Projects '60 F100 Daily Driver Project.

Weekend Update (Jane, you ignorant slut!):

Okay, I need to preface this with an explanation as I owe Nostalgia Sid an apology.

I've been talking to Sid, of-and-on, for a while about lowering this beastie. He is SUPER COOL and full of more information than I'll ever possess.
He has a pretty long waiting list because Sid is good at what he does. Having talked to Sid, I would have had to pay shipping twice and wait a month or so to have my axle stretched. I sincerely feel shitty for stringing Sid along for so long on this axle.

-BUT-

I just came off of a COMPLETE kitchen remodel AND it's the holidays and the accounts are setting at about "a quarter tank". On top of that, since my shop is small and I have other projects outside this hobby, I can't have the truck on stands and unmovable for a month, maybe two. So, and don't hate me, I chose to go with an aftermarket axle from a shop about 50 miles from me, up in Ontario CA.

And, Sid, if you're watching... I'm sorry. . I give you permission to stomp on my big toe if we're ever face-to-face.

I did, however buy the rear spring mounts from Sid and they are nice! And, I got them in 3 days. Thumbs up!



Some of the reasons I went the "aftermarket axle" route:

• It was half the cost when you factor in freight.
• Free shipping.
• I got it in two days. (I'm not very patient sometimes... okay, ALWAYS)
• The place it right up the road so, If I need to bust heads over this thing, I can still be mad when I get there, rather than having a flight in the middle to calm me down. (Just kidding)
• Camber is changed from stock specs and is designed for use with radial tires.
• It has a 2 year warranty.
• Less downtime in the shop.

Now, since I have my old axle out, in the future, I WILL be sending it to Sid for a stretch just because I eventually (when more funds are available) want this done the right way.

So, with the "much ado" portion of the post out of the way, lets see some carnage!

The new axle:



Painted:





The teardown:









I like to keep stuff in piles in the order and placement they had before: Those shocks work, the rubbers are dry rotted, I'm gonna change them out.



Hover Truck! Forget lowering it, "where we're going, we don't need roads!" Just need to make a quick stop at the clock tower for some gigawatts.



These are my tie rod drops. One caveat, if you buy this style, is to pay close attention to the threaded bit, as it was a different size and thread than the 1/2"- 20 bolts included in the kit. I had to run to the local Hardware store because I didn't have the 29/64ths drill bit and the 1/2-20 tap. No worries, got 'er done. Harkening back to my Harley days, I used blue loctite on the bolts for added security from them backing out.



I had to modify a 3/4 wrench to fit inside the tie rod drops in order to tighten the castle nut. There is a hole on the opposite side of the tie rod drop so you can install the cotter pin.

The install pics get spotty from here on out because it was getting late and I just wanted to get it back down on the ground so I can flip it around in my tiny shop to do all of the work I have to do to the rear.

Just know that the axle kinda just flopped itself into the hole. No problems at all. Overall a VERY NICE axle and I'm impressed with the build quality. The welds are nice and it's stout.



The kingpins installed without any hitches (I was worried I'd have to hone the kingpin bosses on the axle but, no.). They fit just like the factory axle.

And... she's "nose down"!





The ONLY problem I have is I have to adjust the tie rods and do a down and dirty "shop alignment" to get it ready to have it properly aligned.

She's the opposite of pigeon toed right now. The stock axle is 53 1/2" kingpin to kingpin. whereas the replacement axle is 53 3/4" kingpin to kingpin. Making the whole steering arm shorter than it has to be.

I've got a new tie rod coming for the passenger side because the boot was toast and honestly... it looks like it hasn't been changed since they were installed on the assembly line ,62 years ago.

So, once I get the tie rod (probably Monday) I'll be straightening the steering out.

Before and after shot:




That's it for today. I'll post up the progress on the rear as it happens.

Edit: Imgur is doing that thing again where it's deciding what pics it wants to show. The pics show up in the thread on my Android but not my desktop. Go figure. It happens from time to time, and usually works itself out.

 

Looks good should of put a dropped Ibeam in my 57 instead of a Valorie . Its to heavy up front.

 

Okay, gang. We're lower than we were.

Note: Once I get the new wheels and tires and have more fenderwell/tire clearance in the rear, I'm going to drop it a little more.

