Featured Projects FLIPPING THE FRONT AXEL ON A 59 F100

ANY ONE DONE IT??? try'n to low buck lower one,...

 

it's got a 302 auto, with added cross steer power steering..I don't like the idea of the long drop axels....spring won't bring it down enough...and m11 is too much money...

 

Measure the thickness of the spring where it sits on the axle and then measure down from the bottom of the axle that and a half inch or so more is going to be your scrub line.

You will have to build a stand off or what ever you want to call it that lets you have a flat flange to sit on top of the spring and has solid pipes running up to the bottom side of the axle flange plus lets the spring bolt go through and into the hole you drill in the bottom side of the axle to locate the axle right. That means reversing the spring bolt and most likely hunting one down with a taller end on it to allow for the thickness of the metal in the standoff or base or what ever it is called plus a caster shim if needed.

 

thanks a million....

 

A properly dropped axle is easier, probably safer, and looks more professional.

It’s a one time cost.

 

I put one on top of the springs on a 53 F-100 and C notched and boxed that area of the frame
Those trucks have a very short drag link so is quite a problem with bump steer
I raised the steering box up 3” and it worked great

 

Invest in a dropped axle . Dearch the springs a bit drive the tires off it . I had a dropped 48 by doing as I suggested and used early OT Toyota power steering box . It drove very well

 

this truck has cross steer power steering....agree a drop would be easier and a cleaner job...pretty sure the amount of caster in the axel would be what tells the story...or a degree shim...seems like the axel would flex with that much drop....but with the driver knowing this trouble could be avoided....anyone running a drop axel in one of these trucks now???

 

taking a closer look..... looks like a drop axel will put the cross steering right in the middle of the spring.... maybe what I need is just a lowered spring....I can see that 2 or 3'' lower could be achieved... that would work... soooo, does anyone know of a lowered reverse eye spring for a 59 f100?

 

getting the front down 2 or 3'' would have it about right for my liking....of coarse , 6'' in the weeds would be great....there's always leave it alone..... but that has never worked for me....

 

I bought this truck to just squirrel away, better than the same amount of money in a box.... last time this happened with the economy... what cost 50 bucks now cost a hundred....trucks that were 10k are now 20k....so the 100 dollar bill lost 50% of buying power...old cars are real soft right now.... and real slow to sell, so good time to buy???...
I wasn't gonna do nothing to this truck...but so far spent a week cleaning,,,put dual lake pipe exhaust,...added some chrome to the 302, had the seat rebuilt with new foam..1000 bucks...nearly had the big one when my son told me how muck it cost when he picked it up... looks good. feels like a new seat.... but fuc.... for a grand I would have just a wood bench..... cheep fuc.....
I can't even amagine what a total build on any thing would cost....but can see where 50k in a build would come quick if you paid to have every thing done''

when I had my trim shop.... it was 150 bucks to cover a bench truck seat..... some time you had to add new foam, some times not.....foam is cheep and only takes a few to do...I'll be bitchen about the 1000 dollar bill forever.....

 

^^^ You didn't get a quote in advance from the shop-just dropped it off and said bill me? I'm thinking the trim shop may have a $1000 minimum as upholstery (like everything else) has gone through the roof...

 

i bought the seat for 300, it had a cover on it and foam was shot.... the new foam piece was 700 for the bottom... the shop rebuilt the foam and new custom upholstery the shop charged 700

 

U date,... de arched the sping... rides and looks like shit... so got another set of springs and the plan is to try the axel flip...

 

Like I said before the axle flip on my 53 worked great and you don’t have any clearance problems between the tie rod and the springs
I ended up making a dropped center tie rod as it was so low the tie rod was close to the oil pan
The key was raising the steering box
As it kept nearly stock drag link geometry

 

Save your life time and money get a dropped axle from sids

 

Here’s a couple pics of my old 53 with a flipped axle
I Z’d the frame behind the cab
Sat this low and had stock travel

 

I think one of the flange that the spring is in contact with (1 per side) should be welded to the axle.

Also, you could box the ends of the axle...

 

not following,,,, what flange???

 

The yellow highlited one in the sketch that Mr48Chev posted, and the pic above is great.

 

where would you weld it???

 

If you look close you can see the new plate is welded the the axle along the edge of the bottom flange of the axle.

 

i would never have caught that ...

 

Yeah it blends in pretty easy doesn’t it!

 

look close at what pic???? are you still talking about the drawing???

 

You will have to build a stand off or what ever you want to call it that lets you have a flat flange to sit on top of the spring and has solid pipes running up to the bottom side of the axle flange plus lets the spring bolt go through and into the hole you drill in the bottom side of the axle to locate the axle right. That means reversing the spring bolt and most likely hunting one down with a taller end on it to allow for the thickness of the metal in the standoff or base or what ever it is called plus a caster shim if needed.


why would you have to have a longer spring bolt if you are welding the plate to the axel??? pretty sure I got this...I'm gonna fab a saddle for the axel with a hole for the spring locating bolt.. line it up bolt it together with longer U bolts.. then weld the saddle to the axel.... sound about right??? what i will do is bolt it all together and check the caster... 5 or 6 degrees should work, right?? then I can fab the saddle with the correct amount of caster....right???

 

This photo right here.