Porterbuilt Dropmember

[Joe Cool]

Originally Posted by Porterbuilt Street Rods

If anybody on here hasn't come out of the closet yet and admitted they have been hiding a secret love for Ford trucks.... This might push you a little more:

Ok I will come out and admit to some ford affection....but before anybody slams me I will tell you why.............and I am about maybe....notice I said maybe...let Porterbuilt in on a secret that not too many people know about....here it is.

One of the coolest front ends in the world of fords comes from the police car family of a" Crown Vic"
I became friends with Arron from "Fast & Loud before he became famous...Arron do you still know me?

Here is what he let me in on even going to a junkyard and buying one

Anyway that "Crown Vic" front end is awesome.........all aluminum and loads of other goodies.....struts etc..........will take a licken and keep on ticken!

Those Crown Vic police cars have hit thousand of curbs at high speed and been flying thru the air for years without damage..............guess what?

They will bolt right into a Ford 150!

Now the secret is out!

[Joe Cool]

who does not like this?

[Joe Cool]

Here ya go..........

[PBFAB.COM]

Joe Cool-

Definitely not a secret. I even have one.

It does go into the Ford frame fairly easily. BUT... Try to get it to lay frame with a decent tire... Not happening without lots of work.

Ours will be a bit less economical than the crown Vic.... But it's a pretty straight forward install as well.

Just another option.

Nate

[Rusbuilt]

I'll admit I was a Ford guy long before I fell in love with the 67-72 Chevys. My family has always been Ford lovers. My first 2 vehicles were classic Fords. A 65 Mustang and a 76 F-100.

[Joe Cool]

[QUOTE=Porterbuilt Street Rods;6429081]Joe Cool-

Definitely not a secret. I even have one.

It does go into the Ford frame fairly easily. BUT... Try to get it to lay frame with a decent tire... Not happening without lots of work.

Ours will be a bit less economical than the crown Vic.... But it's a pretty straight forward install as well.

Just another option.

Nate[/QUOTe

How far can you drop it......I would think you could step the frame and install it at any height?

[lolife99]

[quote=Joe Cool;6429161]

Originally Posted by Porterbuilt Street Rods

Joe Cool-

How far can you drop it......I would think you could step the frame and install it at any height?

Great info here,... but maybe you should start a "Crown Vic crossmember" thread instead of high jacking the Dropmember thread.

[PBFAB.COM]

[quote=Joe Cool;6429161]

Originally Posted by Porterbuilt Street Rods

Joe Cool-

Definitely not a secret. I even have one.

It does go into the Ford frame fairly easily. BUT... Try to get it to lay frame with a decent tire... Not happening without lots of work.

Ours will be a bit less economical than the crown Vic.... But it's a pretty straight forward install as well.

Just another option.

Nate[/QUOTe

How far can you drop it......I would think you could step the frame and install it at any height?

That's where the "lots of work" comes in.

Our clip is a bolt-in set up. 4 vertical cuts and 32 bolts later (20 of them in factory holes)... Laying frame with updated suspension geometry and truck spindles and brakes.

More pics next week.

Just another option....

Nate

[ddubbs]

Originally Posted by Porterbuilt Street Rods

If anybody on here hasn't come out of the closet yet and admitted they have been hiding a secret love for Ford trucks.... This might push you a little more:

So what are you saying Nate!!!! Lol I actually drive a Ford everyday. Pretty much have a love for trucks no matter what make. Glad to see the new unibody dropmember. I have now added it to my list. Awesome work.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by ddubbs

So what are you saying Nate!!!! Lol I actually drive a Ford everyday. Pretty much have a love for trucks no matter what make. Glad to see the new unibody dropmember. I have now added it to my list. Awesome work.

I was actually using a tasteless metaphor.

It wasn't intended to be taken literal... I figured you "drove a ford" but didn't realize it was every day! LOL

[Joe Cool]

[quote=lolife99;6429171]

Originally Posted by Joe Cool

Great info here,... but maybe you should start a "Crown Vic crossmember" thread instead of high jacking the Dropmember thread.

