1963 Ford Falcon

[AndrewNTX]

Compliments on the forum, it is informative and very helpful.

I have a 1963 Ford Falcon 2 dr hardtop which is close to the 64/66 Mustang as far as suspension design.

1. Up front SKW1023? Complete bolt in? If not what area may need attention?

2. Out back, ARK2005 AirOverLeaf? I know the car has 2" wide leafs; beyond that I am not sure if I need underframe or side frame type. Is there any loss of wheel clearance where the air spring/bracket mount? What else should I know?

[darren@ridetech.com]

The front will most likely bolt in. The rear air spring is about 4" in diameter, so you might loose a little tire clearance. Use the underframe bracket.

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks. As to the ARK2005, AIRoverLeaf- 2000lb. 2 leaf/underframe kit, I have a few questions.

Here is a shot of the rear leafs on the 63 Falcon Sprint. Don't worry about the cherry bomb mufflers and exhaust, that'll be gone.

1. The current stock ride height measures 8.5" from bottom of frame rail to top of leaf spring. Is that within range for the AirRide set up and if so what ranges will it operate in? What amount of lowering from that may be expected when set at normal ride / drive height?

2. The leaf and the frame rail are a bit offset laterally where the tape measure is shown (the leaf is inboard of the frame at the front mount, however is not directly under the frame rail where the airspring would be; it is directly under the frame at the shackle at the rear). Does the AirRide bracket set up allow for some variation in this offset?

3. The car has 2" wide leafs, a total of 5 leafs. Is the number of leaves removed for AirRide installation experimental or is there a recommendation?

4. Do you have ARK2005 instruction sheets up, I didn't see any on the Instruction page. I'm sure this is your simplest set up, I like to be prepared!

Thanks!

[darren@ridetech.com]

Ride height on that air spring is about 5-6" tall, but the brackets will consume about 2". You will be able to drop it about 3" from there.

You may have to space the upper bracket to achieve proper alignment.

I would start with removing two. If that doesn't drop enough, take out the third.

[isaacl30]

Darren, since the leafs don't run directly under the frame on my 61 can I still use the under frame bracket and simply offset the airspring. It looks as if the leaf bracket has mulitple holes allowing the off set of the spring for better alignment. By doing this the airspring would be mounted on the inner half of the leaf spring. Is this good or bad?

[darren@ridetech.com]

You can do that, but I prefer to have it centered on the leaf spring.

[isaacl30]

Darren, what would be the potential problems of running the spring off centered on the leaf?

[darren@ridetech.com]

Could twist the leaf a bit, causing some misalignment. As long as you enough leafs it shouldn't be a problem though.

[AndrewNTX]

Well I ordered my set up through a dealer for my '63 Falcon. Thanks for your help here on the forum, I'm sure I will have more questions.

The kits should drop ship direct from your place to Texas, you will get my order tomorrow (3-13). I will be out in San Diego, CA the next 5 days - maybe I'll get to Costa Mesa - Goodguys to see some cars.

1. SKW1023 Shockwaves.

2. ARK2005 AirOverLeaf 2" under frame.

3. APOD4000e2 AirPod w/3 gal. Tank, single compressor and RidePro e2 control. I like the aluminum tank for no corrosion and of course all the components tested and wired up is sweet. Great product.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Cool. Thanks!!
Post some pics when your done. If you have any questions with the install just let us know.

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks. I got to see my first AirPod in person at the AirRide display over in Costa Mesa, CA GoodGuys show. Even the wife was impressed w/ the packaging and benefits of the AirPod. (She's not usually impressed w/ my excessive car hobby!)

Can you tell me what the ship out date and eta of my order may be? Is it possible to include 4 airline fittings (shraeder valves to fill)?

Thanks very much.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Who did you order it through?

[AndrewNTX]

Dean at http://www.hotrodsusa.com/

dean@hotrodsusa.com (888) 875-6666 or at (360) 210-5376

[darren@ridetech.com]

Shipped out yesterday!

[AndrewNTX]

After reading the instructions (!) I am partway through the front install. Packaging and quality of the parts are excellent. Picture shows the air springs, top aluminum plates, and the machined shock mounts that go under the car sheetmetal, sandwiching w/ the aluminum plates.

Front Install Comments:

1. Hole pattern bolt circle in Falcon shock tower is slightly smaller than the AirRide aluminum top plate hole pattern. I elongated the shock tower slots to suit.

