Latley, I've been thinking about my 1980 F-100 2wd..right now it's just sitting and waiting it's turn to go in my shop...I have to work on a couple Suburbans before I can work on it. I've been wondering what options are out there to get rid of the twin I beam front suspension? Has anyone used the front suspension from a chevy truck? Thanks.

 

I think fatman fabrications makes a mustang II crossmember for it don't they? What is your goal? I believe you can buy lowering beams too?

 

Yup...
I just bought a set of "Dream Beams" lowering I beams from DJM Suspension. The whole point of using Dream Beams is that nothing else changes other than wheel height relative to fender well. You can use stock springs, stock ball joints, stock tie rods etc... Alignment is the same and does not throw off your adjustment settings or cause tire wear like other lowering kits. The only other recommended change is shocks, which I got with the kit.

 

My goal is to get rid of the twin I beams. I don't like the design at all....thought the idea behind independent suspension was to keep the wheel perpendicular to the ground. I remember the prices of the mustang 2 conversions were pretty expensive, and I won't be able to afford one for a while. But chev. trucks are pretty cheap and I have more options if I decide to lower it....it's just an idea I have right now. I haven't had the chance to go out and measure anything yet.

I was thinking I would find a beater chev and pirate the front suspesnion and rear end from it and maybe even adapt the engine too...if everything measures out ok. Another dream was to find a newer mustang (or anything with the 5.0L) and pull the engine, tranny, and computer so it would have a fuel injected V8...then I could let my friend have the I6 to rebuild for his Bronco. Guess I'll just have to see what I can do when the time comes. I still have to finish an engine swap on my 84 Suburban and replace the clutch on my 85 4x4 Suburban. Thanks!

 

Well it is your pickup and you can do anything you want to it...but if you want to swap a chevy engine and front suspension...heck why not sell the Ford and buy a decent chevy? Sounds like you have a bowtie person anyways.

You can drop a Chevy much lower than a Ford so go with your tastes. The twin beam is a decent design...not the best but few moving parts and about as indestructible as you will find.

Don't forget...if you do drop a GM front under it...you will have to do something to get the bolt patterns to match up front to rear (Ford's are 5 on 5.5...GM 5 on 4.75? or 5 on 5?.

Kenny

 

I've worked mostly on Chevy trucks/suburbans, and I have a lot of parts for them sitting in my shop...that's why I was asking about the suspension swap. I was thinking about finding a 2wd Blazer or a swb truck when my friend told me about the F-100....his neighbor was going to donate it, but ended up giving it to me instead. It needs a good cleaning and the brakes and front suspension are a little scary, but I like the truck....hope to get it going soon.

 

Don't knock till you try it. Ford used the twin-beams for many years. Most people don't like them because they are hrd to modify, but now the aftermarket has that covered.

And to the contrary, front suspensions are designed to tilt the wheel when going around a corner. That's why the other designs have short arm/long arm design on their a-arm type suspensions, and why you need to get them re-aligned if they are raised or lowered.

I can go either way, chevy or ford, but like you I happen to find a ford that was cheap, and I am finding out ford used parts tend to be cheaper and more common than chevy parts. In your area, since you want to go the fuel injected route, see how many are around and how much it would cost to put a chevy tpi setup in your truck, compared to a ford efi system. Besides mustangs, the ford units were in lots of cars and some explorers.


You now have a ford, I would try to keep it ford, and it will hold it's value better.

 

To each their own but I cannot stand to see a GM powerplant sitting in a Ford body/chassis or even in a Mopar for that matter. I walk right by em at car shows. It seems like the SBC is the only motor anyone uses anymore. Don't get me wrong the small block Chevrolet is a fantastic engine... cheap, durable, ton's of potential not mention five decades of interchangeability. (Hmm Ford man knows a little bit huh) On the topic of GM IFS versus Ford TIB, I have owned both and much prefer the Ford design over the GM. It's tougher and less moving parts to wear out. I rebuilt the TTB front end in my 84 F150 4x4 6 years ago, and have thrashed it hard off road ever since. The only thing I have had to replace is tie rod ends, u-joints, and draglinks. Mind you this truck has 4" of lift with 33" tires. My 95 GMC Jimmy on the other hand I have had to replace the ball joints twice, tie rods twice, pitman arm once, and idler arm three times...in less than 2 years. This one hardly ever goes off road or sees hard usage, oh and only is running a 30x9.50 tire (maybe an inch bigger than stock). Also it was conciderably cheaper to overhaul the TIB than the GM set up. When it comes to old trucks I love em all Ford, Dodge, GM, IH, Jeep, etc... It's hard to appreciate old iron when it has been cut all up and running a drivetrain, suspension, etc that doesn't belong there.