I'm getting ready to take off the bed from the '51 F1 and thought if there's a good time to change the rear suspension if necessary. Truck will probably only haul light loads, I'll save the large loads for the super-duty

Questions:
With a 350 Chevy and AT does it make sense to change to a 4 link? Should I keep the stock rear? My wife will probably drive the truck more on the gentle side.

I'm also going to be swapping out the front fenders, and reworking some of the front sheetmetal. My wife did say power steering would be nice. A tilt column with shifter would also be nice. Whats the easiest way to go about this? Should I do a Heidts crossmember setup? I already have front discs.

Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

Most guys change out the rear end to a 9" and stick an MII in the front.

Any rear axle from a 57-72 F100 rear axle is the correct width. The 57-67 is a direct bolt in, while 68-72 requires minor modification of the spring perches. You'll need to buy the rear shock mount brackets from Speedway, make your own, or find some from a 48-52 F3.

Everything you need to know is in these articles:

Front Suspension Alternatives for 1948 - 1960 Ford Trucks, Part One .: Articles

1948 through 1960 Ford F-1 and F-100 Rear Axle (differential) Swaps .: Articles

 

Thanks for the direction.

 

you're basically describing what I did last year and the year before. I drove the truck on the stock suspension. I then changed to an IFS in the front and a 4-link from no limit. much smoother ride with the four link. honestly the easiest way I know to do it if you are just looking to throw a couple kits on is the heights II super ride set up in front and the no limit 4-link in back. however if I were to do it again, I would change it to a triangulated 4 link to eliminate the need for a track bar in the rear. the rear track bar in the no limit set up makes the rear axle move side to side by an inch when I raise lower the truck up down since it is on air bags too. as for the power steering, that is also a no-limit rack and pinion set up. the only problem I had with that was when I hooked it up originally, I got the hoses backwards when I attached them to the rack. this caused the steering wheel to violently turn side to side until I shut the truck off. once I changed them back it all worked fine. scared the hell out of me though. damn near took my thumbs off.

 

A number of us have installed Jag XJ IFS (and a few IRS as well) under the Bonus Built trucks. IMHO, the Jag IFS is easier to install than a M2. My 49 is set up with the Jag XJ IFS, 72 9" and a 383 stroker sbc. If you are having the work done for you, the M2 has been done by a number of shops such that they are more comfortable with that installation. Pix in my gallery of my installation.
A common reason for changing out the rear to 9" in our trucks is for gear ration flexibility. IMHO a mild 350 with an AOD will not over tax the original rear and because of the overdrive, the gear ratio will be acceptable. I ran a 1956 322 Buick nailhead thru the stock rear on my F-1 for years.

 

Rick,

A 4-link is a little pricey and you don't really need one for light hauling and cruising. I think a parallel leaf spring setup like you currently have will work fine. As far as the rear end goes, the stock rear will hold up fine but it won't be very good for highway driving because of the low ratio unless you run an overdrive transmission like a 200-4R or 700-R4. If you're planning on a TH350 you need a higher gear ratio like something in the low 3's. The bolt pattern on the front should dictate what rear end you use. If you have a 5x5 1/2 pattern up front, the the 57-72 nine inch would be a good choice. If you have a 5x4.5 front pattern then an Explorer rear might be better. If you go the MII route up front there are less pricey versions of that suspension than the Heidts setup. The power steering issue will depend on what route you go with the front suspension.