40 ford p/u front end

got a 40 ford pickup which i bought already rodded. after owning it for a few years, im considering taking it apart and kinda updating it. it currently has a ch***is engineering 4" dropped axle and the ride quality leaves alot to be desired(especially here in the northeast). i was considering installing a ch***is enginerering mustang 2 front end , but before i take that leap i was wondering if anyone out there could suggest how to improve the ride quality of the dropped axle. ive been told to try adjustable front shocks that allow me to adjust compression and rebound along with maybe removing a leaf from the front springs. any suggestions out there?

 

Ride quality? Does it ride like a log wagon? Like it has no shocks...boing boing boing? Like it has no springs...bang bang bang? Swings and sways?

 

I do not have a dropped front axle, but...

I improved my stock 56 F-100 ride a lot. New bushings in the leaf ends (kept well greased). I cleaned up each old leaf and put polyliners (got them from Mid Fifty F-100 parts) in between each spring. Then added much better shocks. That was done all the way around. It still rides like a truck, but a much more modern one.

 

yeah pretty much like a log wagon however there is no swing or sway it handles pretty good

 

yeah pretty much like a log wagon however there is no swing or sway it handles pretty good

 

Sounds like you may have:
1. Count the leaves in your front spring, if over 10 you could likely get down in the 7-8 range if the spring is still a good one. Remove odd numbered leaves, 3-5-7-9. It may take several trys but it's worth it.
2. Shocks that are bottoming out, they'll need replacing with something shorter most likely.
3. Might try lowering the tire pressure up front and out back if you've got it up in the 30s.

 

thanks for the advice, i would really like to get the old school front end to work before dropping several grand on an independent front end. will give it a try

 

Before you start taking things apart look at the srping as it sits and see how the shackles are hanging. They should be at a 30-45 degree angle at rest. If they are hanging near straight down or reversed you have a spring problem or a mount problem... or both. A picture would help.

While you're taking the spring apart be sure and wrap a chain around it while you're taking the center bolt loose and have a large C-clamp on each side holding the leaves too. A little error can make alot of pain when you're dealing with leaf springs or coil springs.

 

Teflon strips between the leaves helps a lot.

 

Those are the same thing as the polyliners I mentioned. They really help a lot.

 

The polyliners and tube shocks make all the difference as was mentioned, I also put a GM steering box in my 40 tudor and the thing drive and handled like a dream! Keep the dropped axle in it....You won't be sorry.

 

Definently crawl under it and see what is going on. Most of teh time when a car rides like ****, the suspension is contacting the frame somewhere. (bottoming out.)

Usually, it is the axle banging into the bottom of the frame, but on a split wishbone car like yours, the wishbones can sometimes contact the frame also.

Stick your head under the front end and have someone bounce the car up and down, you just might see something that can be easily fixed..

Good luck, -Abone.

 

thanks for the replys, there are rubber snubbers above the axle ; their not beat up like the axles been hitting them soi have the feeling that its just too stiff

 

***uming you havea split wishbone FE, and if the suggestions mentioned improve it somewhat but you want more,you can try a Speedway 4-bar FE w/panhard bar. Since you already have the axle, shocks and spring, your costs would be minimal compared to a Mustang II. I have had several 40 cars and trucks w/MII and I now have the Speedway setup in my 40 coupe (and in a 40 p-up project) and it really rides very well. I like it better than a MII FE since it feels more like a hot rod and not my everyday driver (my preference). It's really a nice middle-of-the-road choice and it will not break the bank. A 32 axle and spring makes this setup very easy to install (that's what's in my 40p-up project) but you will have to modify the panhard bar mount on the axle end to clear the spring, an easy mod.

BTW, I've driven my 40 coupe through SI out to LI many times (I was a LI boy untilwe movedtoVAin '95) from Virginia and with the roads you have, nothing is going to make a 40 Ford of any kind ride "nice", even with a MII suspension. The wheelbase of a 40 is just too short IMHO and your road conditions are not the best.

Goodluck, whatever you do ....PM me with your email address and I'll send some build pics of my 40 p-up so you can get the look and feel of what is entailed.