FINALLY!!! I got the Crown Vic front suspension!
 

Well I've been looking for a 2003-2007 crown victoria front suspension for my 1958 F-100 since I read about how "simple" the swap actually is. Today I FINALLY got it. It came out of a 2003 Police Interceptor and I only paid $375 for everything (even all the bolts).:-X22 Which is cheap compared to the popular Mustang II front suspension ($2500-$3000). I am so excited to start this swap. I am going to start this swap as soon as the semester is over. I just thought I would let ya'll know so you can check in periodically to see how it's going. I'll be taking plenty of pictures and hopefully updating the process daily. For sure weekly. Tomorrow I plan to clean it up and maybe get it nice and shiny :-X06

For a suspension swap it's a piece of cake. If you don't have them you might want to go back and get the spacers out of the CV frame. If you are interested, Eaton Detroit has 1" & 1 1/2" drop springs for that suspension. Mine ran me just over $200 (like $215) which included shipping. I did the 1 1/2".

Now you want to know the inexpensive rear swap? MN12 IRS. They put them under '89-'97 TBirds, Cougars & Mark VIIIs. You can find them with discs without much problem at all. The Lincoln units had alum housings as well. Stir in the mount kit from Team321 LLC Ford Truck Independent Rear Suspension (321)960-5945 dheld@cfl.rr.com and you have an IRS under your truck for less than $1000. Yields roughly a 5" drop.

http://www.fordification.com/galleri...py_%284%29.JPG

Good luck with your swap & if you have any questions feel free to hollar. There are a bunch of us bump guys who have done this swap. You should be able to do the swap in a weekend in a home garage with a welder.

Something I thought about after making this post. I didn't do this and am pulling my steering shaft back out to do it. Just a safety move. Crossdrill all your connections and run bolts through them. If the one of the welds break or a set screw works loose you lose all your steering as it will simply slide off the end of the column.

Thanks! I got it all cleaned up today with some industrial strength degreaser and a paintbrush. It cleans up pretty nicely. I've been researching this swap for quite some time now. I even read all of your posts I believe. I'm not worried about getting it bolted in, I'm more worried about figuring out the brakes and power steering. I already have a booster and master cylinder from a Town Car, and I have a power steering pump from a 1979 Cougar. I have a few questions. First of all what spacers are you talking about? is it spacers between the frame and the crossmember? Second is boxing the frame necessary because I noticed the CV frame isn't boxed, but their frame may be stronger. Third, How hard is it to figure out the power brakes and power steering? Thank you for your support.

Power steering is straight forward. Just hook up the rack to a pump. My truck had pwr steering so I had the pump already there. I took the lower (rack) portion and the upper (pump) section to a local hydraulic shop. They built me my pressure line for under $20. I have yet to hear of anyone who sets up the variable rate steering. That is the electric solenoid on the rack. Steering works just fine without it being connected.

Brakes: once again I had pwr disc brakes on my truck prior to disassembly so everything was already in place for me. All I needed to connect them was adapters that allow connecting the 3/16 line to the metric hoses of the CV.

Boxing the frame: Trucks have frames that are designed to twist. The CV frame is designed to be as solid as possible & the CV my IFS came out of was boxed back to the firewall. The extra movement of the rails may prove detremental to you in the future since the IFS was designed to be connected to a rigid frame.

Spacers: There are 4 spacers that the main mounting bolts go through when passing through the frame. They are welded to the top rail of the CV frame only so they are easy to remove. I cleaned mine up and cut them off to put between my rails. In the CV the top of this spacer is threaded. The mounting bolt screws into it. Then the shock tower support goes on top of that with nuts. Once you cut the spacers for the inside of the rails the remaining portion you can use above the rail. This gives you mounting as intended by Ford along with exact spacing designed by Ford between the bottom of the frame rail and the bottom of the shock tower supports.

You definitely want spacers inside your rails. There is a strong possibility the rails will pinch and the mounting bolts work loose over time. They add support as intended for the mounting point. Clear as mud yet?

You are going to love how your truck drives when you are finished.

