49-54 chevy sub frame swap

I will have to check into the astro van steering box swap, have not come across that one yet. The 1950 styleline is 3100 lbs. according to my research. I'm glad to hear all the responses. I see there lots of pro's and con's. I'm not worried about hard work, that's actualy the least of my worries. I want a dependable nice ride that doesn't break the bank and that parts are readily available. Hoping to learn from others that have been there and try and pick the best option for me.

 

The "weight issue" is somewhat of a controversy, but it need not be.

Many detractors of MMII BASED suspensions allege they are Pinto components and way too weak. That is not quite accurate. True, the early Pintos had a fairly light duty suspension. However, when Ford designed the MMII the front end components were beefed up quite a bit and while they do look similar, they are not. Later production Pintos and the Merc twin got the MMII beefier components.

Mustang II cars are not only a bit heavier than most people think, more importantly, the weight distribution is significantly forward biased. Meaning, the MMII carried as much, or more, weight on the front end than some cars that had a higher overall weight but more even distribution front to rear.

If you actually examine the spindles, for example, the MMII units are quite sturdy and use the same size wheel bearings as a Galaxy. While budget MMII kits use stamped control arms, many more use fabricated tubular arms and the rack & pinion gear these days is usually the mid-'80s T-Bird or '79/'93 Mustang racks, both of which are plenty strong for most p***enger car and pickup applications. I do cringe when I see COE trucks with MMII suspension.

The brakes were a little smallish, at 9" rotor diameter, but they are pretty rare in actual use. Most kits include at least 10" rotors and many offer 11". By the way, the proof of what I am saying about actual front end weights of MMII vehicles.....In almost all instances a rodder must use front coil springs from a 4 cylinder model MMII to get the correct spring rate/ride height for his/her V8 powered rod. The MMI engine placement was pretty much centered over the front axle centerline, whereas, most rods have the engine several inches rearward and the weight shift is significant.

None of this is to say that you SHOULD use MMII. Only meant to put that option in perspective with factual data. You may well be better off rebuilding your stock front end and adapting disc brakes, as many here have suggested.

Ray

 

Good news! You already have that! GM put one under your car before it left Detroit.

Seriously, I was in your shoes a few years ago when I first got my 50, and was determined that a MII swap was the only way to go. The more I researched it, and the more I drove the car (especially after a thorough front end rebuild), the more I realized that the OEM design is pretty damn good, and parts are easy to get.

My advice is to move this project to the back burner for a while and see if you are really unhappy with the stock front end in a year or two. Spend your time and money making it run good and look good before you fix what ain't broke.






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What year XJ are we looking for? I see them as an expensive alternative. Over 2k for a parts car.