over the winter I want to convert my ford over to ball joints and disc brakes. Is there a thread that has done this or is there any other information around. I want to do all of my research and have a solid game plan down before I start. Thanks in advance for all input, Jim
there's no set procedure for replacing the spindle/kingpin/trunnion setup with balljoint suspension. no "parts list" in other words. Ford changed much of the front end design when they went to balljoints in '54, so simply trying to swap those over doesn't work either. what you're trying to accomplish would be done best with a frame clip. which, btw, would leave you with firsthand knowledge of what parts you'll eventually need for maintenance and repairs down the road, instead of trying to keep track of a half-dozen donors and modifications. i'm leaving my '51 stock underneath so i won't have to do just that!
I'm still wondering why the aftermarket guys haven't come up with simple kits with tube A frames with ball joints that run readily available spindles to upgrade the earlier independent front end cars that ran king pin front ends. Even with paying a bit of a premium price for the custom A frames due to low volume compared to the MII style A frames it should cost the user quite a bit less than swapping the whole front subframes and it would be an unbolt/bolt on thing that guys wouldn't need extreme mechanical skills to accomplish on their own.
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