66 suspension questions

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Jul 18, 2009 | 10:59 AM

cwalsh540

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66 suspension questions

i have a bone stock 66 f100 and i want to lower it. I was going to go with the DJM drop I-beams but i dont think it will take it as low as i want. So i am leaning towards the mustang II set up cause i can get it with disks and power steering. my questions are:
1. does the mustang II lower the front without drop spindles? if so how much?
2. if you used dropped spindles how much did it lower the front over all?
3. what did you do to the rear?

i know swapping the leaf spring in the rear will take it down around 4 inches. i just dont want the rear lower than the front. i guess if that happened i could put air bags in the front and keep them adjusted where i want. i ultimately want air bags but would like to put it off a while.

so any input and photos if you have them would be very helplful .

Jul 18, 2009 | 11:21 AM

brown79

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here is a thread about what one guy did to lower and modernize the suspension on a 67 (same thing under the skin as yours)

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...o-67-f100.html

since it is the suspension design for a heavy vehicle in extreme duty (police car) i believe it is better suited to a pick up than the mustang 2/ pinto design which was designed for light compact cars in light duty service (hauling grandma to bingo etc.)

Jul 18, 2009 | 01:42 PM

camperspecial65

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From: seattle

Mustang 2 or II...however you slice it is THE IDENTICAL thing as a Pinto...except the M2's with the larger engines which, as I recall had beefier springs...a Pinto with an FE, Y block or similar series of engine...good luck in keeping it under control...

- cs65

Jul 18, 2009 | 03:09 PM

garbz2

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From: Glendale Arizona

Ok, Current aftermarket MII suspension are only based on the gemoetery of the mustangII/Pinto/Bobcat. All offer a choice of stock arms or beefier tubular arms. However the geometry is all based on a 56 inch track width which is ideal for narrow frame cars weighing under 3000#.

Issues arise when the geometry is stretched to 60 inches for a ford truck or similar dodge to Chevrolet. The mounting points are moved and changes made to accommodate the wider track, however it is still a suspension designed by ford for an fairly lightweight car. They work in lighter cars. The heavier the vehicle the worse the stress on the lower a arm mounting point, Most offset this with a wider and gusseted mounting point.

Here is a pic of a car weighing 6000# with a MII ahnd the bushings are hammered out of it in under 10000 miles.

You can clearly see the upper a arm bushings are toast and the bottom is similar. The heavier the vehicle the worse it gets.

Garbz

Jul 18, 2009 | 06:13 PM

camperspecial65

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From: seattle

Thanks for the pic Garbz...it says it all pretty much...
The same reason that Chev trucks seem to eat up bushings a whole lot more then do our trucks stock Twin I Beam or solid axle trucks...less moving parts and less friction points.

Im wondering to this day why GM and Dodge went that way...might just be that Ford beat them to the punch with the Twin I Beam design...

- cs65

Apr 20, 2010 | 11:25 PM

overlandexpress

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From: Northwest

The crown vic front suspension swap is a better way to go.