1972 F-250 2wd to 4wd build

[rattle_snake]

Started on sway bar install on the '72 Ford. Have to remove frame side track bar bracket and shock reservoir mounts. Track bar bracket had a lot of weld so pain to remove. Wasn't going to fall off though.

TK1 racing 1.25" splined shaft, med heat treat.

Put the lower link mounts on the existing axle brackets instead of axle tube.

 

[reptillikus]

Man, you must love redoing your tracbar mount

 

[rattle_snake]

No, but this will be the 3rd round for just the frame side. At least now I have a CNC plasma and can make my own brackets easy enough.

So far the sway bar install is one step forward three steps back
but that is how custom fab goes.

Cut the link bars to test the system. Cycled the suspension. Seems to close to inversion, won't actually do it but not happy. Longer links will help (should be more than travel length) but right fix was to move the bar back some, so did that. Drilled another set of holes.

Sway bar arms and links are getting close to limit straps. Not sure if those will need to move. Not ideal. Maybe use strap mounts for links.

 

[rattle_snake]

Fantastic! You keep comparing yourself with Skipped Link, so do I

Thanks. Yes as the apprentice learning from the master. There are a handful of builds with guys who suffer worse OCD than me.

 

[rattle_snake]

Welded up the links

at full droop

Moved the reservoirs to behind the bumps to clear sway bar arm.

 

[rattle_snake]

Whipped up a new frame side track bar mount that will clear the sway bar arm.

CNC process removed the effort from complicated shapes, so added cutouts for flush mount/weld troughs, radii.

Positioned back an inch or two from the previous as the steering box bolts no longer dictate location. Welded both sides of bracket before boxing in the assembly.

Frame was already significantly triangulated to engine cross member, so made new bracket to fit. Small box piece needed slight bend in press to fit the different shapes.

Moving the mount inboard made track bar too long by an inch or so. It has been reworked/straightened a few times now, so retired and built a new one with stuff I had on hand. Can be straight now without a bend to clear diff.

Used old heims in the inserts while welding, to keep boogers out. Worked fine, came out easy enough.

Installed and adjusted. I moved the holes down a bit, since bar would be shortened. Test drive confirmed not enough, have some bump steer. Not bad but will have to rework the bracket with overlay plates at some point.

 

[rattle_snake]

Finished out the sway bar install. Tightened down the fasteners and reworked the belly pan to fit around the mounts.

Left about 3/4 clearance between the arm and new bar mount.

Tested articulation with the new sway bar. Doesn't seem to hinder it much, but truck is more stable flexed out.

Road test results are great, as expected. Way more stable in all conditions. Lean reduced significantly. Can jerk wheel and no more swerve, just a controlled turn.

 

[rattle_snake]

knocked out traction bar reinforcement. Cut plate out on CNC, too easy.

Welded in and done.

 

[rattle_snake]

In an attempt to 'finish' the suspension (as in done) I moved the limit straps and started rework on the axle side track bar bracket. The new frame side bracket being moved incurred bump-steer, but it is already as low as it can go to tie rod.

I had previously made the 3 hole bracket into a 5 holer, then cut off the top hole due to clearance issues with frame. Since then I raised ride height and again have room to raise axle bracket. This will flatten out the track bar and hopefully correct the bump steer. Only one way to find out if 7/8" is enough....

I cut the bracket off in same place as last time, effectively undoing what I'm redoing.

Cut some extension pieces on the CNC and tacked in. Such a better way than by hand.

Since none of the original holes are going to be used, adding a plate to box in the bracket. Then overlay plates on outside, and a new brace back to radium arm brackets.

 

[rockota]

In an attempt to 'finish' the suspension (as in done)

 

[Opiebennett]

Bonus is the extra holes in the track bar look like speed holes.

 

[holdmypocket]

Bonus is the extra holes in the track bar look like speed holes.

Might want to slot the bottom to let junk/dirt/moisture out

 

[rattle_snake]

Let's just pretend it is possible to be finished. With at least one aspect. perhaps.

Might want to slot the bottom to let junk/dirt/moisture out

Good point. The Ruff Stuff bracket has a hole already at the bottom, to drain the sunshine or sand out.

 

[rattle_snake]

Finished welded the bracket and smoothed it out for overlay plates. Before I put them on I think it is stout enough to test drive and see how it handles. Then a new brace on the back side.

Ironically I moved the limit straps back to the radius arm bolts

Frame side got a new hole drilled to mount behind the brake line and reservoir.

 

[rattle_snake]

Continuing to 'finish out' the '72 suspension. Test drive with an extra inch added to axle side improved the bump steer enough to move forward. Just a hint when hitting BIG intersection crowns at 55+. No right pull on accel, but brakes still pull left like before (new caliper too).
Was going abandon-in-place the old limit strap mounts, but one side of each was causing problems. So cut off the double shear axle side mounts (for brace) and the threaded DOM frame side mounts (to clear bracket itself). Trying to make it look like I knew what I was doing the first time, not the third time, haha

With tabs gone I reworked the track bar bracing for the third time, back to something similar to what it was. Used my CNC to make fancy looking and perfect little braces. Yes a simple triangle would work, 2 cuts, BUT given this is 'last time' I wanted to do my best. Why not use radii and chamfers everywhere?

