Upgrading your front suspension to a custom independent front suspension (IFS) may seem like a pain in the rear to most, but what you get from the IFS is ride comfort plus the added performance and handling characteristics that far out weight the hassle of installation.
From the factory most ’50s trucks came with a straight-axle that was great for carrying the load of the heavy inline-six or towing the horse trailer, boat, etc. As time passed, engineers found that an IFS suspension on a truck gave a car like feel that every truck owner desired. The ability to adjust Camber, Caster, and Toe highly reduced tire wear and bumpsteer plus made the ’60s Chevy trucks handle a lot nicer than that of the strait-axle days. But the IFS of yesteryear was still lacking something that wouldn’t make it into production trucks for many years to come. I am talking about a rack-and-pinion–type steering system that takes away the sloppy feeling that used steering boxes give you. You know, the wandering wheel or sawing action from the drivers hands needed to keep the truck on the road. This does not mean steering boxes are junk but, in my opinion, the option of rack-and-pinion on a aftermarket suspension is a good one.
Lucky for gals and us classic truck guys, Fatman Fabrications figured out IFS systems a long time ago and hundreds, if not thousands, of systems have been installed to our benefit. I chose to install the Fatman IFS with 60-½ track width for the extra stability, and after all the measurements it was not all that bad to put in. I knew I wanted adjustability with ride height and to be able to tune my shocks, so I contacted Ride Tech to go over the options on the new coilover systems they just came out with. I ended up with the new Ride Tech T/A coilovers that I will be able to adjust the stance, rebound, low and high compression.
Flaming River has also released a brand new rack-and-pinion into their line. The rack features a new design that is a four-inch extended body and 12 pounds lighter than the mustang II standard rack. So if you made up your mind to install an IFS, follow along and hopefully your install goes as smooth as mine did. Good luck. CT
First things first, John Meadow...
First things first, John Meadow from Deuces Wild Hotrods Inc. used a drop center to find out where the wheel center line was. We did this at ride height. Then, I jacked the vehicle up and used jack stands to level the vehicle side to side and adjusted the jack stands to give a 2- to 3-degree forward rake as recommended by Fatman. Since my sheetmetal was already off, I simply set it back on to check if the wheels were in the wheelwells correctly. You may want to visually inspect your wheel to sheetmetal/fender alignment before getting started. If it is to far back in the wheelwell it could look off when the new IFS is installed.
Now that a wheel center is...
Now that a wheel center is determined, mark the frame all the way with a permanent marker and scribe it down the center. That way if the permanent marker gets wiped off you still have a centerline.
After marking both sides we...
After marking both sides we checked to see if the measurements were correct from side to side. These measurements can be moved forward and back to help center the wheels in the wheelwell. This line will give a baseline on where to set the crossmember.
In last month’s issue of Classic...
In last month’s issue of Classic Trucks, I showed how to box your frame in detail. Please check the tech article out before installing your Fatman IFS, cutting out crossmembers, and adding plating to your truck frame. At this point, the front suspension came off and the spring shackles were removed with a Miller plasma cutter.
I ordered the wrong rack-and-pinion...
I ordered the wrong rack-and-pinion mounts from Fatman, but that is OK because they sent me a set of the correct mounts that I could later weld on. RJ Plent, an employee of Deuces Wild, helped add the centerline for the crossmember. RJ used a yellow marker and a scribe to make it easy to see when lining the crossmember to the frame.
We prepped the cross-member...
We prepped the cross-member by removing the black paint to bare metal. Remember to prep the frame by using a sanding disc to help promote good penetration when welding.
RJ then used a giant clamp...
RJ then used a giant clamp to secure the crossmember to the frame. Line up the center marks from the crossmember to the frame and then clamp down.
RJ used a hammer to lightly...
RJ used a hammer to lightly tap the crossmember in place using a measuring tape at the same time to check to see if it was correct. Notice the crossmember has a cut out on the driver side, this cutout allows the Flaming River rack-and-pinion to clear the crossmember.
John and RJ measured from...
John and RJ measured from the crossmember to the opposite side of the frame for square then measured from the lower control arm holes to the opposite side of the frame, and moved the crossmember until all the measurements were the same from side to side. Since the frame is already raked at 2 to 3 degrees, we made sure that the crossmember was level from front to back, turns out it was perfect. These steps insured the crossmember is set in the frame correct and not twisted or off to one side.
After we set the crossmember...
After we set the crossmember and measured several times before welding, I used a Miller MIG welder to tack in the crossmember. At this point, nothing gets finished-welded until the complete kit is installed.
A one inch tack weld was all...
A one inch tack weld was all that was needed to hold in the crossmember. I tacked both the driver and passenger side framerails to the crossmember.
Since the crossmember is centered...
Since the crossmember is centered in the frame, RJ measured and marked the location of the Fatman upper control arm mounts from the crossmember centerline.
We then marked the center...
We then marked the center of the upper control arm mounts. Notice the left side hole is higher than the right side hole; Fatman built in antidive into the upper control arm plate. Antidive helps the vehicle stay level when appling the brakes and without it the front end will dive towards the ground and the rear will lift up when braking.
Since the frame is boxed on...
Since the frame is boxed on both inner sides of the framerails, we do not know that they are strait, so we measured the upper mounts from the outside of the frame to make sure they were both to specs. Notice the ruler pressed against the frame to help get an accurate measurement.
