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General => Other Vehicles => Topic started by: Aerocoupe on December 19, 2017, 04:31:13 PM

Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 19, 2017, 04:31:13 PM
So I have not really brought up my next project as the only thing I did was buy the '70 minus the power train and a slew of small stuff.  I ditched the step side bed as I had decided long before I bought the truck it would be a SWB.

A little background on what I am shooting for chassis and power train wise:
Crown Victoria front IFS swap into the truck (all of it including the sway bar) - 5" drop with the stock CV springs
Fat Man Fabrications four link in the rear with the stock 9" housing
QA-1 coil overs at all four corners
Stock frame boxed where needed, custom trans cross member, and powder coated black of course
5.0 Coyote motor with 76mm Precision turbo and a Ford stand alone control pack (will have to be tuned)
6-speed 6R80 auto trans with a Baumann controller
Existing stock width 9" housing with Torino large bearing ends, Moser axles, Explorer 8.8 disc brakes and the e-brake will function
9" third member with new trac-lok and 3.73 gears

So I have everything minus the power train but that is coming soon as I need to mock things up and get the chassis coated.  I am hoping to have the chassis and power train done this year but this is by far the highest dollar build I have ever done so no rush.  I am working through the body in my head but that will come later and trying to get all of this planned is pointless as I will change my mind.  I have mulled over the chassis and power train for two years so I am settled on that.  Was super relieved that the controllers for the six speed auto came out as I did not want a standard and who wants a four speed auto when a six is available?

So to date the 3rd member is built and all of the rear suspension and front suspension parts are bought.  I have a buddy that can weld pen 15e cans together so he will be doing all the metal melting as I decided not to learn on this one.  We have been working on a time line to install the CV IFS and I think we are going to try it over the next couple of months.  He works for Halliburton field services so his schedule is whacky but we think it will be a weekend to get it in there if I get the frame prepped.  This means gutting the twin I-beam suspension removed which looks like it was riveted in by a 40's sky ser metal worker...lots and lots of rivets.

So here we go, this thread will be updated but it will take a long time to finish (couple years???) so don't be surprised if its weeks between updates.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 19, 2017, 04:43:42 PM
So why would anyone post without pics, right?  As I mentioned in the first post this truck will be a short wide (SWB) truck.  It was built in the Kansas City plant as a step side and then shipped to Oklahoma City for sale.  I found it near Waco, TX and brought it back to OK so its back home.  The step side bed was removed and punted and the quest for a short wheel base styleside bed began...did I mention this was two years ago?

Little did I know how shaging hard it would be to find a good SW bed.  So I found one and after media blasting I cussed a lot and then when on the quest to find a second one.  The second one was the best I had seen in two years and that was not saying a lot but I thought I could use both beds and make one decent one.  Did some preliminary measuring to see how wide a tire I could run and determined that more is better brosif.  So the wheel wells would be tubbed all the way to the outside of the frame rail.  A buddy of mine referred me to a guy he works with that is known for his metal fab skills (does all kinds of old hot rods and what not) and we sat down and looked at what I had and what was going to be needed.  He didn't like either bed and said he knew where one was in better shape...ha ha ha!!!  He brought it back to his shop and media blasted it only to find out it was not as good as my best one...not paying for it.  I left and he said he would weave it in as busy work.  So here are the first two pictures of what was left of the three beds.

Upside Down:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6271_zpsmnqaojne.jpg)

Right Side Up:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6270_zpsyzqxjtku.jpg)

So when I got these two pictures I was a little depressed to say the least and he wanted some $$$ for the work and needed new wheel wells and a roll pan.  So I called my buddy that referred me to him and wanted to fire him as a friend but he reassured me that it was worth it and to press on.  So I ordered the wheel wells and the roll pan and got him a progress payment.  Needless to say I was still mulling over my decision to listen to my idiot buddy to press on when I got these pictures on Sunday about 2-1/2 weeks after the first ones...

So these are all with the front of the bed pointed towards the shop floor (he has other projects going on and had to move it out of the way to finish another car):

Passenger Side Zoomed Out:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6268_zpszawddfsk.jpg)

Passenger Side a Little Closer:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6267_zpsbuvqxyum.jpg)

Driver Side:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6266_zpszn4tctr4.jpg)

The Inside of the Bed (my favorite shot):
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6269_zpshcbtqtod.jpg)

So he is not done by any stretch of the imagination but it put a big smile on my face.  I am pretty sure I can get about 16" of tire under there now which with a boosted Coyote 5.0 it will need all the traction it can get.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Tbird232ci on December 19, 2017, 04:56:52 PM
This is something I can spank the monkey to.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: thunderjet302 on December 19, 2017, 05:35:45 PM
Why is it so hard to find a rust free bed it Texas and Oklahoma?
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: bodyman on December 19, 2017, 08:02:48 PM
Nice. I will definitely be following.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 19, 2017, 10:50:12 PM
Because all of a sudden they became popular to a larger audience and there just are not that many. Bad design lead to most of them rotting out due to holding mud in certain locations as well as the bed floor not draining very well. These trucks have not had the popularity of the late 60’s to early 70’s SW Chevys. They gained a ton of notoriety when the Gas Monkey clowns built a couple and soon all the nice ones were snapped up.

You can litterally buy every piece of a Chevy SW bed and make a new one. You can get just about every part for a long bed 67-72 bumpside Ford but to make it a SW you have to section the front quarter panel a few inches, section the rear quarter panel a few more inches, weld up the center stake hole, shorten the floor in the front and rear the same as the quarter panels, and then weld it all back together. Then there was the issue of only being able to get patch panels for the floor. Now some guy is finally making the wavy part of the floor in one piece but he is the only one. In a few years those that want one or need crash parts might get lucky when more that a handful of places start stamping the SW pieces so the prices come down.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: 50RACER on December 20, 2017, 07:41:20 AM
You know, you're not going to be able to fit a sheet of plywood between those wheel wells now!  ;)  Seriously though, that should be a really cool project. I would love to buy one of those new old Mustang bodies and do the same drivetrain as yours.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 20, 2017, 11:44:25 AM
That is what my F-150 is for, this truck will never see anything in the bed but a cooler with adult beverages in it.

I may want to kick myself when I get to the motor and trans portion of the project but if this stuff was easy everyone would do it.  There are a couple of guys that have done this swap and some LS swaps into these trucks so I am hoping I can reach out to them if need be.  I will pay more with the Coyote swap than an LS swap but I like my projects to stay brand loyal.  Whatever hp level I end up with it will be docile enough that I can drive it to dinner and feel like I am driving a mild street car.

One guy used a 49-52 Chevy gas tank design to relocate his gas tank behind the rear end and between the frame rails to get the fill tube off the side of the tank.  The majority of the guys are relocating the tank with a '70 Mustang tank and just making a fuel filler door in the bottom of the bed.  I am still up in the air on that one but my dad has a stainless steel fuel tank from Rick's Tank with twin Focus pumps for his '69 fastback and it is legit.  If my budget will allow I will most likely give Rick's Tanks a call and have a custom stainless steel tank built with the twin Focus pumps but the '70 Mustang tank is a whole bunch cheaper so we will see.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: thunderjet302 on December 20, 2017, 02:22:09 PM
So wait stuff rusts in Texas/Oklahoma?

I was unaware of the popularity. We don't exactly have many restored trucks/many truck enthusiasts up my way. Unless you count the brodozer guys in the burbs.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 21, 2017, 09:14:57 AM
For some reason I have always liked the 67-72 F100's and I just felt like it was time to build one.  There are all kinds of swaps and parts available now with the interest they have generated in the last 10 years so the prices have come down in that arena which is helpful.  I am guessing the brodozer guys are the lifted trucks with the super swampers that are never dirty?  We have them here as well.  They all got upset when I too the 1-1/2" factory lift blocks out of the rear of my F150.  I thought it made the truck look like shiznit with the ass end about 4 inches higher than the front.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 21, 2017, 09:53:22 AM
And on that note I ran a cross a big brake kit for the Crown Vic IFS that will be installed in the truck.  A couple of the guys on the Mercury Marauder forum (https://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=94024) came up with an adapter (one of the guys machines them), a custom set of SS braided hoses (TCE Performance), and the rest of the parts come from parts houses i.e. OEM parts.  I like the idea in that the calipers, pads, and rotors are readily available.  So last night I emailed the guy that makes the adapters and asked if I could buy a set even though I am not a member on the forum.  Once I know I can get them then the rest of the parts list is as follows:

(2) 2007-2009 Mustang GT 500 front rotors
(2) 1997-2004 (including the 2001-2004 Z06) front calipers with bracket
(1) Front caliper brake pads of your choice
(1) TCE Performance SS Braided brake lines (Mercury Marauder - Zack front only kit)

So after reading that parts list you may infer that Zack is the guy that designed the kit and the guy that makes the adapters is Jerry.  Zack looked at the $1500 Bear kit and figured out what caliper and rotor they were using and then enlisted Jerry to help him with the adapter.  Todd over at TCE is on the Marauder forum quite a bit and dropped in on the 60 page thread to offer advice.  About half way though the thread he and Zack got together and designed custom brake hoses for the swap which truly made it a kit.

