I needed a winter project, so I decided to detail and lighten up the front suspension pieces on my '66 Falcon drag car.
The first step was to remove all the factory undercoating under the front aprons,shock towers and under the front fenders. A scraper, heat gun and lots of elbow grease were used. It was then sprayed with Ford Gray urethane. The removed undercoating weighed 12 lbs.
![]()
![]()
I removed the heavy finned 10 x 2 1/2" drums and replaced them with 10 x 1 3/4" rear drums and shoes. The hubs were lightened on a lathe and some extra holes were drilled. The drums are now a slip on style, and 7 lbs. lighter per side.
![]()
The backing plates were vetilated with a 1" Uni-bit. The spindles had all the un-necessary forging flash removed with a sanding disc. The tubular LCA's and adjustable strut rods saved app. 12 lbs. per side.
![]()
![]()
The upper control arm had all the un-needed weight removed with a plasma cutter, and then I went at it with the Uni-bit. Total weight savings on the front end is app. 50 lbs.
![]()
Some may have read the Fordmuscle cover page article where I built some 8" wide steelies out of boneyard wheel parts.
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2006/02/Steelies/index.php
I did the same thing for the fronts, except that this time I narrowed a pair of old school chrome Astro Slots. I wanted the old gasser look, and the Torq Thrust style ET's just were not doing it. I took some 60's era 14 x 7" Astro Slot chrome wheels, and removed the centers. I then found two 14 x 4" Toyota Celica steel wheels and removed the stock centers from them. I welded the Astro center into the Toyota wheel shells, and I now have a 4" wide front runner that was never available in the old days. The wheels are very light due to the Toyota sheels being made of thinner material. I used 14" wheels because that is the size of tire that is on the front of the car, but the same thing can be done with 15" wheels to have some old school front runners. I used some metallic gray urethane with a little flattening agent in it, and the wheels look like Halibrand magnesium wheels.
![]()
_________________
![]()
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: F15Falcon on 3/7/06 9:48am ]</font>
The first step was to remove all the factory undercoating under the front aprons,shock towers and under the front fenders. A scraper, heat gun and lots of elbow grease were used. It was then sprayed with Ford Gray urethane. The removed undercoating weighed 12 lbs.
I removed the heavy finned 10 x 2 1/2" drums and replaced them with 10 x 1 3/4" rear drums and shoes. The hubs were lightened on a lathe and some extra holes were drilled. The drums are now a slip on style, and 7 lbs. lighter per side.
The backing plates were vetilated with a 1" Uni-bit. The spindles had all the un-necessary forging flash removed with a sanding disc. The tubular LCA's and adjustable strut rods saved app. 12 lbs. per side.
The upper control arm had all the un-needed weight removed with a plasma cutter, and then I went at it with the Uni-bit. Total weight savings on the front end is app. 50 lbs.
Some may have read the Fordmuscle cover page article where I built some 8" wide steelies out of boneyard wheel parts.
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2006/02/Steelies/index.php
I did the same thing for the fronts, except that this time I narrowed a pair of old school chrome Astro Slots. I wanted the old gasser look, and the Torq Thrust style ET's just were not doing it. I took some 60's era 14 x 7" Astro Slot chrome wheels, and removed the centers. I then found two 14 x 4" Toyota Celica steel wheels and removed the stock centers from them. I welded the Astro center into the Toyota wheel shells, and I now have a 4" wide front runner that was never available in the old days. The wheels are very light due to the Toyota sheels being made of thinner material. I used 14" wheels because that is the size of tire that is on the front of the car, but the same thing can be done with 15" wheels to have some old school front runners. I used some metallic gray urethane with a little flattening agent in it, and the wheels look like Halibrand magnesium wheels.
_________________
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: F15Falcon on 3/7/06 9:48am ]</font>
