Here’s how our truck looked...
Here’s how our truck looked rolled up onto our BendPak DP9 lift with the front clip off and the big-block removed.
I have had my ’68 Ford F-100 for more than a decade and as the editor of Street Chopper magazine, this truck has hauled a lot of Harleys. When the stock suspension was finally on its last legs, I had some decision making to do. I wanted the truck to have a much lower stance so I could easily get 600-plus-pound bikes loaded without the use of a long and sketchy ramp and a couple of half-drunk buddies.
As the ’67-’72 Ford trucks have risen in popularity with custom truckers, getting them in the weeds has been the topic of many discussions. Most want a quick solution, which isn’t the easiest thing to achieve with Ford’s Twin I-beam design. Only a few companies make dropped beams and to tell you the truth, they simply don’t give enough drops for what I was looking for. I already decided on doing a ground-scraping four-bar Ride Tech set up out back (which will be in an upcoming issue) so I can just basically ride my hog right into the bed all by my lonesome.
After we removed the stock...
After we removed the stock Twin I-Beam suspension, many brackets remained. The spring cups and I-beam mounts, which are both riveted and welded in, have to be removed from the framerails. The engine crossmember also has to be removed before the Fatman IFS kit can be installed. This can be quite tricky if you don’t have the proper tool for the job.
After much mental debate, I decided I was going to ditch the I-beam route all together and use one of Fatman Fabrication’s Stage III IFS kits. The kit from Fatman comes with polished stainless steel control arms and adjustable-rate QA1 Shocks, which allow easy fine-tuning of the ride height and a superior ride over monotube shocks. The kit comes complete with all the brackets, tabs, and hardware necessary to give this Bumpside Effie better ground control and a more preferable stance.
While we had the truck torn down, I added a Fatman front sway bar to gain some stabilization for the big beast. We also upgraded to a set of trick billet hubs and disc brakes from our friends at Engineered Components Inc. so we know darn well my Harley hauler will stop no matter how much payload we have out back.
So grab a coldie, sit back, and follow along as we do a tip-to-tail install on the front of my ’68 F-100. CCT
Luckily, we have our HTP Microcut...
Luckily, we have our HTP Microcut 625 plasma cutter ready and willing to slice and dice any metal we put in front of it.
We made quick work of the...
We made quick work of the spring cups with the Microcut…
…but decided to add a couple...
…but decided to add a couple of braces to ensure the chassis remains nice and straight before removing the crossmember.
With one final tug, the rather...
With one final tug, the rather large crossmember was removed and given to the scrap metal guy.
Here’s a shot of the front...
Here’s a shot of the front of the truck at its barest state. Yes, we did just remove some massive metal.
The edges of the framerails...
The edges of the framerails were ground clean before we clamped a strip of sheetmetal to the inside of the rails for our boxing plates.
The pattern was transferred...
The pattern was transferred to the sheetmetal then the plasma cutter was used to trim them down into the proper shape.
The boxing plates were checked...
The boxing plates were checked numerous times to insure they fit correctly and once they checked out, they were welded into place.
At this point the framerails...
At this point the framerails were ground down for a more uniform appearance.
As per Fatman’s directions,...
As per Fatman’s directions, we ensured that the chassis was on a 3-degree rake to ensure the factory suspension guidelines remain intact before we set the new IFS crossmember into place and made a few calculations as where we wanted the front wheels to be. We went 1½ inches forward from stock and marked each framerail before centering the crossmember. This will lengthen the wheelbase and center the wheels in the wheelwells.
We then tacked the Fatman...
We then tacked the Fatman IFS crossmember into place. Once it was measured to be correct in every way, we welded it to the frame.
Next came Fatman’s upper shock...
Next came Fatman’s upper shock mounts, which are welded squarely, centered above the crossmember.
The lower control arm mount...
The lower control arm mount requires a gusset to be welded to the rear of the crossmember. This will keep those arms nice and stiff!
Here are the suspension components...
Here are the suspension components as shipped from Fatman complete with stainless tubular control arms, a standard option for all their Mustang II-based kits, as well as the QA1 adjustable shocks.
When installing rack-and-pinion...
When installing rack-and-pinion steering on these lowered IFS trucks, a C-notch has to be made in the frame so it doesn’t hit when it articulates.
The polished stainless upper...
The polished stainless upper and lower control arms were installed along with the QA1 coilover shocks and Fat Man spindle. Note the relation of the coilover mounting plate on the lower control arm.
A set of billet 5x5½-inch...
A set of billet 5x5½-inch hubs and 11-inch disc brakes were supplied by Engineered Components Inc. (ECI) to provide more than adequate stopping power to the old Ford.
The bearings were packed with...
The bearings were packed with grease and the hubs were bolted to the spindles with nary an issue.
The rotors were then slid...
The rotors were then slid onto the hubs…
Followed by the two-piston...
Followed by the two-piston brake calipers.
On this truck, Fatman requires...
On this truck, Fatman requires that the power rack be lengthened on the passenger side. This is done by drilling the coupler pin out and adding an extension to the tie rod.
Fatman supplies a machined...
Fatman supplies a machined thread-on extension that spaced the rack to the correct width. Loctite was used to ensure that the extension does not come loose.
Once the extension is screwed...
Once the extension is screwed on, the passenger-side tie rod is threaded on an the dust boot is reinstalled.
The newly modified power rack...
The newly modified power rack was then installed onto the front of the IFS crossmember.
To mount the sway bar, I drilled...
To mount the sway bar, I drilled holes in the frame and welded in some Grade-8 nuts to it that can be easily removed if needed.
The sway bar was then slid...
The sway bar was then slid into place and bolted to the frame…
…and affixed to the lower...
…and affixed to the lower arm using Fatman’s special mounts. The busted ball joint boots shown are the result of the rubber industry’s compliance with the strict regulations set up by the EPA. Thankfully, Fatman has the problem solved and all their kits ship with updated rubber.
To keep the now-lowered 3,500-pound...
To keep the now-lowered 3,500-pound truck planted on the ground when carving the turns, I decided to install a Fatman sway bar.
Here’s a shot of how the whole...
Here’s a shot of how the whole conversion looks when done. It was a relatively easy swap that will give this old truck some state-of-the-art suspension, steering, and stopping power.