If I get the adapters I am going to spend the $$$ and get the EBC RK rotors (plain, no slots and not drilled...gimmicks for the street) and some of their Ultimax 2 pads.  Two reasons here, one is the rotors are not made in China (just about every brand out there is now) and two is the rotors are coated to prevent corrosion so I don't have to fuss with painting them.

I may have the outboard face of the calipers machined with F100, SVT, or something else as there are companies that provide that service but that is a long way off.  Right now I am just hoping I can get the adapters so I can buy the rest as steel prices are going to go up next year (so my pipe sources tell me) and this entire kit will run about $680 right now.  There are a couple of places offering discounts being that is it Christmas which will offset the core charges for the calipers.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 21, 2017, 10:12:28 AM
Snagged some pics of Jerry's conversion on his Marauder...huge difference.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/7eec882abc8457ba3eb1a7feef48c251_zpsbt6bbdx0.jpg)

The calipers are very close to the wheel and some have had to grind the cooling fins and relocate the stick on wheel weights but these are 17" wheels.  Right now the plan on the F100 is to have 18's on the front and 20's in the rear so this should be a moot point for me.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/1cd1aa390ab5664fc03c313b3d6a32b6_zpskazjnc6b.jpg)

You will notice the "MARAUDER" logo in the caliper which Jerry had done as these are Corvette C5 calipers.  With my truck going pearl white, black frame and black suspension I think the calipers will be black with silver letters if I decide to do the letters.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 21, 2017, 10:39:31 AM
Found a picture of the caliper to spindle adapters which make all of this work:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/5517ddc673075e7cf311857299103a79_zps0qfbcn5e.jpg)

Adapter mounted to spindle:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/9D8DB8E2-DC36-4361-8F61-9D0D8EED18E9_zpsgj1fakws.jpg)

And with the caliper and rotor installed:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/B8A23FA5-6855-4F77-8D3D-0F34B95F2EEA_zpsvm9ic5xh.jpg)
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: thunderjet302 on December 21, 2017, 12:47:08 PM
Quote from: Aerocoupe;464057
I am guessing the brodozer guys are the lifted trucks with the super swampers that are never dirty?  We have them here as well.  They all got upset when I too the 1-1/2" factory lift blocks out of the rear of my F150.  I thought it made the truck look like shiznit with the ass end about 4 inches higher than the front.

Yup. Always clean trucks. If diesel they love rolling coal. Live in the suburbs/housing development. The only off-roading they do is occasionally driving on grass next to a shopping center.

Nice to know you have them by you as well.

BTW those are some big brakes. Should haul the truck down nicely.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: 83TB on December 25, 2017, 04:12:46 PM
Nice, my buddy has pulled his cab off frame and his doing work on it.  He is using the 4.6 with a 5 speed.  He has the front from a crown vic and the rear from a mark viii already installed and was driving around before pulling the cab.  I will text you some pictures when I go by there.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 28, 2017, 11:23:31 AM
I was able to buy the brake adapter from the guy over on the Mercury Marauder forum so my big front brakes will be slowly purchased as funds allow.

Ended up joining the forum due to a technical question with regards on how front end alignment is done Panther platform cars.  You may wonder why the hell I would want to know this so here we go.  Standard SLA (short long arm) front end geometry is a long LCA and a short UCA with the bottom of the shock/spring attached to either the LCA or the UCA and then the top of the shock/spring attached to the frame.  This is a pretty typical SLA setup:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/SLA_zpsada3dvss.png)

And this is how you would shim one of the control arms (typically the UCA) to adjust camber and caster:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/SLA%20adjustment_zpsfe4qtzqv.jpg)

The 03-09 Panthers have the shock/spring attached to the LCA and then attaches to the k-member between the mounting points of the k-member.  Here is what one looks like removed from the donor car:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/2005CVSwap003_zpsu7fcgrx2.jpg)

So now you can see how the SLA is set up on these cars and how on this particular suspension the rear mount of the LCA is attached further back on the chassis than a typical SLA.  The other thing you will notice is that with the way the shock/spring mounts to the k-member it does not allow for the shaft between the UCA mounts and thus you cannot do the typical caber/caster adjustments on the UCA.  So on this suspension you do the camber adjustment through the front mount of the LCA and the camber adjustment through the rear mount of the LCA.  The front mount bolt is just a bolt with a offset washer welded to it and then you put an offset keyed washer on the other end and a nut.  Looks like this:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/87365_zpsrczibrxq.jpg)

The picture above is from SPC and they make a camber kit for these cars as they need more camber adjustment with wider wheels up front.  I will be installing SPC's kits (one per side) on my truck as I plan on stuffing as much under the front fenders as I can get.  Most likely an 18 x 9 wheel.  They have a YouTube video on how you modify the k-member so these will work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCen_aVMyco&feature=youtu.be

And here is one for another company's camber kit that shows it a little better but they have the k-member on a bench (two parts):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs09So1sqpg&sns=em

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agJ1X10spDI&sns=em

As depicted in the second picture of this post you create caster on a typical SLA by shimming the front or rear mounts of the UCA unequally which moves the upper ball joint in front of or behind the centerline of the bottom ball joint thus creating negative or positive caster.  With a Panther platform car you move the rear mount of the LCA inboard or outboard to create negative or positive caster.  I also learned that with wide tires on the front of these cars the optimum caster setting is 5.5 to 6.5 degrees positive caster.  This makes sense as the Fox platform cars respond to this just as favorably with wide front tires.  For those that do not know caster helps the steering return back to center.

What sparked all of this was learning that a couple of the builders rotated the LCA rear mount inside the body of the mount.  I could not understand why they were doing this and posed that question on the Mercury Marauder forum.  I asked if the mounts were at an angle on the cars and did some digging and finally found a couple of pictures showing how they mount on the Panther platform.  The LCA rear mount that is attached to the Panther frame is attached at an angle and on the inside of the frame.

In this shot you are looking from the back of the car and obviously underneath it.  The LCA rear mounts are directly across from the exit if the pre-cats.
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Crown%20Vic%20IFS%203_zpsbvkfv5ez.jpg)

In this shot you are looking from the front of the car and again underneath it.  Again, the LCA rear mounts are directly across from the exit of the pre-cats.
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Crown%20Vic%20IFS%204_zpsyi2ycas1.jpg)

So when you install this suspension on an F100 the LCA rear mount ends up just about directly under the frame as you can see here:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Crown%20Vic%20IFS%206_zpse2zunxut.jpg)

So until the other day what I found was most were just welding them up as they contacted the frame.  The very back of the rear bushing touches the frame and then they boxed the rest of it in like this:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/1967-ford-f-100-control-arm-mount_zps8jxkkr0n.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Crown%20Vic%20IFS%205_zpszvkuy2xp.jpg)

The problem with this is that the bushing needs to be rotated inside the housing so that the slot is parallel to the ground.  Since the Panther cars mount at an angle they compensated for this by installing the bushing at that angle in the housing.  This can be seen here:

Stock:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/CV%20LCA%20Rear%20Bushing%20Stock_zpsrlfonjgv.jpg)

So the two ways I have run across to rotate the bushing in the housing are as follows:
1) Cut the housing, rotate the bushing, and then weld the housing back up
2) Cut those welds on either side of the housing where it is welded to the flat plate, rotate the housing, and then weld it back down

I am going to split the housing as I can do this where there is a void in the rubber and not run the chance of overheating it.  Should look like this when I am done:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/CV%20LCA%20Rear%20Bushing%20Rotated_zpsycjrohwp.jpg)

With it parallel to the ground I will have maximum adjustment on the caster.  I am going to set it up with 6 degrees of caster with the LCA rear mount bolt in the middle of the slot.  This is going to be a little more work than I was originally thinking but this is the right way to do it so the truck will drive right when I am done.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: 50tbrd88 on December 30, 2017, 12:04:29 PM
Awesome project man!  I love those trucks.  One day I'll have a 73-79 F100 to add to the stable.  I learned to drive in a 78 F250.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on January 22, 2018, 03:55:53 AM
The bumpside trucks are the shag.

Dad has a '72 F100. I've been bitching about restoring/restomodding it for years. Someday...

I have a thing for trucks, Ford trucks, particularly. Got a '94 Flareside inbound to me right now, though it won't be nearly as wild as yours.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 07, 2018, 11:52:38 AM
I got the bed back from metal work and my paint & body guy sprayed it with some self etching primer and undercoated the bottom.  We got it back to the house and put the bed on the truck...holy  now I have to find some tires to fill the wheel wells.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_63821_zpsmpyvtib8.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_63841_zpshlag7mnv.jpg)

Hoping to get to work on the Crown Vic IFS this weekend if the weather is as nice as they say it will be (60's).
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on February 07, 2018, 05:06:23 PM
Lookin' good man!