This is the CV Front suspension before I cleaned it.
[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...ontSusp2-1.jpg[/IMG]
Attachment 202532
And here are the wheels I got for it to get me by. They were $25 a piece at the local pull-a-part. Not too shabby.
[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...2/CVwheels.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...42/CVwheel.jpg[/IMG]

Go back and get the lower portion of the steering shaft. It has a unique joint that will allow you to run a universal joint up above with no pillow block involved. No binding. Next on the list you might as well order both your brake hoses now. They will run you in the $30 each range. It's a shame they cut them. You do have both of the lower portions of the PS lines which is great. Wheels look great for "hold the truck up wheels".

I cut my alignment pins off in my IFS. They serve you no purpose. They are for robotic install. The holes are in the CV and running the IFS against the car the pins just have to be close and they will run into the holes aligning the IFS to the car. You have no holes in your rails for these to align to and any holes you put in for them to align to you can align to without the pins or holes.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts when you first drive it. You will have to relearn how to drive your truck. An old truck just shouldn't handle even half as good.

Okay that makes sense. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do about spacing. I will definitely go back and get those. If the frame was boxed how did you get the spacers out? I'm just trying to get all the small things ironed out before they become a big problem.

Oh I don't know if you can see it or not but that clear bag in front of the susp has that steering shaft in it along with all the bolts. When I told the guy I wanted all the bolts that came off of it he kinda looked at me strange but I'm glad he saved them.
One other question. Did you fabricate your own mounts to put the motor onto the CV cross member? I was already planning on doing this but if there is some mount that will readily work I will go that route. I have a 351 W in the truck.

I see the bag but can not see what's in it. The spacers in the CV are only welded in the top of the CV frame. Just cut a small circle around the spacer and out it will come. I have a W in my truck. I am replacing it with a 460. In any case I am assuming your motor mounts come from only the frame since you have a straight axle. They should be fine. If I am incorrect post pics and we will go from there.

Here it is after I cleaned it up.

[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...2041112301.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...204111229b.jpg[/IMG]

Notice the $25 wheels. :-X06

[IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...204111229a.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...1204111229.jpg[/IMG]

I read your buildup thread and I noticed you said the ride was rough until you put the lowering springs in it. Is this because the front of a CV is heavier than our truck's front end? Also I'm wanting to use the original steering column that's in my truck now. Did you do this and if so how did you connect the truck's steering shaft with the CV steering shaft? And what about your IRS. I was just looking at that pic and it got me curious; how hard is it to install compared to the CV IFS? and how does the frame widths compare between the Lincoln Mark and the trucks?

I believe the police cars had a stiffer suspension (mine came from a PI) which was part of the rough ride. I believe another contributing factor is at that point the frame was not boxed. It still isn't but I do have the steel. I believe the frame itself was absorbing a good portion of road shock not allowing the coils to do the work by themselves. I am running a W engine (302) which I believe is also part of the issue. I have a 460/C6 that I am putting in just after the 1st of the year.

If I am not mistaken your steering column is a solid shaft going all the way down into the box. The Twin I Beam trucks has separate columns and boxes that used rag joints. The column in my truck is a '78/'79 tilt from a pickup. If I were you that is what I would search out or if tilt is no big deal a newer column from '65 and up to '79. This will give you a 36 spline 3/4" shaft out the bottom. From there it is just a matter of a u joint and a short shaft to connect it to the rack. I will post a few pics.

The cars the IRS came in are unibodies. Your frame is the same width as mine (34"). The mount kit from Team321 LLC Ford Truck Independent Rear Suspension (321)960-5945 dheld@cfl.rr.com make the install a breeze. Here is the link to my IRS install thread.

F100 IRS install - Truck Forums at Truckin Magazine Magazine

Dave has the installation process on his site as well. He walks through a '53-'56 but the process is the same. The worst part about doing the rear is deciding to start actually welding instead of tacking. You know the point of no turning back. Just like drilling the first hole when you do the front. Once you get past that point it gets much easier.

If I were in your shoes I think I would concentrate on the bump section and mimick what we do. Example being the steering column issue. Some of the ways your truck is built would be best just taken out and upgraded just like you are doing with the IFS.

Here are some pics of the steering shaft I did. The only thing I would do different and I am going to do it with mine is crossdrill all the joints & put bolts in them as a safety matter. If a weld breaks you will lose all your steering.

http://www.fordification.com/galleri...11892/009a.jpg

http://www.fordification.com/galleri...11892/010a.jpg

I have some more pics that I will look for. There are several methods for mounting your engine. I think one of the cleanest I have seen uses the stalks on the CV crossmember. He used a piece of 2x2 to extend the stalk upward and built from there.

