Thread: 66 Ford Lowered?

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I am looking into lowering my 66 Ford truck. I have the twin I beam on it right now and was wanting to lower the thing but need dropped I beams. Well I was looking through AIM and they have a whole air bag system for 1050 bucks. They said I don't need the dropped I beams or nothing. What I am wanting to know is, how would this work without the straight axle hitting the cross member in the front and how will camber not go way out of wack because if you just get lowered springs then the camber goes WAY out.

Thanks for any info!
Shawn-

Oh also, how hard is it to put Mustang II front ends on? Are they a lot of work or can they be put on in only a week or so?

Shawn, the M2 suspension goes on fairly simple. Before you remove anything, make sure you mark the centerline of the kingpins on both frame rails with a centerpunch. You will have to support the front of the truck so nothing moves around when you replace the crossmember. Just a matter of following the directions that come with the kit.

Dave, thanks a lot for the info man! I first want to see if there is anyway to put an airbag system on a twin I Beam since AIM said I can without the need of dropped I beams, etc. I think that it would mess the camber up and the steering axle, etc would hit the I beams and center cross member in the front. :?

Thanks for anymore info on this too.
Shawn-

Although AIM has alot of great deals on parts, they will sell you anything you want. Check out fatman fabrication, they have alot of info on MII fronts. With the right skills or even common sense one can be installed in a weekend. Good luck

Fatman is not too far from here. I have looked into this and I really am thinking about the air bag setup. I would really like to keep the stock front end and not have to mess with it and just box in and c notch the frame. I really don't have the time to be able to take off the cab and all when this is an everyday driver. I can take the bed off no problem but I think it would be a pain to do the front end even if I were able to do it without taking off the cab.
Thanks for the info though and still I am taking into consideration other things to do and your guys oppinions are still welcome.

FMX Hellraiser:....
I use to oun a 66 F-100 1/2 ton, 352, 4spd, etc,
Try Dreambeams- drop I-beams.
or just ask at the Slick 60's site.
Great people, Very, Very helpful, lot of purists.
Dennis Carpenter.com has all the old FMC dies and their catalogue is the catalogue of record at the Slick site.
last year was the first official
" SLICKSTOCK 2004 "....
good luck,.
bitoman

fourty1 thanks a lot for the info! I have had my eye on the dream beams and looks like it's my only option. I signed up about a week ago on slick60's, great site for sure.
Thanks for the info and welcome to CHR (just saw your new and sorry I am late for the welcome heh).

Bump!
Ok I decided that the only way I can lower the truck and keep the alignment right is to get dropped I beams. I have seen tons of these trucks with them and 3 inches is not much lowered looking on these big trucks. I looked on my truck and if I lower the front 3 inches then the back will still be lower than the front by about 1 or 2 inches. What if I got 1 inch lowered coil springs? Would that throw the alignment way off do you think or not much at all? Also what else can I do to the front to get that 2-3 more inches without throwing off camber much and without having to buy a new IFS front end?

Thanks again!

relocate the pivot points on the I-beams, C-notch the frame for clearance. A few different things you could try. How about just putting a 3 or 4 inch Z step in the front frame rails just ahead of the cab mounts???? Just thinking out loud, bored to tears, watching it rain !!!!!

Zing the frame would be a good idea Dave! I was thinking about that but was wondering if it would work. Would all the things like the alignment and all be the same as long as I keep the rails the same slope but just have it stepped (z'd I mean.)?
On the relocation of the pivot points, wouldn't that be hard to do to where everything will work together and still keep the alignment too? For some reason, right now on the passenger side there is too much positive camber but on the driver side there's too much negative, I am not sure why it's doing this when the I beams are all original (not dropped) springs are not cut or lowered, etc?
Thanks again. Anymore info on the Z'ing of the frame, etc would be great and same with the pivot points.

I beams can get bent, Shawn. A good competent alignment shop that can do big trucks will have the equipment and knowledge to tweak those I-beams and get the caster and camber right.

As with any frame work, when you Z a frame, you have got to support everything so that it wil not move when you start repositioning things. I'm sure you've heard the old "measure twice cut once"? Don't believe it. Measure, plot, and plan at least 3 times BEFORE you cut anything!!!!!

Dave, thanks for the info. I was looking into Dropped I beams but not sure at all anymore what to do to this thing. Can I leave the stock I beams and just Z the frame and keep the alignment right and still get what I am looking for? Because if I am just dropping the front part, as long as I cut it, drop and weld both sides back in evenly then it should all be ok right?

Sorry, I don't want to keep asking a ton of questions on just this one subject but I don't want to jump into something like this and screw it up if you know what I mean.
Thanks!

Not a problem, Shawn. Yup, if you Z it, stock I'Beams would be fine. Hey, does yours have disc brakes on the front???? Someplace around here I have a set of disc brake hubs for a Ford pickup and the I-Beams they attach to!!! By me a plane ticket and I'll help ya do it. I REALLY need a vacation, man. I just bought a VW Vanagan, AND put a bid on a '67 VW Bug on Ebay. Help me out here, I'm really losing it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha thanks again. I think your going crazy Dave. I really wish I could afford that plane ticket because if you were serious about that and I had the money then I would do it in a jippy. Also yes I have 76 front disks, hubs, spindles, etc.

Well if I do this Zing thing then here goes all my brain cells going to work trying to do math. I am not good at math at all anymore. Well I am good but I am slow and I do things completely different than everyone else and make it hard on myself. Talking about math, on measurements... When I got to drop the front part of the frame down, I have to keep the same angle or pitch as the back part or upper part of the frame right but just step it down?
Sorry, that is kind of hard for me to say or explain but maybe you get what I mean.
Like say I have this... ----- that is the part where the bed and cab is on... then I step down to this... \____ I have to keep both of those top and bottom angles the exact same right?
If so then any other angles I should make sure I don't miss?