Need help determining drop

[Jebadoo]

what do you get for gas mileage right now? i get 19-21 doing 80-85 on the highway. my in town gas mileage is not as good because its all stop and go driving waiting in long lines to get on base. and its only 2 miles from my house to work with the first 3/4 mile of it being bumper to bumper line. i get like 16 in town with the no fun driving i have for work

I have no clue, I haven't driven it consistently enough yet to determine MPG.

 

[Jebadoo]

Forgot to update this.

Ended up starting to replace the suspension on Monday. Got the front done. Had to grind off and replace a lower shock stud due to the P/O welding the nut on. This is temporary as I will need radius arms in the future (SUPER minor pin holes in both in non-structural areas).
By then I'll determine if I'm leaving it stock or swapping out the beams to lower it correctly.

YES I KNOW I PUT THE DRIVER SIDE SPRING ON WRONG

I'm taking it back off soon to orient it correctly lol

Doesn't look too bad for a Pennsylvania truck IMO

I have everything to do the rear, just haven't done it yet. Front spring hangers need done on them as well, but hoping to get by until spring when it's warmer.

 

[MaicoDoug]

Negative caster is hard on the steering rod ends. Ran the 4x4 adjuster on my '83 2wd with wide tires. Worked really well with (-) 2 degrees but ate rod ends every 30kmi. Switched to Heim joints and some custom CroMo tubing for the steering linkage & never looked back. Now you got the L.A. tilt. Nice looking job!

 

[Blmpkn]

How tall are the springs that you took out? And any idea of the spring rate?

I'm looking to lower my truck.. so if you still have them kicking around and they'll work well enough I may want to buy them off you!

 

[Jebadoo]

How tall are the springs that you took out? And any idea of the spring rate?

I'm looking to lower my truck.. so if you still have them kicking around and they'll work well enough I may want to buy them off you!

You definitely don't. It was sitting on bump stops, rode super rough, and had like 4 degrees of camber lol

 

[bobbywalter]

TOWN CAR CROWN VIC GRAND MARQUIS FRONT SUSPENSION PULLOUT F100 SWAP CONVERSION | eBay

SUPER CLEANFRONT SUSPENSION PULLOUT F100 SWAP CONVERSION. FORD CROWN VIC. LINCOLN TOWN CAR. Removed from 2009 Lincoln Town Car with 63,211 miles. Complete front suspension with rack and pinion, power steering pump and power steering oil cooler.

www.ebay.com

swap that in.....and a coyote.

 

[Blmpkn]

You definitely don't. It was sitting on bump stops, rode super rough, and had like 4 degrees of camber lol

Hear me out on this one...and know that It's thoughts like these that have me wondering if there's any French blood in me...

Those springs WILL have my truck sitting much too low.. yes.. I'm only wanting to lower the front about an inch.

BUT!!!!


I can just make up for the difference with cheapo spring spacers lol.

Did it before with an old Subaru of mine. 05 outback turbo.. bought it lifted.. but since it was my first ”fast” car I wanted it to handle well. Ended up buying legacy GT struts and legacy lowering springs for it... And it ended up being wayyyyyy too low lol.. even with cut bump stops... So I put the top hat spacers back in it.. had a good laugh.. and enjoyed the ride.. between breakdowns anyways

 

[Jebadoo]

Update:

Ended up selling it. Replaced the front suspension and in the process found out the radius arms had pin hole rust, no biggy.

First good cold snap, entire passenger front of the engine was covered in coolant, didn't lose much, but enough to investigate.

Come to find out that once I sealed everything up with hose leaks and it held proper pressure, the front timing cover had a leak after it cooled off and the radiator was cracked a tiny bit.

Neither were deal breakers in themselves, but enough that I didn't want to deal with it with everything else that still needed fixed (radius arms, rear hangers and springs, rear shocks, body work, rear diff cover leak, etc)

Ended up breaking even on it so couldn't complain.

Sucks, it ran like a champ, but couldn't justify dumping more hours into it and another $500+

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Update:

Ended up selling it. Replaced the front suspension and in the process found out the radius arms had pin hole rust, no biggy.

First good cold snap, entire passenger front of the engine was covered in coolant, didn't lose much, but enough to investigate.

Come to find out that once I sealed everything up with hose leaks and it held proper pressure, the front timing cover had a leak after it cooled off and the radiator was cracked a tiny bit.

Neither were deal breakers in themselves, but enough that I didn't want to deal with it with everything else that still needed fixed (radius arms, rear hangers and springs, rear shocks, body work, rear diff cover leak, etc)

Ended up breaking even on it so couldn't complain.

Sucks, it ran like a champ, but couldn't justify dumping more hours into it and another $500+

It’s all in what you’re willing to do. I’ve repaired frames a number of times, half frame swapped, and I have two whole frame swaps on my project list to come. Threw a lot of time and money at things. But I also have never really been after a stock vehicle, I’ve been building work rigs and play toys. I can justify a lot of what I do because I’m building something specific anyway. Like I bought my green Ranger because I needed an automatic transmission truck to drive at one point and always wanted to do a lowered V-8 AWD so I bought the truck specifically intending to do the swap when the engine or transmission died or I collected all the parts I needed, whichever came first (transmission died). I did a ridiculous amount of work and a few times I was starting to question my intelligence and sanity during the project, but… it’s a really fun toy and I’m glad I built it. There are pieces of three truck frames making up the frame in it…

 

[Jebadoo]

It’s all in what you’re willing to do. I’ve repaired frames a number of times, half frame swapped, and I have two whole frame swaps on my project list to come. Threw a lot of time and money at things. But I also have never really been after a stock vehicle, I’ve been building work rigs and play toys. I can justify a lot of what I do because I’m building something specific anyway. Like I bought my green Ranger because I needed an automatic transmission truck to drive at one point and always wanted to do a lowered V-8 AWD so I bought the truck specifically intending to do the swap when the engine or transmission died or I collected all the parts I needed, whichever came first (transmission died). I did a ridiculous amount of work and a few times I was starting to question my intelligence and sanity during the project, but… it’s a really fun toy and I’m glad I built it. There are pieces of three truck frames making up the frame in it…

Yea, this was supposed to be a "minimal effort" just keep it running and drive it truck.

Then the $700 suspension overhaul happened, then it needed more, then I still needed tires, etc etc etc

All in it would've been $6k++ doing work myself into a truck i bought for $1700 to "just drive"

Basically I cut my losses before I got past the point of no return

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yea, this was supposed to be a "minimal effort" just keep it running and drive it truck.

Then the $700 suspension overhaul happened, then it needed more, then I still needed tires, etc etc etc

All in it would've been $6k++ doing work myself into a truck i bought for $1700 to "just drive"

Basically I cut my losses before I got past the point of no return

I get it. My “minimal effort” truck was supposed to be my 92 Ranger. I got it in trade, didn’t really need it at the time but it was an automatic to drive and didn’t need much but when I went to fix the bad leaf spring I found a bad fuel line and a bunch of little things later it was on the road for about a year and then the engine went. At that point I needed the thing because other vehicles had become a problem so it got a motor and transmission work simply because it was the fastest and easiest thing to fix at the time. Now it’s wrecked but I bought it back for the good engine and transmission because it was only a few months after fixing it that it got totaled. So yeah, “minimal effort“ doesn’t always go according to plan, lol. Gotta decide what’s right for your situation.