Not to get sideways, but what's the scoop on the car?
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 07, 2018, 06:38:05 PM
‘69 fastback that we started to prep for media blast and then my dad’s house flooded. Supposed to get back on it later this year. It getting an injected 393 stroker with Vinage Air and a Magnum T56 six speed. Already have a full Griggs Racing GR40 suspension for it as well as the 9” rear, trans with all the goodies, block, rotating assembly, and Brodix heads that are ported. Basically need to get all the metal work done on the body so the subframes, suspension, mini tubs, and shock tower delete kits can get installed. Once we get that done then we can mock up everything else. After that it’s body work and paint then reassembly, interior, stereo, etc. Then it’s pray to the car gods it all works.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on February 09, 2018, 05:06:34 AM
:bowdown:
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 01, 2018, 04:24:52 PM
Well I have been slowly buying parts for the Crown Vic IFS for the truck.  To date I have the following:

FoMoCo upper control arms (bushings and ball joints included)
FoMoCo lower control arm ball joint
MOOG lower control arm rear heavy duty bushing assembly
SPC Performance alignment bolt kit (basically allows more negative camber which will be needed)
NAAKE coil overs (QA-1 single adjustable shocks with QA-1 coil over kit and NAAKE adapter kit)
A-1 Cardone reman rack & pinion with inner tie rods
Moog outer tie rods
Mustang GT500 rotors (Centric Premium Series 120)
C5 Corvette calipers
Custom caliper adaptors off of MercuryMarauder.com
Custom SS braided brake lines (TCE Performance)
Crown Vic motor mounts
Outcast Autoworks motor mount adapters (relocate the motor mounts back and over for the Coyote motor)
Missing nut for the bolt that attaches the CV IFS to the frame (missed this when I got the IFS from the salvage yard)

Link to the Outcast Autoworks engine mount relocation kit:
https://www.outcastautoworks.com/collections/ford-f-series-crown-vic-swap-motor-mounts/products/pre-order-ford-modular-v8-4-6-5-0-coyote-to-crown-vic-swap-f-series-motor-mounts-relocate-mounts

Link to the NAAKE front coil over setup:
http://www.naake.com/store/mercury-marauder

So right now I lack brake pads and the ADTR front sway bar (https://adtr.net/product/ford-crown-victoria/adtr-front-swaybar-kit-03/).  I am a big fan of Hawk pads so I am thinking I will end up with their performance ceramic pads for the low noise and low dust (https://thmotorsports.com/227232-hawk-performance-ceramic-brake-pads).  Other than that it should just be time and elbow grease.

From what I could tell on the CV and Maurader forums the complete lower control arms other than the FoMoCo units were hit and miss on quality.  Problem is the complete FoMoCo LCA is around $240 each and you still have to buy the rear bushing.  What I understand is that if the LCA front bushing (the one that takes all the abuse) is in good shape then simply replace the ball joint and go on about your day.  Mine are in really good shape so I opted to get the FoMoCo ball joints for about $50 each and save myself about $400.  I have a buddy that has a press so getting them in and out should not be a problem.  I will remove the old ball joint and then clean up the LCA (most likely duct tape the front bushing of and bead blast them), paint them a durable stain finish black, and then install the new ball joint.

So I got off my ass the other day and removed the stock rack & pinion and something that simple ended up with a sawzall in my hands.  The passenger side outer tie rod nut locked up but since I was going to replace them anyhow I just cut the tie rod shaft below the nut and moved on.  So the rack and outer tie rods were off but I had to salvage the jam nuts for the outer tie rods as the new rack did not come with them.  Backing the jam nuts off the outer tie rods ended up being a pain in the ass but some PB Blaster, a little soak time, and off they came.  Assembled the new rack and outer tie rods but left that off the IFS for now.  Moved on to removing the stock CV calipers which the impact took the bolts out no problem but it did take a dead blow hammer to separate the caliper from the rotor.  Turns out the pistons in the calipers were locked up but that was to be expected.  Also removed the ABS sensor lines from the back of the spindle and all the clips associated with them.  I am going to offer both of them up for free just pay shipping on a CV forum so hopefully that will help someone out of a jam.  I also removed all of the factory brake lines and associated clips from the IFS and that got wadded up and thrown away.  Right now the sealed wheel hubs (think SN95 Mustang front wheel hubs) appear to be in good shape so I am just going to remove them, clean them up, give them a once over inspection, and then reinstall them.  SKS and Timken replacements run about $100 each and I cannot find many of the CV or Marauder folks replacing them so that should be a good indication they last a long time.

My plan was to completely strip the IFS and clean up the aluminum "frame", make the modifications for the the alignment bolt kit (http://www.spcalignment.com/instructions/87365-INS_WEB.pdf), have it powder coated, and then put all the parts on but I think I am going to just put the new rack on and use it as is to get it installed and all the welding done first.  Once we have the front IFS installed and the four link done in the rear then I will remove the IFS, strip it down, send it out for powder coat (it will be the same satin black that the frame will get coated), reassemble with all the new parts, and then reinstall on the frame.  Basically it will look like a brand new IFS when all is said and done but with it being coated black and no bling effect hopefully it will go unnoticed.

Also procured the Fatman Fabrications universal four link for the rear of the truck.  I decided on this kit as it allows me to locate the UCA's and LCA's on the outside or inside of the frame rails and with the truck being tubed I will move them inside the frame.  Kit I bought is at the bottom of the page:
http://www.fatmanfab.com/product/1948-1991-ford-pickups

Here is a really good article on how this rear suspension gets installed on one of these trucks:
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/0705ct-1968-ford-f100/

Nice thing is that it also comes with QA-1 single adjustable shocks and coil over kits so the truck will have the same setup on all four corners.  I cannot weld but I have a good friend who does and he is willing to help me with all of this so I am in a holding pattern until he has the time and the weather is cooler as his shop is just waaaay too hot right now for either one of us to really want to do this especially with the added heat of the welder.  I have all of the old I-Beam front suspension removed but now I am down to removing the engine cross member and the I-Beam rear brackets off the frame.  Lots of rivets holding this stuff one and the only way to get them off is an air chisel followed up with a punch and hammer.  I have most of them out but I need to weld two temporary braces at the front of the frame so that when the engine cross member comes out it does not spring on me.  Once the IFS is in place I will cut them out but a permanent one will be welded in once the Coyote has been mocked up.  I am hoping to make is part of the intercooler bracketry so it will take time and thought.

Needless to say lots of research and asking the folks on the CV and MM sites some questions of which some I don't think had ever been asked before.  Lots of builds over on Fordification.com so that site has also been a big help.  Several videos on YouTube, some good some I question and some I would not ride around the block in their builds.

Anyhow that is the update.  As soon as we get rolling on the installation of the IFS and four link I will post back up and hopefully with a lot of install pics.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 03, 2018, 02:02:55 PM
Got a picture of the 14" Mustang GT 500 rotor (left) compared to the stock 12" Crown Victoria rotor (right).

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_6941_zpszbhh3pkv.jpg)

I think this thing might have some stopping power when it is all said and done.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 06, 2018, 10:54:05 PM
I installed the Outcast Autoworks engine mount relocation pieces last night.  You have to drill a hole on the back side of the K-member for an additional bolt and on the passenger side the top side mount has a slot in in that goes from side to side.  I duplicated that slot on the back of the K-member so that mount can still mover side to side for ease of engine installation later down the road.  So in Post #16 there is a picture of the complete CV IFS (not mine but mine looked the same) and here is what mine looks like after this evening:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/K-Member_zpsinecdmuw.jpg)

So basically it is a K-member and the front spindles of which all are aluminum.  The complete UCA's, strut/coil overs, sway bar, sway bar end links, outer tie rods, wheel bearing hub assemblies, rotors, brake pads, LCA rear bushings, LCA ball joints, LCA front bushing bolt kit, and what was left of the frame of the CV all go in the trash or in the recycle pile.  I still need to salvage the tubes out of the stock frame rails so that will be later this week.  K-member and spindles are going to get vatted at a machine shop and at that point I will decide if I am going to powder coat them or not.  Leaning towards it but not 100% sure.  Old rack and pinion was used for a core as were the CV calipers.

I am going to order new wheel bearing hub assemblies tomorrow as the driver side was showing signs of being on its way out.  I think I am going to go ahead and order the Hawk brake pads for the Vette C5 calipers in the morning as well.  The stock sway bars are junk so I bit the bullet and ordered the ADTR unit yesterday which is made by Eibach and has Energy Suspension frame bushings with greaseable fittings.  So pending my decision on powder coating the K-member and spindles that is all I lack in putting this back together.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 11, 2018, 07:22:46 PM
So I got the k-member cleaned up. Took it down to the car wash for a quick pressure cleaning to get the loose dirt and power steering fluid off of it. Got it home and used Eagle 1 mag cleaner on it with a stiff scrub brush and was very surprised at the results. I did this twice and let the mag cleaner sit on it for 30 minutes or so. Definetly not what you would do on a rim.