2. Falcons have a factory sheet metal strut tower brace, whose flanges interfere w/ the AirRide top plate. I carefully trimmed the flanges and the plate fits nicely.

3. No compromises to the car so if a return to coils is needed it would be no problem.

I painted the top plates black, my motor compartment is low key and in black they suit it nicely. You can still see the "AirRide" logo stamped in.

Photos show the coil and the SKW without the Falcon sheet metal bumpstop in place. This sheet metal part does clear the air spring through the range of travel, however, the SKW internal bumpstop contacts before the control arm hits the car's bumpstop. I guess I will install it as it would protect the air spring from road debris.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Nice pics. I think that bumpstop plate also reinforces the stut tower some as well. Not sure tho....just what I always thought.

[astromonkey]

Keep the pics coming. This is pretty much exactly what I'm planning for my Comet.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Just had a dealer install the rear Mustang AirBar on a 68 Falcon. Had to heavily modify the upper cradle, but was able to make it work.

[AndrewNTX]

Front SW's are installed. With no air the drop is on the order of 2-2.25" from stock. The first photo reflects no air sitting on SWs' internal bumpstops. The rear has yet to be touched. The 2nd photo is stock on coil springs. Nice of the wife to be up late doing our taxes, gave me some garage time!

I was wondering about the drop fully deflated, is the 2" about all the Shockwave will provide? That means at ride height I would be about 1" or so lowered from stock? What factors regulate this, for example, the nose on the top of the SW is about 1.25". Can that be reduced to lower the car further? Or is that dimension required for the nose of the SW to clear the upper mount?

[darren@ridetech.com]

On a mustang the ride height is about 2" lower than factory. Fully deflated is about 2-3" lower than that. On any vehicle you will need at least 2-3" from fully deflated to get a descent ride quality and keep from damaging the shockwave. The 1 1/4" stut top is the shortest that I have. Also the Mustang Shockwaves use the 9.19" collapsed shock which is also the shortest.

So, either you have the wrong length shock or the Falcon is a little different than the mustang on this and you may need to make a custom upper mount to let the vehicle drop down farther.

[darren@ridetech.com]

I just looked at your pics of the Shockwave installed. You do have the correct length shock. Might have to look at making a different lower bracket.

[AndrewNTX]

On a Mustang you noted 2" drop at ride height and 2" further drop with no air. 4" of travel... I need to check what this set up is doing... On the 9.19 collapsed shock dimension, is that dimension from lower mount to top of strut top? I can double check that.

Darren, you mentioned two points to achieve more drop:

1. May need to make a custom upper mount
Q: Would that be accomplished by machining the top surface of the mount by "x" amount? How much can be removed from it? Could you supply such custom mounts?

2. Might have to look at making a different lower bracket
Q: Not sure which lower bracket you mean? The one that bolts to the upper control arm?

[289falconranchero]

AndrewNTX, I believe your '63 Falcon has the same suspension as my '65. If so, you can obtain another 1" drop by doing the "Shelby drop". Basically, all you do is mount the upper control arm 1" lower on the body and, if you want to, 1/8" back (towards the cabin of the car). This gives our cars much better handling, plus it'll drop it another 1". The 1/8" set-back further increases the car's handling above and beyond the 1" lower relocation. However, the set-back can cause binding when your suspension is dropped. I would recommend purchasing a "negative wedge kit". These kits provide templates to relocate the mounting point, as mentioned above, plus it re-angles the ball joint in the upper control arm to prevent binding. Although, I have heard of many people simply lowering the upper arm's mount 1", without the set-back, with no binding problems. Please note, that these people are not using air suspensions. To be safe, with the added drop the air suspension allows, I would buy a negative wedge kit. Here's a link to an article from Mustang Monthly that outlines the modification and your aftermarket options: http://www.mustangmonthly.com/howto/mump_0705_upper_control_arms/negative_wedge_kit.html

Hope this helps.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Does anyone make a drop spindle for this car? That would work too. There is usually about 5" of travel at the wheel overall. 9.19" would be measure from the center of the T-bar on the bottom to the top of the stud top. You do have the correct parts tho, I can tell by looking at your pictures.

I agree with 289falconranchero, not only will that mod help drop the car, but it will increase camber gain and caster. I think that it makes the roll center a little better too.

