How do you lower a 61-64 F100?

How do you guys lower the front of a 61-64 Ford F100?

 

I put a Volare K-member under mine, but I don't recommend it. It took me over a year to fine tune it to the point that it is at now. And even now it's barely acceptable. I even went so far as to build dropped lower control arms and raised shock mounts for it. The biggest problems are very vague steering feel and the fact that good quality shocks are nearly impossible to find. It handles like shit too, just like a Volare.

Elpolacko on here sells a kit to put Dodge Dakota suspension components under these trucks. He also does dropped stock solid axles I think. Theres a few Mustang II kits out there also.

 

Well I removed leafs from my springs. I wouldn't recomend this way though. It rides like ass. I'm about to put one back in. The best way would be to have a spring shop make you a set with the eyes on the bottom of the spring. You could get probably 3 or so inches like this. There is also companies that make drop axles but I'm not sure who they are. I have heard of drop spindals for our trucks but havn't seen them anywhere for sale.

Then there is always the front end swap. The Volair and mustand 2 front ends seem to be the most popular. The posabilities are endless when going this route.

Here is a pic of mine.

Mike

 

seems like i remember a friend back in high school that put the axel on top of the springs for a bit of a drop. how low did you want yours?

 

I've been looking at lowering my '51. There's these kits:

http://www.gibbonfiberglass.com/trucks/torsion_kit2.asp

Someone on here has a XJ6 crossmember in thiers, looks real good and faily simple.

I've also looked at putting the axle on top of the springs, but without the engine in mine it's hard to tell how much clearance there will be.

 

Something like this?
http://www.roadsters.com/axles/#ford

or

http://www.djmsuspension.com/Products/ProductsByType/Beams.htm

Never used either.

 

If you want IFS, rob a 80's Jaguar sedan of it's bolt in front suspension.
"Modern" you can still readily get parts, unlike the Volare.
and it will "sit down" more and still work.

 

61-64 uses a beam axle and parallel leafs. 65-66 used the twin I beam so the DJM stuff won't work.


Volare' is just outdated and nearly obsolete MOPAR stuff. There are some inherent problems with that suspension but it still remains popular because it removes from the donor vehicle easily and can be had for free. If you actually spend money to own a Volare' front end you did'nt look nearly hard enough. I have junked at least three of them in the last year.

The Jag stuff is interesting but has no aftermarket support. I know AV8 pushes them pretty hard and they are not horrible suspensions but they are just not that common and not all that cheap, at least around here they arent. Typical prices start at $750 for one that needs rebuilding to $1500 for a nice one.

Mustang II is a compact car suspension, designed to hold up 1900 pounds max with a 400 pound cargo capacity! In its original form has a track width of 56" wide and carries a 175/70-13 tire with 9" brake rotors. When you increase the brake and tire size you put extra stress on the ball joints and that wears them out prematurely. You will also have to widen the front by four inches to be close, that puts you at 60" wide and the popular Granada rotor used in the 11" brake conversion pushes the track out the extra inch to match the stock 61" wide. This widening has a detrimental effect on the handling ability of the original geometry plus the higher center of gravity of a pickup doesn't help. Anti-roll bars are manditory to mask the 'designed in' bad traits of this type of conversion.

My Dodge Dakota however is not cheap like a Volare' and does require a custom weld in crossmember like the Mustang II. The Dakota has a stock track width of 61" and carries an 11 1/2" diameter rotor with a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt circle standard and ran fairly large tires at 225/75-15 up to 245/75-15. The modest four cylinder truck carried 2100 pounds over the front with a 1000+ pound cargo capacity. Anti-roll bars are not neccessary to have a decent handling truck. If you decide to use the stock Dakota bar it will handle nearly as well as the Mustang/Camaro crowd.

Check out the April 2005 issue of Classic Trucks Magazine. It features my truck in there. Written by our own RF and shot by our own Short Bus! If you want to talk more about this stuff feel free to PM me.

 

I'm pretty sure they sell lowering blocks for the rear and dropped spindles through the LMC truck catalogues. I'm not 100% positive though.

 

Well you can go the IFS route if you want...but if you'r like me (i.e. broke and not alot of space to work on something) then you can always go the low tech way with reverse eyed mono leafs, dropped axel, flipping the axel over the springs, replacing the steering box with a manual Toyaota unit (79-85 4x4 trucks carried the manual unit, they will be mounted on the frame in front of the drag link not behind like the power assisted cross steer units) 'cause steering can get kinda' sketchy the lower you go in those trucks, or de-arch the leafs, etc.
I also remember a guy saying that you could use a 1 ton axel to get a good amount of drop. I think he said something like 4" out of a 1 ton unit and that all parts crossed over to the 1/2 ton. This might be a good way to go if you can find one and if someone else on here has heard the same thing and can confirm that for ya'

 

Check out the slick 60's web page, they have info on putting on a ford Astrovan? front clip.

