Yes the brakes will work fine without the ABS. I plan on using a standard truck dual master cylinder and the correct vaccume booster for my 67 ford truck, I will get vaccum from the stock vaccum pump on the isuzu diesel motor located behind the alternator. I will be installing the crown vic 8.8 rear axle with disc brakes so I will just nab the 2006 crown vic proportioning valve when I get the rear. 4 wheel discs. :) oh yeah!!

As far as not dropping the truck so much the only thing I know you could do is to make the frame taller by adding some sort of boxing to the bottom of it. I would think that you could get some 3/16th steel box tubeing and weld it to the bottom of the frame. You could get the box in whatever size you want like 2",3" etc. Thats the only way I know to do it off the top of my head withought messing up the steering geometry.

Are there aftermarket drop spindles for the Crown Vic front end???? If so this is another alternative to adding some drop.

How low can you go???
I think Marz68 has already showed us that!!

carcrafter22

I read another post of yours regarding engine size in your truck. What are you going with the 4.6 or the diesel? It seems that the 4.6 would be the easiest way to go once you get the wiring figured out. I like the idea of this swap since I am not worried about towing or load capacity of my truck. I just want a good driving cruising vessel! Also, is the rearend swap pretty easy as well? I imagine it is simply removing old mounts and adding new spring mounts. Is this the case?

Keep us posted.

Mark

I am unsure about the drop spindles. I think this will take me as low as I want to go.

I have decided to go with a 1990 isuzu 3.9L diesel 4cylinder engine. I have chosen this because they are reliable 300,000 + mile engines in medium duty comercial vehicles that tow 15,000+ pounds every day of their lives so I think it will be good for my 4300# truck. I also chose this engine because guys I know that run them in 6,000# 4x4's get 26-30 mpg so I think I should get at least that maybe around 32mpg or so, plus I can run vegetable oil for practically pennies. :) I will be backing this engine with a GM 4 spd automatic trans and the 2006 crown vic rearend withh 3.55 gears and posi traction.

The 2006 crown vic rear axle will have posi traction and 3.55 gears. Originally they used coil springs and a 4 link setup. I am going to use leaf springs in my truck at first and probably go to air bags all the way around later on. For now I will just cut the spring mounts and 4 link bar mounts off the rear axle and then weld on spring perches at the proper angles, after that it will be a bolt in affair.

I will be posting pics of all this I just have to get home and finish the mounts and install the rear axle so I can take the pics, but dont worry its not too far off.

I have driven one before and for the weight of the 16' box on the back loaded with building materials, even the flatbed with 100 sheets of 4x8x1/2" sheetrock, "roughly 6000 pounds plus the weight of the truck" they offered an amazing amount of power. I can only imagine what it would do for a F series truck.

Don't forget to post some pics in your gallery.

79 thunder ....
What kind of power steering pump have you been using in those swaps ... ?

will the stock 68 390 pump work with the crown vic rack ....?

carcrafter 22 .... very interesting choice mith that mitsu deisel ..... I'll have to read up on those...

Could I ask you for a favor. What is the distance between the motor mount holes on the crown vic crossmember? Thanks

I am unsure of the distance on the holes but I will be home this weekend and will measure them for you.

so, this is truly bolt in, correct? will it work for a 78 f100?

Yes this is a bolt in deal although I would box the frame or at least install some support tubes in the frame so that when you tighten down the bolts it doesnt start to bend the frame. There are 4 bolts that hold the whole aluminum crossmemeber in and 4 more to hold the trailing arms in place, thats all. I would think that it will work in a 78 truck since I think they are about the same width as a 67-72.

Randy

The possibilities with this front end has me GIDDY :-headbang

Ok I am finally back home so I have some more progress pics. I will be updating this sometime this week also. I hope to have the whole truck sitting at its final height this week since I now have the rearend and all 4 18" wheels.


Here is the engine bay completed and por 15'd.

http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/83...425x425Q85.jpg

Here is the 1ft section I boxed in the frame. I did this on both sides so that I have a place to attach the diesel engine mounts.

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/37...425x425Q85.jpg

Here is the 2004 crown vic distribution block/ proportioning valve I will be using for the 4 wheel disc brakes.

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/40...425x425Q85.jpg

Here is the 2006 crown vic police interceptor rear axle with 3.27 gears and positraction and yes I will be coating the entire rear axle with por 15. :)

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/56...425x425Q85.jpg

IMPORTANT QUESTION: How should I mount the rear axle? Above the leaf springs or below the leaf springs? I want the truck to sit level and I am thinking I will have to weld the spring perches on the bottom of the axle so the springs are on the bottom of the axle but I will have to see. I just wanted some opinions from everyone since I have never done this before.

Thanks
Randy

Springs under the axle will require C notches for travel. But it will get you nice and low.

Thats a good point. I wonder if I should just weld the spring mount on the top of the axle and just get some different springs?

Do they make lowering leaf springs?