Somebody that actually has the set up should be writing this but in support of 'fender's efforts to get the ball rolling -

Pro's and Con's of the "Cordoba" IFS system -

Using a crossmember kit from Gibbons (a division of the fiberglass folks), you can adapt the longitudinal torsion bar IFS from the "Cordoba" to 48 - 56 Ford trucks.

The donor cars are -
75-79 Chrysler Cordoba
73-74 Plymouth Belvedere,GTX,Road Runner, Satellite,Fury
73-78 Dodge Charger, Superbee

Donor componants used are -
Spindles and brakes (11" discs)
A-Arms, Steering box (power), all the steering linkage
Torsion bars and sockets, sway bar

Pro's -
1. With a smooth ride comes mediocre handling. It doesn't corner like a sports car. Exceptional ride for a bulky truck, very similar to a mid-sized car.
2. Depending upon where you live, the donor can be easily and cheaply had.
3. the cross-member(s) kit from Gibbons is well made and easy to install. No welding and VERY little grinding or drilling is needed to install the gibbons kit
4.Gives you 12" disc brakes
5. Adjustable ride height within a reasonable range.
6. Donor cars weight similar to an F100
7. Excellent safety record to my knowledge
8. Adjustable ride from torsion bars
9. Power steering
10. Gives you the superior looking(to the Volare) longitudinal torsion bars. (This is a very slick looking set up)
11. Not a permanent mod, the frame must only be notched in a VEY minor way. You could conceivably go back to stock afterwards.

Con's -

1. The cross-member kit runs about $675. USD
2. Depending upon where you live, the donors may be difficult and expensive to find
3. Total cost to install including rebuilding the donor componants can run from $1,500 to $2,000 based upon difficulty of finding a donor and whether it's componants are shot
4. Not a Ford suspension. Torsion bars do not have the Ford look to them.
5. Possible interference issues with the steering box if installing a big block.
6. Expensive drop spindles required to properly go real low.


Did I miss anything Rage?

Later,

 

I know I said not to compare the various systems yet. But after looking at the donor list, here is a potential Pro I think we can prove.

1. The Gibbons utilizes suspension components from a donor that actually weighs more than an F1/F100.

2. I understand the kit has good instructions???

Also RMF, I originally thought your total price was way high. But we have to encourage complete rebuild of a 25 year old donor clip so it's probably a good range.

 

'fenders et all,

To clarify/reword -

"10. Gives you the superior looking(to the Volare) longitudinal torsion bars. (This is a very slick looking set up) "

Not mean't to slam the appearance of the "Volare" setup, but few would say it is acually attractive. Let's say the "Volare" IFS is "utillatarian" in appearance.

What I should have said earlier with regard to the "Cordoba" set up is -

10. Gives a clean, professional appearance as do most of the MII setups.

Later,

 

I have recently completed a Cordoba/Gibbons conversion.

I love it! I think it's the best modification I did to my truck!

To add my 2-cents worth to the above Pro's:

1. The handling I think is excellent when combined with the easily installed and not too expensive rear sway (anti-roll) bar. I didn't drive it without the rear bar, so I can only speak for the combination. I have autocrossed Corvettes and raced competition go-karts for years, and I would say the handling of the above set-up is excellent. Very much like a sports car.

2,The first junk yard I tried had two of them. I paid $300.00 for everything I needed, including the power brake booster and cylinder, and the power steering hoses, and the complete swinging pedal assembly. I went to have the rotors turned, and one of them wouldn't turn. I took it back to the man at the junk yard and he gave me annother one free. I had the calipers rebuilt at a local shop with new everything. I think I paid about $250.00 for that. I bought all new ball joints and tie rod ends at NAPA (they had them in stock). Can't remember the price but it wasn't too bad. I put in all new wheel bearings and seals. About the same price as stock wheel bearings and seals. I had everything sand blasted that came off the donor car. I think about $60.00 for that. I painted everything black with an epoxy spray can before assembly. I trimmed a very minor ammount off the inside fender pannels. I measured and trimmed before installing the fender pannels. I think I would wait and install them to see how much to trim next time. I think I probably trimmed a little more than nescessary, but it still looks good. Like factory.

