How I lowered a 1962 F-100 with an axle flip (1961-1964 I-Beam)

I do believe Todd is planning to paint the inner fenders as well.

I know what you mean about the salt, I'm a little worried about my '58, I think I got it clean but I still find spots that are rotting. My poor Triumph got it worse, I was wire brushing the head studs this weekend and cleaning the cylinders where rust keeps poping up. The price we pay for a little fun.

 

I think once we get it back to a roller, I'll just start a new thread for the LSR build with a link back to this one. The subject comes up about flipping axles enough that I want to make it easy to find the "tech".

Thanks Rocky! Can't wait to see the twin-screw dragster in May!

While I'd planned to use the roll-on liner paint, I found that I was able to achieve a more uniform texture with the spray-on. It's a Dupli-color product, and I used 3 cans on the firewall. Not sure if it's paintable, but I hadn't really planned to paint over it. Works nicely, but prep is everything.

I plan to paint at least the inside of the fenders, and the underside of the inner fenders. Possibly both sides of the inner fenders. Depends on Tim's preference once he sees the finish.

 

Great thread and nice field (tomato patch) find

I have read the thread from start to finish and have not seen the CAMBER issue addressed. Caster gives you the tracking and camber gives you the tire footprint angle.

simplified illustrations:

/ = positive caster angle \ = negative caster (when viewed from the driver's side)

\ / = positive camber angle / \ = negative camber angle (when viewed from the front)

Flipping the axle would take it (the king pin angle) from positive camber to negative camber. While I LIKE negative camber for auto crossing, too much is not a good thing for certain uses. I do not know what the LSR people use for camber, I just think it might be a good idea to check/address it before rather than later ...

edit:

ok

I READ the words and read FLIP, I guess i didn't pay enough attention to the pictures ...

In this case FLIP does not = 180 degrees ...

 

You should start reading the post at the start and not the finish...
He didnt turn the axle upside down, he moved it from under the springs to the top.

 

that is what happens when I READ a word: FLIP and envision (without looking at pictures) what FLIP means ...

I guess the same question remains on camber then ...

I know the alignment shops would heat a straight axle and BEND the axle to change CAMBER angles ... not sure if that is how they still do it

 

No worries..."FLIP" is simply an agreed upon term (if not "Webster's" approved) for axle relocation relative to the leaf springs, or other given method of support.

More updates coming soon, then followed by a link to a new thread relating to the more LSR-specific build.

 

Looking good BIGREDTODD, excellent progress!

 

Nie build... Thanks for the great pictures...

 

Tim is coming up again tomorrow, so I figured I'd better get this this ready for a nice-looking engine to be stabbed in, as well as the new axle assemblies shown above. It will be really nice to get this back to a roller.

Here's the engine that's arriving tomorow for the truck's first trip to the lake for a shake down, a stout 301" Y-Block by Tim. (I know that's a sweet looking FE in the back ground)...


And finally, the engine compartment looks like a worthy host...after a lot of wire wheel action and some fresh primer & paint it looks much better in my humble opinion

 

You're really doin it!!

 

The pace is about to start "accelerating"

 

Lookin good!!!

 

looks good keep us posted

 

Just stumbled on this thread and read it from the begining. Thanks! please keep it coming, your doing a great job, I love the ride.

 

How's the progress

 

You guys are doing a great job. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

It looks to me the "ready-rod" was for mock-up. I'll give Todd a break. Maybe the spring plate box gussets are thick enough at 3/16" welded all-around to FORGED axle. I forget if that plate in the mock-up was 1/8" and something thicker will be used when the correct spring clip "u-bolts" arrive.

Nice work anyways, I love it! I have a saying, "Test it 'til it fails." Looks good, is good.

 

nice job! mine was fliped but i never moved the wheel base and i didnt look right but now im cliping it with a crown vic

 

Are you gonna run the sixteen inch wheels then?

 

Is that a Triumph Herald out there in California?

Ed

 

wagary, the spring plates under the axle are 3/16", and the boxing material was cut from .125" wall rectangle tubing. The U-bolts will be supported by modified original 3/8" U-boly retainers under the springs.

The new wheels that Tim bought are 15" steelies, with Goodyear racing tires.

Yup, that's Tim's (Kathy's) '63 Herald.

