CV front end alignment

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » April 12, 2008, 9:28 pm

To any one who's worked on one of these (or any other ifs swap)
I'm looking for tips and tricks to make sure I've got lower control arms aligned correctly. I have about 1" of play side to side before I am pushing hard on the bushing.

Garbz · Post by **Garbz** » April 13, 2008, 12:37 pm

What year CV?

Garbz

GDG · Post by **GDG** » April 13, 2008, 12:49 pm

Deuce, I just neutralized the arm to the bushing, it needs to be in a straight line from the frt bushing. be sure to install the rear bushing on the same angle as it was in the CV, the bushing has voids that should be correctly indexed.
Doug

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » April 13, 2008, 2:02 pm

THis is for an '04 CV being mounted up unser my '62.
Thanks for the advice, I'm hopint to get througsome of he boxing and welding today.

fordman125 · Post by **fordman125** » April 23, 2008, 8:57 am

what type of break boster are you guys planing to use on your trucks? are you going to keep the drums in the back or go with 4 wheel disks?

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » April 25, 2008, 10:58 pm

I'm planning on using the CV reat axle with the disks on it, I just need to locae another Police package vic to salvage it from... I got back to the yard too late on the last ond. I may use the stock CV bosster or just an aftermarket street-rod type. 03+ vic had 3.55 posi rear, I think that is right where I'd like to be. (also the extra width on the exle will help it match the front. (my current stock rear would need 3" spacers on either side to line up the outside of the wheels.)

GDG, mine is allmost in, and hopefully this weekend I'll get the rear bushing mounts made (Did you box the inside of the frame to mount for the inner hole?) I was debating having the bushing rotated in the housing to keep it indexed corectly.
I've got a few more bits to fab up, before it all goes back together. I should be mocking up the engine mounts nextweek. (I think a Fox Body Mustang oil pan is going to be about perfect (any of you mustang guys have some advice on a low profile rear dump oil pan)

I'll post some pics soon.

Post by **Greg D** » April 26, 2008, 5:14 am

JFCDeuce wrote: I should be mocking up the engine mounts nextweek. (I think a Fox Body Mustang oil pan is going to be about perfect (any of you mustang guys have some advice on a low profile rear dump oil pan)

You looking for a larger capacity pan? Otherwise a stock one should be fine.

GDG · Post by **GDG** » April 26, 2008, 6:46 am

Deuce, not sure what you mean by the inner bolt. I boxed the frame in the rear bushing area, about 16" total because of notching the frame for the bushing mounting plates.
Sounds like things are going well on your swap.
Doug

The Big M · Post by **The Big M** » April 28, 2008, 5:13 pm

Just out of curiousity, how much drop are you guys achieving by swapping in the CV crossmember?

EDIT: Never mind, I did a search and 4"-6" seems to be the answer.

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » May 4, 2008, 9:22 pm

You looking for a larger capacity pan? Otherwise a stock one should be fine.[/quote]

I am concerned because the CV crossmember sits basically flush with the bottom on the frame rails. The large front sump looks like it will colide with the steering rack, although I have not gotten too far into the measurments yet, not looed at a 302 mounted in this truck from the bottom.

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » May 4, 2008, 9:23 pm

The Big M wrote:Just out of curiousity, how much drop are you guys achieving by swapping in the CV crossmember?

EDIT: Never mind, I did a search and 4"-6" seems to be the answer. 8)

As you may have seen in your research as well, tire clearance is the biggest issue with drop. the federwells and tires are very close, any additional drop and there would be no ability to turn.

grabber64 · Post by **grabber64** » May 5, 2008, 8:50 am

when you guys get this all set up with fenders and all. please set up some pics of your truck with wheel and tire sizes and all and if any rub. i want to do this but i do not want to rub. this will be my driver.

JFCDeuce · Post by **JFCDeuce** » May 6, 2008, 8:43 pm

So, when dimantling the radius arm bushings, I noticed that only the driver side had a alignment washer to center the rear pin of the arm in the eccentric hole... (I looked all over for the right side one thinking it had rolled away.) I went to my dealership today to see if they could get one, and it turns out that it is only used on the lest side arm, the right one is just bolted up tightly in the eccentic hole

Does anyone have any idea why this might be? I can only think it might have to do with diver weight or something of that nature.

Also to those who have dome the swap, did you fond the left and right arm like to be aligned a little differently and need a bit of persuasion to be symetrical? Just wondering before I start welding on these bracket mounts.

GDG · Post by **GDG** » May 7, 2008, 6:06 am

I think that the slotted bushing is an production assembly aid, probably to compensate for frame tolerances. It seems that I remember the crossmember mounting holes on one side were elongated also. Just center things up and tighten them down, thats what I did. That's how they came off of my donor frame.
Doug

fordman125 · Post by **fordman125** » May 7, 2008, 8:20 pm

so you guys build shims for the brackets on the trailing arms to keep the mounts at the same angle that they are what ever that is slightly tilted in i would like to know the reasoning behind that carcrafter22 over at FTE made his flat with his frame I am about to do my first mock up soon so i would like to know what to do with those

GDG · Post by **GDG** » May 8, 2008, 6:27 am

fordman, see my response (3rd from top of this thread) the voids should be indexed for correct control.
Doug