I'm confused over how this works. I have a 54 f100 that i would like to put a Mustang II front end on. I can get a donor 78 (i think) mustang to get all the parts off of but everything i've read people have used kits to do it instead of the donor. The donor car also has power steering that I'd consider using if its possible. Is it possible to do with a donor car or do you have to use a kit?

 

Hi Justin... and welcome to FTE... there are about a gazillion threads on the board related to Mustang II front suspension... you can't use the search function yet till your post count gets to 25 or so.... so let me point you to the sticky at the top of the forum labeled...
"Read first- FAQ and MANY more 1948-1960 Ford truck related articles"

this is full of important info you need for your build... you can also use Google to search the FTE site just by entering the forum address
"https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum41/" in the box that says search iwithin a site or domain.

now to answer your question.... the definitive answer is "it depends". The original stamped steel parts for the MII cars was engineered to support a light weight vehicle... the MII probably weighed around 1800 pounds with 60-70% of that weight up front... A f-100 with a 350 and up V8 will run around 3000-4000 and most of that is up front... while the parts might carry the weight, handling and e-stops might be interesting.

Aftermarket parts / kits/ full suspensions are built much much beefier and are designed to handle the weight and give you excellent handling and a larger margin of safety. The power rack is salvageable as well as the spindles but for the cross member and the control arms I'd go with aftermarket. Depending on your skills with a welder and grinder you can save a lot of money by buying the parts and doing your own fab work... crossmember is around 400 bucks and the control arms are as expensive as you can stand depending on finish...

you didn't mention your engine/trans choice or your plans for the truck... but if you're upgrading the suspension I'd bet your gonna beef up some other parts right ???

hope that answered your question and hope it helps.. there will be some others along to tell me how full of it I am and give you their story . But that's what it's all about... gathering information to make a decision

later
john

 

Ideally i would like to find a 351 and a 4 speed but i wouldnt turn down a good priced 390 or 427...I'm still in the dreaming stage of the build. Welding isnt an issue, I'm good with a welder and my dad went to college for it so if i can save some money by welding i'll go that route.

 

I should probably also say the donor car is free...So if i can use anything off of it for the switch it would definitly be worth it.

 

I'll agree with most of what you said, John, but for one glaring error. The Mustang II with the V8 and air conditioning tipped the scales at around 3600 pounds. Even the base curb weight published (which is always a bit light from the real world, imho) with the 4 banger was right at 2700. The V8 car also had a 59% front weight bias, too. Throw a couple lard-tails like me in the car and you're suddenly holding up two tons. ;-)


Justin, the Mustang II does not have a removable crossmember, and even if it did, it would be too narrow for the F-1/100. The stock pieces are technically strong enough to work under our trucks, but for myself, I would use the aftermarket control arms and especially a crossmember designed for this application from a reputible source, like Heidts or TCI. The stock spindles are forged steel and are plenty strong. Perfectly fine to use. The MII brakes, otoh, are only 9" diameter and were marginal at best in their stock application. There's no way I'd use those. The kit comes with a good 11" rotor and matching caliper upgrade. You can use the stock rack and pinion unit, but it does need to be modified to gain the proper width. If it's old, used and leaky, it would make a good core for a reman unit. The kit comes with all new parts, bearings, seals, ball joints, tie rod ends, nuts and bolts, even instructions. That's why people like us will buy a kit. It really is cost effective when you realize what you're getting.

 

Justin, I have done both, the original Pinto/Mustang cross member is spot welded into the unibody sub frame of the donor car with what seems like a thousand welds and then you have to guess at the correct ride angles. The kits come with all the angles pre-calculated and no spots to cut out. Your time might feel free but it won’t after the 500 th. spot weld. I would never use anything other then an aftermarket cross member.

 

Springs!!!!......GOTTA remember the springs......

Front coils are different with the aftermarket kits..at least they were with
MY Total Cost involved kit...

Big block...Small block...DO NOT forget to STRESS this IF you do order a
complete kit...OR even piece one together which I DO NOT think is very cost effective...


Of course you could go with coilovers...that is a nice option also...

However..at THIS point...I think the tubular A-arms in "THE" way to go...

Any finish IS available...mine are just plane ol' steel.


AND...then there is always......






As another option...

...but save yourself the time and effort and don't do what I did and WAIT
until the whole assembly hits the front porch to decide THEN that you want air ride...

It wasn't that big of a deal though...all I had to do was box-up a few
parts and return them for full credit and make the swap...

Still......

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