i know this has probably been answered here a thousand times, but i'm new here, so please bear with me. if you have a link to an answer, i' be soooo appreciative.
i have a 49 f1 that i want to change front suspension on. i read somewhere that big-body cordobas will basically bolt up. true-or false? any help appreciated.
i've looked through the posts, but there's a lot of pages!
thanks so much-dave

 

Dave,

Welcome aboard! The answer to your question is true AND false. It will bolt in, but not without a purpose built crossmember. Gibbon of fiberglass body parts fame used to make the crossmember kit for this and it was marketed through Sacramento Vintage Ford. Unfortunately, the Gibbon company is a shambles right now and the individuals that built the crossmember kits have retired. HOWEVER! I do know a certain guy (me) that bought one of these kits when they were available and has since changed his plans. He may be willing to make a deal on it to get it out of his garage.

 

That would be false. It's a lot of work to install a Mopar torsion bar front end. The biggest problem you'll run into, after it's installed, is that the torsion bars run right where you want your exhaust to go. There's been plenty of people here complain about that, after the fact, wondering what they're going to do, and what they're options are.

As a disclaimer, I'm more of a Mustang II based IFS guy, myself. You might spend a little more than buying some junk yard parts, but if you get the right kit, it's a much easier install, lighter, more compact, and drives really nice with rack and pinion steering and disc brakes, all engineered the way Henry intended. Plus, you're working with all new parts, so you save a ton of time cleaning, rebuilding, and scrounging up all the little bits you never knew you needed.

You might read through this old thread, if you haven't seen it already.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...olare-ifs.html

 

Consider going with the other torsion bar system with transverse torsion bars found on Chrysler 5th Avenues from 83-89 and others. These can be installed much easier. I have done two of them. Here is the one I put in my 49 F-1.

 

I'm not sure who the "plenty of people" are who ran into exhaust vs. torsion bar issues with a Gibbon Cordoba IFS, but it's news to me. I had mine fully assembled with the bulky 351W, AOD, and headers in place and exhaust would have been a non-issue. The torsion bars run parallel to the frame rails just inboard and slightly below them. That's not really where you'd want your exhaust pipes anyway. Are you sure you're not thinking about the Volare?!? Completely different animal!

Spending hours taking painstaking measurements, chopping massive notches out of the frame rails and welding in a Volare-type subframe is much easier than BOLTING a crossmember into place through existing holes and then hanging the suspension parts on it? Really? I think the only fab work I had to do at all was trim a small corner out of the left frame rail for steering gear clearance and weld the OE Cordoba torsion bar sockets into the supplied crossmember. For the money I spent, I still believe that the Gibbon Cordoba kit is the best value for durability, ride quality, ride height adjustability, and ease of installation. I'd still be using it, but I'm building my F-2 instead of the F-1 and I want to take that truck in a completely different direction.

 

thanks for the input-sure gives me lots to consider!
blueovalrage-would you send me a pm and let me know about the gibbons crossmember-i still need to find a donor car, and they're getting scarcer as scrap prices go higher.
my sons are both award-winning welders, and i'm 37 years a sheetmetal worker, so the fab and welding part is not a problem. even the mustang II option is not a big deal as far as the welding part.-dave

 

Perhaps easier was the wrong word. No it's not easier than bolting in a crossmember BUT, you have to find and purchase the crossmember first (and I understand that they may be no longer available) and then find the Cordoba. That's more expensive and more involved than installing the Volare. I guess the word I was looking for was "simpler"!

 

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0 itxtvisited="1"><TBODY itxtvisited="1"><TR itxtvisited="1"><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset" itxtvisited="1">The biggest problem you'll run into, after it's installed, is that the torsion bars run right where you want your exhaust to go. There's been plenty of people here complain about that, after the fact, wondering what they're going to do, and what they're options are. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
To be fair, I did not speak specifically to the Gibbon kit. I was speaking generically to the torsion bar setups I've seen installed, and to questions posed here on the forum. If you have experience using the Gibbon kit with Cordoba parts, and it works good, then by all means, I'll take your word for it. It's very likely my experiences have been with the Volare parts, which in my opinion, I wouldn't give 2 cents for.

 

Vern,

It's all good! I didn't mean to sound harsh. The Volare most certainly does give you the most bang for the buck, but it does require more than a basic set of fab skills. For someone who doesn't have the fab and welding ability to do a proper Volare splice or is squeamish about making a permanent major mod to the frame (me), then the Gibbon Cordoba kit is an excellent alternative. Unfortunately, your point about the crossmember availability is very true. I was recently told that Mr. Bond (the retired guy who built the crossmembers) still has the patterns and will build to order, but I don't know how true that is or what he thinks it's worth these days.\

Wayne,

Vern knows the Volare best and can better speak about the exhaust isssues that it presents. The Cordoba design is getting to be a lot less common these days since the crossmember kits aren't being actively produced anymore. It is a nice, slick setup, though. I've got scans of the install instructions around here somewhere. I'll see if I can find them and post them just for informational purposes. I really wish they were still being made.

Dave,

I can't send you a PM because you don't have 25 posts yet. Send me an e-mail at on_into_the_night at yahoo dot c o m and we'll chat offline. If you're interested, you won't even need a donor car. I want to sell the whole works as a package - crossmember kit, all necessary donor parts (some new ball joints and bushings already installed, instructions and everything. The hard work (setting up and welding in the torsion bar sockets) is even already done. I'm prepared to make somebody a really good deal on the package.

 

Anyone who can weld can do the Volare install, but I agree that any bolt in crossmember kit whether it's a Cordoba, Dakota, or Mustang II is probably less complicated even if it is a bit costlier. The only interference you will encounter with the Volare install is the big steering box. You can get past that by offsetting the engine up to two inches to the passenger side as was done in the original Volare.

 

Mine came out of a Dodge Aspen and was installed by the PO. So, I did not particiapate in the install, but my buddy put one in his 56. He used a copy of the video that so many have used and said that it was fairly straight forward.

I liked mine because of the choice of ride height. Jag

 

thanks for all the replies-they have been so helpful
trust me , you will hear more from me! i'll even send some pictures once i figure out how to do that-dave

 

blueovalrage-
sent you an e-mail-hope it went through.
i'm not too good at e-mail stuff
dave