Ummm....1961 didn`t have radius arms...........

 

you're right, been following so many of these conversions they are starting to look alike...

 

I'd still install some backup. A cable or chain from the block to the frame just to keep it from putting the valve covers toward the ground when you get on it hard.

 

I am looking to do the same to my truck with 04 CV Front Supension, and the same you did to the rear springs. The question I have is what year spring shackles did you use? I understand to flip rear hangers from 57-60 model. THANKS...

 

Oh i know looks great i was just admiring. i had just got out of a 3 week alignment class and my brain was buzzing about it. have you decided where to take it for the alignment? cause i dont think les swab is going to know what to do lol. maybe a performance shop?

 

My buddy was the good welder,and I see no problems as we measured everything about 20 times before anything was welded.

Those through bolts and forged upper attachment are meant to hold the upper A arms in the correct position and prevent the aluminum upper casting from doing any movement. The simple gussets in your photographs are only providing restraint in one plane and not the other. Failure is only a matter of time. No matter how good the welds are.

The front upper attachment will see upwards of 30 thousand pounds of force during hard deceleration. Ford made them forged and heavy for a reason. The Crown Vic is a similar weight car as a slick but has a brake bias of 50/50 under extreme braking where as a truck loads the front end suspension at a bias of about 80/20. So theoretically you are loading the upper attachment at 30 percent beyond the ford design with stock components using questionable steel stock and really poor gussets.

The upper gusset if doing what you are needs to be at least 1/2" stock and the gusset must travel horizontally down the side of the frame rail to resist the torsional rotational forces generated on the 2 inches of weldment in place. An additional side reinforcement to prevent lateral rocking.



Garbz

 

FWIW! I agree with Garbz in that the upper gussets are a bit thin. The boxing plate you installed on the inside of the frame rail will help and the rear mounting has some nice additional gussets. Similar gussets applied to the uppers would make a really good addition. I would connect the upper gussets with a 4 inch wide strap. Checking for cracks in any of these components as a part of a regular and careful inspection as the truck is driven would be good. IMHO!

 

Does the CV cradle/crossmember bolt to the bottom of the frame rails or does it only attach at the top of the strut?

If it does attach at the bottom did you just weld a nut inside the frame before you boxed it?

Thanks

 

Rather than remove the crossmember that is under the bellhousing of the transmission,
(it appears to be an important structural member of the frame), I would modify it to be removable when it needs to be removed for transmission or clutch work. Dan

 

It serves no purpose as the front suspension no longer is a leaf sprung device. The CV cross member and the new transmission mount make up for it.

This holds true with adding a engine cradle and keeping the leaf springs also.

Garbz

 

What year Crown Victoria's use that IFS setup? I agree that some additional bracing up top would be a good idea.

Is the '63 track width the same as the '61?

 

03 and newer CV and Grand Marquis/Town Car

57-66 should all be the same track-width

 

Any idea if this set up can be adapted to handle F250 8 lug rotors/spindles and if it will handle the weight of a F250?

 

Sheldon,

No the lug pattern on the CV is a metric pattern five lug. It cant handle the frame of a F100. The F250 frame is basically the same.

Issue is with the flexing of a ladder type frame using a aluminum cradle designed for a rigid frame structure. Failure is only a matter of time due to cyclic fatigue.

Garbz

 

With so many fabricators of IFS I'm hoping someone knows of a F250 setup