I just picked up a '52 chevy coupe, the whole car is gonna be gone through and i want to swap out the front suspension for a mustang II but im not entirely sure what brand to go with. The usual factors apply, i need something cheap, but of good quality. Work is not an issue, im a mechanic, but havent done one of these swaps before, so im just looking for advice and personal experiences with different brands. Thank you
for the price Fatmans is gonna be your best bet. yes you can buy them cheaper else where but they are not as nice quality wise. if you get a fatmans you get a crossmember that is made out of 5/16 steel tubing as apposed to some cheaper ones that will send you a box full of flat stock for you to weld together... also one other thing that is nice about the fatmans is that you can order it as an ultra low for no extra money and have it 2" lower right out the gate. upgrade to 2" drop spindle with a coil off of your springs and you are in the dirt... I have a fatmans with a flamming river manual rack and I am very happy with it. also you get stainless arms included. it's a pretty deacent set up IMO.
Whatever brand you buy, don't base it on price. At least search for others that have bought the complete setup and base your decision on their experience. Wouldn't recommend Helix. Looked at their setup at the Ft Worth GG show. Looked great, but have direct experience that what they show and what they sell isn't the same quality.
Ask Elpolacko here on the HAMB - he's the guru on M II. For my money it's Spartan Rod Works in Sparta, WI - top notch, industrial strength A-arms and crossmembers which actually work for heavier cars - unlike many. Google 'Mustang II suspension failure' and you'll find that two well known names come up all the time with a bunch of horror stories. www.spartanrodworks.com
build your own if you think the current crop is too expensive: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70073 Check out what doesn't work and how to fix it: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115209 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231116 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257826
Ford made a good one too. I've had one of theirs under my '46 Chevy for about 15 yrs. Lotsa people will tell you it's not strong enough, but the truth is it will carry less weight than a V-8 Must II due to engine setback. I don't know about '52 frames, but on my '46 it looked like it was designed to go in that car. Price was right too!