Upgrade Your Ford's Front Suspension With These Must-know Tips!
Upgrade Your Ford's Front Suspension With These Simple Steps.
We take a work break on the 1966 Fairlane and talk about the best less expensive solutions to Fairlane Torino Falcon Mustang Comet Montego Maverick suspension woes.
Episode 239 Manic Mechanic
Episodes:
Drum Brake Failure! We Diagnose Our Ford Drum Brakes
https://youtu.be/B9YdIp_BKGc
Shelby Drop Explained
https://youtu.be/VHuT4wOtqOg
What Can You Do With Excessive Play in Your Steering
https://youtu.be/uEqAmIbvOdg
Parts:
autokrafters.com
See them for your Sway Bar Bushings
opentrackerracing.com
Delrin Monoball Strut Rod Set with Threaded Strut Rods ORP-1234
Roller Spring Perches – Street Performance ORP-1001
OpenTracker Racing Roller Idler Arm
First: Check all front end components for wear. Replace worn stuff. Always replace upper and lower A-arms in pairs.
Best near stock set up:
Total Cost with sway bar: $1,200
On pre 1967 Mustang and Cougar, Pre 1966 Fairlane and Comet replace the non adjustable strut rods with fully adjustable strut rods. On later ones replace the bushing with new components, urethane not required.
Use Roller Spring Perches, I prefer the Open Tracker Racing ones. The Falcon in 1960 had oilite bushed spring perches in 1960 and I believe 61.
Buy a body shim kit from the auto parts store or Harbor Freight and make up a shim that is 3/8th inch thick Put that shim between the shock tower and upper a-arm front bolt over the bolt. Note that the bolt hole may need to be enlarged slightly. You will need a Grade 8 bolt of the same size as original but longer to allow for tightening down the bolt.
Use either the low gas pressure KYB GR2 shock or if you are feeling sporty, Bilsteins. Or Koni, QA1 or Viking non gas shocks. I prefer the QA1 or Viking as these are are hydraulic shocks often with full adjust ability and unlike gas shocks will not add spring rate.
Optional: The street Shelby drop. This will lower the front slightly but more importantly will affect camber gain. Meaning the tire will stay flatter on the road in hard cornering. Opentracker has a nice set of steel templates that will be here long after we’re gone. Get those and use them.
While I am at it, I will want to consider replacing the old steering box with a new unit. Auto Krafters stocks a Falcon correct quick ratio box as well as the quick ratio box for the 1968 up Fairlane Comet Montego Torino. If your 1967 Fairlane has this box and not the “death lance” it will work. This is also the same box that Ford used on the Maverick and 1971 up Comet.
If no power steering how power? Use the Open Tracker Racing roller idler arm. This will free up the steering and ease the turning. Is it like power steering? No. is it way better than the stock ilder arm? Yes.
Sway bars. You get what you get. In many cases your level of selection is low. Go for a 1 inch bar with urethane bushings. Or use the stock bar and upgrade the bushings to Urethane. Auto Krafters has a good stock of urethane for the stock bars.
Alignment:
3 degrees caster, zero camber and 1/16 inch toe.
Parts Cost w/o:
All of these are in “ish”
Upper control arms: $200
lower control arms: $100
roller spring perches: $225
OpenTracker Racing Adjustable Strut Rods 1960-65 Falcon and 1965-66 Mustang: $285
Koni shocks: $200
QA 1, double adjustable: $264
Bilstein: $284
Viking double adjustable: $500
Options:
RRS Spherical bushings for factory adjustable rods $285
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