This picture is the back of the k-member. You can see where I drilled the new holes for the Outcast motor mount relocation brackets below the factory cast pedestals. The one on the right is the one that had to be slotted left to right like it is on top of the pedestal.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/3830AB2E-E4B6-48FA-A48E-93740C6798DA_zpsenjjl7tc.jpeg)

This is the front of it:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/3552AD4B-8341-4DA9-8581-1467DA65AF3C_zpsswv0espm.jpeg)

One more pic of the front after I removed some of the calcium deposits off a few places (note the mag cleaner):

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/9F2B4F05-9965-4AA5-9B61-AD600A6DAF29_zpsnqukho7z.jpeg)

Working on the NAAKE coil overs next. Will have to disassemble the OEM struts so I can reuse the spring isolators and top plate. Gonna head to the parts store and rent the external spring clamps and the ball joint tool so I can get the ball joints out of the LCA’s. The strut assemblies Are just as dirty as the k-member so I’ll need to get the parts I need off them cleaned up and most likely paint the top plates as they have some spots of rust on the tops.

I am doing a little research on the LCA front bushing. It is the one pressed into the LCA but it seems no one offers a replacement bushing. I emailed Rare Parts today to see if they make it.  Currently if it needs to be replaced you have to buy a complete LCA which is right at $260 for a FoMoCo fleet unit (read taxi/police interceptor). The reason I am looking is I want to clean up the LCA’s and paint them. I don’t think I will be able to get behind the bushing to remove the dirt and surface rust. The bushing is in good shape so if I could press it out and then reuse it that would solve my “problem”. When I get the top plates for the coil overs painted I’m gonna take a hard look at the LCA’s and see if I can find or devise a way to clean them up without removing the bushing.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 26, 2018, 09:23:58 PM
So it has been slow on the progress as I make up my mind on what to do with the lower control arms.  No one and I mean no one has the bushing available for the lower control arm that is pressed into the LCA.  I emailed Rare Parts and they do not have one listed but asked me for dimensions.  I am not willing to try and press one of mine out and ruin it so I am going to call local salvage yards tomorrow and see if one of them has a front end hit car to see if I can get one of the control arms on the cheap.  If I can then I am going to cut the bushing out of the control arm (not damage the metal sleeve) and send that to Rare Parts and see if they can find a match.  If they can then I am going to get two of them and remove the ones in my existing control arms.  This will allow me to completely clean up the LCA's and get them powder coated.

If all else fails then its gonna be a lot of cussing and manually cleaning them for paint.  I just don't like the paint option as they chip up and look py in a couple of years.

I did take the spindles and upper retainers for the coil overs to a local powder coating shop and should have them later this week.  Went satin black on those parts as the spindles will be between the UCA and LCA which will be black so I just thought it would look better.  I am gonna try and salvage the tubes out of the stock frame rails this week in the evenings.  Ford wants $28 each for them so I will see if I can get them out for $112.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: thunderjet302 on August 28, 2018, 12:11:00 AM
That K-member cleaned up really well. Are you going to clear coat it to keep it that way?
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 28, 2018, 10:25:03 AM
I loaded it up this morning and am going to run it over to the powder coater after work.  The aluminum is really porous and it is going to stain again with just general road grim let alone any kind of fluid leak so the more I thought about it over the last week the more I was leaning towards a clear powder coat.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: BCA on August 28, 2018, 11:27:04 AM
Quote from: Aerocoupe;464059
Snagged some pics of Jerry's conversion on his Marauder...huge difference.

The calipers are very close to the wheel and some have had to grind the cooling fins and relocate the stick on wheel weights but these are 17" wheels.  Right now the plan on the F100 is to have 18's on the front and 20's in the rear so this should be a moot point for me.


Just an FYI, the stock Marauder wheel is an 18" not a 17" so hopefully this setup will still clear the wheels you are planning on using.

Very cool project, watching from the sidelines.  :cool:
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 28, 2018, 12:06:01 PM
Yeah, completely aware of my disc brake choice with regards to wheel selection. Most likely running 20’s but may run 18’s up front but will definitely be 20’s in the rear.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: thunderjet302 on August 28, 2018, 02:09:43 PM
Quote from: Aerocoupe;466872
I loaded it up this morning and am going to run it over to the powder coater after work.  The aluminum is really porous and it is going to stain again with just general road grim let alone any kind of fluid leak so the more I thought about it over the last week the more I was leaning towards a clear powder coat.

Probably the best bet, especially if you want the bare aluminum look. It'll be impossible to keep it looking that nice without the clear overcoat.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 30, 2018, 10:11:30 PM
So the next step was to either order spacer tubes new or see if I could salvage the ones I had in the chunks of frame rail they left with the IFS.  I looked on line and the tubes new were $28 each plus shipping so for $112+ I figured it was worth a shot to salvage them.  The spacers/tubes I am talking about are P/N 3W1Z-5D096-AA and look like this:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Spacer_zpsfj8gxok5.jpg)

When in stalled in the F100 frame they look like this (screen shot from TexasKnowhow's YouTube channel):

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/CV%20Swap%20Spacers%20in%20F100%20Frame_zpscosge9cn.jpg)

I have seen some use tubing which does work I like the idea of using of the factory spacer (description on Ford packaging and again from TexasKnowhow's channel).  Here is a picture of the packaging as I had no idea if it was a sleeve, tube, spacer or what.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Ford%20CV%20IFS%20Frame%20Spacer%20Packaging_zpsvsopvq9q.jpg)

So after laying the CV frame rail piece on the garage floor I decided to build a jig of some sort to hold it so I could use both hands to cut the spacers out.  Knocked that out in about 30 min (most of the time was looking for s wood and screws).  Next was locating the box of hole saws and charging the batteries up on the cordless.  Ended up using a 1-3/4" hole saw, cordless drill, and some cutting fluid.  I removed the pilot bit so not to damage the threads in the spacer which was no issue as the hole saw just fits over the spacer.  Here are some pics of the work and it took about 30 minutes.  The "jig" I built out of s wood I had laying around the garage.  This held the CV frame rail so I could use both hands to cut the spacers out with the hole saw and cordless drill. I just put a bit of cutting fluid on the frame rail and after it had cut a groove in the frame rail I just used that to hold the cutting fluid from there on out. I took four more rounds of cutting fluid after the initial one to get them out.  I went slow and let the hole saw work.

CV Frame Rail in "Jig" with One Spacer Already Removed (was alot easier than I thought)
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7095_zpskz2ubebr.jpg)

Cordless and Hole Saw
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7096_zpsmcwfckxg.jpg)

Cutting Spacer from CV Frame Rail
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7099_zps1psfhmiu.jpg)

Spacer Removed from CV Frame Rail
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7098_zpscwux4t62.jpg)

CV Frame Rail with Both Spacers Removed
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7097_zpshgdcccac.jpg)

All Four Spacers after Removal
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7100_zpstlnv4tun.jpg)

So all that is left to do is remove the remaining frame rail material from the spacer.  It was welded to the frame rail with two 1/2" long welds on oppsote sides of the spacer so I am going to concentrate on grinding off the welds first to see of the rest just falls off after that.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 19, 2019, 03:15:07 PM
So I have been chipping away at this front end and buying a part here and there over the last five months.  I was able to get the remaining frame rail material off the spacers by using a cold steel chisel and hammer to remove the chunks that were not spot welded and then used the grinder to get the rest.

So I was looking to see if there was an option for tubular control arms for the IFS and also looking at options with regards to doing a OEM style rebuild on the UCA's and LCA's.  I rattled the cages of a few guys that tend to make custom parts for these Panther platform cars and to date only one is making tubular control arms which is Fatman Fabrications.  He wants a stupid amount of money for them but they do narrow the hub face to face which allows a person to run a deeper dish wheel up front if that is important.  The other two fabricators have not moved off center so my guess is if they ever make them they will also be expensive due to low production numbers.

Next I moved on to looking a doing the OEM rebuild on the stock control arms.  The UCA is available as a complete unit for a very reasonable price from RockAuto.  They also have the FoMoCo lower ball joints and the rear control arm bushing that mounts to the frame of the car (odd setup).  What I could not find was the LCA forward bushing.  I got to the point where I just could not believe that a person could not find the LCA forward bushing so that the LCA you got with your swap CV IFS could be rebuilt.  I noodled around for about a year and finally found a replacement bushing.  The brand is MevoTech which is a Canadian company with P/N MS40401.

Obviously I decided to go the OEM route once the missing bushing was found.  I ended up buying the UCA, lower ball joint, and the rear LCA bushing off RockAuto.  I then bought the LCA forward bushing set off of EBay for $28 plus shipping as that was the only place I could find them.  I went ahead and used the c-clamp style ball joint / bushing removal and installation tool you can get as a loaner tool from the parts houses to pop the old bushings and ball joints out of the LCA's.  Ball joints popped out super easy (they have a spring retainer as well) but the forward bushings took a little more force but once they moved they just completely popped out.  I compared the old bushings to the new ones and dimensionally (used a caliper) they are equal.  I also took some side by side pics and have attached those.  I dropped one of the new bushings into the LCA and it went down to the same point the old one did which left it with about 1/2" that would need to press into the LCA which will work nicely for the needed interference fit.

What got me going on all this was:
1) I have the time to wait
2) I wanted to powder coat the LCA's
3) New LCA's are just stupid expensive

Basically a new LCA comes with a new forward bushing and new ball joint.  The cheaper ones are aluminum LCA's (MevoTech, Moog, etc.) and run about $150 each for non-fleet/police and about $175 each for fleet/police.  The more expensive ones are stamped steel (FoMoCo) and run about $225 each for non-fleet/police and $250 each for fleet/police.  None of these come with the rear frame mount bushing but they are about $45 each for standard or fleet/police.

