I WOULD LIKE TO PUT POWER FRONT DISC BRAKES ON MY 67 F100 WITH A 300 6 CYLINDER AND MANUAL DRUM BRAKES. WILL THE PARTS FROM A 73-79 FIT WITHOUT MODIFICATION? WILL I NEED THE I-BEAMS FROM THE 73-79 OR CAN I KEEP THE 67 ONES UNDER THERE? I'M ASSUMING I WILL AT LEAST NEED THE SPINDLES ON OUT. ALSO, WILL THE BOOSTER FROM THE 73-79 BOLT ONTO THE EXISTING PEDAL?

 

Yes they will fit. I recomend changing the I-beams for two reasons, 1- it's less work, 2- there were some minor design improvements that will help with the truck wondering over the road. Everything will bolt up.

I would also recommend grabbing a power steering setup at the same time, and really make life easier.


John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

I'm going to have to disagree....

If you're just swapping i-beams, you're keeping the old king pins and bushings from the donor truck. Few old trucks have king pins and bushings in the best condition, especially a junker at a salvage yard. If you want the best ride you're going to need to remove the spindles anyway to change the king pins or at the very least, the bushings. Otherwise, ride quality will suffer. Steering with a new set of bushings is noticably better!

Why go the the trouble of removing two sets of i-beams, then installing one set if you're not going to get the best ride without replacing the king pins? Just go ahead and swap spindles so you'll have new king pins. If you want the best ride, use nylon bushings over the brass --- but they won't last as long.

What front suspension improvements where made in 73? I don't know of any other than the change to discs. I'm not saying you're wrong... just that I don't know of any and the front suspension on both my 67 and 73 look identical. And they've looked the same on the other disc swaps I've done. I know that the rear was changed by making the frame and axle wider. Can you clarify the improvements made to the front? :-)

Thanks,
Ken Payne
[img src="/clipart/logosmall.gif"]
(Click on Profile/Signature to add your own custom signature)

 

Ken, was told this by a long employed tech, and his superviser at the local Ford dealer. The best proof is in the puddin. Drive a mid 60s truck and a mid 70s truck, (both with new or good tires, freshly aligned) The 60s truck wonders on the road and has to be corrected constantly. The 70s truck does not. I have been driving these trucks since about 66 and not only experenced it first hand, but have witnessed other drivers from the passenger side have to compensate for the wondering, as well as have many others agree about the problem.

I have been lucky I guess, I have changed out two sets of I-beams and the spindles were good enough not need new King pins. I put new rubber bushings in at the same time

I am well aware of your difference of opinion. I think I can change the I-beams on two trucks while you are beating, banging, and honing on those king pins. :-)

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)


John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

I think the difference may have to do with age. The rubber components on a truck 10 years older will definately be in bad shape. And about the banging.... that's only if you don't have a torch and they're rusted.

Ken Payne

 

About the only thing missing from this discussion between these wizened masters of Forddom is the point that the pedal assembly will have to be changed up to a 68-72 because of the 67's different geometry. Oh, and Ken, I'll take issue with your 'ride quality'. You mean 'steering quality', don't you?hehheh

 

mk, don't be too hard on the host, after all he's got that torch, and he'll just burn the end off and cut a new hole with it. If his part swapping ability (?) is as good as his site hosting is, he couldn't be all bad.

We's just having a little peeing contest. I make his site hosting job more fun. :-)


John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

Here's a list of changes from 72 to the 73s:

- Front end sheet metal was restyled
- Cabs made longer
- Most models had 2 inches more wheelbase
- 4x2s had wider rear tread and frame
- chassis mounted fuel tank
- front discs on 4x2s
- integral air added as an option
- radials added (maybe this is where the ideas that pre 73s wandered came from?)
- 460 added to the line
- cab restyling
- box cover added as option
- increase front overhangs
- style-side boxes changed
- Super Camber Special added to the line
- Cruise-O-Matic and P/S added to 4x4s

I think stories of 67-72 trucks wandering came from people not properly installing tires/wheels on the trucks. The rear axle of the truck on the 67-72 is not as wide as the front end wheel width. You really need wider tires on the rear to make it "look" right and this possibly helps wandering. The problem can be amplified by buying aftermarket wheels and not compensating for the different front/rear widths. Instead of buying 2 wheels with offsets for the front and 2 for the back, many people will just buy 4 matching wheels.