Hello Fast58, I've just read through your thread and elgemcdlf has really given you a lot of good info, but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth in. I've just done a CV swap on my '57 F100 panel. The frame on our early trucks is different than the twin I beam trucks in that the bottom of the rail where the CV mounts isn't flat. I leveled the top then cut across the bottom of the frame and along the bottom bend so I could move it up to be level. (I'm not good at explaining this) I then rewelded it and reinforced it with a bottom section off another frame rail. I'm also running a 351 W in mine and had to use the rear sump pan from a newer truck, but also had to dimple the firewall for the driver's side head to clear. I installed my front end with the centerline of the spindles the same as the original straight axle. If I was to do it over, I would move the CV forward 1" as it would really help with pan and firewall clearance. It really is an easy swap as far as front suspension swaps are concerned. Good Luck!!!

Thank you for the information. As for the steering column, I am really wanting to keep the original column. My goal is to have a truck that looks like a 1958 F-100 inside and out but under the hood and frame I want it to perform at top level. Kinda a hybrid type build I guess. I want the best of both worlds. I was wondering if it would be too terribly hard to cut the original steering column and weld a shaft with a u-joint on it to connect it with the CV steering shaft. And rcjccobra are you saying that you had to cut the bottom of the frame off and re weld a flatter piece in so the CV IFS would sit flush? And I have another question for elgemcdlf. Do you notice anything bad about the IRS ride quality and performance? I appreciate ya'll's responses.

I have heard of the F1 guys that cut their columns and do as you describe. I would still cross drill it as a safety matter. Without going and looking at what your column looks like there are plenty of non tilt columns available from '65 on that may fit your desire. I do not know where or even if your column has a lower bearing in it which is what you would want as to stabalize the lower end of the shaft.

He is saying just that about the frame. I had forgotten teh straight axle trucks had a curved area above the axle. That needs flattened out to mount the CV crossmember to.

The only negative I can say about the IRS is me. I am accustom to the truck behaving a certain way and it just doesn't with the IRS. With the 9" I could make it fishtail not with the IRS. It will light up the tires but it holds straight. Perhaps with lower gears it would. It is just me getting used to it now. Like I said no old truck should handle the way it does. You get to driving it and then back away because "you just can't corner like that in an old truck" but in reality yes you can. I have said I would probably kill myself in a stock bump. I remember the body roll and slowing down to take a corner. I am growing to "trust" my truck to do way more than any truck. If I tried some of what I do in my truck in a stock one I would most certainly roll it.

Here is what I did. I just cut where the frame dropped down so I could raise it up flat. The piece you can see that is clamped on the bottom is a piece of an old Ranger frame that I welded onto the bottom to insure a strong flat surface. You can also see that I cut a hole for the alignment pins. I cut the hole a little larger than the pin then put a 3/4" flat washer over the pin before mocking up the CV. Once the CV was exactly aligned where I wanted it, I welded the washer in place. That will allow me to remove the front end and replace it back to exactly where it needs to go. When installing the CV I also placed washers between the pads around the bolts and the bottom of the frame so both pads and the alignment pin were spaced the same. I hope this helps some. I'll post a couple more pics.Attachment 202526

Nice pictures! I guess there is no way around cutting into the frame. I was wanting to not cut it if possible but I will do what ever is necessary. Thank you for all the input. I am going to start this project after the semester ends... (Dec. 16). I can't wait!! If there is anything else I should know before I start feel free to post it.

You don't have to cut the frame. You can add material to the bottom.
I have seen a 4 inch rectangular tubing added to the bottom of the frame
to keep a stock ride height. there are many ways to skin this cat. keep looking
until you find something someone has done that you like.
Good luck on the build and keep us posted.

Twitbeck is right in that there are several ways to do it. This is just how I did it. Good luck with the swap!!

Great point. The only reasonable requirement would be the mounting point be level. As you look at your IFS you will see how much actually contacts the frame. I do not see why a spacer made to those dimensions out of something like alum (crossmember is alum) to level up the crossmember. That would not require any mods to the frame. Since your IFS is not in yet can you grab the dimension from hub face to hub face where the wheels mount. I have someone on another site looking for that dimension.

