...so I have a '65 Ford F100 shortbox 2wd, and I would love to lower it some. I found this pic in the F100/F1 picture thread, and it's PERFECT! I get the lowering blocks on the leafs out back, but how does one go about dropping the front on a Twin I-beam set up without screwing up the camber? I have to go through the entire front suspension anyway - the steering is loose as a goose and vague as hell - so I figure I might as well make it look how I want while I do it! Any help would be vastly appreciated! TIA, Drew
There's an active thread about using a Jag front-end. Supposed to be a fairly easy and straight forward swap and the results look very good and the handling/braking is supposed to be outstanding.
Well I found a jag front end for 250 bucks, pretty cheap I'd say. You should be able to do the job for less then 500 if you shop around and do your own welding.
My 64 has a mustang II front end with rack and pinion steering, and sit as low as you can go with out changing the cross member. Rides and drives really nice. I bought the truck from Nick (malcom) on the board. There is pictures of the truck and front suspension if you look it up under his name.
The truck you have pictured is a '64 with a solid 'I' beam axle, much easier to lower. I'm installing a Crown Vic front crossmember ass'y on a F100. Very easy and should ride nice and low, not cheap though. If you are going to rebuild the front anyway, mybe you should think about geting a complete front axle ass'y from a '72/'76 F100.....it's a bolt in, power disc brakes, power steering, etc.
I like the simplicity of non-power steering....and I'm sure once the Kingpins and bushings are squared away the truck will steer a lot more nicely...I'd really just like to hunker it down. Are there any bolt-on spindles with built in camber adjustments, maybe from a later Ford? I DO, however, want to upgrade the single reservoir master to a dual, non-power assist...I've heard that '73-'79 F-series trucks have a drop-in replacement....can anyone confirm that? The stock drum brakes really work quite well, no need to upgrade to discs that I can see.
that's 64 in the picture, a whole different beast than a 65. I think you will have to front stub the 65. A friend of mine put a Crown Vic front stub on a 68 shortbed (same frame as yours). It worked really well and gave the truck the same stance as the green 64. The 70s front ends are pretty much a drop in for disc brakes, if there is such a thing with Ford. But you still can't lower them much. No spindles that I know of and some lowered I beams but I haven't talked to anyone who was happy with them, you have to butcher up the steering arms and they don't turn very short after that.
I just put a dual res M/C in my '66 and used a new 68 Mustang M/C for front disc, non power. It came with 2 push rods and I was able to grind one of them just a tad to make the pedal come out at the right height. You can make an adjustable rod with a threaded sleeve and a die if you need to, just make sure you use some jamb nuts to secure it.
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