The guy paying me to build a '52 3100 now wants to go with an independent front axle. This, after he payed me handsomely to install a powder coated stock straight axle, complete with a Saginaw steering box, and all new brake parts and leaf spring bushings/pins. I tried to talk him out of it until he has a chance to drive it with the power steering setup in it now, but he has been listening too much to his buddies. No problem really, since he has paid me already for the stock front axle work. Now he will have to pay me to take everything off and pay to have the entire Rustang II front axle installed. Then there is the issue with five lug front wheels with the six lug rear axle wheels. Now to my question. What Rustang II clone front axle setup is the most user friendly to install? It needs to have power rack and pinion steering. Carl (My apologies to the Fword fans for using the word "Rustang", but this, after all, is a family friendly site...)
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Carl - I used the M-II kit from Fatman Fabrications, opting for their Stage 3 hub to hub kit with QA-1 coilovers and manual steering rack. You can get it with a power rack if you want, but I didn't think I needed it. The install was straight forward with good instructions. I opted to pick it up from their shop to save the freight as they are located in North Carolina. See photo. Good luck!
Does he have an air bag or coil over rear suspension set up? If not, using an MII ifs is only half the job unless one likes the potato digger rake angle. A couple of pics showing a 55.2 with MII and stock rear leaf springs and another showing a 49 that has rear coil overs to bring the rear down to near level with the front. Whole truck sits low. I have a pictorial on frame brackets to make an AD sit at factory height with an MII ifs if interested.
Does he have an air bag or coil over rear suspension set up? If not, using an MII ifs is only half the job unless one likes the potato digger rake angle. A couple of pics showing a 55.2 with MII and stock rear leaf springs and another showing a 49 that has rear coil overs to bring the rear down to near level with the front. Whole truck sits low. I have a pictorial on frame brackets to make an AD sit at factory height with an MII ifs if interested.
Evan. I am definitely interested in pics of your factory height brackets. I personally do not like the looks of lowered AD trucks. Have you done a MII on an AD with your factory height brackets while leaving the original leaf springs in the rear? I am concerned with only taking care of only half of the ride quality. Thank you, Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Carl, Dug through my old pics and did not find the AD brackets but did find one for a 37 Chevy. The principal is the same---lower the cross member to raise the frame. I use sheet steel the same thickness as the cross member to plasma cut the pieces from. Turning the frame upside down, as pictured, is the easiest but on a completed truck one may have to use jacks, jack stands, shims, etc. One thing I realized is this works only with the COILOVER option on the MII unit. The one pictured is a Heidt's coilover unit but others would work. You definitely are up on these old rides so this should point you in the right direction. Dropping the cross member 3.5" makes an AD set very near factory height. The sway bar links (if used) will need lengthened and maybe a higher rate shock to cut down body roll, but often not needed. Of course my photos have no index but can dig further if needed but I think someone like you will readily get the idea. Pic of a 53 with leaf springs and MII ifs.
Carl, Rear heights vary a bit depending on leaf spring condition (sag) so on an unknown one you might cut wood blocks in various thickness to place between the saddle notched into the MII cross member and the bottom of the frame rail. The weight will need to be on the front springs to get the height right and if it's not it's easier to replace wood blocks than cut weld. With coil overs one has several inches of adjustment on the shock body but it gives more fudge room if cross member is close to desired position. Sometimes have to tweak a little after truck has been driven for a time and the springs settle, usually unevenly, but adjustable coil overs make correcting an easy task.
Evan, I'm considering building a 2-wheel Can-Am Spyder style front end for the Honda Gold Wing 1200 motorcycle I wrecked a few years back. It might be worthwhile to take advantage of the engineering and geometry that's already built into the M-II crossmember and control arms, and just cut a few inches out of the middle of the crossmember to make the track width close to right. I'll be using the original handlebars and a custom-fabricated set of tie rods for steering. Obviously, I'd need to install springs on the coil over shocks appropriate for the weight of the bike. I figure it should cost about 1/10 of the price of a Can-Am to do a 3-wheeler that way. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I'm interested in an MII IFS swap to a 49 GMC. Oddly enough it's already lowered and has coilovers on the rear. So far my research indicates some IFS's can be a bear to set caster and camber and getting steering shaft clearance for the rack can cause some extensive cutting to the IFS.
I too like the stock stance over extreme lowered and like your (coilover) pic's on how to achieve a stock stance. Wonder if the bolt-in IFS's can be modified lower by 3.5".
In the process of installing a Speedway bolt in MII crossmember that Speedway offers. The crossmember comes with coil ride height adjusters. May get you closer to stock ride height with them adjusted all the way down. The Speedway crossmember P/N is 91044754.
Dan
35 CC Case 38 Chevy Pickup 51 3100 AD 58 3100 Apache Fleetside
Volfandt, the choice of which MII one uses makes a lot of difference in how difficult caster and camber is to adjust. Also some rack and pinion units have more frame clearance than others. One can also use a rear mount rack that gives clearance all around except for oil pans in certain cases. Pictured is a stock type MII upper A-frame with a weld on spring hat that has factory type very easy caster and camber adjustment. On the more versatile coilover tubular A-frames one has to completely remove the Heim (rod) end bolt and screw the end in or out for front end adjustment which is more work and time consuming. Alignment people don't like them but they are a much better set up. Second picture shows a half finished frame notch to clear the boot on the end of the rack, necessary with some units.
Jerry, I know your idea will fly because we have WIDENED a couple of MII units with good results. With all the suspension parts removed the cross member will fit on the table of a 14" metal chop saw and one can make real pretty cuts.
