpin hole will force the wheels into a negative camber attitude. As far as a significant drop from just a set of springs goes- you will no doubt run into problems with steering geometry and bump steer. CPP makes a Tie Rod Drop Kit that corrects about an inch of this- maybe enough to get you out of trouble. Mono leafs aren't the only way to finish up on a 6"-7" drop. The eye for the top leaf spring can be reversed. You can also remove leaves from the existing leaf springs- my truck has 7 leaves at all four corners with three "helper" springs outside of the main spring pack-- this would be worth experimenting with. Some of the guys with late models remove the second main spring in the spring pack to kill some of the arch but keep the overall spring rate by retaining the bottom helper springs. .........since mono's from Sacramento vintage Ford are close to $450 I think.
Personally I dont enjoy driving my F100 with leaf front suspension and if I am going to do a pretend fix up with mono leaf and sway bars I may as well go IFS. My reasons for not liking the original suspension is they corner badly and that is mostly due to the narrow spacing between the pair of front springs so as to clear the wheels when turning this worst when braking and cornering is happening at the same time, theother reason I dont like the original is I have done some long drives in my truck and I get tied of the bouncy kind ride you get mile after mile. if the original was that great I am sure they would still be doing that way today. IFS swap out is a great to achieve a lower & nicer ride for a daily driver, score disc brakes and power steering and while I am doing that my truck is also going to get O/D automatic and a/c.
I was planning on having my original axle dropped because every CPP drop axle I have ever seen has major negative camber. What are you basing your info on?
No - The spindles don't have camber "built in", what you are seeing is called "king pin inclination". It controls the scrub radius that a tire goes through as it turns. Please don't "flip" your spindles. As for monoleaf springs, I have had some experience with them on another early Ford application and was very impressed. I talked to Jim Durant the other day, and my '42 p/u will have them on the front as soon as things look a bit better financially. That said Industrial Chassis dakota kit would still be my first choice.
I'm reading alot about front axle swaps on the F100's. Anyone tried a mustang II w/2" drop?? We've done several using TCI package. Plus 4 link w/coilovers for the rear. The front can be set as LOW as you want to go once you scrap all the "I" beam/twin I beam crud from the front. Most of the installs done here are with adj. coilovers. Done some with air bags both work fine to get your Truck on the ground.
You nailed it Hodges! I keep going back and forth on what to do with my 57, I have a disc brake kit for my I-beam so I get to thinking 3" dropped axle is how I'm going. Then a picture like this gets posted!! Is the cross member swap is as easy as some people have said?
89 Crown Vic I was lucky enough to find a great car for $250. and drive it home and cut it up fit very good would recommend this swap.I Love My Truck.
OK. I was thinking the 03-07 crossmember, If anyone has more info on this swap please PM me I have some ? about it.
I just have to toss my recommendation for the Industrial Chassis set up , It really is impressive and sturdy .If it is still not low enough add 2" dropped spindles to the kit . Make sure you spend the extra dough on the brake kit as well ,it make the install complete and life easy .
Here is a 1960 F100 with the 03-07 crown vic crossmember. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/965190-1960-crown-vic-ifs-8-8-4-6-swap-update.html Looks like a great option.
I'm wanting to do this swap but leave my y-block and three speed o/d, the couple opsticles I see are adapting the 2 steering shafts together and the other would be the power steering. does anyone know of a non power rack that could be used instead?
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