I got the cab off today, then I spent the rest of the day re-organizing the garage. Its a tight fit. Im trying to keep the cab inside for the winter. I have the cab sitting on the rolling yard cart I used so much last year, but its not gonna stay that way. Im going to have to make a dolly for it so I can move it around easier. And I need to make a stand for the engine and trans too.

I plan on doing the frame/suspension mods, and fix the frame for good. Its going to be finished and as perfect as I can make it before I start putting it back together. Im also going to rewire it (completely rewire, and Im adding firewall disconnects, and a lot of re-routing), and change the brake line routing. I discovered a few issues with locations and routing when I got it together last time. I have a chance to fix it, so I will. I think Im also going to fix the firewall holes and do a few other things also. Gas tank, new battery mount, maybe replace a crossmember or two.

I would love to fix the floor also, but man thats like $2k for the whole floor metal kit. I might see if a local shop can do it, while its off, but Im just not sure. It needs it, but I dont want this thing being apart for 5 years.

Here are some pictures. I still have to move some things out of the garage, and make room for the engine/trans. It looks like I have room, but its a two car garage, and its gonna get tight.

Still need the engine and transmission out.

The welding table is great, but it takes up a lot of room. Cab is in the corner, and if you look close, the 302 for the F100 is in the corner. I also got a 5 speed for it a few weeks ago.

Im still working on the pegboard. I move a few outside to the storage shed, so Ill get another one soon and hang it beside those.

I have stuff crammed everywhere. Im going to try and get a larger toolbox for Christmas. If I can get this done, and get it back together soon, Ill have room.

 

What did you figure out about the ball joint/ifs issue?

 

I havent yet. It appears factory style mustang 2 spindles accept the K772 ball joints that I already have and want to use, in most cases. But there are a bunch of people saying its fine to just ream the holes on the spindles with a special reamer. The offroad guys do it all the time. I think Im going to buy the reamer (its only $80 on Amazon) and try it. Spindles run about $400 a set, and Im nervous about getting the wrong ones. If I mess up and over-ream the ones I have, then I have to buy new ones. If I buy new ones it gets tricky, because everyone uses different brakes, so the brake mounts and bearing races will be critical. I would prefer to use the brakes I have with this kit. They are from an S10, so they should be fine, but the spindle shaft has to be the same. For example, Willwood makes a nice spindle and it uses the K772s, but you have to use their brake kit. Thats another $1500.

As for the A-arms, Im going to make them using the same geometry as the ones I have now. This should put everything right back where it should be. I have the ball joint receivers, so Ill just have to get the ends that go to the cross member, and they are available through Speedway for a pretty good price. Ill definantly have to practice my TIG welding though.

As for the upper A-arm mount and the shock mount, again I havent figured that out all the way. There are about 5 ways to do this mount, and I just need to pick one. Ill try and post a few pictures, but its really a matter of preference. Once the engine is out, Ill take a ton of measurements to see whats really wrong, and where it all needs to be, and make a decision on what to do. Im hoping its as easy as cutting the top mounts off, closing it all in, and adding an upper mount. But we are prepared for a worst case, where the entire thing comes out, and we replace it all with the welder series kit. I dont want to do that because that changes everything, brakes, a-arms, steering, where the wheel sits in the fender. But if thats what it takes, oh well. I would hate to get this truck together and wreck it because of a cheap part.


This is one style, and about what I would be looking to do. Of course, these parts are perfect, and welded perfectly, so the quality would be out of my range of ability.

Another shot. Same geometry, different parts. This is what Im looking for. The bolt goes through the A-arm ends longitudinally.

This style uses the factory style mounting rod (I forget the name) to bolt to a slotted fixture. It is mounted vertically.

This is another style, but I have coilovers, so the spring pocket wouldnt work. The mounting rod thing (?) is mounted horizontally on this.

 

I made a short dolly for the cab and put little bitty furniture dollies under it, so I could move it around. Now I have to make an engine cradle, and a stand for the rearend. Ill start moving some of the parts out to the building tomorrow. I wanted to build the cradle today, but the dryer is being used, so I warned everyone to be finished with laundry today, so I can weld tomorrow.

I did get the engine and transmission out, and rolled the rear axle out. I put the frame in roughly the position it will be in at ride height. Im not 100% sure on the rear end of the frame, but the tires are 28" tall, and I set the front at 14" to center of the spindle. I know it had a slight rake to it, so it should be close.

