Independent Front Suspension Overview Technical Specs. Lets face it just because we all love to look at, ride in, and even build super cool rods and customs, we dont always understand the intricacies of how every system operates. As long as it bolts on and works well, who cares how each little part does its job, right Wrong. Understanding the basics of how each system on your rod works will not only help you impress friends and relatives with your vast engineering prowess and knowledge of everything automotive, it will also allow you to build and maintain a safer and more reliable car. Last issue we kicked off a new series called How It Works, which will focus on a different system every month, examining how different parts function and, hopefully, debunking a few myths along the way. Since we tackled the basics of traditional dropped axle suspension last time, we thought taking a long, hard look at the world of Independent Front Suspension IFS might be appropriate this time around. HISTORY AND THE MUSTANG IIAfter decades of solid axles pounding across the burgeoning American highway system, Chevrolet introduced one of the first domestic passenger car independent front suspension setups in 1. Ford came into the independent game a decade later in 1. Model T. The geometry of this design was pretty good, explains Brent Van. Dervort of Fat Man Fabrications. However, disc brakes, power steering, and lowering options are very limited. The setup isnt bad, but because most rodders have a lack of experience working on these early systems that combine kingpin technology with IFS, it can be hard to work on for some people and even some shops. While these early IFS setups worked pretty well on the big passenger cars of the 4. Henry Ford introduced at the turn of the century all the way up until the mid 6. Thats when the Chevy Corvair, with its advanced independent front suspension, began to show up in wrecking yards where industrious rodders could get their hands on them. Unfortunately, Corvair IFS was not a perfect solution, as it required hubs and brakes from the relatively rare Pontiac Tempest to be converted over to a five lug bolt pattern, and the steering system was hard to adapt, as well. The Corvair parts worked horribly, says Gary Heidt of Heidts Hot Rod Shop. The spindles were designed to work with a steering box, and people were putting rack and pinions on them. Since rack and pinion doesnt have as much travel as a steering box, you couldnt turn the wheels far enough, and it negatively affected the turning radius. As the Corvair adaptation began to wane in popularity, the AMC Pacer was discovered to have a stout independent frontend that was narrow enough to fit on an early Ford, and it had rack and pinion, making it an ideal candidate. However, due to the suspensions heavy construction and the relative obscurity of the car, the Pacer conversion never really caught on. As the 7. 0s rolled forward, Fords diminutive Pinto and Mustang II which shared most of their underpinnings began to show up in wrecking yards. Famed builder Chuck Lombardo claims to be the first person to use Mustang II suspension on the front of a street rod in 1. IFS system for pre war hot rods, the word spread like wildfire. We finally had a combination that would work. The Mustang II and Pinto setup became popular not only because the track width was correct, but because they could be modified for Granada rotors and bigger brakesand it worked so well that it stuck, Chassis Engineerings Eric Aurand explains. This is the most modern passenger car non strut tower independent front suspension ever made, because everything built after this design has been either front wheel drive or a tower type configuration. Throughout the rest of the 7. Mustang II and Pinto parts, hoping to score enough fresh gear to complete their projects. The IFS situation didnt change much until 1. Ford engineer named Bob Shay started one of the very first replicar companies, called Shay Motors. After designing a fiberglass re creation of the venerable Model A, powered by Pinto running gear and riding on Pinto suspension, Shay pre sold 1. He actually managed to pre purchase the suspension for all of his orders but went out of business in 1. As a result, an entire warehouse filled with thousands of factory fresh suspension assemblies ended up on the auction block for pennies on the dollar, and several burgeoning hot rod suspension companies managed to scoop up the loot and start cranking out new IFS kits. One of these new suspension companies was Heidts Hot Rod Shop. How To Download Pokemon Dark Rising In Pc. What we would do is re drill the rotors with a five lug pattern, fabricate our own crossmember, and bolt on the rest of the components, Heidt explains. The nature of this beast fit the street rod world so well that things just took off. The Pinto kits worked great on 3. Ford at all, or Model As. The upper control arm would hit the fender, and moving the location of the arm to clear the fender would totally change the geometry of the suspension design so it would no longer work properly. As an answer to the upper control arm problem, Jerry Kugels innovative suspension shop came up with their own clean sheet design that resembled the Mustang IIPinto but was a fresh take on IFS that would fit under the popular Deuce and Model A. Heidts quickly followed suit with their own scratch built setup, called Super. Ride, and soon thereafter the aftermarket exploded with different IFS kits composed entirely of brand new parts. Jerrys-48-Plymouth.jpg' alt='Installing A Mustang Ii Front Suspension' title='Installing A Mustang Ii Front Suspension' />I got my new gasket set FelPro to install my OE intake manifold back on my 65 289 engine but I thought it would show which side goes up and which. Step by step instructions on how to install Ridetech Mustang II controls arms onto an original or aftermarket Mustang II crossmember. For more information. A Restomod has a few key modifications. One of them is the pursuit of better handling, and that makes the front suspension an important focus. CHEVY GOES INDEPENDENTUnlike early Fords, which utilized a C channel framerail fortified with an extra stout X member down the middle for rigidity, 3. Chevrolets gain their rigidity through what is called a torque box framerail. If you look at a cross section of a torque box rail, it looks similar to a top hat, with a stamped steel upper portion reinforced with a double thick piece of steel across the bottom. Since these early Chevy frames do not employ an X member, their strength comes entirely from the shape of the rail, and the frame torques and twists by design as the car goes over bumps in the road, dispersing most of the stress throughout the length of the frame. In contrast, Ford chassis have such a rigid frame that most of the stress is absorbed by suspension. Neither system is better or worse than the other theyre just different approaches to solving the same problem. In 1. 96. 7 Chevrolet introduced its answer, the Camaro, designed specifically to take on Fords Mustang in the ponycar wars. Display.jpg' alt='Installing A Mustang Ii Front Suspension' title='Installing A Mustang Ii Front Suspension' />This site offers information about transmissions that can be used with V8 engines in ford Ranger and Bronco II. The Ford Mustang is an American icon. Its a twodoor pony car that has evolved over the years to a sports car. Each generation gets faster, sharper, and sexier. We. Im wondering where you got the adapters at. I have a 2000 mustang v6 master cylinder with 2005 disc brakes up front and rear versailles discs and will need adapters. Hub to Hub Mustang II street rod suspension, coil spring suspensions, coilovers, coil over, airbag suspensions, Shock Waves. The Camaro has a unitized body construction method, which means that, rather than a traditional body on frame arrangement, the floorpan and body are all one piece, with separate front and rear frame clips constructed in a torque box design similar to the earlier cars, only flipped upside down and welded to the body. The front and rear suspension then bolt to reinforced pads on the frame clips. An extremely popular conversion in the 7. Camaro front clip and graft it onto the front of an earlier Chevy hot rod. F100 Solid Axle to Independent Front Suspension on the Cheap Is your F100 solid front axle all over the road Heres a neat tech on changing an F100 solid axle to. Classic Performance Products parts for classic 19671979 Chevy Camaro.