I have room to work all the way around. Gonna reverse the spring eyes on the front springs and change the rear spring shackle and mount... etc. That's when I'm gonna get into c-notch territory.

Right now, I've still got a TON of clearance between the frame and axle out back.
I did, however, go ahead and cut down the rear bump-stops which opened things up an extra 1-1/2".

The worst parts of this whole mess was replacing the eye bushing and drilling, grinding, and punching out the rivets. I ended up using 1/2" Grade 8 bolts, so I had to enlarge the pre-existing holes on the frame. I pre-drilled the first hole, mounted it, then drilled the rest so I was sure all the drill holes were in line and fit the bolt to reduce the risk of them ever sheering.

Carnage pic:


First go around, I mounted the spring in the middle hole on the hanger. This wasn't enough. I still had wide open real estate in the fenderwell area, and had more than 3 degrees of rake.



Moving the springs up one notch got me the extra inch I needed and took me down to 2 degrees of rake.



So, here's the before:



And, the after:



Runs and drives great, no issues. This whole thing did change the pinion angle slightly but for the better. I have no driveling chatter, she tracks straight and I am pretty happy with how she's looking so far.

Here she is, coming home from the test drive:

 

Looking good!

Devin

 

Love the new stance. I actually like the look with the slot mags - sorry to see them go.

 

Looks and sounds great. Stance is just right in my book.

 

Much gooder

 

Damn, every up date is a bit better each time! Congrats!

 

Love the new stance by the way!

 

That is perfect

 

Better and better!
Can I asked what camber angle you went to .. still fighting with PO`s leftovers

 

What brand was the axle you ended up with?

 

Pretty sure it's Sid's (3")

 

Definitely not Sid’s axle since it is fabricated. He mentioned that in the post where he started lowering it, although not the brand.

Looking good!

 

Okay, here's where I took their word for it. This is the listing for the axle:

• Provides a 3" drop compared to a 53-56 axle or 2" drop compared to a 57-60 axle
• Camber is changed from stock specs and is designed for use with radial tires to withstand the rigors of driving on modern roads
• Ends are CNC machined from solid steel for ultimate strength and welded to a premium 2" OD steel tubing center
• Spring pads are welded in place to make this a bolt on installation
• 53.75'' King Pin center to center
• .858 King Pin Diameter
• Spring pad center to center = 32 3/4"

When I put my regular old angle finder on the backside of the rotor, it measures -2 degrees. We'll see how tire wear goes, and like I said before, this may end up being temporary until I have Sid stretch my old stock axle.

The company is called Bous Performance and they are right up the road from me. Had good reviews, so I figured I'd give them a try. Customer service is spot on and the shipping was free and quick.

--

Okay, kids. So, I don't know when the first sway bar was adapted to fit a truck like mine, so just for the sake of "tradition" let's suspend some disbelief for a moment and pretend that someone back in... oh... say, 1960 figured out how to adapt a sway bar from the rear of something cool to help with handling on these old trucks. Okay?

The body roll in this thing is way scary. I've done a fair amount of research and came up with little to no info (save one obscure internet post) about putting a sway bar on the front of one of these 57-60 F100s.

CPP offers a sway bar for the front of a 53-56 F100 only. I can help them update their listing because this kit will absolutely fit a 57-60 also.

Since there's no info out there, I'm going to try to make this as comprehensive as I can for reference sake.

Heads up: While this is a quality kit that includes hardware for a lowered tube axle AND a factory forged axle, CPP's. customer service leaves a LOT to be desired, so... caveat emptor. And, that's all I'm going to say about that.

Lets just hop right into the fun, shall we?

Here's the kit as it comes:





Grade 8 hardware, grease-able urethane bushings, bracketry... everything but instructions. Yup, the kit comes without instructions but there is all manner of info on the net referring to installation... on a 53-56. No matter because it installs the very same on a 57-60.

Here's the closest thing to "instructions" you'll find on the internet:


This is the hardware I used since I now have a tubular axle: Includes really nice saddles to index the bushing clamps to the axle tube.


