Hey guys, new to the sight. Been wondering what ifs options there are for a 51 f1? I picked up and 03 crown Vic ifs today for $300 I'm just curious if anyone has done it or if anyone could help me out on what it will take. Thanks for the help!

 

First off, welcome to the forum.

I believe the CV front end is too wide for this year truck. You may want to research the site for a Jag conversion. They are fairly popular and inexpensive. Several members are working on them in build threads.

Ryans88gt is working on a CV install. He had the parts narrowed to fit. Here is a pic he posted in another thread (toward the bottom) :

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ol-gnarly.html

He also has his own build thread here.

 

Thank you so much! That's been the best info I have seen so far! I'll be finding out where to take it to have it narrowed. Then the question will be what it will take to set the 2012 coyote 5.0 in the narrowed CV ifs

 

 

If ya go to your user CP and put your location under your join date than someone
locale to you may be able to help with getting the IFS narrowed for you. Like a
locale to you shop.

Just sayin.

 

I'm partial to the Jag IFS myself. There's confidence in knowing the parts are engineered correctly from the get-go, without modifying to fit the narrower track of the F1.

 

Well, there are no parts that were engineered to fit these trucks other than the parts they came with.

The CV front end I would say has a lot going for it with just a little modification.

For all the negativity I got for doing something different, the end result is fantastic and required very little modification.

You get modern coil over struts and A-arms built for severe duty (taxi, cop cars) in a 4000 lb car and nothing really breaks on them. The brakes are dual piston heavy duty discs with modern sealed bearings and the right hub and wheel pattern for late model mustang wheels. And you get built in pads for motor mounts and a modern rack and pinion power steering rack with a hose fitting that bolts right into a mustang power steering pump. And then there are a lot of them in great shape available in junk yards. Kinda hard to beat if you are willing to do a little work to make it fit. If I had to do it over again, I would still chose the CV because it worked out really well.

I'm excited to see someone put a coyote in one of these trucks. Should be awesome!

 

I just got my CV cross member and rack cut. All I have to do is have the machine shop weld it back together. I literally called my local u pull it yesterday and found out they had it. Got there and amidst the rain and laying in mud in one hour I had my CV ifs loaded in the truck and on the way home for $300.

And did you say coyote? I have one and a 04 cobra IRS just sitting in the shop waiting to go in my 51 with a t56 6 speed as well.

 

Apologies for it being dark but here it is just hanging from the frame rails that stick out the front of the truck for the bumper. 2.75" cut from the center and its a perfect match up. Now to just get it welded up.

 

Hey 51,
Hmmm... I like the list of benefits as outlined by Ryan and Crown Vic's are plentiful & easy to find. Are you at all nervous about putting all that weight & stress on a front suspension that's been cut in half & welded back together? It just looks like it would crack open if you put some real stress on it. I'm not an engineer but wouldn't mind hearing from some on this one..

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

I see where your coming from on that and I guess only time will tell. However if the edges are bevelled before the weld is done like it should be and the weld is done by some that knows what they are doing then it should be stronger at that point than the rest of it. And I think a lot that helps is boxing in the frame like Ryan did. The coyotes are all alluminum and weigh roughly 400 lbs.

 

I'm also thinking that when I fab my motor mounts I will weld them to the frame and have the ifs bolt to them threw the factory CV ifs motor mount perches for whatever added support that may give being closer to the center where the weld is made.

 

Cross member is not really structural. It is made put of quarter inch cast aluminum. I tied my motor mounts to the frame as well.

 

Any idea how much more the CV ifs weighs over the factory strait axle? Just curious...

 

I would say about the same.

The leaf springs and beam axle weigh quite a bit.

The heaviest part of the CV IFS is the spindle/hub