Goal for tomorrow is the engine cradle, move the tires and exhaust out to the building, and finish removing the parts from the frame, like fuel lines, brake lines etc. Ill fill a bunch of holes, and start the other frame mods next. Ill take a bunch of measurements so I can get the right parts for the fix.

Frame stripped or almost everything.

Parts everywhere. Ill clean it up a little tomorrow.

Here you can see the notch and the battery tray on the left side.

Ride height. I still had 5-1/2" at the lowest point of the frame. Thats more than my Charger has.

The helix/uncle jimmys IFS. Its about to be removed or seriously modified. I have to take measurements first.

 

Is that 14" with the suspension unloaded? Did you account for what's gonna happen when it has an engine/body on there?? I see you have solid mounts in place of the shocks? Is that what those are all about?

 

I would assume that is loaded height. I think this is your issue...


Did you measure the distance front and back to the other side? This shows the angle but what about where they are for caster camber? Really need straight reference point and then set them according to that. Did you weld these or where they part of the kit? If it was put on jig then welded(factory) who knows where it could be.

 

That is loaded height. The kit calls for you to make set-up bars that are the same as the loaded height of the shock. The cab and engine weight are accounted for then.

Yes, that is the problem. It calls for those to be about 5*, but they dont match side to side. One side is noticeably flatter, by about 2*. This is what Im going to fix. I just havent decided on how yet. These were part of the kit, and Im sure they were mismatched, but I have no way to prove it. Ill measure them and see if I can investigate.

The goal is to set the above angle to 5*, on both sides. That is the anti-squat, which prevents the suspension from bottoming out under heavy braking. I was afraid the angle being different would steer the truck under panic braking, causing the truck to dive one way or another. Not something I want. It seems little, but with all the work I have done, I dont want to wad this truck up over something I can fix now. Im also going to modify the upper mount to allow camber adjustments because the kit doesnt allow it now. I have asked around several forums, and it seems I can do this pretty easy.

I have a ton of measuring and checking to do.

 

So today, I finished getting the chassis apart, and built my engine stand, and a few other little pieces here and there. The engine stand works great, and I managed to get a few really nice welds on it. I havent welded in a few months, so it took a few to get my speed right.

I managed to measure the suspension, and I am convinced the parts were manufactured with a defect. I zeroed the angle finder, and measured the results. Had I installed the "top hats" to get the desired angle, it would have made the cross member uprights crooked, and the uprights need to be straight. Ill see if I can arrange the pictures in an order that makes sense. Either way, they dont match side to side, which is wrong anyway.

I think what Im going to do is cut the upper a-arm bar out, and remove the shock mount. Ill install another bar at the right angle and orientation, and see how that works.


Finished engine stand, sitting on a furniture dolly.

Started out too fast at the top, but managed to slow down and make a good weld by the bottom.

Both cross member uprights are level and within .2 degrees of each other.

The upright needs to be straight also. I drew in where the "top hat" and the lower cross member meet. There is a seem here that gets welded.

Drivers side. Should be around 5 degrees.

Passenger side. Should also be 5 degrees, but it should at least match.

 

So much for quality control!

 

I tried to get most of the grinding and cutting done today, but Ill still have a little to do along the way. I did quite a bit today.

I cut the tops off of the cross member, and removed the round bar from it. My plan is to set these bars exactly how I want them, then make 3/16 filler plates. I have a tapered reamer on the way that should fix the spindles. Ill shorten the top tubes a little to allow caster adjustments also. And if anything doesnt go as planned, Ill step back and punt...meaning Ill just order the welder series cross member, and cut this all the way out. That option is on the table, but Im trying to avoid it since I have so much time and money in this set-up already. Its not so much about the money, but removing everything would set me back a few more months, and it would require a lot of figuring out to get all the parts right. Plus I want to use the brakes I have now. I plan on doing a welder series on the F100 when its time comes.

I was playing around and made a cross member that I really kinda like. The 2 x 3 wall thickness is excessive, but thats what I picked up the other day off of facebook marketplace, so I used it. The loop was scrap from work I scrounged up. The cross member would give me a little driveshaft loop of sorts, so in the event of a driveshaft failure, it doesnt catch the pavement. Im not sure Ill use it, but I want to. We will see.

Still tons of work to do on the frame. Ill be busy this winter.

Top mounts cut flush and ready for mods

Top control arm bars removed and cleaned up

This was notched with a grinder, so it isnt perfect.

Fits pretty good I think.

It would replace this weird shaped cross member. And I would add a top part also, to close it up.