Your right.........sorry

[DREAMER1]

Is it next week yet!? I'd like to get more info/pics of the frame stiffener as well.

[broey]

ill be impressed when I see a vw dropmember pan.

[Riley64]

Originally Posted by 82swb

Saw this truck in person at good guys on saturday!

I have a stupid question... I've noticed that with a dropmember in the front that the wheels lean in towards the engine compartment. Some trucks have the whee lean and some I have seen dont have it, but how do you drive with the wheels leaned inwards and how do you fix that if you want them straight up and down? I don't understand how they can turn or even drive like that? New to the dropmember scene and wanna install one on my "64 stepper so any info on this would greatly help me out!

[Joe Cool]

You can only get so much camber curve out of a spindle etc.......there has to be some compromise.

Its like building a racing engine. You have to decide where to build the 2000 rpm band you want to be in if say your racing..........7700 to 9600 is a good place to be if your racing. If you put that in your street car the engine will me lousy to drive.

If you build these cars to drive everyday you need to pick the spot you want to drive it at...Not all rides heights will give you close to zero camber....

Now thats my explanation.......might not be the clearest, but its what I perceive.

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by Riley64

I have a stupid question... I've noticed that with a dropmember in the front that the wheels lean in towards the engine compartment. Some trucks have the whee lean and some I have seen dont have it, but how do you drive with the wheels leaned inwards and how do you fix that if you want them straight up and down? I don't understand how they can turn or even drive like that? New to the dropmember scene and wanna install one on my "64 stepper so any info on this would greatly help me out!

Welcome to the board!
I think you have the Dropmember confused with stock crossmembers with cupped lower a-arms.
They camber in at an extreme angle when air'd out.
The Porterbuilt Dropmember has one of the best designed bagged suspension set-ups ever developed for C10 trucks.
Their design keeps the wheels more verical layed out than any other.

Since you're building a '64 I thought you would like Delmo's old '65 video.
It's running and driving with Porterbuilt products.
See for yourself if this is acceptable to you.

The65.VOB - YouTube

[lolife99]

One more,...

Nacho and Sancho.mov - YouTube

[lolife99]

My favorite,...

1969 Chevy C-10 (dropped) - "Nacho...

[thotfulspot]

A well designed suspension will keep the camber straight up and down for a larger range of the suspension travel. Lowering the vehicle is using some of that travel. Look at lowered imports and you will almost always see the tires at an angle. They don't have much suspension to start with.

A truck has more travel and the Porterbuilt design keeps the wheel vertical through most if not all the wheel travel including laying it out if it has big enough tires and rims. If it had old school 15" rims and smaller tires you would probably see the wheels angle in. There is a sweet spot where the truck will handle better with the suspension lowered. When I was ordering for my '57 I was told 6" or so. Some people run it lower and don't seem to have issues.

[Joe Cool]

Originally Posted by lolife99

One more,...
Nacho and Sancho.mov - YouTube

THATS RIDICO DE LICIOUS

[Riley64]

Thanks loife99 I understand now lol

[Riley64]

thotfulspot, so if I run 20x8.5 in the front with 235/35/20 tires I shouldn't see a lot of wheel lean? Will I have problems in my turns with tire rub or can that be solved by adjusting ride height?

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by Riley64

thotfulspot, so if I run 20x8.5 in the front with 235/35/20 tires I shouldn't see a lot of wheel lean? Will I have problems in my turns with tire rub or can that be solved by adjusting ride height?

Tire size or wheel diameter has nothing to do with negative camber when air'd out.
This is all in the suspension design.
Stock crossmember with bags, or a Dropmember will yield different results completely.
Wheel width and baskspcing will also have to be adjusted depending on what suspension you have up front.

[Riley64]

I'm going to run with Porterbuilt Extreme dropmember in front and back. What kind of backspacing should i run? 5 inch is what I was thinking.

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by Riley64

I'm going to run with Porterbuilt Extreme dropmember in front and back. What kind of backspacing should i run? 5 inch is what I was thinking.

Backspace is directly related to wheel width.
8.5" wide wheel up front,... needs a 5.25"-5.75" bs with stock length a-arms.