Ranchero info needed
 

I'd like to swap out the old front suspension and steering in my '61 Falcon based Ranchero for a Mustang II rack & pinion set up with IFS, does anybody out there know what the original fronted track width was, I neglected to measure before I removed all the old suspension and steering. Thanks for your help ahead of time.

I know this is an old post, but why put the Mustang II stuff on there when you can get the bolt up stuff (tubular A-arms, aftermarket V8 spindles, bolt-on disc brake kits and even bolt-up coil over kits) for a 65-67 Mustang and not cut the car up? Shoot, there are even bolt-up rack and pinion kits for almost any Falcon based car because the Mustang stuff fits almost all of them. The only reason I could see is stuffing a big block in there, and the Crites kit fixes that.

Even if cost is an issue, I wouldn't trust something hacked off in a junkyard because it should need all the bushings, ball-joints and possibly even thre rack replaced anyway and then you still have less than ideal suspension geometry designed in the early 70s. My disc brake Pinto handles like poop.

Look up the TCP suspension kits and also the Street or Track Stage 5 kits and a Google search should find you a bolt-on rack and pinion set up. I am seriously considdering the Street or Track kit for my 70 Ranchero because it needs the whole front end re-done after sitting for 20-some years.

Carving up a wreck at the scrappy is evidence you are too poor to build a car.

Mustang II IFS front suspension, Hub to Hub IFS, tubular control arms, crossmembers

No sir, I just don't understand using a pinto/mustang II front end when there are better bolt up alternatives for a Falcon.

http://www.streetortrack.com/1965-66...-pr-24083.html

Making room for a big block is the only reason I see for using a Mustang II front end.

The junkyard route is only for the brokest of broke.

True, the later stuff does bolt up easily, giving you 5 lugs and disc brakes. But I think the MII suspension is "better" function wise, but the later upgrades make more sense for a sbf build.

My Ranchero is a 70 with factory disc brakes. The nice thing about the bolt up stuff I've been researching is they offer corrected geometry over the original Falcon/Mustang pieces.

I agree, the compactness and utilitarian nature of the Pinto parts is good, but I don't see the benefit to cutting up a car that doesn't need the front unibody frame replaced because of rust.

Having road-raced the pony cars (mustang specific) in the late 70's in SoCal, I can suggest this.......IMHO I preferred the oem style suspension to the Mustang II conversions....much more stable, responsive & consistant. there is a slight different in the alignment specs for a street use versus track use car......also the turning radius is reduced with a Mustang II suspension (or copy-cat)...which is not a great thing for a street driven vehicle. Something else to consider....despite what the mags since the 80's have published about the MII front suspensions & steering assemblies....10 the 1960's steering systems were built to last....30+ years is not unusual.....check out the condition of a 30+ year ole mustang II steering assembly.....typically dead......and looking at the suspension & steering systems of the 60's...they were more than capable of handling the road racing mustangs, cameros & even the cobra's of their day......unless it is for a race spec vehicle, IMHO, the MII is nowhere near the quality of the oem systems of the 60's...they were designed and produced in the late 70's & 80's for one reason...much cheaper to build & install during mfg. Nothing more, nothing less.

I raced a pinto for a while...and now I have a rescued old lady Pinto with a 2000 and getting a 5spd just for a fun commuter vehicle. It handles very poorly turning the stock small-frame pinto...I wouldn't want to turn anything with any weight or horsepower with that set up.