To compare costs the FoMoCo ball joints are about $100 for a pair and the MevoTech forward bushings are $28 a pair.  Toss in around $15 for shipping costs and all the parts to rebuild two LCA's is $143.  I am going to get the LCA's powder coated for $50 so I will be at $193 total.  So for the price of a new aluminum LCA with shipping I can rebuild both of the LCA's that came with my CV IFS.  It could be done for less it you do not want to mess with any kind of coating on your LCA's or just a few bucks on some rattle can paint and elbow grease to clean them up and prep for paint.

Here are the pics of the forward bushings:

Pictures of the bag the bushings came in. Only showing this as there were two stickers on the bag with different part numbers slash bar code stuff:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7580_zpsnyqnnebp.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7581_zpsbmuipnfu.jpg)

Bushing comparison side by side:
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7584_zpsctb1nb4h.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7585_zps8pf8tpwd.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7583_zps42usmpzm.jpg)
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 19, 2019, 03:23:11 PM
When I tore the front suspension down I tossed the UCA's, springs, struts, wheel hub/bearing assemblies, rotors, and calipers.  I kept the hardware from the factory coil over assemblies (reused on new coil over setup), knuckles, lower control arms, engine cradle, and bolting. So this is basically what I had left over:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/K-Member_zpsg6chxddn.jpg)

I had a few of the parts on the front suspension powder coated over the last few months:

Engine Cross Member - satin clear
Engine Cross Member Upper Brackets - satin black
Wheel Knuckles (what the wheel hub/bearing assembly bolts to) - satin black
Lower Control Arms - satin black
Upper Mount for Coil Overs - satin black

Here is all the stuff that will go back on the engine cradle minus stuff not pictures but have stashed back like new wheel hubs, reman'd rack and pinion (minus the EVO solenoid), C5 corvette calipers, caliper adapters, GT500 rotors, ADTR front sway bar, SS braided front brake lines for the C5 calipers, lower ball joints, ADTR camber kit, and the LCA rear bushings.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7601_zpsez09pjr5.jpg)
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 19, 2019, 03:42:25 PM
So right now I am waiting on the original bolting I removed from the IFS to get cleaned up and zinc plated at a local coater for $50.  All new bolting was four times that from Ford and its just too  cold here to try and clean them up in the garage with a wire wheel and then clear coat them.  I think the zinc plating will work better anyhow.  The reason I am reworking these is some of them are specialty bolts i.e. only available from Ford and the others have the integral washer on them which is nice when working on the vehicle not having to keep track of the washers.  As soon as I get the bolting back I can start putting this all together and then its a waiting game for warmer weather to start modifying the frame to get this bolted up.  From there it will be rear four link time.

Was debating the rear suspension a little more and even though the Fatman Fab four link comes with a Z bar (basically a panhard bar) I still want a sway/anti-roll bar on the rear.  I found a kit that will work between the frame rails but its high dollar so I am going to see if we can make one or find a similar one for less dough.  The one I like is about 3/4's the way down this page and is P/N PA-RSB-P4B:

https://www.progressiveautomotive.com/installations-kits-parts/rear-suspensions/parallel-4-bar-rear-suspension.html

You can click on the picture and it will enlarge...these guys do some nice work.
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Chuck W on February 19, 2019, 03:47:06 PM
We need more pics of the truck!

BTW, have you seen THIS (https://www.facebook.com/steve.mirabelli/media_set?set=a.1967885989890957&type=3)
Title: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on February 19, 2019, 11:08:23 PM
The body has not changed since the bed was rebuilt and tubed.  Chassis, suspension, and power train will be done and then I will move to the body work which means my buddy that owns a body shop.  This is a multi multi year project.  I will be super lucky to get the Coyote and 6R80 in it this year just due to the shear cost and having one in college which is the priority.

Never knew about that guy building a SRT Daytona...dude has skills.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on March 06, 2019, 07:14:07 PM
So the zinc plating hit a snag.  They do not have media blasting and depend on a chemical process to remove any rust and it did not get it all but I only found this out when I went to pick up my parts.  We had a talk about customer service in that they need to let potential customers know their limitations and even suggest when part look like they may need to be media blasted and even possibly partner with a company that can do this so that they can be a one stop shop.

Anyhow, parts were coated and some looked great while others not so much.  They did not charge me and said that if I would get them media blasted they would get them coated quickly.  Took them to my powder coater and they blasted them back to bare metal for $20.  After that I figured why not run the threads with dies and make sure that all the threads were good to go.  This lead to finding 16mm x 2.0 and 14mm x 2.0 dies which Wholesale Tool had in stock.  Got all the threads run only to find that the corrosion was into the threads on one of the 16mm bolts which just happen to hold the entire engine cross member to the frame.  Bolt it on order and should be here tomorrow so I will take the bolts to the platers on Friday as by the time I get by the Ford dealership to pick up the bolt the platers will be closed.

In the middle of all this I got sick, ran a fever, and called some dinosaurs so that started Thursday evening and I got over it this Tuesday.  py cold weekend so probably would not have done anything in the garage anyhow.

It will be done right or not at all...at least that is what I am shooting for.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: BCA on March 07, 2019, 10:26:03 AM
What method did you use to get that crossmember looking so nice?
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on March 07, 2019, 11:31:03 AM
I started by just scrubbing it with a brush and Dawn then hit it with Eagle 1 mag wheel cleaner and scrubbed it with a stiff brush after letting the wheel cleaner sit for about 15 minutes.  Took a couple of rounds of the wheel cleaner but it worked really well.  After that it was powder coated clear so I can simply power wash it now and then for maintenance later down the road.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: BCA on March 08, 2019, 05:43:54 PM
Interesting.....I would have guess it was media blasted.
Good to know. Thanks!
 
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on March 15, 2019, 07:03:04 PM
Finally got all the bolting back from the platers. They did not let me know that they did not have the ability to media blast on site. They tried to chemically remove the rust and the coating job did not turn out good. They asked if I could get them media blasted and they would recoat them. So I took them to my powder coat guy and $20 later they were cleaned up. Took them back to the coaters on Monday and got them back today and they look great. Inbetween all this I also got the flu or some bad ass virus so that took me out over a weekend for a total of five days.

Anyhow, here is a picture of the bolting after the clear zinc plating:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/C00CA43F-57A1-4D23-B2AC-DBE9881D2797_zpst3ntonux.jpeg)

Hoping to get the front suspension assembled and the 14” brakes mocked up. I’ll post up some pictures of that when I do.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 01, 2019, 05:13:50 PM
Got time to work on the truck this weekend.  Demo'd out the stock suspension and all the bracketry on Saturday as well as the rear most frame cross brace as it needs to move all the way back for the fuel tank (taking the one out behind the seat). I also removed the frame cross brace just behind the cab that also holds the emergency brake cable system where it goes from the foot pedal cable to the two cables to the now gone backing plates on the rear end.  The four link has a bracket that goes right where this is/was located. Brackets weld to it for the front connection points of the links and it has a drive shaft loop so that’s a plus. I thought I got a shot of all this before I started but I cannot find it so if I do I will edit this and add it.

So these three pics are an hour into it.  Springs, shocks, and rear end are out but the rusted bolts didn't go with out a fight.  Actually had to get a breaker bar and cheater pipe out.  Used a wire wheel and some PB Blaster but sometimes it just takes brute force.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7668_zps1eiwyci4.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7669_zpseoonb2do.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7670_zpsxrck4i2b.jpg)

A little clean up of the clutter and we have a clean surface to cover with dirt, grinder dust, and metal shavings:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7671_zps1ssc1kob.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7672_zpsorylfdft.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7673_zpsnscwprvk.jpg)

These pics are after I removed the front and rear spring hangers, upper shock mounts, the axle to frame snubber mounts, and a brake line bracket that I am still amazed was riveted to the frame like all this other .  I also swept up after this round and the last pic is a pile of the carnage.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7674_zps4jmtgirw.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7675_zpsyqr34rmj.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7676_zpsqkhkrsgv.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7677_zpsc5kn3nbs.jpg)

These shots were after I removed the rear most frame cross brace and the one up by the cab that held the e-brake cable assembly.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7679_zpsphghhxww.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7680_zpstrhkfs8u.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7681_zpstv4inuqe.jpg)

So all in that was 44 rivets that I had to remove to get all that work completed.  After all that and cleaning up several times I ran out to a buddy's house for some cold beer and BBQ.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 01, 2019, 10:17:03 PM
Woke up early Sunday and got back after it and finished demo'ing out the front suspension with the exception of the engine cross member as it is welded in and the wind was blowing so bad I couldn't weld in the cross braces.  The cross braces will be welded to the top and bottom of the frame so that when I cut the cross member out the frame doesn't move.  In the long run I didn't have time to cut the engine cross member out so there was no loss, my day ended at 10:15 PM.  I was tired from the day before and just forgot to take any progress pics but these are what I ended up with on the front of the truck:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7684_zpswwzuhpcx.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7685_zpsfsxu1c50.jpg)

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7687_zpsny8bptly.jpg)

So the front end was 26 rivets to get the spring horns and I-Beam brackets removed.  These were in a lot tighter spaces especially the rear I-Beam mounts.  I ended up having to remove the transmission cross member as two of the six rivets on each of the I-Beam rear brackets I could not get access to until that cross member was removed. Fortunately the cross member was bolted on the top side and only had two rivets on each side at the bottom (which were also two of the six rivets on the rear I-Beam mounts) that were not bad on access.  I will reinstall that cross member with some bolts we had in the shop as the factory ones took me about a half an hour to get out due to all the rust and grime.  I am here to say that the front end was a jig-saw puzzle which finally required me to just crawl under the truck and lay there for a few minutes to figure out the approach.