Added the 3/16 overlays and burned everything in. Welds not that pretty, but not horrific enough to grind.

Hard to access the outer and lower back side of overlays.

rattle can and done

At ride

So that should complete the suspension on the truck.



but I'm not completely happy with lower strap mounts for two reasons. #1 the extension to clear bump pads increase leverage on the single shear setup. and #2, possible strap pinch by bump. This is at ride height.

Plan to get the strap off the existing link bolt and add a tab a bit farther back.

 

[rattle_snake]

Although the suspension is more or less done, I turd polished the last aspect, lower strap mounts. So I made a simple link and spacer to move strap away from bump pad. The spacer is needed to work with the existing bump pad. Could have made the spacer a 'key' with very tight fit.

Rotate/Indexing makes the strap limit somewhat adjustable. Using strap arc, found angle and welded spacers to links.

Ground down the inside of the bump pad flush with bracket. The link/spacer was aligned and welded to the radius arm bracket such that it can be cut off without too much trouble.

Arms angle in so the spacer also helped make some more room for bolt head.

Suspension complete. Or something like that.

 

[Snowracer]

10th version of the front end looks great, sway bar set up is sweet

 

[rattle_snake]

10th, ya something like that.
I learned a lot over the build. Another way to say it is I didn't know what I was doing in the beginning, hence lots of re-work.

Feels good to have the truck mostly done and piddling on small stuff. On to the 'drive it' phase, which may require another project vehicle to keep the plasma table busy.

 

[Opiebennett]

Feels good to have the truck mostly done and piddling on small stuff. On to the 'drive it' phase, which may require another project vehicle to keep the plasma table busy.

I 100% support this - and another thread.

 

[rattle_snake]

Unrelated to suspension I was forced to weld up some unused holes leftover from fuel and trans lines that were moved to other side.

And I took a grinder to both of the bottoms of the diffs. More of a round-off than a shave.

Now that I have some miles on the sway bar, I quite happy with how it came out. It is still soft but stability improvement is huge. Moved links to center holes, +18%. Now it just seems normal, but it was a leany bitch before.

 

[rattle_snake]

Went to Moab (not with my truck though) last week and paid attention to what I could to to improve on my truck. Probably don't need to do anything with 40s and the clearance I have. Any Armor I add adds weight, and that is bad. Departure angle is a limiter but now way to improve other than a bob-job on the bed. Not to be confused with the other 'bob-job on the bed'. Anyhow...

Rear bed corner protection was on the original plan, and I had to modify the sheet metal below tail lights to get bumper to fit. So I finished the roll on the lower edge to tuck it all up and have the bottom parallel to the trim. Had to cut the side support and shorten it.

Before, sheet metal below trim is similar to what is in front of rear wheel.

After. Next is a skid on the bottom connected to bumper and a support pipe to frame.

Designing full length sliders, fuel skid, and a belly skid in my mind. Probably a waste but I like the mind puzzles.

 

[Firstram]

Looks very nice

 

[rattle_snake]

Got the other rear bedside rolled and tucked up. Trying to take the truck out this weekend camping so switched to some other projects.
Had another AFR failure. I upgraded ECU firmware and now it said AFR='Slow!' for a short time. Happened on freeway on ramp so not a place to pull over and debug. Have a spare sensor so going to install it. Hate changing parts without root cause.

 

[rattle_snake]

Did some repairs and reseal job on the old camper shell. Rattle can paint job is pretty close to Ford wimbledon white.
It hits the cab on big bumps so have to do something about that. maybe a gasket for now.

 

[rattle_snake]

Did a trip up to flagstaff last weekend. Extreme headwind and rain on way up. Really glad I did sway bar. No leaks other than a few drops in center of windshield. At air speed of 120 mph, oh well. Camper was dry, miracle.

Then to Sedona, but Schnebly road was closed, so took highway and did broken arrow.

Not much for obstacles on this trail. Narrow. Did the crack and slid down the staircase.

Found a crack to test flex (aka poser shot)

Transfer case shifter came loose but didn't have to mess with it. Otherwise truck did good. 400 miles, 80 MPH. ~9 MPG.

 

[jhama78]

This truck is the fawkin biznesss....

 

[Steve300xcw]

400 miles, 80 MPH. ~9 MPG.

Thats fucking impressive

 

[willis_racing]

400 miles, 80 MPH. ~9 MPG.

Fawk, that's some awesome numbers! 6r80 helping that you think? I seem to remember it doing worse on mileage before.

 

[rattle_snake]

This truck is the fawkin biznesss....

Thanks Man!

Thats fucking impressive

Ya not too bad. That is mostly uphill/headwind miles (1600-7500 ft). Will see what down hill mileage is on next fill. Maybe double digits.

Fawk, that's some awesome numbers! 6r80 helping that you think? I seem to remember it doing worse on mileage before.

Yes the 6R80 has helped a lot. In town was 5, now 7. The exhaust noise is effectively gone in 6th gear and make a way quieter experience on highway. I figured a 5 spd with typical OD would be as good as a 6 spd, but the extra-extra gear really does help put RPMs way down.
0.87 and 0.69 don't see that far apart but really does make a difference.

 

[rattle_snake]

bad pic but not at the mall.
Steering has enough assist unless tire drops in and is wedged.