The strut rod provides support for the lower control arm and attaches using hardened studs at the control arm and a rubber bushing at the rear. The strut rod bracket may need to be loosened from the frame to ease installation of the strut rod.
The upper control arm mounts off the coil pod using Pinto-Mustang II-based cross-shafts, which enable the alignment to be done to Pinto specs. Note the adjusting nut on the top of the coil pod. Though originally designed to compensate for different springs, it can also be used to adjust the ride height about 2 1/2 inches.
T-bolts install from the bottom of the crossmember and up through the cross-shafts. These spread the load across the mounting hole on the crossmember and improve the clamping force needed to keep the frontend aligned. This design allows the frontend to be aligned to Pinto specs.
To temporarily set up the suspension at ride height, a setup rod was bolted in place of the coil spring and the spindle was installed. This will serve to hold everything in place while the rest of the suspension components are bolted up.
The spindle is a forged steel Pinto-Mustang unit. This spindle is machined to accept 11-inch Granada rotors and '80-83 Mustang calipers via the bracket installed here.
The original Pinto rotor is undersized at 9 inches and therefore not as adequate as the bigger 11-inch Granada unit for street rods. Here, the Granada rotor is bolted to the spindle, as is the Mustang caliper. Don't forget to install cotter pins where applicable.
Here's what the bolt-in kit looks like sans springs, shocks, steering, sway bar, and wheels and tires. Once one side of the suspension is assembled this far, it's possible to check for wheel centering by installing a wheel and doing a visual check. This may require installation of at least one fender as well.
When it came time to install our 325lb coil springs, a coil spring compressor was used to safely install them. Chassis Engineering provides springs in 25lb increments starting at 250 lbs on up to 375 lbs.
With the springs installed, it's now possible to snug the ball joints and other attachment points that haven't been tightened for the final time. Again, don't forget the cotter pins!
The shocks mount via a through-bolt design at the bottom that attaches them to the lower control arm and a stud that mounts to the adjusting nut at the coil pod. Be sure the rubber bushings and washers are installed in the correct sequence.
The crossmember and strut rod assembly, spindles, calipers, and brackets were sprayed the same semigloss black as the framerails were originally.
Although power steering is an option, Chassis Engineering recommends manual rack-and-pinion steering for the '41-48 Chevy passenger cars, which installs on the front mounts of the crossmember using the stock Mustang bushings.
The tie-rods ends are adjusted as close as possible before being tightened down. This particular car is receiving a power rack at a later date, so the cotter pins were left out for the time being.
The sway bar bracket bolts under the strut rod attachment point on the bottom control arm.
Here, a Chassis Engineering radiator crossmember is being installed before the sway bar frame mounts are in place.
The sway bar frame mounts sandwich the crossmember between the sway bar mounts and the frame.
The ends of the sway bar mount to the brackets installed on the lower control arms with a link that includes the necessary rubber bushings, washers, and hardware. Assemble the linkage as shown.
When everything's said and done, here's how the completed frontend should look. At ride height, the bottom control arm should be as close to parallel to the ground as possible. This will ensure good geometry of the front suspension and prolong ball joint life. It may also be necessary to readjust the frontend height to accommodate any changes made after the car gets some miles on it.
With the frontend all bolted in, all that's left is to mount the engine and trans, bolt the front sheetmetal back on, and head down to the local alignment shop.
Chassis Engineering Inc.
319-643-2645
www.chassisengineeringinc.com