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Fatman Frame Stub Install - Courier Clippin' Part 2Wrapping Up The Suspension From the December, 2010 issue of Street Rodder By Ryan Manson
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When we left off last month, we were in the thick of things regarding the Fatman frame stub install on our '56 Ford Courier. The stock frame section forward of the firewall was hacked off and we had all our preliminary measurements marked on the shop floor. This month, we're going to keep moving forward, installing the new frame stub and suspension components to finish up the front end and get the car back on solid ground. Here's where we left off last... Here's where we left off last month, with the stock front frame section removed and all our measurements on the shop floor. It should be noted that since then the car hasn't moved (OK, it hasn't been a month, simply overnight in the photos!) the chassis is still level side to side and front to back. At this point, it's going to be painfully obvious if all the measurements we took last time were accurate enough to install the new frame stub with a maximum deflection of 1/8 inch at any given point. That's kind of an industry standard when it comes to building chassis, suspension components, etc., as that little bit of difference can typically be made up in alignment adjustments. But just to be on the safe side, I like to get within 1/16 inch whenever possible so that's what we'll be shooting for as we mock up the Fatman frame stub before tacking it into place. This kind of chassis modification is not for the weak hearted nor is it for the amateur hobbyist, but never fear, all it takes is a good welder (man and machine) and a lot of patience and careful measurements. And remember what your old shop teacher taught you and "measure twice, cut once". Once the frame stub is tacked, it's simply a matter of bolting on the suspension components, checking the assembly one last time for fitment (axle centerlines, core support, etc.), and welding the puppy up. Fatman provides all that's necessary to weld up the stub with plenty of support, but as you'll see, we decided to take it one step further just to be safe. I'm by no means a certified welder in any regards but I've welded up my share of chassis components, engine mounts, etc., and never had anything break, but I still like to go that extra step to ensure nothing comes apart when it comes to chassis and suspension components. Call it overkill; but I like to call it peace of mind. The frame stub as it comes... The frame stub as it comes from Fatman for our application is set up to accept Mustang II rack-and-pinion steering and coilover shocks. Note that the crossmember is notched for oil pan clearance. Once the front suspension was bolted up, we then set our attention to the rear of the wagon. When we originally picked up the Courier, it already had a few upgrades made to the stock components, one of them being the installation of a Ford 8-inch rearend. Unsure of the state of the rear, we ran the ID tag on the differential cover and found it to be from a mid-'70s Maverick. Since we're not setting out to race the car, we figured the rear would be more than strong enough to handle the 302 Ford motor we planned on dropping in the Courier. A rebuild however, would be a good idea and for that end, we opted to make a trek down to Currie Enterprises in Anaheim, California, and have the boys go through the axle before we installed it back in the wagon on new Eaton springs and QA1 shocks. Currie installed a 3.55 ring-and-pinion as well as a 28-spline TSD (torque sensing differential) limited-slip differential, new 10-inch drum brakes, bearings, and seals before a set of Rocket Racing Fuel Gray wheels shod in 215/70R15 Coker Redline Tires were bolted up at all four corners. Last but not least, we decided that the old '70s brown and off-white paint scheme had to go, replacing it with a slightly weathered blue and white two-tone job similar to the stock paint scheme. Once back on the ground with its new stance and wheel/tire combo, it became obvious that the wagon project was really starting to hit its stride as it was sitting right and the color was once again tolerable. Now all we gotta do is get it to move under its own power, but that's a job for another month.  To get the frame stub into...  To get the frame stub into place, I opted to use jackstands at the rear and a pair of angle iron uprights at the front.  The uprights were clamped...  The uprights were clamped to the frame stub and adjusted until the front bumper mounting holes jived with our recorded measurements on both sides.  The radiator core support...  The radiator core support measurements were also double checked.  Now it's time to bolt on the...  Now it's time to bolt on the suspension components. Here are the stainless steel control arms (standard on all hub-to-hub kits!), spindles, and necessary hardware. Note that the control arms come with NASCAR-style ball joints straight from Fatman and the lower plate for the coilover shocks.  Once everything looked good,...  Once everything looked good, the uprights were tacked to the stub so nothing could move and it was double checked for level. The front portion of the stub was nice and level, but the rear required a shim or two between the stub and the jackstands to get everything nice and plumb.  At this point, the stub was...  At this point, the stub was tacked to the stock frame. Note the gap between the two. Fatman designs their kits for a 1/4-inch gap between the two for a nice weld gap. You can also just make out two of the four back-up plates inside the framerail, which ensure full weld penetration and provide more support than a simple butt weld. These plates were tacked to the stock frame before the stub was slid into place.  With the frame stub sufficiently...  