New Front End Install

Jan 2013

Finally—time to start bolting on some of the new front end parts, although it will be temporary as most will have to come back off for painting the engine bay and inner fenders.  For right now though, we need it on to move the car around and get it over to paint.   Working in some colder weather for this bolt on type stuff is no big deal, just a good pair of work gloves to keep the frigid tools from chilling our fingers to the bone and the doors shut on the shop to block the wind and we’re all good. 

The new cross member had already been welded in place months ago and work on cleaning up the looks of the engine bay was pretty much complete.  One thing I missed when welding in the new side panels for the engine bay was leaving enough clearance in the side panels to allow access to install the upper A arms.  I had only left enough clearance for the A arms to work after installation.  Of course we discovered this as one the first things to bolt on would be the new upper A arms.  The remedy for this situation was not all that difficult, and only set us back by one day but none the less left me less than happy.  It flat out pissed me off!!

The fix consisted of me cutting part of my new engine bay side panels out and welding them back into place once the Upper A arms were installed.  The welds have been grinded smooth now and are ready to be filled and smoothed along with a few other things in the engine bay that need tidying up.  When the front end is unbolted and removed for paint, the upper A arms will have to stay in place and be dealt with (paint around them) as they can’t be removed from the car now without cutting the sheet metal again. 

Lower A arms, Upper A arms, Adjustable coil over shocks, power rack and pinion, anti sway bar and steering links pretty well rounds off this install.    

To get it back rolling again we already bolted on the rear end with just the leaf springs so we could put the old wheels and tires back on.  No new brakes, shocks or anything back there yet.  The front end, however with the new larger disc brakes will not accommodate the old wheels.  The wheels hit the new calipers and the pitmen so we set off to find a solution.  What we decided on was an easy fix without spending any money, first we took the calipers off.  With no hoses hooked up yet for the brakes this was a simple matter and they were placed off  to the side for later.  To deal with the wheels hitting the pitman we just used some washers stacked up as shims behind the wheel to move them out a bit. 

We are now ready to roll…

 

New front end as it came delivered, Christmas in August!!

 

Getting ready to bolt on some of the new stuff.

 

Old Ford Engineering

Factory power disc brakes.

Before  

New upper and lower A arms, coil overs and disc brakes. 

Temp install, will have to remove for paint.

Here you can see the notch I had to cut above the upper A arm to allow installation of A arm.

Anti Sway Bar, lower A arms, power rack and pinion.

 

 

Power rack and pinion, anti sway bar.

 

Common vantage point.

 

View from the inside.

 

 

Driver side engine bay panel with notch cut out to fit upper A arm.

 

Passenger side engine bay panel with notch cut out to fit upper A arm.

 

 

Back side of engine bay panel, getting ready to weld notch piece back in.  Using this piece to back up the piece that was cut out.

Inside of engine bay panel, getting ready to weld notch piece back in.  You can see the gap to allow welding between the panel and the notched out piece with patch in behind backing it up.  I will be connecting all three pieces with weld for a solid fit.

Welded in.  Not pretty but this steel is galvanized so it is tough to weld.

Welds ground down here, ready for Duraglas.

 

Rear end getting bolted into place.  New leaf srpings for now is all.  The rest will come after paint.  The rear end itself has been media blasted and coated twice with POR15.

 

Rolin...

 

Rollinnnn...