2007 Crown Vic IFS mod on 1953 GM truck

[JMT]

I am a novice restorer but have close friends who have extra skills. Has anyone used a Crown Vic suspension on a 1947-1953 chassis without shortening the Vic's width. Pics would be a huge help. I need HELP!!!

[Oldtruckfanatic]

Its way too wide. I did one for a guy last summer because he insisted. I will try to dig up the pics.

[JMT]

Thanks! Appreciate the pics. Can I not offset the front rims to narrow the appearance on the front compared to the back? Looks I may be forking out the dough for a Mustang II IFS. Any other more affordable options? This is my sons senior year of high school and trying to complete for Christmas. Thanks for your help!

[Oldtruckfanatic]

We put front wheel drive offset wheels on the truck and it looked ok but it wasnt narrow enough to get the truck very low.

[JMT]

Not looking to lower it much so may be okay!

[jetnow1]

Mid 70's chevy pickup front ends are also a bolt on crossmember- just about 1 inch wider
at the frame- either narrow it or use spacers. This is also on overall width that is wide on
these trucks, but it has been done many times.

[49bourbon]

Also research swaps from gm front sub assemblies nova,Camaro etc. another option is the complete frame swaps of s10.

[yossarian19]

The Crown Vic suspension has relatively minor width issues (wheel choices, IIRC) going onto a 55-59 frame, which is wider than the 47-53 platform.
The C10 / C20 cross member, though, is "about right" for the 47-53 "AD" trucks. It bolts in with, I think, around 3/4" worth of spacer on either side + a 1/2" drill and a tape measure. Vans, pickups & Suburbans from the era should have what you need.
It's been done to put the C10 stuff on a 55-59 or the Crown Vic on a 47-53 but it's for darn sure swimming upstream the whole way.

Get yourself a C10 or C20 cross member with disc brakes. Whole world of options for narrowing it a little bit if you want to. Control arms, spindles, wheels, etc.

[jetnow1]

Originally Posted by yossarian19

The Crown Vic suspension has relatively minor width issues (wheel choices, IIRC) going onto a 55-59 frame, which is wider than the 47-53 platform.
The C10 / C20 cross member, though, is "about right" for the 47-53 "AD" trucks. It bolts in with, I think, around 3/4" worth of spacer on either side + a 1/2" drill and a tape measure. Vans, pickups & Suburbans from the era should have what you need.
It's been done to put the C10 stuff on a 55-59 or the Crown Vic on a 47-53 but it's for darn sure swimming upstream the whole way.

Get yourself a C10 or C20 cross member with disc brakes. Whole world of options for narrowing it a little bit if you want to. Control arms, spindles, wheels, etc.

You can also take it out of the center of the cross member, to avoid the spacers and tuck the wheels in a little. Be aware it will not allow you to make the truck all that low due to the cross member design

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by jetnow1

You can also take it out of the center of the cross member, to avoid the spacers and tuck the wheels in a little. Be aware it will not allow you to make the truck all that low due to the cross member design

That is fine if you are set up to weld aluminum as the Crown Vic crossmembers's i've installed in Ford trucks are aluminum.

This is the thread Carcrafter22 started on the Ford truck board http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/71...o-67-f100.html

Anyone considering that swap in anything needs to take the time to read every thing he wrote on the install, it's a long thread but should clear up some of the nonsense that some guys put out because the guys down at the spit and whittle club say it's and easy swap.
Vi
More reading on the Ford truck forum says that the "earlier" Crown Vics had a welded in crossmember and that may be what the guys talking about narrowing one are thinking about. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/83...-1959-s-b.html

[jetnow1]

Originally Posted by jetnow1

You can also take it out of the center of the cross member, to avoid the spacers and tuck the wheels in a little. Be aware it will not allow you to make the truck all that low due to the cross member design

I should have specified- I was referring to the c-10 cross member- I would not
recommend cutting and welding the aluminum cross member the crown vic uses, unless it was done by an expert certified welder. Of course that is the best way even with the steel c-10 cross member. In my opinion the crown vic
cross member is just not a viable choice for an AD truck.

[yossarian19]

I finally found gross vehicle weight information for Crown Victorias. Front axle weight rating w/ cop package, 2700 lbs. Rear axle, 2800. So the car overall is good to 5500 lbs, which is 10% more than the half-ton was rated for. Meaning, the Crown Vic front end is up to half-ton truck usage on a '57 frame. Obviously, the C10 cross member *is* half-ton, so if you actually want to use your truck one of those two is the way to go.

[mr48chev]

Every one of these donor front ends has it's issues when it comes to installing it under a TF or AD truck.
wn
The subframes call for welding and fab skills that are beyond a lot of folks current skill levels.

The Crown Vic is too wide for almost anything without running a limited style of rim. The aluminum ones don't take well to mods without special equipment and skills.

The C-10 73/87 is wide, bulky and a bit heavy but is fairly simple to put under an AD and requires a ton of frame mods to put under a TF. 5 on 5 bolt pattern is a turn off to some guys too.

The Jag XJ (I have one for my 48) has the rack on the back side where it gets all too close to some oil pans and the steering can be a bit of a challenge. They do come out of the donor as a unit and can be installed in AD or TF trucks pretty cleanly though. Mounting surface to mounting surface on the one I have measures 59-1/2 inches which is 1-1/4 inches wider than the measurement on the I beam with 54 car brakes I have setting next to it has at 58-1/4.

For a lot of entry level people with an AD truck using a bolt on crossmember with either stock style MII suspension pieces or tube A arms might be the most practical as there is no welding and a half inch drill and a few hand tools and a good tape measure are all you need for the installation.