Thanks for the information. I may fix a piece of c-channel to the bottom side of the frame to flatten it out. I haven't yet decided. And yes I will measure that tomorrow. I just got back from TTU so I will do it tomorrow in the daylight. I have another question. In another forum I read from elgemcdlf, he was talking about the spacers inside the frame of the CV. He said that you can get those spacers out of the CV frame and drill a hole in the top of my truck frame and slide the spacers through the frame and weld them in. My question is, Do I need to put any kind of flat metal on top of them to support the upper mount? Or will the lone cylindrical spacers work fine? It just seems to me that the upper mount would need support towards the center of the mount. This may not make any sense to anyone but it's hard to explain without pictures.

Yes, I understand, because I have seen pictures. I agree, the cylinders (that look like short pipes) need support. I think we should build up the frame with
extra material top to bottom to cover and support the cylinders. As I think about it we really don't know what the original engineering was in designing the CV IFS. I suppose if someone could take some before and after pics of the engine bay of the car, we would get some clues as to what really needs to be done in the f100 engine bay/frame.

Maybe others have address it, but I would say the f100 frame does need to be boxed all the way from in front of IFS to the fire wall, maybe farther.

The CV frame seems to be of thinner material than my truck frame. The shock tower supports bolt directly to the top of the spacers when in the CV. I have mine mounted the same way. The spacers are there to keep the rails from collapsing since those are the mounting points and they would have a tendancy to pull together without something supporting them. They have a very thick wall.

I was there when the IFS was pulled from the car that I used so perhaps my perspective is a bit different. There are probably other guys here that either pulled their own or seen theirs being pulled that may be able to offer some insight.

The CV frame is boxed back to the firewall. Maybe further but I didn't look. There is a thread running around where the guy bought the entire car and has pics of him disassembling it. I do not remember anything more about it other than it is in the bump section.

Okay I got the measurements that elgemcdlf wanted. Keep in mind these measurements are with the wheels on and I didn't have anyone holding the other side of the tape for me, but I measured from the flat surface that the wheel mounts to on the caliper to the other side. I got 67.5". I then went and measured an old front end out of a '58 F-100 and got 66.5". So that is only a half inch difference on either side, not too shabby. Again these are measurements taken at eyeball status because I already have the wheels on the front suspension. And as far as the spacers go I think I am going to use elgemcdlf's idea and drill a hole in the top of the frame the size of the o.d of the spacer and slide it through and weld it to the frame. But after that I'm going to "build up" the frame with maybe c-channel or plate steel or something of the like to make it flush with the top of the spacer so the upper support will have some support too.

I am in the process of installing a 06 CV front suspension and a T-Bird IRS 5.0 HO and AOD tranny

CV
Moved axle ¾ in forward of original center line, bought new spools to go through frame
Used 79 pick up steering column, bottom of shaft was machined to fit ford universal joint, also bottom plastic bushing was replaced with a fabricated alum end with a small bearing to secure bottom shaft.
Was able to used stock CV collapsible section to connect rack to column
Used C-7 Corvette motors mounts, inverted and bolted to CV mounts, fabricated new brackets to 5.0 block, worked great

IRS
Did not like the looks of 321 front brackets looking so low, so cut them off and fabricated brackets and bolted to frame. Also did not use rear rubber mounts but rather welded circular plates to the top of the carrier then fabricated frame brackets so they could be bolted together. Carrier is bolted to the frame without any rubber mounts.
Fabricated top spring mounts welded to frame. Bought 2 in adapter spacers to get to CV bolt pattern, Wheels are 17” similar offset as 2010 17” mazda

Progress
Front suspension completed, brake lines run Engine and tranny installed, Cab back on, IRS welding finished, have to fabricate brackets and install shocks and then install springs. Cab was removed as the front cab mounts were rusted out and needed replacing.
It’s winter up here a no heat in my garage so work has been put on hold until warmer weather. If you would like some picks let me know

Rick

I would like to see pics of the IRS install. Without modification of the third member mount I do not see how your pinion angle will be anywhere close to correct if I understand how you mounted the subframe. Raising the subframe much at all will leave you with a situation of the rear being lower than the front. I took out 1/2 coil & have 1 1/2" drop springs in the CV IFS. I used Team 321's mount kit & have a rake of 1 3/4". My rear tires are slightly taller than the fronts but none of the wheels/tires are staying.

