Hi Folks,

Woo hoo! I had the 53 out on the highway today! Woo hoo! Mind you it was just the cab and it was on a trailer behind my pickup but it's a step in the right direction.

Does anybody have any comments on how the different Mustang II front ends (complete kits with tubular A-arms) compare? I am considering options from Heidts, TCI, Scotts Hot Rods, and Hortons to name a few. Does the geometry vary much from one to the next? Is the geometry improved compared to the original MII suspension? I plan on running an air suspension in the truck (with 4-way isolation and sway bars to keep body roll down) with the MII based front suspension and Lincoln LS rear independent suspension. I am looking for a setup that will handle and ride very well (like a German touring sedan if possible ... I.E. BMW 3-series) and will not have excessive camber change when I let the air out of the air bags. Of course I want it for next to nothing as well but I know that's not going to happen.

 

53,

The last MII crossmember kit with tubular A-arms I bought was from Progressive Automotive. It was called their "low and narrow" kit. It worked very well and the tech support was great. I used a stock MII front sway bar with a triangulated 4-bar with coilovers and sway bar also from Progressive on the rear. The ride and handling was excellent. I would imagine the use of air bags and and independent rear would make it even better. That has been my one and only MII aftermarket crossmember kit, so I have nothing to compare it to. There are some bad reports floating around on the Heidts kit, but the jury is out on whether the kit failed or whether the owner did the proper maintenance on it. I'm heard nothing negative on the others.

Vern

 

They are called MII front ends because they use the Mustang II geometry. There are some kits out there like No-Limits wide ride that use GM components and hence the GM geometry and some of the Superide type kits may have altered geometry from the MII. Because of the unequal length A-arms with the MII, you will get camber change as the suspension lowers or raises so depending on how much you drop it at the shows, from your normal ride height set-up, will define how excessive the wheels tuck in at the top.
There may be variation in the resultant ride height amoungst each of the kits based on where the crossmember ends up wrt the frame. I believe that Horton's kit provides a very low ride.
One thing to consider is that the tubular lower arms effectively eliminate the strut rod of the original MII front end so the crosshaft joint for the lower arm and crossmember has to resist all of the twisting forces from braking and impact from curbs and potholes. IMHO, some method of perfoming the strut rod function, needs to be included in the MII front end.
I don't think you'll ever get an old Ford truck with its flexible frame and higher center of gravity, to handle like a BMW unless you go extreme and do what Ford did with the FR100. Certainly an MII front-end will handle better than the original stock straight axle but even the MII did not handle like a BMW.

Just some thoughts to pass on.

John

 

"I am looking for a setup that will handle and ride very well (like a German touring sedan if possible ... I.E. BMW 3-series) and will not have excessive camber change when I let the air out of the air bags."

As already stated that simply isn't going to happen. You can get a real respectable ride. But to get even close to true high performance handling is going to require a full custom chassis that is designed for your application by someone with that goal in mind. Simply slapping a kit on the stock "flexo-frame" suspension isn't going to accomplish that. IMO, the complete chassis offerings available currently are designed to ride low and look cool first, performance a distant second.

You might want to have an achievable goal such as, "I sure hope my truck handles like a Chrysler Cordoba or a Ford Torino when I'm done". Otherwise you are going to be disappointed.

Don't let me discourage you though as huge improvements are not hard to obtain. You're just asking for a little much.

 

Thanks for the input folks, please keep it coming. While my performance concerns are first and foremost handling and ride I am also concerned about the safety of these systems under such heavy loads (compared to the original Mustang II).

I should have mentioned that I am getting a custom, fully boxed frame constructed which will hopefully elimate much of the flex issues. Also, I am merely using the BMW as a benchmark. I don't expect the truck to ever handle like one (with the possible exception of the FR-100s) but I mention it because I like the way the BMW handles, and "feels". I would much rather set the bar too high and fall short then set the bar too low and not get the full potential out of my truck.

 

Have you Priced the GM wide ride??? I have a GM clip right next to my truck...waiting to go in, Looked at the full tilt street rods MII kits..pretty nice setups and packages to choose from. Then I thought I would look at the GM wide ride....Looked and closed the page just as fast as I opened it...Prices start...YES Start at 2395.00 and go up from there to 3195.00 for those prices I think I might buy a custom tube frame or a new truck.

I thought I might buy a crossmember kit and add my GM clip parts...not the case, looks like full tubular arms and coilovers on the entry kit and add air bags and chrome from there up

http://www.nolimit.net/Products/WideRide.htm

Dont know what to do now....IFS kit or build the motor

Glack