71-73 Mustang Gasser
- Thread starter 48Ford
- Start date
Help Support 7173Mustangs.com:
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2014
- Messages
- 620
- Reaction score
- 111
- Location
- Ozarks
- My Car
- I have a low rust/lots of dents '71 sportsroof.
Did a dropped tube axle in a '66. I moved the place where the frame gets taller back to help keep the nose down. Lots of room for a any engine once the shock towers are gone. After I got the suspension in the project got put away so I can't comment on how it rides (yet).
I love gassers. I hope you pursue this project!!
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2015
- Messages
- 8,032
- Reaction score
- 526
- Location
- Western North Carolina
- My Car
- Multiple Mustangs!
They do look crazy for sure.
A couple of ideas you might consider. I was working at our local Technical College and the automotive shop teacher convinced the school to let his automotive class, weld shop and auto restoration class build a Bonneville salt car.
It use a 23 T bucket body and we hand sculpted the front nose from foam and then laid up the fiberglass nose.
This car was unique it was front wheel drive and rear wheel steer. You know how when you back up the car can get squirrely if you got too fast. That is caused by the angle that the suspension is tilted the wrong way when going backwards.
The solution the teacher uses was to take the twin I beam front suspension out of a Ford PU or Ford van and welded the right and left together. We made several different tapered shims so that the angle could be adjusted at the track easily.
Another solution that I have used to make straight axles for trailers is to take the front spindles from again a Ford PU or Ford van with twin I beam suspension and remove the front spindles. They have King Pins in front instead of ball joints. Put the spindle in lathe or mill and remove the bosses for the king pins to give a flat mounting surface.
Another Ford vehicle that you can use the spindles off of easily is the 1949 - 1953 Ford. Same bolt pattern as our cars also. Again King Pins. You can either machine off the boss for the KP. You can put shims under the 4 attaching bolts to set the angles on the spindles so that the car tracks good. I used square tubing to make the drop axle to get the height that I need to level the trailer.
So for you to use on the car you would keep the King Pins and also the link to hook up the tie rods. I would think the twin I beam would be easier to work with so you could go with either a leaf spring or a coil spring. Depends on what weight capacity vehicle you get it from. Bolt pattern is bigger on the heavier models same of like E-100 van or I think F-100 PU.
If you make your own axle can be made lighter than the old I beams but still be strong.
The old Ford PU as you well know had the straight axle and I bet would be very cheap since most remove and put independent suspension when the build a rod. Might even get for free at a rod shop they never use them.
I have already got a set of the 49 - 53 spindles to use for axle under trailer for mustang made from the back end of another mustang. It will have seat in it so when at show you put up beach umbrella and sit in the seat in the shade. Gives another trunk to put cooler and stuff in when going to show.
A couple of ideas you might consider. I was working at our local Technical College and the automotive shop teacher convinced the school to let his automotive class, weld shop and auto restoration class build a Bonneville salt car.
It use a 23 T bucket body and we hand sculpted the front nose from foam and then laid up the fiberglass nose.
This car was unique it was front wheel drive and rear wheel steer. You know how when you back up the car can get squirrely if you got too fast. That is caused by the angle that the suspension is tilted the wrong way when going backwards.
The solution the teacher uses was to take the twin I beam front suspension out of a Ford PU or Ford van and welded the right and left together. We made several different tapered shims so that the angle could be adjusted at the track easily.
Another solution that I have used to make straight axles for trailers is to take the front spindles from again a Ford PU or Ford van with twin I beam suspension and remove the front spindles. They have King Pins in front instead of ball joints. Put the spindle in lathe or mill and remove the bosses for the king pins to give a flat mounting surface.
Another Ford vehicle that you can use the spindles off of easily is the 1949 - 1953 Ford. Same bolt pattern as our cars also. Again King Pins. You can either machine off the boss for the KP. You can put shims under the 4 attaching bolts to set the angles on the spindles so that the car tracks good. I used square tubing to make the drop axle to get the height that I need to level the trailer.
So for you to use on the car you would keep the King Pins and also the link to hook up the tie rods. I would think the twin I beam would be easier to work with so you could go with either a leaf spring or a coil spring. Depends on what weight capacity vehicle you get it from. Bolt pattern is bigger on the heavier models same of like E-100 van or I think F-100 PU.
If you make your own axle can be made lighter than the old I beams but still be strong.
The old Ford PU as you well know had the straight axle and I bet would be very cheap since most remove and put independent suspension when the build a rod. Might even get for free at a rod shop they never use them.
I have already got a set of the 49 - 53 spindles to use for axle under trailer for mustang made from the back end of another mustang. It will have seat in it so when at show you put up beach umbrella and sit in the seat in the shade. Gives another trunk to put cooler and stuff in when going to show.