Ken Payne

 

I speck you bees right there was a lot of ol contry folk riding around in them ol banged up wore out trucks. Most had monkey grip patches for the bald tires they were riding on. Hell they didn't no nothing bout no after market tires, or putting them on upside down, or backards. They were driving what come on the truck, and replaced with the same size. If theyd nood all this stuff that you be sharing with us, theyd thought is were a cattelak. :-)



John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

I tried to discuss this by presenting some facts about the the differences in the trucks and I'd rather not be insulted with sarcasm. To me, its a discussion about the differences in the trucks, not a pissing contest. Can we discuss this without digressing into comical sarcasm?

Ken Payne

 

I can see your point about just changing the spindles over, Ken, but it seems to me that a guy would have more luck finding beams with good rubber bushings and kingpins on a newer truck, thus saving some work. Of course, this would make sense if a guy had the time to look for a good set. Just curious about that 'Super Camber Special'. Does that one steer better than the others?

 

Hey Ken, don't take me wrong about my comments. I was composing the last one when you put yours up. I think it's great you're taking an active part in this and making us feel our contributions mean something.

 

I gotta agree with John. I swapped a set of '73 F250 axles onto my '72 F100. The tires on the 1/2 ton setup were 235/75R15. The tires on the 3/4 ton setup are 215/85R16. I didn't do the kingpins yet. The handling difference was immediately noticeable. The wandering that had been there with the '72 1/2 ton setup was completely gone. So it can't all be about tires. It's also one of the easiest modifications I've ever done.

Trail Rider

 

Ken, Our difference of opinion has been whether to change I-beams or just spindles. From what I have read you don't believe a good used set of I-beams can be obtained. I will not disagree that going throught your process would make the front end better. When you purchase a donor truck, you are taking a lot of chances. You are hoping to get a good working ps pump, and brake booster & prop. valve. You can pull on a tire and visually inspect for wear on the spindle, but you'll find out after they are installed, if the others work.

I never said anything about 73, that is yours.

You did state that you felt it was folklore that the pre 73 trucks wandered, and couldn't really be proved, and gave several reasons that you thought might apply.

SO, I don't know where to go from here. I think I can pick a good donor that doesn't require new king pins.

I can say that I grew up watching from the passenger side drivers having to "drive" the truck to keep it in the lane. I have been driving Ford trucks since about 66 and have experenced this myself, so this is not just what I think. I do know that one of the first things I noticed after changing to the 76 I-beam, my blue 66 drove much straighter.

I also have purchased two donors, harvested, and used all the parts that I needed for my conversions, and was able to sell enough parts that I didn't use or need, to pay for my donors.

As long as you feel that all you need to get disk brakes is to change the spindles, that cool by me. I'll still recommend changing the I-beam.

Zippen it up,

John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

I changed the whole front on my 71/F350 with the stuff from a 77/F250. I also changed the king-pins with new steel ones. If you want, you can install nylon ones in pretty easy, but they won't last as long as the steel.

I would recommend changing the whole front end: spindle, control arm, and radius arm. Oh, change the control and radius arm bushings too. (The radius arm bushings are usually wore down on one side) The radius arms on your 67-72 truck are forged, the ones from a 73-79 are pressed. (making it a little stronger and lighter)

One last thing, when looking for the front end, be careful that you find the staightest one. Most of them are severly twisted. During alignment, they use to heat up the control arms and bend them to adjust for camber. Eventually Ford realized that this weakens them and some cracked, now you just order them at different degrees.

Good Luck,
Chris
mailto:chenders@umich.edu