nothing like a holset for affordable power. im running one on my pinto. lots-o-fun!!!

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I just updated my gallery with pics of the front suspension. I have pics with measurements for those that need to know specs. I have it loose right now so if you need a specific measurement let me know.

Ive got a few offers for a rear susension. Only down side is having to redrill hubs and rotors to get 4.5 bolt circle.

carcrafter i was looking at some picts that you have. I somehow linked to them not sure how but any way. I see that you don't have any shims on top of your frame and some guys that I seen at slick60s have had to stack shims up there to get the top brackets up to level. the other thing that i seen is your steering and it looked a little more complex then just a 79 ford steering column. what is the other part in there to make the column and the steering box to hook up?

Cammer, that pinto looks fun.

fordman I do have some spacers in there you I dont think you can see them in the pics though, I just welded them to the frame. I just used thick washers welded together.

The steering column currently in the truck is a 67 ford column thats all, I am still looking for a 78-79 tilt steering column in good shape. I will be using knuckle joints to connect the steering column to the shaft on the rack and pinion.

Oh one other thing, I have decided to do away with the spacer for the hydroboost brakes. I originally didnt want to have to cut the fire wall but I will have to now. I went to get the motor in the proper place and drilled the holes in the motor mounts then get everything lined up and the turbo exhaust housing was hitting part of the hydroboost. I will cut on the firewall to bolt the hydroboost directly to it. That will be fun-- not:(

I did away with the spacer for the hydroboost so I could make it sit flush up against the firewall. This took more work but it gave me alot more clearance between the turbo and hydroboost.

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Carcrafter did you ever get any pics of how the trailing arm pieces are bolted in?? I'd like to see that also.

well i was hoping to have lots of progress to show every one this weekend but no such luck i burnt a hole day going and accualy getting the cv cross member now but for some reason the steering rack is missing but they said there going to find it for me. today i went to working on the truck i was going to take the front clip off the fenders and all that jazz i am now having second thoughts about that plan almost all the bolts have some little nut type thing that you cant reach and the tack weld to hold it is 43 years old so its about as helpful as a football bat so i guess ill hope for more next week but if any one knows a trick to them bolts i would love to know.

I left the front end in tact on mine I just got in there an cut the front crossmember out from underneath.

I would like to do that but i have a lot of rust on the inner fenders and the core support is toast so i thought now would be a good time to fix some of that but after 4 frustrating hours yesterday i got the bumper off im starting to rethink that :-banghead

That sucks. I know its hard work but the best things in life arent free. I would just replace it now when you are tearing everything apart anyway.

Sorry I havent got any pics of the way I mounted the lower control arm and I am out of town again for buisness. I will be home in about a week though. I will post up pics of it.

I did loosen the nut at the rear of the trailing arm so that I could rotate the mount to sit flush with the bottom of the frame. I then made took 1/4" flat plate and drilled holes in it to mount the trailing arm to. I then welded the plate to the bottom of the frame, pretty simple really. This will all make better sense when I get some pics posted up in a week. I promise.

not to rain on anyone's parade but this sounds like it could be a major on going alignment issue being that its not welded in. could it be? i mean from the sounds of it, i would do it in a heart beat but i was thinking of long term everyday use. i still say there has got to be a chassis out there somewhere where we can take the bodies off and just have a 1 step "swap up" to our modern tech.

Possibly. But they were bolted in the donor cars as well and they seem to do fine there. I suppose if such problems did occur you could reinforce the crossmember but as long as the frame was boxed and the tolerances for the sleeves and boltholes for the mounting bolts were kept tight, I doubt it will shift.

I agree I installed this crossmember in my truck the exact same way it comes in the 2007 crown vic just bolted in. There will be no alignment issues if done correctly. To my knowldge there is no modern chassis that will fit our old truck by just bolting it on. With that said you can make almost anything fit with a plasma cutter and a welder. I did consider just taking the entire 2007 crown vic frame and using it but decided I wanted to us my bed so I didnt want to raise the floor up alot to clear the rear suspension. I also didnt want to have to fab all new body mounts so I just installed the best part of it all the front suspension with steering and the rear axle, there problem solved the best advantages with the least amount of work.

Were the bolts and sleeves you used from the Crown Vic as well?