With the frame stub sufficiently tacked into place, the supports were removed and the stock sheetmetal was checked for fitment, bumper and hood included. This is a tedious step, but will make or break the install if not done correctly. The axle centerline was also checked and if you remember last month, that was one of our extra measurements, which made this step even easier.  The first step is to bolt...  The first step is to bolt on the upper and lower control arms.  Here's the brake kit from...  Here's the brake kit from ECI. It consists of the rotors (drilled for both 5x4-3/4- and 5x4-1/2-inch bolt patterns), hubs, calipers, brackets, bearings, seals, and hardware.  Next the spindles are installed...  Next the spindles are installed on each side. Note the steering arm orientation that corresponds with the front-mounted rack.  The first step is to install...  The first step is to install the caliper mounting brackets using the provided stock Mustang II upper cradle bolt and lower bolt. Be sure to use a small amount of Loctite on each. ECI has strict installation instructions that must be followed before any plating or painting is done to ensure proper fitment of all components.  Antiseize is a must when it...  Antiseize is a must when it comes to dealing with stainless steel fasteners and is always a good idea when it comes to assembling suspension components. Just be sure that every fastener is of the locking type.  The bearings are packed with...  The bearings are packed with high-temp disc brake grease before they're installed in the hubs.  Next the hub is installed...  Next the hub is installed onto the spindle, both bearings are greased and in place along with the applicable seal, bearing washer, and retaining nut.  The rotor is then slid into...  The rotor is then slid into place, followed by the caliper. Make sure the bleeders point up!  At the time of the install,...  At the time of the install, we fabbed up a couple of shock struts (arrow) to support the weight of the car until we could figure out the particulars of the QA1 coilover shocks we'd be using.  Here's the QA1 shocks (PN...  Here's the QA1 shocks (PN DDR5855B) that we ended up going with. They'll be complemented by a 600-pound spring and feature double adjustability.  The stock Mustang II rack-and-pinion...  The stock Mustang II rack-and-pinion assembly requires an extension be installed to fit our application. First the righthand boot is removed to allow access to the tie-rod end, which is then removed.  The provided rack extension...  The provided rack extension is then installed followed by the original tie-rod end. We used a bit of Loctite once again to ensure the assembly stays assembled.  And there you have it; here's...  And there you have it; here's the frontend assembled with a set of rollers installed to once again check for fender clearance, axle centerlines, etc.  With the suspension components...  With the suspension components installed and all the measurements checking out (to within 1/16 inch I might add!), the frame stub was welded up to the stock chassis.  One thing to be aware of is...  One thing to be aware of is any wheel clearance that may arise when it comes to disc brake installs. Since we're using a moderately sized rotor (11 inches), it shouldn't be much of an issue with any aftermarket wheel over 15 inches, but a 14-inch steel wheel might cause a bit of interference.  As I mentioned before, I like...  As I mentioned before, I like to go a little above and beyond and opted to add a pair of 1/4-inch plates on both sides of the framerails, TIG-welded on all four sides.  Just for illustration purposes,...  Just for illustration purposes, here's a shot of the painted front chassis after we installed the Master Power Brakes master cylinder and Chassis Engineering motor mounts. We'll get into the details of those two items a little later.  We also gave the Eaton springs,...  We also gave the Eaton springs, U-bolts, shackles, and plates a coat of Rust Encapsulator to ensure they're well protected and looking good to boot.  Here's the 8-inch rear after...  Here's the 8-inch rear after the Currie overhaul with a fresh coat of Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator paint to protect it.  Currie has a specially formulated...  Currie has a specially formulated gear oil to use with their rearends, as well as a special limited-slip friction modifier.  The front of the leaf springs...  The front of the leaf springs bolt directly to the frame on the stock chassis. Eaton provided new hardware for this, which we applied a coat of antisieze to ensure everything can come back apart if need be and to prevent any galling, corrosion, or bind.  The rearend is then slid into...  The rearend is then slid into place, before the rear shackles are attached.  We used antisieze on all the...  We used antisieze on all the shackle bushings as well as the hardware to prevent any binding from taking place, resulting in a freely moving, supple suspension setup.  And here's the finished product!...  And here's the finished product! A new front frame stub, fresh rear suspension, a new set of wheels and tires, and a quickie rattle can weathered paintjob completely changed the look of our wagon from s*** pile to style!  Note the relationship between...  Note the relationship between the spring eyelet and that of the frame mount.  Here's the rear shackle installed,...  Here's the rear shackle installed, completing the spring assembly.  We picked up these 215/70R15...  We picked up these 215/70R15 BFGoodrich Redline tires from Coker Tire. The '60s vibe of the Redline will fit the build style of the wagon nicely, while aesthetically setting off the blue and white paint scheme to come.  Adding to the '60s vibe is...  Adding to the '60s vibe is a set of 15x6 Rocket Racing Wheels Fuel Gray aluminum wheels. Crafted from A356 aluminum and topped with an O-ring center cap, the Fuel wheel is also available fully polished or chromes as well for that extra bling.  QA1's Stocker Star single...  QA1's Stocker Star single adjustable shocks will be soaking up the bumps out back.
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