I just dicovered this forum and i am really suprised by all the people that own a 57-60 F100. I got my 57 about 2 years ago and i have spent hours searching the internet looking for a place where i can get some help with my truck or looking for places where i can buy parts for my truck. Im so happy to finally find a forum where i post and get help with my truck, only problem is that i have so many questions floating around in my head i dont know where to start.

Well my current problem is that i just installed a MII crossmember from Macgyvers, even though the crossmember was for a 56 it worked in my 57 without any problems. Now that i have the front done ive started on the back. I just bought a 48-56 Rear Leaf Kit from TCI. My plan is to do any modifications that i have to in order to get the kit to work on my 57. Today i marked the centerline of my rear axle on the frame and cut off all the mounts for the rear leafs and i got all the rear torn apart. I installed the new brackets following the instructions for the 1956. And the centerline of the rear axle using the kit is in the same place as my 57 was, so im thinking that this kit is going to work without too many problems.

But my question i have is does anybody know if the 56 and 57 fords have the same frame. By that i mean do they have the same width, and the same wheelbase? Because if the frames are the same then this kit wont have any problem working with my 57.

Sorry this is so long, im almost done. If anybody knows of any places that have any 57-60 ford parts for sale please let me know.

 

Wellcome to the best Ford place on the internet! I think there will be many answers on there way soon....

 

i think the frame are the same im not absolutly sure though.

 

Welcome to FTE.

As far as I know, the frames for 56 and 57 are identical.

As to where to find parts, here's a link from "Earl's World", as excellent website by one of our members:
http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Pa...dor_Links.html

 

yeah everything ive seen says that the frames are the same. on another site somebody said the wheelbase of a 56 is 110", so im gonna go out and measure the wheelbase on my truck and if they are the same then there should be no reason why the rear leaf kit wouldnt work. but i got a piece of metal in my eye yesrerday while i was cutting off the rear leaf brackets and i didnt realize until 12 last night and i was stuck in the emergency room until 3 in the morning. so i dont think ill be getting much work done today but i cant wait to get the rear end installed.

 

Please take this as a not-so-subtle hint to ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION. Glasses are a minimum, goggles are good, face shield is better.

 

haha thanks for the tip. though i was wearing a pair of goggles, the peice of metal flew up between my cheek and the bottom of the goggle.

 

well if the wheel base is 110 its a short bed i think and the long bed was 118. at least for 59 dont know about 56 or 57,

 

How about putting some pictures in your gallery.

Is your truck an 8' bed or a 6' bed?

 

im going to try and get some pictures up later tonight, ive got tons.

my truck is a short bed so its 6', i had another 57 ford that i just stripped for parts and it was a longbed

 

They didn't use the nine inch in 56 so that may be why the rear back shackles are different. I was unaware that the frames are identical or the same. At the time I bought my Mus II IFS kit none of the IFS kit makers knew it either. You would think if it was the same they would smell the dollars and know this kind of stuff.

 

Welcome to FTE! I tell members to try car-part.com and do a search. Found my doors in Arizona that way. Lots of '57-'60 parts there.

 

I've a FoMoCo published '56-'57 Truck Parts & Accessaries book & I believe the only things not interchangable is the Sheet Metal.

 

The Ford 9 inch rear end was introduced in model year 1957.

The 1948-1956 F1/F100 used a Spicer 44.

 

Doesn't mean it can't be readily swapped out.