Here's some of this weekends progress. Getting close to having all the front suspension and discs installed, from a '77 F-100, into my '69 F-100 Ranger.

After that, it's on to installing a '78 F-150 Saginaw power steering gear box, a Ford C-2 power steering pump and brackets that came off an '82 pickup with a 300, and then install a tilt steering column from a '78 F-150.

I'm going to give the new Moog CC808 progressive front coil springs some time to settle before I install the front sway bar from a '78 F-250 Camper Special.

 

I am probably going to replace my springs with the 808s too. I'm interested to see what kind of improvement they make on your truck.

 

**NICE**.

Btw, if ya don't already know, the 78 hoses will come up short at full steering lock. In 71, Ford changed the hard line/hose bracket due to the front disc calipers whose hoses drop in from the top versus drum hoses whose hoses are more horizontal.

 

2X... also, the combination after adding the sway bar.

 

Yeah, I grabbed the hard line-to-flexible line frame brackets off the '77 when I got the rest of the suspension parts to do this conversion.

 

Good thread keep the pics coming throughout the rest of the suspension/steering upgrades. Power steering may be in store for the new 69 ranger.

 

Thanks. I don't have all the brake components completely installed yet but, these are a before and during-the-process photos to give some comparison. I wish I could have gotten the frame and other items really clean (this thing had a lot of grease/dirt/oil on the frame and drum brake suspension) but, hard to get things clean with the body on the frame. It's at least a major improvement.

 

I have front drums and armstrong PS on my 68 F-250. Like others have said; I'm interested to know what you think of the difference the disc brakes and PS make.

 

Nice job, Ultra.
I'm using '77 parts for mine, also.

 

3X nice job. I like the jack stands being fore and aft. Also obviously you didn't go cheap on the rotors.

 

Looks nice, I would also like to know how much of a difference the Moog CC808 progressive springs make.

 

Do you have any links for how-to articles on these swaps? I would love to swap my 72 over to disc brakes.

Thanks,
Gene

 

Very noticeable difference from 40+ year old springs.

 

Thanks, Bobby.

This is what I started out with on the '77 wrecking yard donor parts I bought during the summer a year ago. --It's actually cleaner in this photo than when I got home with it. I had pressure washed it before I took this photo.



Some of the suspension components after liberal doses of Castrol Super Clean, wire brushing and then a trip through the bead blast cabinet and then 2 coats of primer and 4 top coats of paint.



I checked with alignment and auto repair shops around my area but, no one had the reamer to do the kingpin bushings --I guess kingpin installations are a lost or dying art. I called an engine machine shop (CMS Racing Engines) in a neighboring town and told them what I had and asked if they had a reamer to ream the kingpin bushings. The owner said he had three. I asked how much would it cost for them to ream the bushings, the owner (who doesn't even know me) said I was welcome to borrow what he had. I picked the reamers up last Friday, after I got off work, came home and hand reamed the bushings. I used the piloted-reamer to start the first pass so that both bushings would be inline and straight, relative to each other. The piloted-reamer was just slightly undersized, compared to the kingpin diameter.



Piloted-reamer just passing through the 2nd, lower, bushing (after this photo, I changed the spindle to a horizontal position and ran the piloted-reamer on through).



One of the other borrowed reamers was an adjustable one that I set to make the final pass through the bushings with. I've never dealt with kingpins before so, this was definitely a learning experience.

The left side assembled, everything nice and tight and the spindle rotates smoothly with no slack.

 

I remember seeing reamers in the tool room when I worked for Ford. Seems nobody has them anymore. You lucked out with the piloted reamer.
I had mine done at an engine shop with a wrist pin hone.