[289falconranchero]

They do make drop spindles that will fit Falcons. However, most that I've seen require front disc brakes. AndrewNTX, if you have disc brakes, look for drop spindles for a Mustang, Granada, or Comet (they use the same spindles as our Falcons). If you do not have discs, you'll have to plan for that conversion if you want the drop spindles. I'm not certain what companies make them, but I'm sure a little web surfing will turn up some results.

Good luck.

[AndrewNTX]

AirOverLeaf questions:

1. At ride height and using the Bolt-On under frame bracket A034B http://www.ridetech.com/products/Bolt_On_under_frame_bracket-722-2438.html supplied in my kit, the top bracket at its highest position leaves only 4-5" for the air spring (Top of the bracket hits the floor/trunk sheetmetal so it can't be moved up any higher). Should I trim about 1" off the bracket, move it up higher to aim for the 5-6" for air spring?

2. As expected the leaf is not exactly under the frame nor fully to the side of the frame, it is transitioning. How much lateral difference is allowed from top to bottom mounts on the F7076? Also to minimize the lateral difference I will have to use one of offset holes in the lower leaf spring bracket A082 so the air spring won't be exactly centered on the leaf. Brake drum/wheel components are pretty close by.

3. Bolting of the top bracket: the Falcon frame is a closed rectangular section about 1 1/2" thick, it is not an open channel (no access); can the top bracket bolt thru the entire frame, sandwiching it or are you expecting to grip thru just one wall of the frame, requiring an enlarged hole in the opposite wall just to fish the bolt through? Maybe the all thread w/ two 90d bends approach will work...

[darren@ridetech.com]

1. Yes trim the bracket you need to get that air spring as close to 6" at ride height as possible.

2. I would install a spacer to perfectly align the upper mount with the lower. You can offset the lower mounting hole, but I like to use the center hole.

3. I would drill a hole all the way through the rail and use a longer bolt. It would also be a good idea to put a plate on the other side of the rail to help reinforce it.

[AndrewNTX]

Rear install:

Although I have a Underframe kit and brkt, there did not appear to be a way to fit a 6" bag under the frame on these cars unless it was so far back is was at the rear shackle. Plus, looking for 6" and 1" (btm brkt) and about 1 3/4" on top (air fitting and brkt), finding 8 3/4" room under the frame just wasn't going to happen.

So I ended up w/ the bag position immediately after the axle and will use the underframe brkt flipped 180d and modified as shown in pictures in a side frame installation. Wheel clearance can be an issue too, the closer to the axle seemed to improve that. See last pic for mock up w/ wood block representing the bag (glasspacks are headed to the dumpster...). Car is supported by the rear axle representing ride height.

I mentioned, I had to trim the top brackets to allow them to move up - working to get 6" space between mounts at ride height. About 1" trimmed and also a trimmed contour to allow the brkt to better fit the floor pan/frame. This does make them LH/RH specific.

Car ride height - here are the changes: ballpark dimension is axle center to fender:
Before:
6 5/8"; 10 yr old shocks, worn out leaf spring bushings all around, 6 leafs OE installed.
Now:
6 1/4"; new KYB GasAJust shocks, new rubber bushings on leafs, 3 leafs OE remain. No doubt there will be some wear in that will occur.

Later, if I need further rear drop, I will add a 1/2" block under the axle.

Anyone see any issues w/ using an underframe brkt as a sideframe mount? I'm also curious, what function does the return leg on the upper bracket have?

[darren@ridetech.com]

Looks good to me....

[isaacl30]

Andrew make sure that you run a grade 8 bolts through the frame rale and back it with a plate on the inner side of the rail. The bag will want to pull the bracket out unless you have some support on the back side to keep it firmly against the frame.

[britt@ridetech.com]

If you want to be extra sure you could gusset the corners and add two extra bolt holes near the bottom of the bracket to keep it from bending upward.

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks, Issac, Britt and Darren, important points. I was planning on the additional holes; but felt that 1/4" thick material is pretty rigid, seemingly more than the frame channel; good little 3d artwork there to illustrate the gussets. I'll take your advice and be sure it is stout and well attached.

[isaacl30]

Extactly as Britt shows in the pic. Additional side strength in the bracket, other wise it would bend upwards

[darren@ridetech.com]

I don't think that the gussets are necessary, I've never seen one of those brackets bend or break, but the extra holes are a good idea.

