I am considering going with a Mustang II type front end on my 52 F-3 but could use the opinions of those wiser than I. I have read statements like "I would never put a Mustang II under my truck" to "best thing I have ever done". My plans are to retain the flattie and put a T-5 behind it for the powertrain, but to keep the rest as stock as possible. Can you guys chime in regarding the different Mustang II's that you used (would use) and help a newbie understand if the M II is heavy duty enough. I have enjoyed the banter and technical info you gentlemen (and ladies) have provided.....
Thanks,
Wade

 

see this one.. very nice
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-progress.html

I used the TCI MII on mine.. pics around here somewhere

Sam

 

At risk of confirming my denseness I think these are the main suppliers / manufactures

TCI
No-limit
Heidts
Fat something
And whoever I forgot.

I recently installed a Heidts and the material was very heavy, I was impressed, as thick as the f1 frame and certainly thicker then the old original Mustang II, I think it would be safe to say that the quality of all of the main suppliers is good,............it’s just personal preference and price.

If you go to “SVT-F” post about his No Limit IFS build progress https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-progress.html.....I believe that you will see the quality of material keeping in mind that this is a coil over set up, much different from a coil spring kit.

These manufactures have sold many of these kits and I know of NO confirmed failures.

 

I have installed Hiedt's, TCI, Fatman Fab and Classic Performance Products Must II kits. The CPP kit is really TCI. They all work great. The kits from CPP/TCI I used alot because we are dealers for CPP.
TCI's kits with the round tube A-arms use a Dodge screw-in type balljoint, the size you find on the Volare's. Strong ball joints. The rack and pinion is a T-bird rack so it doesn't require the tierod extensions that the Must II racks required to work with the widened track width of the suspensions when installed in the trucks. CPP even offers an upgraded front disc brake setup so you can still run the 5 on 5 bolt pattern.
For your appliction I would stay away from the coil over setups. It's not needed in your case and some of those, like No Limit's are a bitch to set the caster and camber on.
The stock Must II spring will work fine for you. If you order a MustII kit, make sure your getting the power rack and front sway bar in the quoted price. You gotta run a front sway bar.
I have been installing these since they first came out and I have never heard or had any failure of the suspension from normal driving.
The only place you might have a problem is remounting the engine. I'm not that familiar with flattie oil pans and their depth and sump setups. Oil pan to Must II crossmember clearence could be an issue. In those situations, I will notch the crossmember if I have to to gain clearence. Anything can be made to fit, you just need to know where to cut!!

 

Thanks guys, I will research the flattie/MII front end clearance before I move on any purchase. Glad to hear that the MII is strong enough to support the F-3.
Thanks again,
w

 

I got so excited about telling you what I don’t know that I missed the F3 part, what are you going to do with the rear axle / wheels, the MII are made for F1’s and even lower them considerably?

 

They're all good products. I just installed a chassis engineering BOLT-IN Mustang II crossmember into my 50 F1 this week. I definitely cannot tell you it's the best or even comparable because I won't be driving this truck for a few years at the rate I'm going. But it's another option. In my opinion, the selling point of the Chassis Engineering crossmember is not just that it doesn't require welding or boxing of the frame, but also it gives somebody in the future the option of reversing what you have done. If one of my grandkids someday decides he wants to put in the newest thing on the market or even reverse the truck back to stock, they can simply un-bolt that crossmember and add whatever they want.

EDIT: I didn't notice you mentioned trying to keep the flattie with a MII. I can't speak for the other brands of crossmembers, but I had to remove what was left of my original flathead motor mounts in order to get the MII crossmember into the right spot.

 

I have a TCI frame with MII suspension. It seems to be well-made, but the rubber parts(ball-joint/tie-rod covers) have already deteriorated (cracked and split)on my truck and I've only had the set-up for 18 months with zero miles on it. I'm not sure who their supplier is, but it's the worst deterioration of automotive rubber that I've ever seen. Their customer service left a lot to be desired, so, I won't even bother to let them know.

 

A couple other items to consider would be dropped spindle or not and stength of springs......aren't flatheads heavier than conventional V8s?

 

Your right about those rubber pieces. That has always been a problem. We would get a complete truck done with in a year, but all the rubber boots in the front end had to be replaced and the truck never left the shop!! The racks are the worst. Those boots will deteriorate right in front of your eyes. It's not just TCI, I've seen others fail before the truck was finished also.

 

I know I have a better engine dimension chart than the one I found but this one will work.
The Ford sm blks come in around 460 lbs. The windsor is 550 and the Boss 302 is 500. Big blks run in the 625 range and the Boss 429 is a whopping 680.
GM sm blks are a bit heavier at 575 for the iron head small blk. The aluminum head version is in the 525 range. The all aluminum sm blk is 450.
The LT1 versions were a touch heavier at 596.
Big blks win the heaviest award, coming in at 685, aluminum headed, 625.
In comparison, the flatties ran in the 520 range.

 

Old F1, ...The F-3 is complete and appears to be all original, which is why I am struggling with the direction in which to take this build (I currently drive an '05 F150). I haven't made any hard decisions just yet, but was thinking that the MII would make the truck safer on several fronts. All I know is, I don't want to experience the dreaded "death wobble", AND I worry about the older braking capabilities. My plans for the truck when completed are more about nostalgic runs to the local home improvement store as well as local car shows, etc. As for the rear end, I would consider the Explorer diff swap that I have read about. I would be interested in opinions regarding the direction I should take (and why). You guys have been very helpful and your opinions count....
Thanks,
Wade

 

Honestly, I'd just keep the straight axle for the purposes you have stated. A 100 hp tired old flathead isn't gonna get you into many tight spots. My question would be whether or not a front disc brake conversion is available for the bigger trucks. If not, I'd just do the best I could with the drums and enjoy the truck. My 49 F1 has drums all around. A deer attempted to jump on my hood last fall. I stood it on its nose and scooted the tires for a short distance. If you get the brakes right, they will stop.

 

I am not opposed to keeping the truck stock as long as it can be considered safe at moderate speeds (50-55mph). Are there any viable options for replacement wheels/tires if I keep the suspension stock? I'm not sure what p/n the wheels are (currently), but would like to upgrade to radials and more current wheels if possible. I will go through the stickies again to see what options have been discussed.......
thanks,
w

 

I thought the same thing about CPP being interchangeable with TCI, I have a TCI. But when I ordered the Ball Joints from CPP, they were different from the ones installed on the TCI. TCI's seemed about 1/4 taller and the CPPs never tightened up. So I had to buy directly from TCI which were about $30 a piece as I recall. Unless something has changed. Mustang II prob installed in about 2003.

Patrick