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Don't Pick Your Nose, Slam It! - Ford Drop Kit

CPP's New Dropped Axle And Springs For '57-60 F-100s
By Grant Peterson
Ford Suspension
Ford Suspension Cpp Spring Kit
The goods! CPP has been working hard to bring the post '56 F-100s some love, and this is the first of much more to come for these boxy Fords. The new leaf springs are the product of a collaboration between CPP and Deaver Spring to provide these trucks with a bolt-in stock upgrade that not only lowers the truck, but also rides better as well. New U-bolts, shackles, shocks, lower shock mounts, kingpins, tie rod bars, tie rod ends, and tie rod drop-brackets are all part of the package.
Ford Suspension Sheetmetal Removal
The first order of business was to get the front-end sheetmetal out of the way to make things much easier, since the truck will soon be the recipient of a Smeding-built 392 Ford motor, amongst other things like CPP power steering, but don't worry, the dropped axle and spring switch can be done easily without removing all the tin.
Ford Suspension Master Power Brakes
Here's the almost stock front suspension ripe for the plucking. Many of you might remember that we already began the Master Power disc brake upgrade, but the axle and springs were left stock, so off with the rotor, calipers, and spindles.
Ford Suspension Spindle Removal
The stock spindles and steering arms will be used with the new low-down setup, so take care in removing them, followed by a good scrubbing or bead blasting and a fresh coat of shiny stuff.
Ford Suspension
The rest of the front suspension can be undone at the shackles and drug out from underneath without separating the axle and springs at the U-bolts. Due to space restraints and the portability of the old parts, everything was disassembled. Watch the dirty old grease!
Ford Suspension Seamless Tubing
The other part of the CPP transformation is their new 2-inch dropped axle. It has CNC-machined dropped ends with 2-inch seamless tubing for the center.
Ford Suspension Spring Mounts
See the difference in height from where the spring mounts to the top of the axle end?
Ford Suspension Leaf Spring Installation
The new CPP/Deaver leaf springs are the first to go on with the help of the new shackles. The springs provide a 3-inch drop and have Teflon buttons, or sliders, at the end of each leaf to make the whole leaf ride more fluidly. Some of the stock leafs both front and rear were cracked all the way through. Spring steel doesn't last forever.
Ford Suspension Pivot Bolt
The rear of the springs doesn't have shackles; they just pivot on a bolt, but new bushings were installed.
Ford Suspension
Before the axle went in, the guys opened the U-bolt holes toward the outside of each pair of holes 1/8 inch to accommodate the '57's wider spring. This is one of the few holdover parts that works for '53-60 trucks, but it provides an inch less drop on '57-60 trucks due to their slightly dropped axle from the factory compared to pre-'56 F-100s.
Ford Suspension Grinder
You can open the bolt holes with a sharp round file or a carbide bit on a die grinder. Safety first!

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