Suspension upgrade Qs for '65 coupe

[DeltaMustang65]

Crap. Looks like I've wasted $4.

[bmxmon]

Anybody watch Musclecar on the Power block on Spike? It was the first time i've been awake that early (yes, 10 or so is early for me!) so I got to watch it, and they started installation of a mustang 2 front suspension on a 65-66 (I think, cant remember) fastback stang! After watching that show it makes me want to do it, figured it'd be a good topic in this thread.

[DeltaMustang65]

About the silicone grease... besides it being safest, does it resist binding/seizing like the grease I already have?

This weekend, I finally have the day off from both work AND school. I want to at least get the rear taken care of then.

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, I got started yesterday. Haven't had a chance to grease anything up yet, unfortunately. I almost got the passenger side leaf spring off, but the nut & bolt on the front just didn't want to turn anymore once I got it close to being off. Damn my luck. I guess I'll be going to get some penetrating grease or something to get this stubborn thing off.

I've got the car supported properly, frame, rear end, brake drum is resting on my spare tire...but I can't help but be nervous. Is it safe to have the car raised like this for any length of time?

[DeltaMustang65]

Ugh, luckily I was able to remove the front nut & bolt on the leaf spring. Now I can't get the shackle off. I've got the nut off (try not to laugh), but the bolt won't slide out. I've sprayed the area with penetrating oil, SOAKED the area with it, and hammered like mad, but to no avail. I guess this is what happens when nobody rebuilds the suspension in 40+ years.

While waiting for the oil to loosen things up for me, I sanded/primed/painted the new sway bars & shackles semi-flat black. The bronze stuff that they had on there just didn't seem like it was going to afford much protection. Not that I plan on ever driving in bad weather, but meh.

Anyway, I know this message board has been deader than usual lately, but has anyone run into stubborn bolts like this or have any suggestions on getting them off that I haven't thought of?

P.S. Sorry about the chain of questions, and thanks in advance.

[drudis]

Contact John again about some leaf spring contraption...
He crafted a leafspring NOT to use rubber bushings, but bearings instead. Pretty slick!
dietrends at-sign juno.com


p.s. I always found that a torch will get most anything off!!!

[mdjay]

Matt, I did the MII Conv on my vert a while back and did an article on the subject.
http://www.mustangdepot.com/graphics/RoomforMore.pdf

The install is not that tough, but if you plan on open tracking the car, I would consider more bracing than the kit offers (ie firewall to front subs at least).

The crossmember sits kinda low too so it's another consideration.

PS I'm not the biggest fan of using a torch, but in that tight area, it may be necessary. If you can get a grinder in there and shave it off, give it a try.

[DeltaMustang65]

That conversion is just a weeee bit outta my league. Not to mention I just couldn't bring myself to hack up my car, considering the condition it's in.

And yeah, I'm sure I can get these bolts out without a torch. I haven't had a chance these past few days due to midterms, but I'll be getting back to it sometime in the next 2 days for sure.

Also, the sway bars and other hardware that I painted came out quite well. Especially considering that I was flirting with some really poor weather at the time.

[DeltaMustang65]

Sheesh, this is taking longer than I thought. I have the passenger side leaf, shackle and everything else bolted in to minimum torque specs. Gonna torque them down proper once I get everything secured, of course.

I keep running into snags. Today I bought new bolts and nuts for the front of the leafs because I didn't want to reuse the old ones. MP apparently doesn't include them with their kits. Now I need to pick up new u-bolts & nuts for where the leaf meets the rear end. One of the nuts gets stuck on the bolt and it'll somehow spin and not go anywhere, on or off. Of course I find this out after spending time cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting them so they don't stand out against all the shiny new black parts. ARGH!

Another reason it's taking a while longer than I thought is because I've been cleaning out the caked dirt from the quarter panels and undercarriage while I'm in the area. Shot some new rubber undercoating in there, so now it looks nice 'n clean.

Anyway, I just thought I'd update. I don't have many friends that are into cars that I can talk to, can you tell?

[DeltaMustang65]

I officially hate the driver's side shackle area. Not enough room to line the bolt up with the frame and the top of the shackle. I had to punch a hole in the inner quarter panel in order to get this bolt in. Pain in the ass.

If I'd been using rubber bushings, I'd probably have been able to insert the bushing/sleeve/bolt as a unit, but the polyurethane bushing was just too stiff for this. I know most of the regs probably know this already, but in case a relative newbie like me is reading this topic, be aware of bad times in this area.

Almost done...almost done... *rocks back and forth*

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, the rear suspension is all put together. All I have to do is detail the undercarriage and I'll be out of there.

1 quick question. If it's necessary to lower the rear to match the front, will I have to drill new holes or otherwise mess with the sway bar? Part of installing the bar was to jack the rear up by the differential so that the weight of the car is supported by the springs, then drill the holes in the frame going by the bar's position. Will a 1/4" change in ride height alter the spring and frame mounting point's position in relation to each other too much and give me any side effects? It seems like the bar's movement is limited since it's not a factory bar, but I could be wrong.

I should have some pics up as soon as I get around to detailing. BTW, what do you guys suggest for the rear undercarriage if it was previously daily-driven and kinda crappy?

[DeltaMustang65]

Well, no detailing yet, but I got a couple pictures up on myspace. I'm kinda limited to shots of the general area since there's a 12 picture limit and I need to leave space for shots of other projects, but whatever. It's under "my pictures", of course. Enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/deltamustang65

P.S. They should let us upload more than a few pictures on MW.

[mdjay]

Originally Posted by DeltaMustang65

1 quick question. If it's necessary to lower the rear to match the front, will I have to drill new holes or otherwise mess with the sway bar? Will a 1/4" change in ride height alter the spring and frame mounting point's position in relation to each other too much and give me any side effects?

It's usually a situation where it could bind the end links. It's not likely that 1/4" would cause a bind!

[DeltaMustang65]

I'm planning on getting started up front on monday, since I work this weekend. Gotta admit I'm a little worried about the stiffness of the springs. The back is very firm, and the leafs are rated at 195 lbs I believe. The coils are over twice that, and yes the front is heavier but I can't help but wonder if the car is going to be balanced and if it's going to get all skittish on the crummy streets here in Stockton.

Also, does it make a difference if I do the Shelby drop first? Should I remove both coils and drop both sides at the same time and then install all the new parts, or should I do one side at a time? As I've said before, I've never done any of this before. If you guys can help me avoid any pitfalls, that would be great. Thanks.

[DeltaMustang65]

Can I simply loosen and retighten the end links after dropping the rear 1/4 to help avoid binding?

I have everything out but the coil springs themselves. I removed all the old rubber undercoat and sprayed on some more, looks much better. Even better, it took a lot less time than the rear.

I reused the shock tower caps, got 'em looking like new again.

If I have time after work tomorrow, I'll get started on the Shelby drop. It looks like it might be kinda hard drilling accurately in that area, though. If I don't run into some weird-ass problem, I can probably finish everything up if I have a whole afternoon to myself.

I'll let everyone (if you're still around) know how it turns out when I get it on the road. I should definately have it done and in for alignment before my B-day.