I pulled all the suspension off my 50 F1. I want to get it as low as possible and still be able to drive it around daily. The easiest/cheapest solution would be to flip the axle to the top side of the leaf springs. All I would have to do is raise the steering box in the ch***is. Pretty easy and zero out of pocket cost. Option B would be to call up Sid's and get a 3" dropped axle. Super easy, but its $300+ out of pocket and I'm not sure it's going to sit as low as I want even with a few leaves removed. Option C is more expensive and labor intensive. A guy I know has a complete front end off his 52 F1 with newer springs, a professionally fabbed up front axle and the spindles have been converted to side steer with a Nova steering box. He just cut off the end of his stock column and sleeved in a DD shaft, then connected it to the Nova box with a U joint. This whole ***embly bolts into the stock brackets. He just wanted a softer ride and went with a Mustang II front end. He's tripping over the old unit and wants $300 for the whole thing. So what's my best option? I plan on running 600X16 tires, and I've been driving a car that's 5" off the ground at its lowest point so I think that's pretty safe. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Scott, I flipped the axle on my old F1... It worked well, and was LOW, but I wouldn't do it again... new spring pads on the axle, notched frame, relocated steering box, shortened column.... Way, way more than $300 worth of work and similar results to the dropped axle with a leaf or two pulled. Those are 5.60x15 tires up front...
I like how that sits Andy. I planned on running the stock 16" wheels but I have a set of 15" that I could run and get a little shorter tire. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Wouldn't you need to relocate the steering box with a dropped axle as well? I would think that you would.
any of the ways you are looking at would be a good solution, although I personally would also combine a cross steer box with and axle flip if that indeed was the tact I took. But, I have to say, if your friends 300.00 solution will get the job done and it's complete, do it. Lots less work to bolt something on and be done IF it's proven and works that to fabricate and trouble shoot endlessly. All that said, and I don't know if this is now H.A.M.B. approved anymore, But what I would REALLY do is bop down to my Pick-a-part location, drop 200.00 dollars, and in about an hour trundle home a Jag XJ6 front suspension. I'd notch the rails, weld it up and in and have something that rides better and would cure the nosebleeds I would get from driving a truck as high as 5" off the ground. I don't know if it is the reality in your neck of the woods, but down here in Phoenix I counted 14 XJ6s at that one location alone to chose from.
yeah up in the Detroit junk yards there are tons of xjs little more money here but I think it is worthwhile
haha yep Louvers beat me to to...... jag xj all the way. don't forget even though the xj6 ended in the mid 80s the same front suspension was used in the xjs v12 into the early 90s. i have a 91 xjs donor mocked into the rails of my 62 f100 unibody right now. i notched mine 1 3/4" into the rails...ken....
Really? Jaguar? I didn't even know that was a viable option. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I'd really like to see some pics of this setup. Yeah it's a plentiful junkyard car even in my area. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Search it on here, there is about a hundred threads that talk about it, and the install on a F-100 is about the same as a F-1. Matter of fact, search under ***us's name, he did an F-1 earlier this year. I've done dropped axles under these trucks, and I've done MustangIIs as well. The Mustang is really too narrow to work well without widening, and that screws the roll center up. The dropped axle works well nut its a bit limited in drop in my opinion, really needs to be combine with reworked springs and rebuilds of everything that boinks and still rides and stops like a truck from the early fifties. The Jag is simple, the right width, easily rebuild able, rides well, has modern geometry, disc brakes, and is of a c***ette kinda deal that makes install easy. The down sides are that it has a Chevy bolt pattern, and you can't really hook your thumbs in your armpits at cruise nights and say "it's 100% traditional"...
Have you thought about monoleafs from www.performanceonline.com ? I'll be doing this on my 63 f100 very soon. You can get a 4.5" drop front and 6" rear drop. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
You really don't have to move the steering box just modify the drag link to maintain your geometry think mud truck in reverse. I personally think that the cheapest easiest way to drop one is by moving the axle, but it is the least popular of all your options. for me moving th axle is a no brainer. Drop axle will be your most acceptable on this forum and you still have to deal with the drag link. If your friend has a 300 dollar suspension already set uo maybe he'll take 200 for it maybe not, that seems like the easiest way for you to go as you have it at your disposal. But if you have no cash the flipped axle is still your best bet. Sweat equity is free unless you are doing this for a living.
You don't HAVE to modify the box mount, but it sure as hell handles a hell of a lot better! Just by jumping on the front end of mine the steering wheel would turn almost half a rotation! Don't forget about notching the frame too, if you're going this low it's a necessity in my book. And no matter how you bend/modify a drag link it doesn't change the geometry of it, it's still pulling/pushing from the same locations.
you might wan't to do some measuring, with that much drop you have no suspension travel, i have monoleafs on my 62 and it dropped about 3 and a half inches
I went through the trouble of flipping mine/cutting steering column/moving box/ removing spring etc etc... Now I'm wanting to put some new springs underneath (I'm sure its gonna put me up an inch or two) I'm toying with the idea up putting a dropped axle under mine and flipping it with new springs and hoping for a little nicer ride and a little more low. So my axle I flipped/boxed will probably be for sale...
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