3.Nothing shows from outside the vehicle that it's not Ford. Even if you put your nose on the ground to look, nothing hangs below the stock bottom frame flange.

4.I installed a 500 cu. in. Cadillac big block and there is still plenty of clearance to the steering box. I can't speak for all engines however. If you are going to use annother big block, (Chevy, Hemi, or 460-429) I'd call Gibbons to ask. They probably know.

5. The directions are great! They give you a special odd-ball bolt and nut to bolt the crossmember into the stock frame using the existing hydraulic brake hose holes to locate the crossmember. Once these bolts are in and tight, just take a 3/8-inch drill to drill

the reat of the holes, putting bolts and nuts in as you go. The rear crossmember to hold the rear of the torsion bars is also a bolt-in deal. No real need to weld ANYTHING.

6. One thing I would add to (or change in) the directions is to NOT cut the small relief in the left upper frame flange untill you actually go to install the steering box. They give you a template and measurements to cut this relief, but I found that the relief was actually too large and I ended up welding the piece back in and grinding it smooth again. A grinder could have easily been used to "custom fit" the steering box by trial and error grinding the frame flange after the crossmember installation was complete. I think maybe only 1/8-inch actually needed to be removed.

7. The steering column was an easy hook-up using a flanged ball bearing in the lower end of the column and a support angle bracket attatched to the firewall. I used Borgenson u-joints and shaft, mail-ordered direct from them made exactly for the application. (Wait untill you get the steering box and the column all installed, then call Borgenson. You will need exact dimensions.)

CONS:

1. You're right about the expensive drop-spindles if you want to go real low. I went real low by torsion bar adjustment and it occasionaly bottoms the suspension only on fairly big bumps taken at fairly high speed. (Like chuck-holes at 60 MPH!) I have since bought a set of Fatman Fabrication dropped spindles ($465.00) to get the same ride height I have now, but more suspension travel. I haven't installed them yet, but it should work.

2. You're right. It aint Ford, but I haven't had the first person yet ask me what brand suspension it is. 99% of everybody who has looked under the hood thinks it's stock

Good luck, and BE SAFE.

Jim McNaul
BobJonesSpecial

 

Anybody have a pic of a bare frame with this installed? Curiosity is killing me.

Mike
'54 F-100

 

Mikew,

I seem to recall Rage posting a few pics in a thread about March , 2003 or so. Maybe I'm wrong.....the wife and Penn Dick say it's a common occurance.....

Later,

 

I don't recall ever saying you were wrong Fergy, maybe
misled
misunderstood
misinformed
confused
illadvised
off your rocker
don't know what you were talking about

But never wrong

 

mikew,

Call Gibbon Fibreglass Reproductions in Gibbon Nebraska, They could probably send you some kind of a picture or blurb on their crossmember.

Good luck, and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial

 

Been looking at this option and this post is great, but I believe the cost for the kit is $575 from Gibbon. Though with shipping it probably ends up close to the above number.

IFS-536 1953-56 Ford F-100 Pickup Crossmember Kit $575

http://www.gibbonfiberglass.com/trucks/torsion_kit2.asp

 

Install time for the Gibbon's IFS?

 

I think once you had all the old stock stuff out and the frame clean, you could probably have the Gibbons crossmember installed in 1-hour. There is no measuring or locating to do. Just bolt it it with two special bolts that they furnish that go in the stock brake hose holes. Once the're in, just run a 3/8 drill through the rest of the holes and put in bolts & nuts.

The rear torsion bar holding crossmember needs to be located and I think 4 holes drilled on each side.

There is one item that needs to be welded. That is the socket that holds the torsion bar in the rear crossmember. It could be marked or 'tacked' and then taken back out to have welded if a person dinn't want to weld it in the vehicle.

Once the front crossmember is in the frame, installing the Cordoba suspension pieces is exactly the same as putting them back into a stock Cordoba.