When I started to look into this project I did a lot of searches and watched as many videos as I could but the one thing that kept coming up was the rivet removal issue.  Several folks had shared the way they removed these rivets and it varied from grinding the heads off and punching them out to using a torch.  I tried grinding the heads off and that was an exercise in futility due to the amount of dust and the time it took.  I ended up using what I call a tiger disc in a 4" grinder (really thin cutting blade) and cutting an X in each head and then air chiseling the heads off.  Once this was done I used whatever means necessary to remove the bracket which was usually a BFH or pry bar or both.  If the rivet didn't come out with the bracket then I would have to switch to a grinding disc in the 4" grinder and grind down the rivet body to the frame and then use same BFH and a large punch to completely remove the rivet from the frame.  It was impossible to try and punch a rivet out that was passing through two layers of metal.  This is due to when the rivet was installed none of the holes lined up perfectly to they are offset which caused the rivet to offset thus making it impossible to remove with a punch and hammer.  Might have been able to do it with an air punch but I did not have one.

Last was to tear down the 9" as the housing needs different bearing ends for the Explorer 8.8 brakes and the four link brackets will be slid on the tubes.  I cut the spring perches off as well as the lower shock mounts (no pic) and hauled it to my buddy's house as he has a rear end jig. He is going to tack weld the ends on for mock up. Once we get the four link brackets tack welded into place I’ll take the rear end back to his shop and he will weld the brackets and ends up with the jig in place so everything is lines up straight.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7683_zpsp9hrkmy0.jpg)

Don't think it was ever serviced in its life, scooped this  out with a glove on:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7688_zpsq6gaq1i5.jpg)

Going to get back after it this weekend and finish the demo so we can get started on the front IFS and rear four link.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 02, 2019, 11:42:48 AM
So during my research I did find a guy that built a '68 F100 back in 2008 or so and it was over the course of a couple years.  Nice thing was it was a project that one of the magazines was doing so they did it in a bunch of parts over a couple years.  In Part 4 they started the four link and it is the same kit I am using so it has been a pretty good source of info.  py part is they finished the install in Part 5 and I cannot find it online anywhere.  It was just C notching the frame, installing the Z bar (what we call a panhard bar), and installing the coil overs (which includes the bar between the frame rails for the top mounts of the coil overs) but it would have been nice to see it done.  I grabbed a couple of the pics so you can see what I hope to end up with but again the bars on my truck will be inside the frame.

So here is the forward cross member that the front of the four link will attach to and you can see why I needed to remove the factory cross member in this location:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Fatmna%20Fabrications%20-%20Universal%20Four%20Link%20Foward%20Bracket_zpszuallriu.jpg)

This is the four link mocked up with the rear end in place. Notice the two jacks holding everything up in place as they had not even tack welded things at this point.  It is sans the C notches in the frame, the Z bar, and the coil overs but you get the idea:

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Fatmna%20Fabrications%20-%20Universal%20Four%20Link_zpstndym8lj.jpg)

This is the anti-roll bar or sway bar that I will be running (between the coil overs and mounted on the same upper mount as the coil overs) but I cannot order it until I have the four link completely installed including the coil overs.  This is so I can order the right length torsion bar as they cut it to length and spline the ends.

(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/ECrowley09_zpseijugty9.jpg)

Hopefully the engine cross member comes out easy and I have time to work on the IFS and get that assembled.  Putting my mig welder cart together this evening so hopefully the instructions are easy.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on April 04, 2019, 12:57:04 AM
:like:
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 08, 2019, 06:36:47 PM
So it was another productive weekend working on the F100.  Granted it was more tear down and more removal of metal and a couple more rivets but it is finally ready for the new suspension.  Spent Friday making a poor attempt at installing the ball joints and bushings on front LCA's so they are now at a machine shop getting done.  Problem with the ball joint installation is that the top and bottom of the LCA are not parallel to each other at this location so no matter what I did I could not get the press to line up parallel to the bore of the LCA where the ball joint goes.  The forward bushing was just a space issue with how the control arm is shaped in that no matter how I configured it our press was just wrong for the job.  Getting them out was easy as demo seems to always be but going back together is a different animal especially with the powder coat on the control arms.  Machine shop owner is a family friend so he said he would treat them like his own...hopefully he likes things to have coating on them.   So that is how I blew my Friday along with chasing some parts and rental tools down.

Anyhow, moving on to more metal removal.  On Saturday I did some preliminary measuring and sure as shiznit the one brace I left in the rear of the frame is right where I need to box the frame as well as in the way of the forward four link mount.  Look at the first picture in Reply #45 and you can see where it is going to foul the forward mount.  Here are the pictures after the brace was removed and we put some temporary tube and an angle iron "Z" brace on the rear of the frame so it would not roll or move.

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7721_zpsolripz1h.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7722_zpsnqig4tuu.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7723_zpscu6coye9.jpg)

Started to prep the front of the truck for the engine cross member removal and removed what is left of the front clip and stored those parts.  After sweeping up and cleaning up again it was time to call it a day and head out to a buddy's house for smoked steaks, sides, coooooold beer(s), and Live PD....yeah we are those guys.  We comment on it like Mystery Science Theater 3000 as we have an ex-police office in the group so it gets pretty funny.

Woke up early on Sunday as it was time to move back up to the front of the frame and get the old engine cross member removed.  This has all the rivets removed but it is also welded to the frame at the top and along the sides.  The driver side also has the fun option of more plating for the steering gear mount so that was also welded across the top and then to the cross member.  I will not take credit for this idea as I saw a guy on YouTube do this so this was my chop saw for the top welds, an old Makita circular saw and a 7" metal cutting blade.

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7696_zpss97pmzgu.jpg)

Results in about ten minutes of cutting as expected and beat the  out of a plasma or sawzall.  First picture is the passenger side and the second is the driver side with the additional steering gear bracket/reinforcement:

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7699_zpsekui0ozz.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7697_zpsecvnbid9.jpg)
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 08, 2019, 06:43:04 PM
Once that was done I started to cut the rest of the way through on the back of the passenger side and as soon as the sawzall blade went through the frame slightly twisted in on the bottom and spread on the top jamming the blade.  This was where I took a break and got some water and took a deep breath.  Looked things over and grabbed a bottle jack and some round pipe.  Applied very little force and the bottom of the frame moved back where it was prior to the cut.  I called a buddy that welds and he came over and welded some angle iron across the bottom of the frame back towards the cab.  Next we grabbed a come along and wrapped it around the frame and subsequently with little pressure sucked the top back to where it needed to be.  Again, he welded some angle iron to the top of the frame at the same location as the angle iron below it.  At this point I wanted "Z" bars welded across both of the frame braces to limit twist and my buddy burned them in (this is when the "Z" brace got added to the brace on the rear of the frame).  With this done my welder had to roll out and do some dad stuff and it was lunch time.  After eating I spent the next two hours removing the cross member and nothing moved.

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7713_zpsc6pza6pp.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7710_zpspu7dtaup.jpg)

In this photo you can see the "V" shaped bracket to the back of the left over "channel" piece of the cross member:

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7711_zps170iinlj.jpg)

Then I had to remove what was left of the cross member inside the channel of the frame as well as the spacer for the steering gear.

Passenger side:
(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7714_zpsnsadepkn.jpg)

Driver side with the "V" shaped steering gear spacer already removed:
(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7715_zpstexs6bxa.jpg)

The spacer was easy as it was just crimped onto the frame so I ground the crimps and it fell out.  The remaining part of the cross member was welded to the inside of the frame but only about about 3" with gaps at the top and bottom and then only on one side of each piece.  I was able to cut the channel shaped piece at the bends and divide into three pieces.  This allowed me to take a BFH and bend the side pieces back and forth until the weld broke leaving only minimal material to grind flat.  Once those were out then the top piece was pried down from the back and what was left of the weld from the circular saw pass broke quickly.  From there is was just cleaning up the welds and dressing up the edges of the frame.

Passenger side:
(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7720_zpsvvbfhuag.jpg)

Driver side:
(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7719_zpscpq9tnor.jpg)

Will start on the suspension installation in a couple weeks as we have stuff going on this weekend and my buddy that will be welding all of this up works this weekend but off next weekend.  Fun part will be temporarily putting the front suspension under the truck (ratchet strapped) and U-bolting an old rear end to the back so we can roll this up on a trailer.  He wants this at his shop (60' x 120') where his much larger mig welder and tig machine are.  I will take a picture of the hillbilly express on the trailer as it should be good for a laugh or two.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 13, 2019, 01:47:28 PM
So I gave up on pressing the ball joint and forward bushing into the lower control arms for the Crown Vic IFS.  Popping them out was easy but getting thing lined up to get them pressed in was not something we had to tools for or the patience.  Paid a local machine shop that has hot rods $60 for a couple hours labor and done.

