For the Bulletside Build-Off front suspension on our Gasser-style '72 Ford F-100, there really isn't going to be a lot of deviation from a stock F-100. In fact, one could even say we're going to stick with a stock F-100's front brakes. For the basis of our '72's front brake setup, we opted to dump the front drum brake arrangement that saw its last year of service for F-100s in '72 and adopt the factory setup introduced on the '73 model-year trucks that continued until '79.
Of course, if we were building a real Gasser intended to be used primarily at the dragstrip, we would maintain the drum brakes because these offer a very slight decrease in rolling resistance, but that's not what we are after. Disc brakes will continue to work after driving through water, and they are considerably superior when it comes to resisting brake fade. There are several ways to go about obtaining a set of '73-79 disc brakes-you can scrounge around the junkyards and hope to find a set to rebuild, or you can give the guys at Classic Performance Products a call.
Next on our list of frontend goodies to give our '72 an authentic Gasser look was to round up the perfect wheel/tire combination, and there's nothing that says mid-'60s drag racer like a pair of M/T ET front tires mounted on a pair of skinny 4-inch-wide Cragar S/S wheels.
We removed the five 1/2-inchx20...
We removed the five 1/2-inchx20 lug nuts on each wheel with a 13/16-inch wheel wrench and soaked all the hardware to be removed with Rost-Off.
The next step was to mount...
The next step was to mount the skinny dragster-style Cragar S/S wheels shod with M/T ET fronts and determine how much of a lift we will need to set the '72's Gasser stance.
Next in line was to remove...
Next in line was to remove the '72's drum brake frontend. On the newer trucks all it takes to disconnect the tie rod ends is a quick rap with a hammer, but on the old ones you will have to use a pickle fork.
After disconnecting the tie...
After disconnecting the tie rods, the next step to remove the twin I-beam frontend was to unbolt the shock absorbers. Since the shocks were junk anyway, we used vise grips to hold the shaft while the nut was backed off.
To disconnect the front coil...
To disconnect the front coil springs, we soaked the two nuts on the retaining bracket at the top near the shock absorber with Rost-Off and loosened them up with a 9/16-inch six-point socket.
The beauty of opting for the...
The beauty of opting for the '65-72 F-100 disc brake conversion offered by Classic Performance Products is that they have spindles that have been refurbished and black powdercoated, followed with new brake rotors and rebuilt calipers.
Also included are new wheel...
Also included are new wheel bearings, seals, brake pads, and a new kingpin kit. Before installing the new kingpins, we checked the kingpin bushings and discovered that paint overspray was interfering with a press fit. We cleaned the kingpin bushings with a brake-cylinder hone and tested them for fitment.
This tool is for extracting...
This tool is for extracting the cotter keys found on the nuts throughout the twin I-beam front suspension. Lineman pliers or dikes also work well.
We found LMC Truck in Lenexa,...
We found LMC Truck in Lenexa, KS, carries a complete line of replacement parts for Ford twin I-beam suspensions. These are their polyurethane bushings that upgrade the original Ford rubber parts.
Here's a shot of the stock...
Here's a shot of the stock Ford rubber bushings in comparison to the LMC upgraded replacements.
We found the best way to service...
We found the best way to service a Ford twin I-beam frontend is to remove it from the truck. Afterward, it was much easier to remove the original kingpins.
Extreme care needs to be taken...
Extreme care needs to be taken on parts that have to be reused. The last thing left to remove the twin I-beam frontend were the pivot bolts.
We soaked the Grade 8 pivot...
We soaked the Grade 8 pivot bolts with Rost-Off before removing the nuts retaining them.
To protect the threads, we...
To protect the threads, we used a brass hammer to drive the pivot bolt flush with the frame, and a 1/2-inch round brass drift to drive it the rest of the way out.