Thread: Front Clip for 66 F100

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I am wanting to pro street my 66 and have been planning this thing for about 4 months now. I am trying to decide what front end to get for this thing and then going to figure out what to do with the rear end.... I do not really know what to do anymore with this thing and the front end. I hear some people use a Volare front clip but you can't get dropped spindles for them, etc plus I plan to run a 460 in it and it will be heavy for that front end I am thinking. Here is what I was looking at and was hoping if anyone has any info on the complete front clip from Jegs...
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...0775&langId=-1
Thanks for any info and suggestions on what you guys think I should do here.

Shawn-

Why not just an MII suspension package on the front, Shawn??? Heck of a lot less money!!!!!

From where though? I am not too sure about that unit from Fat Mans, to me they are a rip and charge way too much when I can buy just the cross member from somewhere or them and get the rest elsewhere. What would you do here? I am totally stuck and need to try and make up my mind and finish planning this thing. I know what I want and pricing the motor and tranny but now need to figure out the front end and I should be pretty much set....
Thanks Dave!

Dropped spindles are available for the Volare. I have a pair from No Limit Engineering. Joe

Are you running a Volare on your 1940 Ford? If so then what kind of motor do you have, the weight, etc? I know a guy that has a LTD chassis under his 60's F100 but he had to do a lot of work to get it to fit and cut the bed floor open because it angles way up and looks weird. My only problem is that I have never put on a front end so LTD or Volare will not have instructions and the MII will.

Volare is under my 53 F100. 40 has MII. No limit has templates and a video for Volare install, very helpfull. A few years ago Rod and Custom magazine had an article on Volare instell in your style of truck, I will look for it. Joe

Man, awesome I never knew this, thanks! Maybe I can make this Volare work then and get one for really cheap. :?

Im just gonna throw this out there maybe someone has a more solid answer. Some time back i remember seeing an ad in a classic truck magazine for a company that sold crossmembers that used dodge dakota suspension. I think there are/were called chassis industries or industrial chassis. Something like that. I hope that someone can back me up on that.

No you are right and I think I know the guy that owns that company. I know a guy with a company that makes those front ends but dont know the name of the company. It's probably the same one. Either way, those front ends are pretty expensive (the kits are) and I can't remember but there are some negative things with them and with using a FE 460 motor with them too. I know of people slamming their 60's Ford F100's with them and they look really nice.

Take a look at Progressive Automotives front packs they are very nice and easy to install. I think the entire pack is $1400 and they should have a kit specific to your truck. Mustang II fronts are tried and true. I used one on a daily driver for 7 years (39Chevy P/U) without a problem.

hellraiser, have you ever visited www.ford-trucks.com? If not, go there and look at the 48-60 forum [also has 61-66 forum]. Click on "research threads", then "suspension alternatives", then scroll to Volare. You will find all the info you need to make a decsion. There might be info also on 61-66 forum, but I have not looked at that forum. Joe

Thanks a lot here guys I will look at those sites!

A few years back a friend of mine used mid 70's t'bird and lincon frames under his ford trucks from 40's to 70's. They are already setup for the big block,bigger brakes,and ride great. Larry

Larry, I will look into that. Thanks for the info! Today we had a Astro Chevy van in the shop up on the lift and I was looking at it and we were thinking that it would probably work under my truck and be great. Just putting it on with no dropped spindles or nothing would lower my truck a bit too because the way it is and it's all boxed in, nice heavy duty springs and big A arms, big cross member, nice tranny mount already on it, etc. I don't see why it wouldn't work. I am going to measure it again but I think it's 54 inches from frame rail to frame rail. Tomarrow I am going to check hub to hub.

I have a set of drop coils from Suspension Techniques for an Astro van. Let me know