[isaacl30]

You just don't want to be the first one to have it happen too. Beefing up any structural piece is a good idea period. With my braket I acutally fabbed up a piece that flowed with the contour of the frame rail that had attatchment points on the side and under the frame. The bag bracket was @ a 90deg angle with side gussets. This bracket was designed to mount in front of the axle. Over kill maybe but it is safe and structurally sound.

[AndrewNTX]

I just aired up the back after the brkt install but have not driven the car yet.

The top bracket I trimmed as shown in pics and I added another hole. I decided to do one hole vs 2 more as I considered the car frame rail section w/ 4 holes (2 aligned) would loose too much cross section. The third hole is centered on the bracket and 1" down from the first two and will resist the peeling up of the brkt. The arrgt of three holes is nicely placed in the frame rail.

I used GR8 bolts at 3" long which go through the frame rail. I am fabricating a frame back up plate for the inboard side, it will be 2" wide bar x 3 1/2" long and have the same pattern of 3 holes. At the moment I'm using some scrap plate to spread out the clamp.

Ideal 6" between the mounts per the install notes. I may have ended up w/ 5 1/2" to 5 3/4", modified brackets.

Bottom brkt is in line w/ the center of the leaf, but I may consider moving it inboard one hole on the mount for additional wheel clearance. I will need to design a new upper mount brkt to do this.

I mounted the bag just behind the rear axle.

Starting w/ 6 leafs OE, I took out 2 leafs to get an idea of the full drop height (no air). I ended up keeping 3 leafs for stability, maybe could take out another. About 1" drop as is.

Air lines were routed from the bag along the frame rail and floor rearward, to the trunk area near the bumper. In the vertical well beneath the trunk floor a hole was drilled and a 1/4" ID grommet installed. The RR air line routed the same but once inside the trunk, it routes under the trunk mat along the back to the LH rear corner. The AirPod will mount in the LH rear side of the trunk like it was custom made to fit.

So w/ no air, as is it will have about 1" drop. If I need more I can add lowering blocks. Aired up to about 6" btwn brkts, it will sit more or less the same as it did w/ 6 leaf springs - the air spring carries the load of the 3 leafs that were removed. Then, when aired up more, it will pick up to about 9" btwn brkts.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Sounds good.

Thanks for the feedback.

[AndrewNTX]

AR rear brackets modified and an additional hole added; new 1/4" x 2" inboard frame doublers made and all brkts stripped, primed and repainted. The rear suspension is back together, at least for this go round. Picture is w/ spring extended, no air.

I will definitely need some traditional lowering blocks between leaf and axle, ride height has great range but is on the high side. The drop is not as much as it seemed initially, maybe the KYB gas charged shocks pick it up some but mainly it is the fact that the airspring really needs 6-7" to 'fill' out, seems like that is where it needs to be for ride height. Also you may see in the pictures that the bottom brkt needs to be tweaked down so the cutout rests on the leaf, I will fix that condition. That reduces the space btwn brkts and also misaligns them slightly.

Ideally I would like to move the airspring inboard, but space is limited by the top airline fitting and the frame.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Looks good Andrew.

[AndrewNTX]

AirPod is in and wired. As you can see the fit of the unit on the LH side of the trunk is perfect.

I need some help though.

The compressor is not coming on. The display is working fine.

Red wire is direct to battery (battery side of solenoid, followed by inline fuse); when the key is turned on (yellow wire energised) I hear the valves inside the AirPod click maybe 5-10 times. However, no pressure. All 4 corners stay at zero pressure. Pushing up/down on the display buttons for any given corner will activate the valves but nothing happens. Checking the display for tank pressure it is 1 or 2 psi and does not build.

I have double checked all wiring and ground. Voltage at the AirPod plug red wire is same as battery voltage and the ground was checked vs battery negative and it is continuous. The same thing happens whether the car is running or not. Fuses inside the AirPod are not blown.

I'm not sure what to check next, why is the compressor not coming on?

[britt@ridetech.com]

The only other item between the power at the fuse block and the compressor is the relay, so I'd look there.
Try this:
1-turn the ignition ON
2-check the terminals on the relay
Red=constant +12V
Yellow=power to compressor when ECU tells the compressor to turn ON
Grey=ground
Orange=+12V
***The orange and red wires should be +12V all the time. The grey wire is ground which is switched by the ECU when the compressor should be ON. The yellow wire is the power to the compressor which is +12V only when the compressor is ON.
3-If the wires check out correctly but there is no power on the yellow wire, tap the relay with a screwdriver handle (or similar blunt device).
-if the compressor turns on the relay may have failed
-I have seen in testing that a low voltage can cause the relay contacts to weld together. When you tap on the relay it releases the contacts and works for a short while. If this is the case you can replace the relay with any SPDT relay found at a local auto parts store, or give us a call and we'll take care of it.

