Wanted to get some thoughts on the truck I am building, I know this site isn't dedicated to hot rod building but thought everyone might appreciate it:

1963 Ford F-100 unibody truck
03 Dodge Dakota front clip with airbags and custom control arms (used for correct width and big brakes etc.) stepped up 4 inches in frame.
01 Ford Explorer rear end with disk brakes, 3:73 gears and limited slip, custom 4-link suspension with bags.
Will have a 302 out of an 89 Ford van with an AOD in it
17" steel wheels with 4" whitewalls
Truck lays frame.

I just added some pictures on page 2 and 3

Here are some pics on my site:
http://illambitioncustoms.com/galler...ord-shop-truck

 

Sounds like a cool ride in the making; have a buddy that's hot rodding a 50 F100 with a Explorer rear setup & 302 EFI AOD like you mention.
Keep us post; wish my skills where at that level.
My next buid is a 64 swb Customcab; only major retro; is the engine will be a 360 / C-6 combo. everything else oem bascially; will Redneck lower it as much as I can without any safety issues.

Mitch

 

That will be a looker fer sure ,, nice job

 

"Redneck lower it as much as I can without any safety issues."

My buddy did a 60 F-100 and used a lowered leaf spring and a dropped axle, he had some bumpsteer but overall the truck handled well. If the steering box is relocated up or down or the draglink setup modified that can be controlled. Bumpsteer is only a misalignment of the axle to the steering. When the axle is moving up and down and the steering is moving up and down with it but not on the same plane the axle forces the steering to do strange things. Little bit of work to make it right but overall much less labor intensive to get it low versus installing a whole new clip like we did or buying a $2000 setup from fatman or whoever.

 

Why choose a 03 Dakota. There almost four inches wider than a stock ford truck track? The custom short a arms are going to play hell with ackerman and bump steer.

Are you sure a small block will fit with a four inch Z notch and the dakotas stamped frame crossmember and fords front oil pump location.

Garbz

 

A buddy of mine who owns Industrial Chassis Inc. in Phoenix sells a kit that uses his crossmember and Dodge Dakota outer parts and he makes it to fit all years Ford and Chevy etc. That is why we chose the Dakota but I wanted something later that was in better shape with rack and pinion and big brakes etc. It ended up only being around 2 or so inches wider than the Ford straight axle. I am custom making everything so if I have to modify the crossmember it will not be that big of a deal but I plan on pushing the engine back as far as I can to clear. I am not sure yet what will have to be modified. The control arms are stock length so there should not be any drivability issues. The Dakota frame rails almost lined up perfect with the Ford frame. Also the Dakota frame section is heavy wall steel so we can cut and work where ever it needs it to make it all fit. Should be interesting.

 

What clip are you running in your 63 with the 4.6? What color is your truck? Were you at the Roundup in Austin a couple weeks ago?

 

LOL... Drew, Garbz worked at IC with Steve for a year.

 

Wierd!!! I was just hangin' with Steve and his better half and crew at the Roundup the other weekend. I love his truck. I still can't believe he knocks down around 14mpg in that thing with twin turbos on a 454 chevy. He drove it from Phoenix again this year.

 

Steve's truck is one Bad A$$ Machine!!

I met Steve last month... Garbz and i stoped by his shop while towing a bump side from tucson to phoenix. Dave scored a free cab for parts and a bed down here in tucson for his crewcab build.

 

He is a cool cat. Did you get to see his Sportster he is building? He has been working on it for awhile. Last time I was in Phoenix I got to ride his Triumph. That is one bad little machine!! Speaking of bikes, here is the one we just got on the road for the Roundup: On the Road Gallery

It is the bike that is the 9th pic from the end counting back. I am going to get more pics up of it as I am waiting for my bikini clad model to get free so we can take some goooood shots.

 

Yep, Steve is the best suspension guy out there, it is why everyone takes the mistakes to him to fix. How did you like the model a frame and the one off aluminum pieces?

I have a Dakota i built and installed at the shop along with the custom four link panhard.

I have 2" z notch built in to mine where Steve went with a 2.5" I can still get 2 inches lower with some western drop spindles. I also added 88 D100 Dodge truck caliper brackets, rotors and calipers to the Dakota spindles, it is a direct bolt on. It gives the big 1 1/4" rotor and also has the ford 5 on 5 1/2 bolt pattern.

Mine is still under construction. One of my goals is to take it to roundup,.

Garbz

 

Which model A frame are you talking about? Oh yea, the one with the Tremac tranny and 9" rear etc. That thing was dope!!! Very nice work.

We stepped ours up so high because we could not get the suspension to drop far enough without the top ball joints binding. It drops to the ground now and the frame lays out at the point where the upper ball joints are just about maxed out. I was looking at them last night and I think we got it where it is just about perfect. We went with the aftermarket control arms to get a little more drop as they have the upper ball joints angled a little down from stock to let it drop more.

 

Here are the arms we used: airarms control arms

 

Nice. I will check them out after work... Blocked here from a lot of places....

There are a lot of details on that model A like the rails are box tube and radiused to meet the body, the trick engine mount for the olds and the formed mounts for the radius arms. When done that car will be one of the best.

Where are you located?

Garbz