 

WE SELL 61-64 fORD AXLES THAT HAVE A 3" DROP
go to www.cenpen.com for more info. Regards-WORM

 

Hey Worm, how about some dropped steering arms for those axles? The drop isn't really all that hard, we drop the stockers too. But the bitch is getting the steering back in proper order so the thing doesn't bumpsteer like a bitch.

 

81 Pontiac Grand Prix subframe. There is a hell of alot to doing one of these right. If you are a novice, I wouldn't reccomend it.

See if you can talk ElP into posting some shots of his truck. It is one bad mofo.

-Abone.

 

i just run mine tall.
if you want to keep it straight axle, cen-pen makes one. otherwise your ifs options are limitless depending on what you can get your hands on and your ability.

Zor

 

I want to do a drop axle to the front of my '61 unibody. What are you guys doing about the tie rod? 3-4" of drop will have serious interference issues with my 390 oil pan.

 

The Gibbon set-up is great....Try www.ford-truck.com/forums ...lots of info on swaps...

 

I saw a ford aerostar under one last summer at a car show the guy said it was easy Ps ...disc and rack and pinion.. and cheap

 

Not to mention ugly like a bucket of armpits!

 

I went a way different route on my 61. Never seen this done, but I installed the center x-member from a 92 f-150. After that all I had to do was add the spring mounts, and then the gearbox. Oh and I located the radius arms up above the frame. I also installed dropped beams. Think that gave me something like 7" drop or more. The cool thing w/this set up is disc brakes, and a track width that fits the truck, unlike the stock width, and keep the same bolt pattern. Truck rides and drives like my 96 f-150 crewcab, plus parts are cheap, and available anywhere.

Also while I was at it I built a removable trans member that is up above the frame.

 

I put a 66 twin I beam on my 64 frame for a 4 inch drop and still maintain a great ride and all factory parts including disk brakes .

 

I used a GM clip (f600 truck though) needed a heavy duty set up and the GM was the best way to go

however, if price is not an issue I would vote the Dakota x-member from Elpalocko, his stuff looks great
and you can run big Ford bolt pattern wheels with it ......5x5.5
the crow vic stuff is nice bit way to wide(in my worthless opinion), there is a narrowed x-member available for it
the traditional way is a stretched axle
looks at the overall cost and effectivness
the Dakota will drop it around 7 inches without modifying the Dakota geometry, drop spindles and springs are available
the CV is a 5 inch drop before modifying, no spindles are available and coil-overs are expensive
a drooped axle will require modified steering arms and ride like a truck and no powersteering
a twin I beam swap would mean a lot of fab and dropped beams cost about as much as an X-member for Dakota, Crown Vic or M2
lay out the total cost/fab work for the desired look
the cheapest over all IFS is the Volare, Jag or GM clip

 

The late model cop car crown Victoria cross member is almost a bolt in. Can be done in a weekend.

 

I am a Elpolacko covert and after nearly 5 years on the road think it was a good choice.
I used the Dakota power rack hooked up to a GM pump and the boosted disc brakes.
I stayed roughly stock height thru choice, but given my time over probably would have preferred about 2 inches lower maximum, as my truck still is a daily driver work rig mostly.
Listen to Steve (Elpolacko) as he can guide you thru the process and even advise on front spring choices etc...
The Victoria setup was tempting but unless things have changed the one I was looking at was too wide and posed wheel rim mods.

If you do choose the Elpolacko setup, you can do it at home, you just take it slow and easy as well calling Steve if you are not sure about something.

Check these out for ideas, the first has Elpolacko IFS pic's;
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1960-f100-engine-swap.366906/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/f100-how-i-covered-my-pickup-box.663175/

 

a friend of mine just did that and hates the way it looks
had to use front wheel drive looking front wheels in order to run correct camber
he is thinking about the Dakota now
there is a narrowed x member available now for the CV to correct this

 

And a dakota front end or gm clip does t require a lot of fab work ????

 

the Dakota doesn't, measuring and welding
the GM maybe
both are cheaper to buy lowering parts for compared to a twin I beam
plus that huge ford crossmeber makes fitting engines tough when extreme lowering
Im a Ford guy and have had many twin I beams, 2 currently
I will toss them any day for Elpalacko's Dakota stuff

 

When putting the 66 crossmemeber on the 64 frame you get a 3-4 inch drop using all stock parts !!! Stock shocks , stock I beams , stock motor mounts and you can mount a 300 6, a 289 or even a 352 no problem , just use the correct mounting towers. Because of the change in cab and frame from 64 to 66 the y4 frame sits lower in the cradle dropping the truck 3-4 inches . You will have to add an inch spacer on each side as a 64 frame is 34 inches wide and a 65-66 is 36 inches wide .
I have had this set up on my 64 for 15 years now and would 't do one any other way .All stock parts readilly available !!!!
I run a 390 with a 5 speed trans in mine .

 

cool info, honestly
especially for a mild drop, I have wondered that due to the big frame difference between 61/64 and 65/66
for my goofy application the twin didn't drop enough even with the drop beams and drop spindles are a lot more economical
I like the adjustablity of a control arm suspension over the beams