1952 F1 32v, 351W, different IFS
 

Hi Folks,

i have a 1952 F1 that i've started taking apart, fenders and fender extension are fixed with 18 gauge steel and am going to sand blast it all to get rid of the rust and old paint.

I had set my mind to going with a crown vic IFS and a 4.6 32v but now am not sure if it's worth the hassle, so here are my questions:

1) how hard is it to put the crown vic front in the f1?
2) does the modular motor bolt up to the crown vic subframe? i'm thinking it does since 4.6 sohc is standard.
3) how will the wider track work on the f1? will it rub the fenders?

4) If not crown vic then have any of you used a speedway, fatman, tci, johnny law front end? i was quoted roughly $1200 for a Johnny law kit, it is ok to put a heavy motor on top and putting some 400hp through it?



I also picked up an explorer 8.8 and an Eaton Limited Slip Differential, do you have pictures of how you put this in your truck?
I think that going 4 link would be best but don't want to cut the frame and raise it.


Thanks in advance

The Crown Vic suspension is too wide for 48-52 trucks so you may as well start looking at aftermarket suspension kits...:-X06

Crown Vic is too wide. A few have done it and narrowed it somewhere around 4".
Cheap swaps are
-Jag IFS but it has a rear mount rack and the shaft comes out towards the center so the mod motor wouldn't work without a lot of u-joints in the steering shaft
-Lexus IFS is front rack so it'd work with the mod motor but you can't get it super low without cutting into the frame on an F1

Mustang II- stay away from johnny law systems (do a search)

Here's the front ride height of my truck.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...55b945942a.jpg

In a CV IFS you will have 67-3/8 inches of suspension to squeeze under the front sheetmetal...that is hub to hub and does not include the rims/tires. By the time you narrow the CV IFS so that it will fit you could have bought an aftermarket IFS that was made for the F1.

I narrowed my CV IFS 2.75" and mounted a Foxbody Mustang rack to it. I had to forgo the CV motor mounts and use a custom setup (due to being narrowed)

It fits very tight. You will need a 90 degree oil filter adapter and a relocation kit because its too wide to get a filter on it.

What's a good value for aftermarket suspension?
Johnny law quoted me $1200, I called Helix and the quote they sent me said Johnny law on it

from a cost standpoint you can have a Mustang II IFS for about $1k-crazy expensive if you want to go nuts. What kind of brakes/suspension do you want? Single piston 11" disc and stock A-arms is the cheapest. If you want coil-overs and giant disc you are looking at $2500 or so give or take.

The CV is very cheap initial buy but is better suited for something wider (F100). the cost of my CV IFS was $250 plus a new steering rack. I did all of the labor so I am in it for less than $500. I get big brakes and newer style handling than the MII but it was a great deal of work.

As mentioned above, anything from Helix, Johnny Law, and anything else involved with the Hoffman Group is going to be really cheap, off-shore knock off crap that is of inferior quality, and you will be replacing many of the major components spending much more money in the long run than if you stepped up from the get-go with name brand pieces (Heidts, TCI, etc) that are engineered to fit right and last longer. There are numerous threads here from people who either didn't know better or didn't heed the warnings who have shared their issues. You have been warned, and now you know better. Buyer beware. Good luck with your project. :-X22

This is exactly the type of information I needed, thank you very much, I'll be calling TCI and Heidts soon

I found the se guys today, is this a complete HEIDTS kit?
http://www.jplstreetrods.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=2018_2055&product_id=633

This seems like a great deal, input would be appreciated.
Thanks

Sounds like the right stuff to me. If you have any questions, I'd give JPL a call next week and be sure you're comfortable with getting what you're getting.

Hey PSI,
Hmmm... I like the 8.8 axle. We used a salvage yard 8.8 from a 2001 Explorer that came with disc brakes,
limited slip, & 3.73 gears. We also used the ebrake set up as our truck was missing one. You may want to see
how the 8.8 sits in the fenders when you mock it up. We had to add 1.5in. spacers to get our wheels looking right.

We mounted our 8.8 springs under the axle to get the bed down lower
& we used ranger shackles if I remember correctly.

Personally I'd do the rear 8.8 first - it's a weekend or two project & much more straight forward than the IFS. We put a
Mustang II style Wide Ride IFS in our truck from No Limit Engineering - was about $2500 when you include all the new brake lines, etc...

That front IFS is a real challenge involving life dependent welding skills & cutting into the frame etc. It took us 3 months to complete our's & we had a lot of help. If your project is already stripped down to the frame then go for it! If it's still running I'd be tempted to rebuild the stock front end in a weekend or two & see how it felt.

Good luck over there in NJ! Post some pics when you get a chance & let's see what you are working with.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1


PS We have 400HP in our F1. It's not really that practical - Unless you are doing track work maybe a mildly
built 302 & get a good cruiser. Honestly really jumping on 400hp in a 65 year old truck - frightening.

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for the reply, I do have a garage, 2 sticks, a mig and two AC/DC welders so I'm ok as far as the equipment goes.

I picked up an explorer 8.8 with a 3.73 final, I thought it was a position but ran the numbers and it turned out that it wasn't so I bought a pretty mint Eaton 8.8 limited slip for 200 bucks.
I was thinking of maybe going 4 link but that looks a bit complicated whereas the front can be centered in more easily.

The fenders had holes wherethe fender meets the fender extension so I had them repaired with 18 gauge steel.
The front is all out, all I need to do is figure out the front suspension.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...7b00934339.png


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...2ee5b8613d.jpg

I like the jag IFS, I put one in each of my trucks and it works well with the F1, especially with a budget. Ride height came out good with the stock XJ6 springs.


http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps5a2ff245.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...psw5mve347.jpg