Bolt on Mustang II IFS

Discussion in '1947-1954' started by mobileortho, Jan 2, 2016.

  1. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    image.jpeg Ok here we go! Looking to make a few changes to my truck over the winter, one of which is to lower it a bit more and run bigger tires/ rims. Currently using the ifs from a '79 half ton with dropped spindles & cut coils which has worked out fine despite the negative press its received. But I can't lower it anymore because the scrub line would be too dangerous. I have another online buddy who solved this by notching the crossmember so that the frame rails were tucked Into it about 3-4 inches. But this is beyond my skill and comfort level.

    Since I'm not proficient at welding, I decided to go with a bolt on unit. I've seen several offered but ended up finding the cross member on sale for $375 with free shipping on eBay the rest of the kit was $889 + $159 for shipping. I spent another $140 for the brake lines, power steering lines & pressure reducer so all totaled about $1533. Most of the parts have come in, still waiting on the spindles & calipers. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Already started tearing down, hopefully this will be a painless install.
     
  2. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Subscribed .
     
  3. coilover

    coilover Member

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    Have not used this kit but I like the notched front frame horns to clear the tie rod boots. The upper spring hat has the raised center tube for some reason. If the top of the spring fits up in it then it would lower the stance. Clue me in.
     
  4. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    They're called Ride Height Adjusters. The upper spring seat is built on a threaded adjuster sleeve, which fits inside a threaded adjuster ring mounted to the spring tower on your frame. This allows the upper spring seat to be adjusted up or down to fine-tune your car's final ride height up to 2 inches. One of the primary benefits of this is the ability to adjust the suspension for proper travel and geometry, especially as the coil springs age and settle.
     
  5. Zig

    Zig Member

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    Thank you for starting this thread!
    Some fine day, who knows....... #rolleyes#
    "bolt on" with pictures and "how to" is absolutely fantastic stuff!
     
  6. coilover

    coilover Member

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    Gotcha,
    Just like the dirt track cars that have a big nut welded in the frame with a length of all thread with a cup to fit over the top of the spring. They were called "wedge" screws. Yours is so much fancier I didn't put two and two together.
     
  7. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    image.jpeg Haven't done much with this yet. Still waiting on the spindles & brake components but decided to test fit what I have and found an issue right away. The lower control arm doesn't quite fit. Looks like I'm going to need to do some trimming.
     
  8. coilover

    coilover Member

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    Can't tell by the picture that the round stock passes through both plates but I'm sure it does. If you face it off a bit too much don't worry, just get some valve spring shims to get the right fit. Even tubular arms will pull in several thousandths when bolt(s) are torqued.
     
  9. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    image.jpeg Progress is slow but I got the old unit out today. This thing is huge compared to the MMII.
     
  10. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    Looks like I'm in store for lots of additional mods. When I started this install, I elected not to remove the engine. I jacked it up and that left plenty of room for me to install the crossmember. It's temporarily bolted in place now and looks like the engine will have to come forward about 1.5" or so, which means I'm going to have to relocate the radiator, modify the drive shaft & exhaust. The motor mounts were designed to bolt onto the crossmember, exploring other mounting options before I proceed.
     
  11. 50 Chevy LS3

    50 Chevy LS3 Member

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    Hey, Robert, You might try looking at Chassis Engineering. They offer an offset small block engine mount. Might get your mounts to line up.

    Steve.

    They have two offset mounts that move the engine 1.75". One of them is for a 19" center to center, mounting, the other for 22" center to center.
    What that means is, the centerline of your biscuit style mount holes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  12. Zig

    Zig Member

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    We all hope you find a simple mounting solution so you don't have to move all that!
     
  13. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    frame.jpg
    Well, turns out that the motor mounts are the least of my problems. The template is completely off, none of the holes match up with the support brackets. So much for an easy install. I have the same thread on another forum and some suggest my frame may be twisted! I'm not a happy camper right about now!
     
  14. 52wasp

    52wasp Member

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    Hmmm... So at this time, front sheet metal OFF, cab ON frame, engine/trans jacked up? I guess I'd set the truck up level on jackstands (shim as required to correct for shop floor), front to rear, left to right, and start taking measurements. Fore/aft, left/right and diagonal. There may be dimensions in the shop manual IIRC. If all the numbers agree, and you don't have one frame horn that won't sit level, I would say no to a twisted frame. Can you get the holes to line up on one side (either side), and not the other? Is the hole pattern in the frame EXACTLY the same as the hole pattern on the new X-member?
     
  15. Zig

    Zig Member

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    I know it's supposed to be a "bolt on" deal, but if the spindles are centered where they need to be, would it be wrong to drill through the frame holes, through the new cross member, then maybe add a new hole for another bolt, just for good measure?
    It's not like locking down a rear end, right?
    As long as it doesn't have slop that would allow it to slip backwards when locking up the wheels, ?

    Keep in mind, I'm a simpleton...
     
  16. mobileortho

    mobileortho Member

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    image.jpeg

    That's exactly what I did. After lots of head scratching, prying and redrilling I finally got it bolted in!
     
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  17. Bill Hanlon

    Bill Hanlon Member

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    Robert: Now you can blame Zig if it goes down the road sideways. :)
     
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  18. Zig

    Zig Member

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    YAY!!! Now on to the motor mount deal!
    Hey Bill~ I'm thinking if it does this, it should be a simple matter of pulling one end of the rear axle forward just a bit to counteract the front end. ;)
     
  19. Bill Hanlon

    Bill Hanlon Member

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    Robert: Don't listen to Ziggy! Your truck will end up driving down the road looking like one of those wiener dogs where the back end is trying to pass the front end. :eek:
     
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  20. Zig

    Zig Member

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    That's called swagger~
     
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