Jack-Stand
Member
Hello All,
Now that I finally joined the forum a few months ago, and that I finally have some time on my hands, I figured I'd finally put my build up. Fair warning to all, it's not a numbers matching restoration, and honestly at this point, it probably won't be done for decades.
To give a little back story on the car, my father purchased the car in Pasadena before I was born, and restored/hot rodded it with a couple of my uncles. I came a long a few years later, and it was the first car I ever rode in. Many moons later, and several family issues led to the poor old girl basically sitting and rotting. Then came time to finally pass the torch, and my father presented me with the keys and title as my graduation present from engineering school. Now, it's under construction, I've become a father myself, and I work on it as my growing family allows.
To begin the build, I started by getting the car home, and dropping the rear end out from under it. I really don't have much of a reason for choosing to start with the suspension other than I knew it'd be where majority of my fabrication would reside. After that came the decision on what axle I would run, as well as what I would do do to stiffen up the rear end. I decided to plate the rear "frame channels" with 3/16" plate so that I had some good meat to weld to. Unfortunately I lost the pictures of blowing the pieces out with the torch, but I do have pictures of fabricating them.
From that point I fit the channels up, and stitched/rosetted them into place.
Then came the decision on what axle. I ended up deciding upon a Ford 8.8, with LSD and 3.73's. I restacked the LSD clutches so it'll have quite a bit more grab over the stock disc pack. I've got quite a bit of experience with both 8.8's and 9's, but the 8.8 is readily available, has disc brakes and LSD stock, and can still take a heck of a beating (I've built a ton of 8.8's for rock crawler and drag racing applications). While my wife isn't very proud of this picture, I actually have picture proof that my wonderful wife (then girlfriend) supports the hot-rod habit. She actually helped me pull the axle from the junk yard.
From there came the rear suspension design. I opted for a triangulated 4-link using RuffStuff Specialties 1.25" heims, and let me tell you, these things are monsters. After I performed my initial force vectoring calculations, I started the fab process for my bracket location by using PVC pipe to mount my heims (it's much cheaper than using DOM the first time).
After I was content with my measurements, and bracket locations, I set to welding both the frame side and axle side bracketry into place. I then measured my DOM tubing out, welded my heim inserts into the ends of the tubes, mounted my upper and lower bag brackets, and mounted everything up.
Next it was time to start on the front suspension. The shocks wouldn't come until after I finished the front and rear suspension components. The front suspension and steering is a compilation of crown vic and stock components, with the crown vic components being CV knuckles, CV lower control arms, CV disc brakes, and a CV rack. I considered running the full crown vic front suspension, but found out that it was too wide for my car, if I wanted my tires to tuck, so my welder got put to more use. I retained the stock upper control arms, and upper CA mounts, so I once again went to the local junk yard and picked up the CV parts that I intended to use for my front suspension. I began by measuring the various components to start making my brackets. I then fabbed my brackets so that I could fit everything up and test its travel. I fabbed my upper back brackets, mounted my lower bag bracket to the CV control arm, mounted the CV rack and pinion, and started the process of fabricating the tabs for my front sway bar.
Now that I finally joined the forum a few months ago, and that I finally have some time on my hands, I figured I'd finally put my build up. Fair warning to all, it's not a numbers matching restoration, and honestly at this point, it probably won't be done for decades.
To give a little back story on the car, my father purchased the car in Pasadena before I was born, and restored/hot rodded it with a couple of my uncles. I came a long a few years later, and it was the first car I ever rode in. Many moons later, and several family issues led to the poor old girl basically sitting and rotting. Then came time to finally pass the torch, and my father presented me with the keys and title as my graduation present from engineering school. Now, it's under construction, I've become a father myself, and I work on it as my growing family allows.
To begin the build, I started by getting the car home, and dropping the rear end out from under it. I really don't have much of a reason for choosing to start with the suspension other than I knew it'd be where majority of my fabrication would reside. After that came the decision on what axle I would run, as well as what I would do do to stiffen up the rear end. I decided to plate the rear "frame channels" with 3/16" plate so that I had some good meat to weld to. Unfortunately I lost the pictures of blowing the pieces out with the torch, but I do have pictures of fabricating them.
From that point I fit the channels up, and stitched/rosetted them into place.
Then came the decision on what axle. I ended up deciding upon a Ford 8.8, with LSD and 3.73's. I restacked the LSD clutches so it'll have quite a bit more grab over the stock disc pack. I've got quite a bit of experience with both 8.8's and 9's, but the 8.8 is readily available, has disc brakes and LSD stock, and can still take a heck of a beating (I've built a ton of 8.8's for rock crawler and drag racing applications). While my wife isn't very proud of this picture, I actually have picture proof that my wonderful wife (then girlfriend) supports the hot-rod habit. She actually helped me pull the axle from the junk yard.
From there came the rear suspension design. I opted for a triangulated 4-link using RuffStuff Specialties 1.25" heims, and let me tell you, these things are monsters. After I performed my initial force vectoring calculations, I started the fab process for my bracket location by using PVC pipe to mount my heims (it's much cheaper than using DOM the first time).
After I was content with my measurements, and bracket locations, I set to welding both the frame side and axle side bracketry into place. I then measured my DOM tubing out, welded my heim inserts into the ends of the tubes, mounted my upper and lower bag brackets, and mounted everything up.
Next it was time to start on the front suspension. The shocks wouldn't come until after I finished the front and rear suspension components. The front suspension and steering is a compilation of crown vic and stock components, with the crown vic components being CV knuckles, CV lower control arms, CV disc brakes, and a CV rack. I considered running the full crown vic front suspension, but found out that it was too wide for my car, if I wanted my tires to tuck, so my welder got put to more use. I retained the stock upper control arms, and upper CA mounts, so I once again went to the local junk yard and picked up the CV parts that I intended to use for my front suspension. I began by measuring the various components to start making my brackets. I then fabbed my brackets so that I could fit everything up and test its travel. I fabbed my upper back brackets, mounted my lower bag bracket to the CV control arm, mounted the CV rack and pinion, and started the process of fabricating the tabs for my front sway bar.