Hey all, after endlessly screwing with my front end and talking to people who have converted, I'm ready to take the plunge on the M2. The problem I have is that my crossmember location is at a pretty severe taper. I'm really not sure how I should proceed and am turning to you guys for a little front end advice. I will be doing the install myself so I want to make sure I get it right the first time. I'm sure I didn't include absolutely everything you need to answer all the questions so if you'll take the time to ask, I'll definitely go out and look and get back to you. Thanks as usual for all your help. Eyeballed centerline on the fender Eyeballed new location of front crossmember. The other side is a little cluttered and didn't give a great pic. Hope u guys can give me some good news and I can make this conversion relatively painless! NAES
Well, it surprises me that you intend to try an install an MMII crossmember on your stock frame rails. Were I planning your conversion, I would expect to replace the forward frame rails with rectangular tube side members, eliminating the stock spring pockets. That's why Fatman Fabrications offers frame stub kits for earlier IFS cars. You can do the same, it's just a fair amount of fabrication and disassembly of the front end of your car to do it. Ray
Hnstray is correct, you would have no frame rail left after trimming off the offset A arm mounts and spring towers on the Mopar frame. that is why no-one makes a crossmember for your application. probably there is a "stub on"****y that is for your car but look to spend about three times what a crossmember will cost for one if available......
Damn! That looks like a ton of additional work that I wasn't planning for. Basically fabricating a million things for everything to bolt back up to after the M2 is in place. I'm going to have to get under there and study things again a little closer and see if there are other options. Thanks all for the excellent points and information. NAES
I don't think you are getting the picture..........or...maybe I am not. However, building or buying a frame 'stub can't be any harder, if as hard, as trying to put an MMII crossmember on that mess of a stock frame (only a mess when trying to do what you propose, otherwise works fine for stock front end). If you will go to Fatmanfab website and look at frame stubs, you will see they are quite simple affairs, so long as you get the dimensions correct. The only thing you have "to bolt back up" is the core support for the radiator/frontend sheetmetal and the front bumper brackets. The MMII crossmember supports the rack and pinion steering and all the suspension parts (A arms, spindles, brakes, etc.). In either case, you have to modify or replace your stock steering column to hook to the R&P, so that's a 'wash', laborwise. Perhaps you should seek help from someone who is familiar with the mods in question. On the other hand, if you do some research, there is plenty of info and pics to provide the info you should need to get done what you are wanting to do. Ray
I will agree with the above posts. There is no easy and painless way to get a Mustang II into your stock frame. Since no specific fit crossmember kit is made to fit your car you have a couple of options. One is to use the frame stub kit like Fatman makes. The other is to completely strip the front end of your car including all sheetmetal and engine and then have an experience welder-hot rod frame man modify your frame to accept a universal MII kit like what Heidts offer. Neither of these methods will be quick easy or painless. But they are do able for an experienced builder. By the way, finding your axle centerline is NOT done by eye and marked with a couple pieces of tape.
Well I've done enough reading about what is involved to know that clipping the frame isn't for me. I've never done anything close to that before and this isn't the car to learn on. A little tough love from those in the know isn't the worst thing in the world. I'm working with a guy now to see if we can create a rack and pinion setup as well as get some better springs and make a larger swaybar fit front and rear. Hopefully that will get me closer to where I want to be. As for the tape, it was only an eyeball for reference, not an exact measurement. Thanks though. NAES
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