I just bought a 1954 crown victoria hard top And im planing on changing the front suspension, has anyone used a mustang 2 kit or a front clip from a donor ford car or other makes. if so witch mustang 2 kit or wat car year clip . Pics would be vary helpful thanx!! and also wats the best rear end to go with that will fit in the fenders. or should i stay wit the stock? i jus dont know wat drive shaft to use.
49Chevysled, Try FATMAN FABRICATIONS...they are one of THE best for what you want to do. http://www.fatmanfab.com/ If they don't have an exact unit, they can get one that will be just what you need. JK www.legends.thewwbc.net
I saw a '55 T-Bird some chowderhead 'updated' to a Mustang ll. Handled 'waaay different than it did with its original Ford underpinnings... and NOT for the better. Consider some lower coils, and replace ball joints and tie rod ends. Set caster at 1.5 - 2 degrees positive, and camber at 1/4 degree positive. Toe in 1/8". It'll drive like a car, not an SUV.
I put a MII under a friends 53 Victoria, it was a Fatmans stub, worked beautifully and the car drives and handles great, esp with the sway bar on there. Atwater Mike, that could be a culmanation of SEVERAL different issues, the MII could have been incorrectly installed, it could have been a cheaply made on with poor quality parts, it could have been a stock style MII that wasnt aligned properly or the stub itself could have been correctly installed but the stub was incorrectly built to begin with, like there was no antidive or was out of square. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I worked at Fatmans for years and I did not leave on the best of terms but I do feel that they have one of the best products on the market, esp in the stub dept. 49 up mid 60's fords have to be clipped if you want a different front suspension, and Fatmans makes a very nice quality stub for them.
everybody beat me to it, but you'll be real happy with a Fatman front clip... i've installed two and they both drove like new cars.. easy to install and all sheet metal bolts back up where it should be..
Not to be a dick but there's no such thing as a '54 Crown Victoria. I used a '70 Mustang 9" in my '53 and it's just slightly wider but still fits decent, the 57-59 Ford smooth-back 9" rearends are the preferred swap into these cars. If your original front engine crossmember is solid, you'll want to save it, as they were known to rust out and there is a pretty good market for solid originals. Should be able to recoup some of your investment that way.
What is wrong with the front susoension? I used the stock one on mine. No issues. Steele rubber products offers all of the bushings and stuff to rebuild the front end as well. Good price to. Why do you want to change it?
A 53 Ford needs a better suspension. A 54 on up does not. Rebuilt to stock with a heavy duty sway bar they will out handle while outriding any aftermarket suspension. They are easy to rebuild, and not all that expensive to buy parts for.
Our 54 victoria drives great on fully rebushed and rebuilt original front end. Did fit wilwood 4 pot calipers on 85 ford type rear rotors adapted to the 54 front stubs. Probably a little more work but Granada type stub conversion was not an option as we had horrible bump steer. Did convert to power steer as well. 54 front end design is much better than the early upright style.
I did not change the front of my 53,however I did put a maverick 8" rear in it.It bolted right up with no problem.I had a new drive shaft made to go to the 302/C4 and was non the road.
Stock '54-'56 Ford front suspension handles well, steers easily even without power steering, and has good ride quality. The only real weakness in these front ends is the crossmember that the front legs of the lower A-arm attach to is prone to rusting out to the point that the bolts holding the A-arm are able to pull through. New repro crossmembers are available, and changing out the crossmember is not terribly difficult if you have the front sheetmetal off. I replaced the one on Ozelle the '55 Ford about a year ago.
Join the '52-'56 Ford Owner's Social Group and ask away- lotsa great folks, and always willing to share info.
Wel then it might jus be a Victoria my badd. but thanx for the info about how much u think that crossmember goes for?
Well im building it for my girl friend and she needs sumthing with powersteering and realiable plus im pretty sure the gear box is craped out. does any one need the original crossmember
If it has the plastic top, it's a "Skyliner". (many folks confused them with Crown Vics because of the tops)
Ole don, choptvan, Kiwi4d, 38fordpickup: Thanks for chiming in, guys. I'd like every owner of a '54-'65 Ford to know something about the suspension under their cars. The geometry is among the best Ford ever designed, and the pieces are all serviceable, as reinforced by you fellows. I found these cars to handle outstandingly well with simple adjustments to caster, mainly...(but I've replaced/ repaired/ boxed some rusty front crossmembers first) The previous ones, however, (the '49-'53 King Pin & trunnion design) could use an 'update'.
Power steering can be added, disc brake conversion etc. What I am sayin is, you would really be wasting your time getting rid of that suspension. Seriously. Your call, your car, just why go through the extra work?
i used a 67 cougar 8" rear in my 54, the spring perches and width were almost exact same size as the stock rear, i also have seen as a budget front end is an amc pacer clip, they have 5 on 4.5 pattern, and the rotors and calipers look the same as ford midsize, plus rack pinion steering, but i would prefere the mustang2 in an aftermarket kit over all!
thanx Wayne the pics wer extremely helpful exactly wat i was looking for i think will go wit the fatman susp.
Ive got a 54 Customline 2dr post that has a 351 w motor and a AOD the front end I clipped with a 1990 Dodge Dakota and it was the best thing I ever did.The car handels and drives like a dream with no issues at all. This swap gets rid of the old steering box (I used a junk yard 1978 Bronco tilt colum)and also gives you Disc Brakes at the same time.My ford will drive with the best of them and the clip at the junk yard was 400.00! Of course I rebuilt it all for about 400.00 including a Rebuilt Rack. 90mph and 1 finger on the much smaller steering wheel.
I'll try resurrecting this thread before starting a new one... For the many here suggesting a Fatman front clip do you know if the final result allows for headers on an FE in a '55? I really want to put a Tunnel Port in this car, and the only alternative is to make a gasser of it...which isn't my first choice. Pancake manifolds are my only option with stock suspension.