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7764_zpspdicxiju.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7768_zpsupnlajs4.jpg)

(https://oi786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7765_zpsqlnm8ft9.jpg)
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 30, 2019, 08:57:49 PM
Okay, so here is where I tell on myself and offer some advice...remember to tell the machine shop which way the ball joint is supposed to be pressed in.  So $30 later and another week later I got the LCA's with the ball joints pressed in correctly.  So I discovered this when I was trying to assemble the IFS in the garage so I just finished up what I could which was Just putting the UCA's on...boring.  So I then decided to go ahead with locating the engine cross member into the frame and getting it bolted up.  There were a couple factory holes in the frame we welded up as they were going to get partially consumed by the 1-5/16" holes that were going to get cut into the top of the frame.  The lower holes for the bolts to pass through as well as the locating pins also had factory holes that needed to be welded up for the same reason.

Here is what I ended up with after welding the holes shut and drilling the new holes for the spacers:

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zps9t8h3ava.png)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7780_zpsemoji1z9.jpg)

Grabbed the engine cross member and got it installed and torqued the bolts to 100 ft-lb just to keep things located for now.  We will tack the tubes in place and then remove all the suspension to weld them out fully.  Will also box the frame 24" at this location to add some strength.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zps7cancxqx.png)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7784_zpsu9ibu2qh.jpg)

So that is as far as I got two weekends ago.  Got the control arms from the machine shop last Thursday and they got the ball joints out and pressed back in without any damage.  I wasted zero time last Friday and got the IFS finished up on the truck.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7794_zpseb4ual1f.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsnaw25s8h.jpg)  (https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpslhbb9bdk.jpg)

I went ahead and installed the upper braces as I figured putting the truck on the ground and loading the suspension it would be good to have them on and we will be pushing it up on a trailer to take it to my buddy's shop to weld everything up.  Better safe than sorry at this point.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7802_zpszqyk9ss1.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7804_zpsbnhbzhd0.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7803_zpsehsj8gmi.jpg)

So it took a couple adjustments on the coil overs but this is about two inches higher than the ride height I want but that is about how much I think it will come down with all of the drive line and sheet metal weight.  I also leveled the frame from front to back and side to side and then I let the Alpine play...

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7807_zpsgr1u7uez.jpg)

Not slammed but definitely not pickup height anymore.

Here is one shot from the back and yes Chuck I had to have your wheels.  Seriously, had them on my Coupe until 2011 and have had them in the shop up on the storage ledge since then.  Very appropriate mock up wheel if you ask me.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7809_zpsptx2f8oe.jpg)
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 30, 2019, 09:14:15 PM
Headed back this weekend to get the rear end from another friend who is welding up some new ends on the 9".  We were going to go stock width but I started researching rims and tires and that isn't going to work.  We are just going to leave the ends off for now slide the four link brackets on the tubes.  Had to put the brackets in his lathe to open them up just a tad so they would actually slide down the tubes.

I am going to have to narrow the rear end at least four inches on each side but I want it under the truck with the four link installed and the bed on it so I can see if I can fit the tires under it that I want.  This isn't for the weak of heart fellas...

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Mickey%20Thompson%20Sportsman%20SR_zpswn5zun3r.png)

Tire Data:
Size - 29 x 18.00 R20 LT
Rim Width - 15.0 to 16.0
O.D. - 29"
Section Width - 17.2"
Tread Width - 15.5"

So if everything works out I will be running a 20" x15" rear and a 18"x10" front wheels.  Fronts will most likely be 295/30 R18's.  This is if I can get it all to fit without chopping thing up.  I know one guy got a 295 under the front on some 18x11's so it will go but I may end up with something a little narrower depending on what all has to be done.  This is all a long way out as this is some serious $$$ so that in itself may back me off my dream of some steamrollers in the rear.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Chuck W on April 30, 2019, 09:44:04 PM
The whole thing looks great. Especially the appropriate mock up wheel.  :toothless:
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on May 01, 2019, 03:24:19 PM
That is a honkin', big-assed, righteous, godlike, and asskicking tire lol.

Dude, you gotta put them on this truck!

But I have to admit the Cobras would look good too :like:
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on May 01, 2019, 07:44:28 PM
The Cobras are just to roll it around on. Those tires will find their way under the truck. Rims are a whole other issue...20x15’s are not cheap.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on May 20, 2019, 08:02:08 PM
So I hacked a rear axle for the truck to get it up on a trailer and out to my buddy's shop to finish the front suspension and then move to the four link.  Here are a couple of pictures of the getto axle and I am proud to say it went up on the trailer and back down it with zero issues.  We did put it on jack stands for the trip out there and strapped the  out of it.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zps4nul0x9z.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7814_zpsjf1hgh7a.jpg)

Removed the getto axle and then rolled the rear end under it and the driveshaft loop cross member that the front four link brackets will attach to.  The ends were removed off the rear end as they are the wrong ones for the Explorer disc brake set up and it will be narrowed.  I had to open up the ID of the four link rear brackets that slide on the axle tube as they were 3.00" and the stock axle tubes are 3.09".  Metal carbide bit, die grinder, and a few minutes took care of that issue.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsfidlp4mh.png)

If it appears that the drive shaft loop cross member is offset to the passenger side you are correct.  The 9" is centered in the truck and the center line of the pinion on it is 15/16" to the passenger side so we moved the loop over 1" to the passenger side.  The motor and trans have a factory offset of 3/4" to the passenger side and with the motor mounts I am getting I can correct that to 1".  Hopefully I can get a straight shot left to right on the drive shaft so the u-joints are only dealing with the up and down.

So with this setup the top of the drive shaft loop cross member is level with the center line of the rear axle.  You need to know the diameter of the tire you are going to run to set this up and also know the ride height of the vehicle.  From there the back of the drive shaft loop cross member is 25-3/4" forward of the rear axle center line.  Once you have all of this figured out then its level the frame up from front to back and side to side and fire the plasma cutter up.  We started with the driver shaft loop cross member first:

Plasma cutter in action
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7872_zpse94rszqm.jpg)

Fitment of cross member
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsvfjckafx.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsxowr0oit.jpg)  (https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsxy4xjaks.jpg)

Welded it up and then a couple rounds of welding to fill in the gaps and lots of grinding got this
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7900_zpsezjn1idj.jpg)
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on May 20, 2019, 08:02:53 PM
From here we moved to the 3" c-notches as the ride height will have the top of the axle tubes 1" from the bottom of the frame and the travel on the suspension is +/- 3".  With the notches I have 4" above the axle tube and the top of the rear end will miss the bottom of the bed by 1/4" so bump stops will be mandatory.

Metal prepped and c-notch marked (notice the long dimple on the left there is one on the right as well)
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7882_zps06j8kjtb.jpg)

Plasma cutter back in action (you can see the c-notch on top of the frame to the left)
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7883_zpsiwf4ukks.jpg)

Welding in the c-notch (6.625" x 0.280" pipe that was cut 3-1/4" wide and then split in half all on a band saw)
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7884_zpscbkqbzmo.jpg)

Back of the c-notch installed
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7881_zpsmpwzbu78.jpg)

The bottom of the frame in front and back of the c-notch will be cut out as Ford clearanced the frame for the shocks.  This was done in a press when the frame was made and we did debate heating it up and just hammering it flat and then thought better of it.  Plasma cutter will make short work of it and I will make some templates and transfer those shapes to some plate I bought for this and the boxing work.  Should look pretty slick when it is done.  I am debating on getting a dimple die set and putting holes in the boxing plate.  This would be for looks but also media blasting and getting the powder coat all in there.

Front side with additional welding to fill in some factory dimples
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7887_zpsqoy1kvue.jpg)

Ground all of that flat and then added some more filler weld and ground that down and then hit it with some 80 grit on a flapper wheel
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7888_zpssqntsubs.jpg)

So this is where we left it yesterday evening after two days of lots of interruptions which included attending two BBq's
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpseed9ugmt.png)
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on May 20, 2019, 08:10:28 PM
So this morning (took the day off) I went back out and we installed the bar between the frame rails for the upper coil over mount and the Z-bar.  I didn't take a lot of pictures of the fitment as there was weather moving in and I wanted to be back home before all that shiznits here in a couple more hours.  The bar had to be cut to length and then two 3" heavy wall pipe spacers installed such that only 1" stuck out from the bar.  We used the drill press and a hole saw to make that happen and my buddy tigged up the side that stuck out and then mig welded the back side and ground that side flat.  The top of the coil overs are 1" inboard relative to the lower mount so we had to account for that as well which is where the plumb bob came in handy...again.