The next step was to make...
The next step was to make sure that the upper control arm mounts were straight up and down. Here, we used an angle finder to make sure the mounts were close to 90 degrees.
I then tack welded the mounts...
I then tack welded the mounts in four spots each and rechecked the measurements to see if they had moved.
Then both driver and passenger...
Then both driver and passenger upper coilover mounts were placed on the upper control arm mounts and measured from shock mount eyelet to eyelet. Fatman recommends that the measurement is 40 1/2 inches from eyelet to eyelet.
I was slightly off of the...
I was slightly off of the 40 1/2 inches, so RJ trimmed off the excess material until we were at the desired measurement.
Remember we were only tack...
Remember we were only tack welding things into place, because we want to test-fit the sheetmetal before we final weld things into place. We made sure the upper mounts were parallel to the lower shock mounts and then I ran a few tacks on the upper shock mounts and rechecked the alignment.
With the mount tacked in the...
With the mount tacked in the upper control arm was fit with no alignment shims.
The lower control arm bolt...
The lower control arm bolt was slid halfway into the crossmember and the spacer was then placed in between the control arm. Make sure that the spacer is toward the rear of the crossmember before tack welding it in; I tack-welded it with the lower control arm in place and then immediately removed the lower control arm and bolt. At this point, you can finish-weld in the spacer, but make sure that the pointy ends face in toward the center.
After the weld cools I then...
After the weld cools I then installed the lower control arms. This is more or less what it should look like.
It is a great idea to test-fit...
It is a great idea to test-fit your sheetmetal before cutting the rack-and-pinion frame relief. Now is the time to move the Fatman front end forward or backward if needed. We placed a wheel in front of the spindle centerline and the vehicle was still supported on jack stands. Note: no vehicle weight was put on the front end until finish welding. Wheel fitment is very important so double check both left and right wheels.
Now that we were happy with...
Now that we were happy with the Fatman IFS placement, we fabricated this little upper control arm bracket brace. We wanted to make sure that the upper plates would not move during the welding process. I then finish-welded the upper mounts and coilover plates to the frame. Remember to set the welders amperage to the proper heat range so adequate penetration is achieved.
The brand-new rack-and-pinion...
The brand-new rack-and-pinion by Flaming River FR40004 had been designed by their engineers to make the rack-and-pinions fit better, this eliminates the need for an extender and ensures that the bellow is never overextended. They made the rack four inches longer to a total of 49 inches in length, plus by making it new they reduced the weight of a stock mustang rack-and-pinion by approximately 12 pounds. After I welded in the new racks mounts (my fault), I bolted the driver side mount and marked the frame for the C-notch cut outs.
I used a cutoff wheel to slice...
I used a cutoff wheel to slice the bottom of the framerail on both lower marks. Then, a Miller plasma cutter was used to finish the half circle. After the metal cooled, I cleaned the plasma slag with a grinding disc before welding.
I double checked the rack...
I double checked the rack fitment on the driver’s side and then repeated the previous step on the passenger side.
Then the rack was bolted in...
Then the rack was bolted in place using new rack mounts and test-fit again. A welding blanket was used to shield the rack from sparks and the notches were tacked in.
A set of Wilwood brakes were...
A set of Wilwood brakes were going to be used for this particular install so I went ahead and bolted the Wilwood 2-inch drop spindle and hubs that will support the big brake kit.
With any rack-and-pinion steering...
With any rack-and-pinion steering system it is important to pay attention to your tie rod angle in relationship to the control arms. A good rule of thumb is to match the lower control arm to the rack-and-pinion rod angle.
In some cases, this Fatman...
In some cases, this Fatman extended tie rod end will help match the rack-and-pinion arm angle to the lower control arm angle. Notice the longer shank on the tie rod compared to stock.
Ride Tech has been known for...
Ride Tech has been known for its really nice air bag systems and air ride shocks, but now they are in the coilover shock business. I have had the opportunity to test out a few shocks on many different vehicles and these things make a huge difference in ride quality, not to mention Ride Tech’s Owner Bret Voelkel pushes his product to the limit on and off the race track, so you don’t have to. In this photo sits a set of Triple adjustable coilovers that were just released in Ride Tech’s arsenal of shocks. If you are planning to build a show truck or are really serious about handling then these are for you.
Ride Tech calls these coilovers...
Ride Tech calls these coilovers T/A for triple adjust and they feature a single rebound adjuster on the shock itself and a high and low side compression adjuster on the remote reservoir. Ride Tech has been busy this summer weighing street rods, muscle cars and trucks at various events to not only to gather data, but also to accurately give you the right coil per your vehicle weight and application. Perfect for impressing the picky show judge and for keeping the wheels on the ground on a track day.
If the remote reservoirs scare...
If the remote reservoirs scare you and you’re not the type to adjust shocks, then a set of Ride Tech single adjust shocks might be right for you. The Ride Tech S/A coilovers still feature the same single rebound adjuster as the T/A shocks but without the extra compression adjusters and remote reservoir. The single adjustment shocks also work great on the street and autocross course.
I know the truck does not...
I know the truck does not look like much yet, but check out the cool adjustable stance that the independent front suspension gives you. I can’t wait to get the truck back on the road