Thread: best budget suspension set up?

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Originally Posted by 37FordCoupe

I think i'm about the only guy who got a MII setup with the dinky 9" disc brakes. I'll definitely have to go up to the 11" brake setup. I just got done installing one of the 11" rear disc brake kits for 9" Ford rear ends off ebay. It was actually a very nice setup and i'm happy with it so far.

Brake requirements are to some extent determined by vehicle weight.... Those 9" discs with a drum rear will haul the stock car they came off of to a stop in a very acceptable distance and they weighed about 3300 pounds.

I've run a lot of 4 wheel disc brake set ups with the 9" rotors, with the correct residual valves and setting the brake porportioning valve with pressure gauges and not just by feel, I think you will find you have more then adequate braking power for a car up to 3700 pounds..... Too much brake with no anti-skid system on a lighter car can lead to some white knuckled panic stops...... Just bigger isn't always the answer, a balanced and properly tuned brake system is the best....

I could have sworn you copied my name .

I have a 10 bolt under the '35 now, but I'd still like another since this one has drums and 2.xx gears. Finding a 12 bolt disc a couple inches narrower for a little extra tire should be nice.

Street & Performance's LT1 harness is $750 and to reprogram the computer is $200 ($250 w/o the purchase of a harness). That's $1,000 I refuse to spend so I'm willing to go through some pain to use my harness.

A/C I will not be using...I have the cowl vent and open windshield for that since it won't be driven daily. I'm just going to use a delele pulley. Power steering I think I have decided against as well. I hear it shouldn't be all that bad to steer with manual and again it won't be driven daily. I plan to use a Flaming River column though so if I want a little steering help I'll try one of thier electric assist units.

Yea I have to wait for this shop to get my frame started and it's not even like I'm waiting for P&J's down the road from me . It's just a local shop loaded down with winter work so people can get back on the road for the spring.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Brake requirements are to some extent determined by vehicle weight.... Those 9" discs with a drum rear will haul the stock car they came off of to a stop in a very acceptable distance and they weighed about 3300 pounds.

I've run a lot of 4 wheel disc brake set ups with the 9" rotors, with the correct residual valves and setting the brake porportioning valve with pressure gauges and not just by feel, I think you will find you have more then adequate braking power for a car up to 3700 pounds..... Too much brake with no anti-skid system on a lighter car can lead to some white knuckled panic stops...... Just bigger isn't always the answer, a balanced and properly tuned brake system is the best....

I thought Mustang II's weighed about 3000 even, but thats beside the point. I'm sure the car will stop just fine with 9" disc brakes but they're not for me. I'm the kind of guy that plans on having 17" or 18" rims on my car and i don't want to see those little dinky brakes inside the wheels. When i got 18" wheels on my LT1 Camaro i had to upgrade from the 11" setup to the 12" setup to help try to fill up the wheels. To me i need at least a minimum of 11" disc brakes all the way around so it'll look good with the bigger wheels.
To 35FordCoupe, you might see if someone local can tune the PCM for you. I have all the tuning software and a cable but i'm too far away from you. For $200 you could buy an OBD1 computer and cable then get tuner cat for free. That would allow you to turn off all the codes that will be thrown with out your A/C and Emissions devices. I'd really recommend the A/C though. I'd just get a junkyard column and save the money for A/C though or even power steering. I've owned several cars that were manual brakes, steering and A/C less and they weren't fun. If i had a nice car like yours i was gonna drop an LT1 into i'd keep at least the A/C. I bet with that LT1 and overdrive once you start driving you're not going to want to stop. You might want to think about it. I don't want to build your car for you but having your wrecked Camaro sure makes life easy as far as donor parts.

If my Camaro was OBDI I would probably have already had the software. I actually have a thread right now on cz28.com about tuning...I'd like to be able to do my own tune, but at the same time I would like to keep my OBDII computer. My $250 quote was for Street & Performance which I would like to use for tuning because they can put an LT1/LSX in an old car with their eyes closed they've done so many, but I probably can get it done cheaper...I know there's an F-body/Vette shop an hour or so from me.