Hooking up the steering column to the steering box will require two u-joints, and securing the lower end of the column to the firewall.

Good luck, and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial

 

Bob

I guess I wasn't specific enough. We need to account for total time so the numbers are meaningful to someone who wishes to compare the different IFS. Removing the stock suspension pieces has to be accounted for. As well as frame boxing plates (if required by a particular IFS, because the new system causes removal of the crossmember under the firewall). Motor mount construction/installation (if stock were altered by the new IFS).

All we'll end up with are estimate time ranges on this forum. I've often joked here that an IFS usually ends at the rear bumper for most of us. Hence install time is actually about 4 years.

 

I, like almost everyone else I've read on this forum, didn't keep track of the actual time. Like someone else said, "I didn't know there was going to be a quiz"

What sticks in MY mind as the biggest 'bear' of the whole thing, was getting the stock "firewall crossmember" and all the clutch and brake pedal and steering box out of the stock. 1st, I didn't know what I was doing. 2nd I didn't want to screw-up something that I might need to use later, 3rd I wanted to save as many good stock parts as possible to possibly use as tradin' stock from some of my restoration buddies. I can't remember for sure what the hang-up was. Something just didn't want to come apart!

Once the frame was bare from the firewall forward, and clean, I will stick to my estimate of having the Gibbons crossmember fully bolted in and aligned and DONE in 1-hour.

Once it's in you install the '77 and older Cordoba, Charger, Super Bee, Whatever pieces just like you'd be installing them back into the stock vehicle they came out of. When the torsion bars are slipped into their forward sockets (like a big hex nut on each end), then you can see where the rear crossmember needs to go to hold the back-end of the torsion bars. This doesn't have to be too accurate. Probably plus or minus 1/2-inch would be OK. Just as long as the "sockets" on each end of the torsion bar are 'engaged' . There is directions as to the initial screw adjustment and aproximate position of the lower A-arms. Then you can mark or tack-weld the "sockets" into the rear crossmember. At that point I took the rear crossmember back out so I could weld the sockets into the holes in the rear crossmember without standing on my head and letting sparks fall down my collar under the truck!

I had a slight "heart attack" when placing the engine and transmission into position after the suspension was fully installed. It looked for a minute like the rear torsion bar support crossmember and my rear transmission mount crossmember were going to occupy the exact same space! Again luck prevailed, and the transmission crossmember (one of those tubular 'universal' type jobs you see in all the catalogs) ended up about 2-inches ahead of the torsion bar crossmember with no interference!
(Luck is better than skill any day!) I could have probably gotten around this obstacle if they had interferred, but it would have taken a lot more work and fabrication to make a combination trans mount and torsion bar support.

I figure my labor at 10-cents per hour on all my projects, and even at that they still get pretty expensive. But the way I "work", it's totally unrealistic to call it "labor". More like tinkering, dinking-around, or playing in the garage.

I hope this gives some idea of real time to install the Gibbons/old Cordoba set-up

Good luck, and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial

 

Bob

Thanks, that's close enough. I just wanted to clarify that a Gibbon's install is not an hour job. The fact it is one of the easiest routes probably isn't in doubt. Before we started, I had the opinion the torsion bar setups require a few days to install, along with MII and Aerostar. That seems to be the consensus.

Like you said though, it doesn't really matter. If you have decided on IFS, whether it's 10 hours or 30 hours matters not. If I desired a straight axle, then it wouldn't really matter if it took me two weeks to rebuild it. I would say it's better so it's worth the extra effort. We do this for fun, within reason time isn't the issue unless you pay for the install. Skill level required and risk of building an unsafe truck if you get in over your head are far more important IMO. That's where we can be of most assistance perhaps. Matching up the builders skill level to the appropriate course of action.

 

fatfenders,

Again, you've hit the nail on the head. The priorities are"

1.) It ends up safe.

2.) You get it finished, and in a somewhat reasonable amount
of time.

3.) You enjoy it after it's finished.

4.) You can sell it some day if you ever want to and recover your
investment.

Good luck and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial