64 Galaxie suspension: replacing offset shafts

Ok, while rebuilding my front suspension, I pulled out my offset shafts and found they were very worn. In doing some R&D, I found that some people were replacing these with straight shafts and/or adding a toe-in stabilizer bar. This helped in stiffening up the ride and made the alignment more accurate.

Has any one done one or the other to their Galaxie? If so, which one?

Ford only did this for 63 and 64 Galaxies. They did it to add more of a cush ride but found that at higher speeds, the car would feel like a wet noodle and made braking a son of a gun! To fix this, they added the toe-in stabilizer bar.

Any help is appreciated. I want to get the beast back on the road!!

 

I am just about to look into the same thing. I don't like the sloppy, clunking, moving front end! They move on my car and need to go.

 

Yeah, I hear ya! Hopefully we can find the remedy to this issue. I found a couple nbut want to find out which is "tried and true".

 

Seems like Greg Donahue has the fix. www.gregdonahue.com

Im going to give them a call Monday morning. It's a bar that reaches from one offset shaft to the next and locks them together. My problem is finding replacements for the offset shafts! Any recommendations?

 

I found this as well from Ford Forums:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/63-64-Ford-...Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1204

It's the same concept.

 

Same place page 155 donahue catalog

 

Dude!! Those are expensive as well! Seems like I'm going to empty my wallet on this project!

 

I've done this.

I used a kit from "rare parts", i was a complete replacement bolt - $225 or something like that.

Also heard of guys just throwing a tack weld on the "kidney bean" to the frame - obviously not ideal - but free, and easy to remove 10 years later for the next front end rebuild.

I once brought those bolts for $25 off a 64 that was being parted out..

The Stabilizer bar works/helps some, but does not solve the problem totally.

L

 

Another option - i think the So Cal Galaxie club guys make their own shaft using the existing front "cup bolt" that screws in the front , . . . i guess they machine a new bolt with male threads on both ends

L



Thread :

http://lists.twistedpair.ca/pipermail/galaxie/2002-October/025427.html

grade 8 3/4" x 8 1/2" bolt

Pretty simple:

 

Hey L, this is what I mean by "ate up". The shafts that thread into the huge hex bolt that screw into the front, look as if they've experienced some metal on metal grinding. Take a look at threads on one of the shafts...it's concave. I would say they're unusable; wouldn't you?

 

Danggggg. Yeah i would swap those out.

I think i have some spare ones floating around, i will look.

PST suspension sell a front end rebuild kit, the kit comes with the rubber seals that sit in these shafts to stop the metal to metal contact

L

 

Yeah man, look worse in person! That'll be great if you would have some spare ones hangin around...I'd pay u for them if the price is right. I don't really know what rout I'm going to go though. There's 2 routs I could go: replace offset shaft and place in toe-in eliminator bar from donahues or place in straight shafts from so cal galaxie. Which rout would you go? I need to go the cheapest rout due to financials. I've replaced all the front with a rebuild kit except for these shafts. So I don't need a rebuild kit. I just need to do one of these choices and the cheapest but best.

 

I installed the stabilizer bar on a '64 Mercury Monterey Marauder. It definitely helps.

 

Which one did you install? How easy was it to align afterwards?

 

For the cheapest route i would get the car at ride height [ if its on bags ] , and tack weld that kidney bean to the frame.

I know its not the best to weld suspension bolts to a frame, but that bolt aint normal lol

L

 

i hear ya man. I dont know about the welding concept. It's either using offset shafts (used) with a sway bar or just using straight shafts like the one you used. Either way, it's going to cost some dinero. If you find those shafts, let me know if you want to sell them.

 

forgot to say that the car will be lowered 2" on its nose using aerostar coils.

 

I think you can use 62 lower control arms to eliminate the offset shafts.

 

I have heard this also, but have never talked to anyone who has actually done it. Have you seen it done, Jeff?

 

I havent heard this. It sounds simple enough though.

 

I never installed the 62 control arms just read about it,when I had my 64 I installed some kind of brackets to keep the offset shafts from moving.

 

What did you finally decide to do? I rebuilt the suspension on my 63 with the stock offset shafts and got a stabilizer bar kit from my friend who's a fabricator here in El Paso, Texas. I haven't got the car on the road yet, but it's a pretty simple and cost effective idea. Contact "Drive Em" here in the forums if you have any questions, he's been running this setup on his personal 64 road racer and never had any issues. Here's the link to an thread he wrote for another forum: http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/sus...alaxie-lower-arm-offset-shaft-eliminator.html
Here's the part he sells on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/63-64-Ford-...Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1204


Good Luck, Rick

 

My buddie's shop has worked on several 63-4 Galaxies and the straight lower control arm mounting kit from rare parts is what he's used several times so far. It is supposed to be what the 406/427 cars came with originally back then. Evidently in 62 the 406 cars had straight mounting shafts as well instead of offset shafts.

I have the extra bar that connects both lower control arm bolts/shafts together on both of my cars currently.

 

I have some tire wear indicating a probable toe-in issue. Wondering if I installed the stabilizer bar incorrectly. Also, I think I neglected to have the car aligned after installing the stabilizer bar.

Heck I just bolted the damn thing on. Is there a procedure or a trick to it that I missed?
Walt

 

What did the NASCAR builders do? That entire front ch***is clip was used under almost every Grand National/Cup car for years-regardless of body brand.

 

I'll be having the same deal here before long .
THANXZ for the post.

 

bttt.has anybody done the 62 swap i just bought a 64 and have two 62 parts cars.

 

My Police interceptor has the straight shaft

 

Man $ 225. for 2 bolts,2 nuts,2 loc washers, & 2 spacers...

 

LOL Yeah, I see this all the time on the 'Special Race Prep' sites.

The bolt thru the bushing trick as above makes the most sense. I'll do that to mine, now that I see the inside of that bushing. BUT, I won't be paying someone $225 for something available from Fastenall or McMaster!

I was in the front end/ Frame & Wheel biz for years, and have owned and prepped Galaxies since they were new. (1963-1/2)
The '63 427 cars had the rocker bolts in front, and Ford had a bulletin out recommending a 'tie-bar' to lessen tire wear from 'unstabe toe-settings'.
It was a hardened steel strap, 1/4" thick X 1-3/4" wide. (a straight piece of leaf spring mat'l) with the ends braked at a 60 degree angle, bent about 35 degrees (I'd have to check my Galaxie to tell you the angles, it's been 49 years! But an angle finder will tell you if you measure it)

Anyway, I 'bootlegged' a number of them, bought straight spring stock at Morgan Spring Works in San Jose; cut them and heated the ends 3" in, set the stock in an angle jig I made up and bent each end, (one bend each)
I then simply case-hardened them, and quenched them in used motor oil.
Ford got $39.95 as I recall, mine were $25 if I did the alignment.

Having driven a mul***ude of Galaxies then, before and after, I can tell you that it stiffened the lateral movement up notably.
But if the customer wouldn't follow advice and replace the front shocks, it still had that 'luxury mush'. (but tire wear was drastically improved!)