I don't use the A/C in my daily drivers all that much so I figured I probably wouldn't use it in this car either...I don't see myself ever driving it with the windows up so I don't think it would be that bad. If I run A/C I have to relocate the compressor and deal with all the other crap I partially ripped out already. I think it would be easier to buy a vintage air unit made for the car which could be added later (can you tell I have more things to add "later" than anything else? haha). Hell I don't know once I finally get to the point where I'm ready to rip out the LT1 maybe I'll sort through it all and change my mind...

Originally Posted by 35fordcoupe

If my Camaro was OBDI I would probably have already had the software. I actually have a thread right now on cz28.com about tuning...I'd like to be able to do my own tune, but at the same time I would like to keep my OBDII computer. My $250 quote was for Street & Performance which I would like to use for tuning because they can put an LT1/LSX in an old car with their eyes closed they've done so many, but I probably can get it done cheaper...I know there's an F-body/Vette shop an hour or so from me.

Why do you want to stay OBDII? It's expensive to tune yourself, and doesn't provide any real benefits over OBD1. Street and Performance definitely knows a thing or two about putting LT1's in other cars.

No particular reason really...mainly that I know my LT1 runs with my computer and if I can get a tune for the cost of tuning software for an OBDI I may as well just have mine tuned. After the initial tuning for VATS, emissions, gears, tire size, etc. I don't plan to change anything. I would like to be able to scan, but I can just get a $50 scanner for that...

You can send your stock harness to LT1 Wiring. Send wiring and PCM. They will modifiy and program it for you to your specs.
I think they charge 250.00
Their web site is: LT1 wiring@LT1350.com
I sent them one today for my '46 chevy pu.

Good luck,

Bob

Bob: thanks for the tip. I will definately look into that, but I can't seem to get that address to work??

It is about that time...the engine is mounted

Try this address.

www.lt1350.com

Henry Rifle,
Thanks for bailing me out with the correct address..
Must have been another senior moment....

Dana did a great job for me. All wires that required were marked very well. I'm not an electrician and stumbled through it on the first try.

Bob

Originally Posted by slowpoke

I have some info on performing such a mod if you would like a copy. I really don't remember how many years they used that set up, but think it was quite some time.

Hello to all, my name is Richard, I'm a new guy to this site and have been looking through old post, and came to this one on suspensions, I have a 39 Ford coupe that I have been dragging around since the 60's. I made a bad trade ending up with it but can't let it go{I traded a 60 Corvette, my girl friend at the time soon to be wife thought I was crazy 39 years later she is still right}. The car has a 283 4speed 57 Chevy rear end; the car has not been started for a long time so I may have to go with another engine. The original front end has been butchered as well as the X member. The wishbone has been split but not properly, if I had the money I would scrap the frame, and sit the body on something modern or a Mustang II suspension.

If you still have the info, on the AMC spindles or any advice on my spindles for a braking system I would be interested. The front never had a brake system when I bought it, it had a 55-57 Chevy master cylinder with rear brakes. I know better now but the car never was driven much after I bought it. The bolt pattern on my 39 is so big I still have the original chrome reverse wheels with flat tires so I cannot move it around to easy. I have thought about re-drilling the hubs just to put something on temporary.

I know that a lot of time has gone by since this was posted but I thought I would check. If not I'll keep going through the site to gain as much knowledge as possible, I still have the desire,and love old cars, I'm only lacking in three area's 1. A body that's been busted up but still wants to try. 2. Lack of knowledge. 3. The most important one being not a lot of money. I believe what I'm looking for would be the equivalent of {making a silk purse out of a pig's ear}, or something like that.

I also have a 50 Ford chopped top project that has been sitting for a long time. I bought the car as soon as I spotted it, it was the closest thing to what I've always wanted that being a chopped 49 to 51 Merc. This car has an 8" Ford rear end with leaf springs no shocks front, or rear yet. I would like to have air bags on this one someday. It has a Flathead V8 I don't know what year or anything about it but if possible I would like to have a small block Chevy in it.

Thanks in advance
Richard