Thread: mustang II FRONT END

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HELLO ! I am not sure how to use this site but I have just bought
a 1936 plymouth 5 window with 383 chevy strocker.

The front end is a mustang II AND IT STEERS LIKE a MACK TRUCK
I have jacked up the front end and it still is hard to turn, does anyone have a good reason why it is so hard to turn?
I thought I would add a power rack but still think it should not be that hard to turn with no weight on the front end.

It shouldn't. Something's binding.

The sector might be jammed from cramming into a curb or hole.

Thanks ! I will have it checked .

check to see if your coil springs are too heavy. the M II suspension on my 53 is neer impossible to steer without a ton and a half of weight on the front end becuase the springs are pushing soo hard on the ball joints. i dont like it but i was told to wait untill i was driving it to see if they will settle.

Thanks for the info ! It may be that a couple of the joints are too tight. I may start to loosen them up till I find the problem. Something is binding?

ford made 11 different part numbers for springs that fit mustang II and pinto. some of the racers used to put in 53 chevy springs but i don't know how they compared the factory springs specification =engineering chart had the various rate,unloaded length and ride height when they were installed. i had a copy to help a guy set up his pinto racer. if i would have known how popular M II suspensions were going to be i would have kept a copy. mustang II 's were nose heavy and didn't need as much castor as most street rods check with a few guys to see what they are running. if you change to power steering be sure to change or get a pump with the correct pressure output, ford and gm are vastly different in required pressure. good luck from a retired ford engeer

I just added springs that gave me 3 to 4 " more height off the ground. The man I bought the car from put 2" dropped spindles and I was draging speed bumps. Now the car is up and still steers hard. Could the ball joints or the shocks be too tight and cause this?

it sounds to me like you might have a spring problem like i have, binding on the ball joints. my 53 was also sitting too low so i bought some standard spindles to replace the 2" drops, everything will bolt right up again.

Thanks for the info ! The car was hard to steer b-4 I chanced the springs. I think they have mounted the front end on to tight some
where. It should not be that hard to turn jacked off the ground.
Guess I will check one side at a time and see if I can find a tight side or ball joint pulled down to tight.
Thans for the info !

Why don't you knock the tie rod ends loose from the steering arms so you turn only the rack? This will isolate where the problem is. I don't know if you have the stock 74 up ford rack with stud through the crossmember mount or aftermarket that clamps to a flat plate. If the latter and it turns hard when disconnected from the steering arms, loosen one end and turn again. If free the rack is in a bind , if not it's warped. If bound you can shim, if warped--discard.