Upper coil over mount getting welded in
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7892_zpsrmvcptfj.jpg)

And the four link is in all be it with the dummy bars in place of the coil overs.  We did this so things would not move around while it got welded up and who wants to weld around that stuff anyhow.  I worked myself up over this  install and after it was all said and done my buddy and I looked it over and then he said "We could do this in one day now".  I would say two but all he did was weld and make four cuts with the plasma and I did all the measuring, calcs, metal prep, and yeah holy shiznit this was pretty easy.

The welds on the forward brackets need to be done as well as a couple welds on the coil over bar but that is it.  The brackets on the rear end are tack welded but it will come back out and go into a jig and get about 4" cut off one side and 6" off the other and the new ends put on with some pretty tig welds.  Here are a few shots of all of it in place, I'm liking it...

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7894_zpsqzztlgci.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/edited-image_zpsdkxwh87z.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7897_zpsmvuzjq5h.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7898_zpsbm2dif86.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_7899_zpse5robjjs.jpg)

Taking a couple more days off in a few weeks and hopefully we can get the front suspension all welded up (spacer tubes, boxing, and the rear LCA mounts) and box the rear frame.  Lots of tpuppies, templates, and welding but it should look pretty sweet when done.  From there it will be put the bed on the truck and 100% figure out how much to narrow the rear end.  Once that is narrowed then we will have the Moser axles shortened and resplined...could kick myself in the ass for order them as quick as I did as that is costing me $125 to shorten brand new axles and respline them.  Live and learn.

Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on June 10, 2019, 02:03:21 PM
Got some more time last weekend to work on the truck.  I got the bottom lip of the frame cut out in front and behind both "C" notches and made some templates to transfer the shapes onto the sheet of 10 gauge SA-36 steel.  Got those cut out with the plasma torch, shaped them, and then burned them in.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8079_zpswzih0ney.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8080_zpsptgw7p5i.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8084_zpsemiqttq8.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8085_zpsdmbillch.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8088_zps1tnwsa99.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8089_zpsb1poeqlh.jpg)

Got the bottom side welded up and then ground all of that flat and brightened it up.  Still a couple small spots to weld up so it is filled in but we will get those when we are done welding up the boxing plates.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8099_zpsxxrgyy84.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8100_zpsxt60wopq.jpg)

From here I stared making the templates for the boxing plates on the rear of the truck and for the front as well.  I was going to try and do the rear plate in one piece but getting it around the front support for the four link, the "C" notch, and the rear coil over upper support bar was going to be a pain so I opted to two piece it.

Here is the template for the back section of the rear boxing plate
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8090_zps3sepqu6c.jpg)

Then the rear boxing plate fitted with the front template being fitted
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8091_zpszrxf9esw.jpg)

Front and rear boxing plates fitted and ready to tack into place
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8106_zpsellbkfjr.jpg)

Moved to the front of the truck and made the templates to box the frame where the Crown Vic IFS is installed.  Welded up the spacer tubes and then cut the boxing plate out and fitted both sides.  I think we are going to heat the frame in a couple spots as the lips on the frame are just not 100% straight and it will make the welding a lot better.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8105_zpsjskkyzxx.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8107_zpslreoaptg.jpg)

Should get back on welding out the boxing plates this weekend if all goes well.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on June 17, 2019, 02:21:24 PM
Got a little time Saturday to tack weld the boxing plates into the frame rails.  Should have them all welded out in the next couple of weeks as my buddy and I both want it done before the 4th of July.

Rear Plates:
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8132_zpsbaqur8yo.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8133_zpsdgblc0ll.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8134_zps6sux6g3x.jpg)

Front Plate:
(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8135_zpsxqosofqi.jpg)

We also talked ourselves into gusseting the four link front cross member on the bottom for two reasons, one we thought it needed it and two we had the plate so why not melt some metal.  Will clean up the welds but this was about 10 minutes after they were welded up.

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8136_zpsy3hwvzfz.jpg)

So from here about the last thing to weld up are the front lower control arm rear bushing mounts.  Will need to do some research on that so that I can get the caster at about 5-6 degrees positive before we weld them up.  This will allow for a couple of degrees of +/- adjustment down the road.  I couple guys have done this and have some good write-ups on how to do it so I just need to reread those and fully understand what I am doing as this is critical like getting the four link setup right.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 03, 2020, 03:33:12 PM
Well its only been a little over nine months and not a whole lot has happened.  We did finish up welding the boxing plates on the frame and got the rear of the front LCA's mounted.

Rear frame boxing plate weldout pictures:

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8230_zps59vacurc.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8233_zps3sscxik7.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8234_zps364r3jja.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8231_zpscheqhh5e.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8235_zps1xmworsg.jpg)

Front LCA rear mount attachment:

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8254_zps1wabfpmi.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8255_zpspixr2ry9.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8257_zpsejneaixv.jpg)

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/IMG_8256_zpsnbvmbp8h.jpg)

Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Mikey97D on April 03, 2020, 03:37:38 PM
Awesome work. 
Really enjoy watching these projects come together and all the craftsmanship.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on April 03, 2020, 04:19:15 PM
I wanted to get the control arms for the rear end powder coated but the rod ends that came with the Fatman Fabrications four link are the old RideTech ends in that the bushing is pressed in and they quit making them.  So if I attempted to remove them and damaged one I am SOL.  I could cut them off and replace them with the newer RideTech design (R-Joint) which allows for better movement and they are rebuildable but the cost is ridiculous so I think these are just going to get painted at this point.

I got the 9" housing mocked up under the truck and a buddy narrowed it for me at his shop a few miles from my dad's shop.  That then went to the powder coaters and is now black like the front suspension parts.  Thought I had some pics of the rear axle housing powder coated but I cannot find them but if I do I'll post them up.

The guy that narrowed the rear axle housing has a jig to measure the length of the axle needed from the 3rd member to the axle  and then you have to know the offset for the brakes you are going to run to get the correct axles.

Jig he has is a plate that slips over all the studs that the 3rd member attaches to the axle housing. This one is similar but it only attaches to four of the studs on the axle housing:

(https://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/Axle%20End%20Locator_zpshuaetjxe.jpg)

You can see window to the left side which is where the ends of the axles would be.

I called Moser and they talked me though what information they needed and a few weeks later the axles showed up.  The same guy that narrowed the axle housing assembled the 3rd member with the 3.73 gears, new trac-lok, and a bearing kit all from Yukon Gear.  I have everything for the 2001 Explorer rear disc brakes except for the calipers so I am now working on getting those.  Once I have them I will assemble the rear end and put it under the truck.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Clayton on August 27, 2020, 09:03:31 PM
Any updates?
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 28, 2020, 06:38:58 PM

Just need to find time / get off my ass and put the rear end together. Have all the parts, housing is narrowed and powder coated, and axles have been shortened. After that it’s the $8,000 hammer for the Coyote and trans.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on August 29, 2020, 07:15:18 PM
Possible to buy a wrecked truck at an auction cheaper and yank the needed stuff yourself?
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on August 29, 2020, 08:51:35 PM
It’s possible but then you have to know how to strip the ECU harness down to what you need, defeat the PATs system, and pray what you buy isn’t hurt.  Then with an F150 motor you get to buy all the stuff for a power steering, relocate the oil filter, and swap the intake cams for Mustang profile ones. Another small thing is the compression ratio is 0.5 less than a Mustang.

The place I’m going to buy from has already weeded the wiring harness down to what’s needed, defeated the PATs, and guarantee the motor and the trans. It comes delivered to your choice of location ready to start. You supply a battery and gas and test fire it before you accept delivery. It comes out of a Mustang and I can choose the mileage. The less mileage the more you pay so I’m going 50,000 or less.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Beau on December 19, 2020, 09:59:31 AM
Darren, how ya doin' on the truck? Hope you and yours are well!
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 19, 2020, 10:08:03 AM
No progress whatsoever. Got the daughter graduated from University of Oklahoma yesterday so that has been our concentration the last couple of years. Hoping I can afford the Coyote and 6R80 next year which will move things along.

Family is good and healthy which is great and hope everyone else here is doing well.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Mikey97D on December 21, 2020, 04:11:20 PM
Wow!  Congratulations on your daughter graduation. 


Planning on a Coyote?  What are you planning for an engine controller?  Ford, Holley, etc  ????
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on December 21, 2020, 06:28:12 PM
Stock ECU. Will tune it when the switch to the turbo is made.
Title: Re: '70 F100 Short Bed Styleside
Post by: Aerocoupe on November 17, 2021, 02:19:39 PM
Decided to go with a Gen III Coyote and 10R80 and top it with a 3.0L Whipple later down the road.  Turbo stuff was just too much piping, rework of the exhaust, and I think the Whipple will be cleaner.  It will allow for me to work all the bugs out naturally aspirated and then move up to the Whipple and go north of 700 hp.

Don't expect to update much until the motor and trans is bought which I hope will be in March or April of 2022.  One other note is I decided to save a little longer and just buy a crate motor and trans so I don't have to throw the dice with salvage yard units.  Prices on salvage parts have gone way up with the whole auto manufacturing chip shortage so it helped close the gap between new and salvage prices.  Only thing that will suck is after the drive train is done it will be more waiting to get the body work and paint done as the days of $3,000 paint jobs are gone.  My buddy that painted my last two cars said for what I want it will be north of $5,000 and it will not be a dark color...good grief.