I apologize for the lack of updates. A week before Christmas, our corporate head made the decision to close our facility, so I spent most of January nailing down a job transfer (within the company) in the bay area. Previously, my time away from home during the day was 6:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. With the commute, my time away from home is 5:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. but at least I maintained stability and insurance, particularly with our baby due in April.

bla, bla, bla...anyway.

Gonna dust off the tools this weekend and get back after it. It's so close to being a roller again, it hurts! Fresh engine, and r/b axles are begging to get put back in.

 

Todd, Tim, The Uni's looking great.. It's starting to stay warmer here so "Frankie" is gonna be getting more attention soon.. BTW Todd if you can input the specs from that front axle flip mount set-up into CAD and consitantly reapeat it, you should patent it.. Alot of back-yard set-ups have been done like this but this is one of the first truely professional jobs at it i've seen.. I'm sure i'm not the only one that would pay money for a ready to run axle flip set-up when compared to the $300-$400 it costs for a drop axle.. If it was done to be a bolt in you'd have a total gold mine in the I-Beam Crowd.. Might be able to fund your's and Tims Racing addictions

 

Awesome build thread! Makes my stock height 66 F100 look sky-high...
Really looking forward to seeing the thing as a roller.

 

I love reading the updates on this thread...Keep em coming Todd. Your are doing some great work..

 

Todd sent me some pix yesterday, I think there will be some good stuff up here today.

 

Sitting on "pins and needles!" Gotta see more pics!!!

 

How about a little pre-Superbowl update?

First of all, thanks to all of you who are following this build...makes it all the more satisfying to have an audience that I can share with. Please forgive the fact that there are fewer pictures during the reassembly. Most questions can be answered by reviewing the fab/mock-up pictures. But, feel free to ask anyway.

As you saw below, last time Tim came up, he dropped off a pick-up load of goodies.

Unfortunately, I have had a hard time getting into the garage the past month due to a pretty serious series of events, including my Dad's health issues rearing their ugly head again, a job change, a bad round of the flu, etc...but that's another story.

A little clean-up goes a long way. And we're back on the axles! (Springs aren't yet painted, as I anticipate playing around with the pack a bit for final ride height once the front end is properly loaded).


As I mentioned early on, I built in 10º negative caster to the axle flip for stability at speed...


Relocated and re-mounted steering box, with steering tube running through the revised firewall reveal. Shift arms will be cut off the column as the 3-speed has been replaced with a T-5.


Front end will drop a few inches with the engine and front clip, but you can see how the geometry of the pitman arm/drag link are falling right into place. (please note the bolts and lower plates are for MOCK-UP. For those of you that only look at the pictures in a build thread, I'll anxiously await your comments on the matter)

I love it when a plan comes together.


Another view of the revised suspension layout.


I believe I'll refer to this as a milestone. First time it's rolled out of the garage since it rolled in...feels much closer now. Won't be long until it heads down south to Tim's for the repaint, roll cage, and other goodies.


The 301" Y-block (+ .080" 292, standard stroke) that will be the first test bed engine built, of course, by Tim McMaster. For those of you that don't know the story, this is the engine that I bought on Craigslist in Oregon. My firend Bryan picked it up for me and shipped it down to Turlock in a reefer. It was chilled to 40º when it arrived, but a great benefit to having a good friend with a family trucking company.

Turned out to be a great "sight-unseen" purchase. Engine was a beautiful virgin block in really clean shape. Tim worked his magic, and bere we are. I spent an 1 1/2 looking for the engine mounts that turned out to be in the solvent bath, or else this would have been in yesterday. Oh well.


Go STEELERS!

 

Whhhhoooooooooooooo weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Just finished reading the whole thread. Great written description followed by pictures clearly details every move. I'm going to be doing my '48 F1 fairly soon and am wondering if these modificatons can be translated directly to the first F-series or are there enough differences to make that not possible. Everything sure looks very similar and it would be great to use this thread as a guide. The biggest difference that mine will have is a drivetrain swap but I've adjusted for weight/size changes on many swaps in the past so that doesn't present to great a challenge. I'm primarily interested if the overall concept of this thread can be applied to a F1 suspension.
My first chioce for this was going to be a Dodge Dakota front suspension swap but ElPolacko is unable/unwilling to do the components to accomplish that as his business partner seems AWOL after splitting and taking that part of the business with him.

Frank