Be sure to smear the enclosed package of royal icing directly to the top of your cinnamon rol... Oops, wrong recipe. But yeah, lube up the bushings with the included package of grease. Dunno what its composition is, but as far as consistency, it's right there in between plumbers silicone and that red boat trailer axle grease. Sticky stuff. Change your gloves out often or you're gonna have a sticky mess. The bushings are split so you don't have to lose your religion while trying to force them over the bar from the ends.


Again, no instructions to guide so I decided to clamp the bushing setup 3" from the spring pad on both sides. I also rocked the whole assembly down a little to keep from interfering with my aftermarket engine crossmember when the suspension moves.


Ah... the tricky part. Where the end-link bracket lines up on the frame, there is a crossmember DIRECTLY behind where you have to drill for one of the bolts. BUT, there is still enough room to get a nut in there without having to clearance anything. No problem, just a little fiddly if you have fists of ham with sausage fingers like mine.


One thing, however, you'll need to source shorter end-links to get this to truly fit 57-60, because the ones that come with the kit are about an inch longer than needed, so they hang down a bit right now. I drug one coming out of my driveway on the test drive. I'll fix that when the parts store opens up on Monday morning.


That's IT. Stupid easy. I had it hung and tightened down in about 35 minutes. In this image you can see how far down the end-links hang right now.

Impressions: If you don't have one of these on your straight axle F100, you're missing out. This is the single most impactive part I've installed on the suspension of this truck. Body roll is MASSIVELY reduced. I could run a slalom of cones with it now without fear of ending up on my roof. Holy hell, I wouldn't have believed the difference this makes. It's actually easier to drive and my test drive turned into a full on cruise through town and a couple of giggle inducing parking lot "hard steering" trails. I am, as our friends in England say, well chuffed with this.

So... there you have it. Until next time.

Stay thirsty my friends.

 

Congrats! I totally get taking a leap and buying a product that isn't 'exactly' meant for our model truck. I used a CPP rear sway bar meant for a mid-50's GM truck (I think). No idea how it makes the truck handle other than when I used to push it from the back yard to the drive way to work on it! That's where I'm certain my truck isn't possessed like Christine was... it did not magically rebuild itself no matter how much pushing I did, although it did make my back stronger and helped me sleep better.

Keep up the good work on your cool truck!

 

Being that the trucks are pretty much the same they will most likely fit up to a 1964 model. The frames are the same width and front axles are too. I wouldn't want to say for sure but there is a very good likelihood they will fit. Very nice fit and finish on your '60 and with the truck at stock height they probably would be flawless.

 

Is it just me, or have the sway bar manufacturers gotten lazy? Since when has it been acceptable to mount the bars to the axle, rather than the frame like the OEMs usually do it (particularly Ford). The full weight of the bar and all it's hardware are now unsprung weight, besides hanging down and creating clearance issues as in this case.

I've bent a 9" rear housing with a housing-mount sway bar, never again... I've never seen a front bar mounted like this.

 

Looking at that last pic, the sway bar sure seems close to the ground. It might just be the angle of the pic? I know you mentioned shorter end links, but still seems low considering it appears to be under the axle?

 

Yeah. I took a good hard look at it this morning. I NEED to adjust this. It works but it's too low for comfort.

Looking at it with fresh eyes, I can squeak an extra inch here and there and tuck it up under there better.

I'll let you guys know.

 

So... some stuff has happened since my last update.

I became a grandfather! A healthy, big, bouncing baby boy. Poor kid got our family nose. And, my daughter didn't name him anything dumb and/or mis-spelled, so that's a huge plus. So... welcome to the world, Robert!!! Imma call ya Bobby.




ALSO: My son bought a house and closing is in a week. His truck broke down JUST in time. Psssh... Chevy's Am I right? Just note, it was against my better judgement him buying at the very tip top of the market, but what do I know? I'm just a tightwad and worry about him making his huge ass mortgage payment. Poor kid is going to have to work everyday until he's 79, if the math is right.

On my end, and far as the truck is concerned, I was able to get the sway bar and end links tucked in. It's tight but everything fits nice and now I don't have to worry about peeling back the front end on a speed bump. So... that's better.



Also got some really nice YOM California truck plates like what it had when new. They just look right, you know?

--

Now, there is some good news and some bad news.

