so i know this is a little out there, but has anyone ever done or considered doing custom tubular drop axles on a twin i beam f100? i know there are drop beams out there, but i was just curious cheers
Are you asking about replacing the twin I-beam setup with a straight axle? For the truck in your avatar, swapping would be easy, just use the setup out of a '64.
no, i was thinking of having like a roll cage shop custom bend twin dropped axles to the proper spec. basically fabricating my own twin axles. it's a bit crazy but you never know, someone out there might have tried it.
We do it all the time for off-road twin ibeam trucks. We dont normally put a drop in them but that shouldn't be much of a problem. I've seen fabricated drop beams in my shop in the past but not recently. I don't know who made them, but they were being manufactured by someone. Find an off-road fabricator in your area or PM me.
You can buy them from DJM for less them you will be able to make them, by the time you have the ends machined to fit the King Pins (or ball Joints spending on year) etc.
i'm well aware of the djm beams. i am just tossing around an idea is all, not looking to be told what i should or shouldn't do. thanks
I wasn't telling you what to do, just stating that there are pitfalls to doing it yourself that might not make financial sense. Sorry for trying to help
thank you for your help. sorry if i seemed defensive. i mainly just wanted to clarify my intent. i understand it may not be cost effective and i doubt i would go this rout. it was just an idea that popped into my head so i thought i'd put it out there to see if it's been done
Camburg Engineering had a kit for 2x4 I Twin Beam trucks that would use stock twin I beams and heat and bend to give a 4" (or so) lift and increase suspension travel and have the right wheel geometry. I would asume that somebody could or does the opisite...bend stock I beams to lower the front end with correct geometry. Camburg and many other offroad companies make fabricated twin I beams kits for high travel suspensions...not aware of any low travel ones.
Didn't SOCAL or one of the other major after market supplier offer a split I-beam front axle suspension at one time? I remember seeing it, but I can't believe it is really an improvement worth pursuing. If handling were a real concern i would rather have an IFS. What is your application?
That doesn't work for lowering. When you raise these I Beams with longer springs and stock pivot points, they go into excessive negative camber. By bending the beam, you bring the camber back. We did that on my Ranger Race Trucks for years. The problem with lowering by going the opposite way, shorter springs, is that the I Beam hits the frame. I suppose someone could try and "Drop" a set similar to a dropped axle, but they are awfully thick in that area, not sure you could get it to stretch.
Here's a couple of pics of fabbed off-road racing beams. They're based on 1.054 F350 Ford beams, using only the beam end and fabbing the rest out of 1 3/4 x .0.120 wall 4130 tubing and 3/16 and 1/8 4130 plate. These hold up very well in the off-road enviornment as long as they're well designed and conctructed out of the right material. The lowering beams I remember were fabbed plate and tube also but not nearly as stout as these examples. Dis-regard the double shear king pins, not needed here.
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