Hi, i'm new to the forum page.....
My daughter an I where at a car show a few months ago and she said "Dad, I want a truck for my first car." i thought ok sure, she wants a new one, but she took me across the lot to a 1955 F100.... What dad would not try to make that happen!
so, I just picked up a 1954 F100.
It took me 30 hours to dismantle the truck.
Now i am thinking start from the ground up.
I am researching front suspensions. i really like the weld in kits vs putting in a crown vic system.
Can someone point me to a few links to help me decide?
i have been looking at the Helix MKII setup.
i have searched the threads but can't find anything recent.
Thoughts?
Grover

 

Please do yourself a favour and do not buy a helix front end .
Their products are rubbish .
My choice would be Jaguar xjs front suspension or a quality mustang 2 type .

 

I'd stick with a reputable company. Here are some to look at and do some research on for suspensions....TCI, Heidts, FatMan Fabrication, No Limit. Read everything on their sites and do a search on those names here and you will learn a lot. I called each of those plus Flat Out Engineering and every last one sent me a full color catalog of their stuff.

 

Helix = Hoffman group company = cheap Chinese clone/knockoff garbage! Run the other way!!! The only way to make a lower priced product is to use cheap parts and labor. Research Hoffman Group, they bought up a lot of struggling aftermarket manufacturers, sent the company's quality products overseas to be cloned by the cheapest bidder.
You definitely get what you pay for in a IFS kit. Do your research, pick a company that actually makes and supports their own products using American parts, such as those listed above.
How much hotrod building experience/equipment/shop space/time do you have? Is your daughter willing to wait 3-10 years to drive "her" truck?
Had you come here first and asked for our advice, we would have told you to spend the money up front for a well done, safe, running, driving truck. You cannot build one for the price, and the more ambitious you make the project the longer it will take if it ever gets finished (way too many never do, that's why you can buy an unfinished project for a lot less than what's in it).
An IFS is a major step into the deep end. In addition to the kit, you will need at least another $1.5 K in additional parts to complete the installation. There is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with the OEM suspension.

 

X2 on avoiding the Hoffman group products. I'm very tolerant and they pushed me over the edge. I finally talked to a big boss not by customer support but by calling sales and then demanding to speak to a boss. He told me my choices were to rewire the incorrect part they sent me or they could send me the correct part but I would have to lengthen those wires because they were manufactured too short to begin with. When we hung up he actually thought he had a satisfied customer. That was with electric window switches. I can't imagine what would happen with independent front suspension!

 

Check out full tilt street rods. Ive read pretty good reviews on their products.

 

Thanks for the info......
we got the motor and tranny out this evening....
with me living only 10 miles from Fatman Fab, i think i'll visit them again and see if i can work out something with them.
they are a bit pricey.

 

FMF is not pricey for what you get IMHO. If you are 10 Min from them, you are < 2 hrs from me. If you are ever going to be in the RDU area let me know. Meanwhile I'd suggest logging in here then clicking on user cp at the left in the dark blue band near the top of the page. in the edit menu on the left add your location and also add a signature with your year and model. That way the info shows in every post you make, which will get you better answers to your questions. While you are there be sure that the option to send/receive emails and PMs is enabled.
In the center of that same band click on search, then on advanced search at the bottom of the small drop down menu. The advanced search options page that comes up next is very powerful, allowing you to search FTE by key words, search for posts by a certain user, a date range, and/or in a specific forum, very useful for finding specific info. Many basic (and some not so basic) questions have been discussed many many times, so be sure to try a search first before asking and waiting for an answer.

 

thanks for the post on the advanced search. just what i needed.
i did call FMF and i am waiting on a call back.

 

Hey 54 - Since you are in Concord, you're close to Independent Tech in Monroe. Check them out. They fab their own IFS parts and install. They've done 3 IFS installs for me (39 Ford 2dr, 30 Ford pickup and my current 54 F100.) Their components are superior, installs are excellent with prices a tad on the high side. But they're worth it. Gary Studley owns the shop and hotrodit.com is his website. Look at all of them before you commit. Fatman did a 46 Ford coupe for me and I was well satisfied with that also.
Ken

 

LOL amazing what a dad will do for their daughter, right?
Build the truck for yourself, if she is like my daughter she will change her mind before that front end gets welded in!
Oh yeah I used a jag IFS, low buck is the way I do it.
Good luck!

 

When I converted my suspension to the Chrysler independent torsion bar (Volare style) I had it back on the road in less than two months. I used the video from No Limit Engineering and the install was easy and quick. I have since added Fat Man dropped spindles and drilled/slotted rotors. I have no complaints or regrets in doing this swap. My donor car was a Dodge Diplomat which had the larger brakes and torsion bars. The best part is parts are plentiful and cheap.

Do the research and determine what works best for YOU. Not every job is a 3-10 year project. Put it together and enjoy it now, you can always come back and modify things as time, money and tastes change.

Good luck.

 

i think after talking to Brent the owner of FMF, he gave me lots of options....i think i'm going that way.