I put quite a bit of thought into solid mount of the subframe and opted for the rubber bushings. No real proof but figured Ford had a reason for mounting it that way in the car. Kinda figured they are used to help absorb road shock.

If there would be a complaint but I see no real way around it when used in combination with the CV IFS is how low the front mounts are but it isn't any big deal. Not like I am offroading with the truck.

I would like to see some pictures. I'm starting this swap Monday and I would like to see some more detailed pictures. I'm also curious as to how long did the CV IFS swap take you? And that question goes to anyone that has done this swap. Thanks.

Also, 58cdn100, why did you move the front suspension forward 3/4 of an inch? and did have to "flatten" the bottom of the frame? I'm assuming you did this on a '58. Here's another question to anyone that has done this swap. I have the section of frame that the spacers are in from both sides. (Approximately 12-15 inches) I'm thinking that I can remove the spacers from the CV frame sections, then remove the outside vertical section of the CV frame which will allow me to slide it onto the truck frame. Then I can line up the holes where I want them and weld the CV frame section to the truck frame and replace the vertical frame portion. After this I can drill the holes for the spacers to go in and re weld them back in. I could then smooth out the seams by adding/taking away metal as necessary. This will give me the CV factory spacing and frame width along with a completely flat bottom frame all in one swoop.:-X22 I've been kicking this idea around in my head for a couple days now since it came to me one night while trying to sleep. (this is when my brain goes crazy thinking up ideas) My question is what do ya'll think? and will it be worth the time? I think it will simplify the process and remove my calculating and fabricating errors. FYI I DO plan to add metal to transition the width difference between the two frames and I will be boxing the front portion of the frame. So feel free to state your opinions.

A picture is always worth a 1000 words, especially for those of us who aren't working on such a project as yours. Yes, I would like to see some pics.

How long it takes all depends on a few factors. How old are you? I was beat when I had my truck stripped ready for install but I took out a Twin I Beam IFS on my back under the truck. I also did mine with the front clip on the truck and the engine in the truck. From driving to driving I see no reason why it should take more than a weekend. If you are working with a bare frame & no engine I would say a day or less.

It is a very easy swap as IFS swaps go.

Sounds good. I am 19 and in good physical health so I should be able to pull an Energizer Bunny and just keep going :-missingt. ASSUMING I know what I'm doing and don't run into any unforeseen problems. (which I probably will)

Just take your time and double check everything prior to making a move. "Measure twice & cut once"

That's the plan. I don't want to rush the process and screw it up. I want people to be surprised and ask "You did that by yourself?!" And what did you think about the CV Frame merge section idea I had?

Sounds like a bunch of work that is not necessary. All you have to do is make a couple spacers for the bottom of the front mounting bolts to bring the crossmember to level when the frame is level. Once you have the old suspension out level the frame. Find the location for the mounting holes and drill them. Now put all 4 bolts in and snug up the rears. Run the fronts up until the crossmember is level. You will see a gap between the crossmember and the frame. That is the thickness of the spacer you want to make. Make it the same size as the pad on the crossmember where the front bolts go through.

What happens if the cross member isn't exactly level? What if i make the frame flat but not exactly level? Will it make it ride or steer badly? This really does seem like an "easy" swap. The hardest part for me will be pulling the motor, figuring out the brakes, and boxing the frame but even that is straight forward. I'm starting this tomorrow at which time I will start a Buildup thread packed with pictures (my fiance is supposed to take pics and upload them for me).

It will affect the angle named caster which controls understeer and oversteer.

Gotcha. Seems like an easy enough fix though, the way you put it. How did you make your trailing arm brackets? Or what is the easiest, strongest way?

Use the mount as a pattern. Make it to match the shape with the holes but leave some extra material on the rear & 3/4" on the front. Bend the 3/4" upward & trim off the tail where it makes contact with the frame. In other words you want the front 3/4" below the rail and the rear attached to the rail where it makes contact with the frame level and the mount level. I then made a triangle that was welded to the plate built above and onto the side of the rail.