The good news:

After a few weeks bitchin' about the price of wheels, my wife (who makes WAY more than I do by the way.), without me knowing, ordered me a set of Wheel Vintiques Series 64's in the set up I wanted.

That day, I had showed her the wheels I wanted online, while bitching about my budget. I put them in the cart to see what the shipping would be. (Turns out it was free shipping.)

I ran to the store for some coffee creamer and cigarettes and came home to find a confirmation email.

My heart sank because I thought maybe the "sausage fingers" on my uncontrollable and arthritic "fists of ham" had smashed the checkout button or something on accident. Everyday I stray a little farther from technology.

With a tucked tail, I went to the wife and told her the whole story and she actually let me finish the whole speech without her expression changing. I thought I was a dead man. Turns out, the dirty little sneak, opened my laptop, and ordered them on her dime. She just let me finish to watch me squirm. I both love and hate her at the same time.

Now, for the bad news:

I "MIGHT", repeat MIGHT, get them sometime between May and July.



But... DUDE! I'm a grandad!!!

 

Hey, congrats on the grandaddyship.
For what it's worth, noses run in our family too.
Mart.

 

Congrats Gramps!

 

Congrats Grandpa! I can relate to that one. My first grandson just turned 3 months old last week.

 

Weekend Update.


Okay, so I'm finally settling in to becoming a Grandad, as well as, being the newest inmate in Wheel Jail.
It's pretty gobsmacking going from being a regular old asshole to an asshole with a grandkid.
But, I digress.

It's no mystery why you get some bump steer out of these straight axle vehicles when you go putzin' around with the steering geometry.

Once I got the alignment figured out and was able to test drive it, I ended up with the slightest of bump steer when the axle articulates. And I mean SLIGHT. (I am, according to my wife, SUPER sensitive to certain things... SAFETY being one of those things.)

But... being the slacker I am, rather than just heat the J arm and bend it to accomodate for the drop (I don't have access to a torch), and since the bump steer was so slight, I looked for a... wait for it... steering stabilizer.

Amazingly enough, there are a few manufacturers (of which I'm very familiar from my off-roading days) out there who offer direct bolt on steering stabilizers for '57-'60 F100s. The stabilizer also fits Jeep CJs, YJs, Suzuki Samurais... etc.



Yeah-yeah, I know, it's like putting a bandaid on a decapitation but, it actually corrected like 99.5% of what little bump steer I had. That being said, I can live with the way it is now and quite frankly, I the truck is WAY better for it even without any bump steer.

But, I AM going to bend the J arm when I get a chance... or find one pre-bent for a 2" drop... or buy a torch... or get real chummy with someone local that has a shop. But that's gonna be down the road.

So now, the front of my truck has a sway bar -AND- a steering stabilizer and I'm VERY happy with how it takes corners and handles in traffic.

After much fiddling, everything is tucked neatly and fits perfect with no interference or anything binding.

Pay no attention to my dirty shop floor. I had to let the maid go.


There is just something fun about an initial test drive after you've changed something.
It's even better when you can complete a shake-down cruise without the aid of a tow truck.



Man, she looks good from ten feet away!

So, that's it for now because the wife has pre-planned the rest of my weekend. And, as the old adage goes, "happy spouse, happy house." I suppose.

Just remember, fellas. The key to a good relationship is to ALWAYS have the last word! Just make sure it's."Yes, dear.".

Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel.

Cheers

 

Love it!

 

Are you going to call her “Sweet ‘n Low”? I mean that’s what she is! Congrats, Granpa.

 

Gonna look great with those wheels…Congrats on the Grandson....he’ll soon love being a passenger in that truck…

 

Cool you're gonna be a grandad, I have several grandkids, ranging from crumbcrunchers to mid 20's. One of the best things about being a grandfather is, when you're holding the little guy on your arm, teaching him how to say "Ford is Cool!", and then you feel that rumbling on your arm and he smiles at you like he's thinking "Hey grampop I just crapped on your arm!", you can hand him off to mom or dad to change that diaper.
Oh yeah, and don't let anyone tell you that using cloth diapers is better; as the third oldest of 8 and a reluctant expert at washing out cloth diapers in the toilet, I truly feel whoever invented disposable diapers should be given sainthood. Musta been a Ford guy...