I used a front steer camaro under my 53 F-100 and absolutely loved it! I used the variable-ratio factory Z-28 steering box [power] and the 1.25" stabilizer bar. The frame widths were very close and it took me an afternoon of welding. I boxed the weld-joint to about 3 feet behind the juncture. Be sure to position the wheel center an inch forward of the old ford axle centerline, as has already been mentioned here. My truck sat low, drove great and handled like a slot car. The smallblock chevy bolted in too...I was lucky enough to find a clip that had been recently rebuilt before the guy gave it to me.. If I ever do another F-100, I'll weld in another camaro subframe. I've driven F-100s with Mustang II and Cordova [from Gibbon] frontends and I like the camaro a lot better...just my opinion. I loved it so much, I also used one in my 79 F-100......
I agree with LUX---I've got a 56 Chevy 2 door sedan with a 71 Camaro clip. A friend of mine built the car like 15--20 years ago. When I bought it, it needed a complete overhaul---engine,trans,paint--etc. But the front end is still in great shape---I've driven it for about 10,000 mile before teardown and I will tell you this: the car is THE best driving car I've ever had---I've got a 37 ford coupe with a drop axle and a 29 roadster with a drop axle---and the 56 is like driving a Cadilac compared to my other stuff. Great disc brakes--1 finger power steering (with NO oversteer at high speed--like MII)---and the car is LOW---being that the clip was put in "high"--lowering the car about 6--8 inchs. The car drives bitchen and looks great--parts are as close as the corner parts store.I am a BIG fan of sub-frames---just do your homework and do good work.
I love my Nova sub frame in my '39 Chevy sedan but it's just too wide, so I'm going S-10 frame if I can find one cheap! Otherwise I don't think it's a big deal if you can't see it. If your going fenderless then it's butt ugly.
I kept my wheelbase at 110"... I never saw anything about moving it forward an inch. What does that do for it? and am I screwed now? The wheels look pretty well centerd in the wells, but I'm guessing that aesthetics have nothing to do with it. -B
The wheelbase on '53-'56 Ford panel trucks and short-box pickups is 110 inches. With the front wheels in the stock location, they are not perfectly centered in the wheel openings. Moving the front wheels forward an inch and a half solves the problem. Here in Phoenix, I've seen a '53-'56 pickup where the owner cut out the leading edge of the wheel openings, moved them back, and added new sheet metal to fill in the gap. That's doing it the hard way. It's easy to have Eaton Springs or some other company make you some new springs that will move the axle forward (as well as lower it and provide the ride quality you want). That's what I'm doing with my '56 panel. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
the thing i dont like about the ford tk is it looks like you ran over a rail road track and knocked the axle back 6". I have noticed some builders are beginning to relocate the fender well and this looks a lot better. a side benefit you now have a longer wheel base and a better riding vehicle. this would work well with the camaro sub as you would,t have to shove the motor so far foward.
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