[darren@ridetech.com]

If the contacts were welded together, wouldn't the comp. be on all the time? ;)

[darren@ridetech.com]

I assume that you checked the fuse inside the airpod?

[britt@ridetech.com]

not if the contacts that are fused are the ones that place the circuit in an "open" condition.

In this case the coil (pins 85 and 86) that normally pulls the contacts together to complete the circuit (pulls pin 87 to pin 30) does not have enough ass to break the contacts free.

[AndrewNTX]

Ok, you guys are great, thanks for all the responses.

Problem solved. Simple problem, simple solution:

I looked closer at the compressor relay in the AirPod - the orange wire terminal to the relay was crimped but the crimp did not hold the wire tight enough. The wire had pulled out. So a new freshly crimped terminal on the orange wire and all is working just fine.

Thanks!

[darren@ridetech.com]

Sweet. I'll notify the AirPod assembly dept. ;)

[AndrewNTX]

Here are a few pictures showing the car in full extension, ride height and deflated. The travel is there, next I need to attend to some more lowering. The car is all stock (UCA, LCA, spindle, drum brakes) and leafs as well but 3 are removed.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Yeah she could use another inch or two drop IMO.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Are you gonna do the Shelby mod to lower it more?

[nitroratrod]

That car looks pretty good!!! I have a 1960 Falcon Wagon that I want to put on air. I think I'm going to build my own suspension to get it lower. I like how easy this was to do though. I guess it's all on how much work you want to do. Great looking ride!!! I like how the Air Pod fits back there. Nice job!:cool:

[isaacl30]

Andrew, You have to get more drop out of her than that.. Your getting more lift than drop. Your right on with the rear, lowering block 3" at least. For the front I do like the shockwave set up but since you have the later suspension (5 bolt) so go with a drop spindle and that should put you down good enough to turn heads when you drop her at shows.
Kev

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks for the replies. Yes - more drop is needed. It will get there. Shelby drop up front as a start and blocks out back.

At least for now even w/ the very modest lowering the Falcon's ride and handling are a great improvement over what I started out with.

I have to say w/ Air Ride's forum and help here it has been a very unique experience - the customer service and knowledge base here has made this a great project thus far.

[darren@ridetech.com]

Yea, this a really good thread. Most will drop on here to find out which parts they need for their car, then never post back any feedback. It's nice to have a thread keep going until the install is finished.

[289falconranchero]

Car looks really good!! Still haven't gotten to installing air in mine, yet, as I just finished rebuilding and modding the motor. Plus, I still need to buy an air management system. As mentioned, looks like more drop is needed. The shelby drop should give you another 1" up front, but more importantly, it will enhance the handling of the car dramaticly. It should handle like it's on rails once you do that. 2" spindles, Shelby drop, and 3" blocks should put you exactly where you want to be. (remember to look for Granada or Comet spindles as they are more common = cheaper. You have to run a different steering linakges if you use Mustang spindles.)

I saw the write-up you did with custom fabbing the rear air-over-leaf setup. Great information. That's the same kit I bought, so you're instructions will help out allot.

Do you have any clearance issues with anything in the front or rear? Or foresee any problems once you put the blocks and spindles in? How about camber with the front tires, do the front tires stay pretty straight when it's lowered, or do they tip in or out at the top of the tire? (Going to be putting on wider wheels on mine and want to make sure they won't hit the fender or the airbag.)

I know the exhaust could be an obstacle. I just had a new exhaust put in mine two weeks ago and had the exhaust guy route the exhaust up high over the axle, then around the gas tank. The rear axle will hit the frame before it hits the exhaust.

Great thread! Thank you for putting in the work of documenting your build. It'll really help take the guess-work out of installing it on my car and will help others, too. The frame and suspension remained unchanged in the Falcons, Comets, and Granada up till 1966, and the Mustangs are nearly identicle, too.

[Alistair Davidson]

Thanks for the replies. Yes - more drop is needed. It will get there. Shelby drop up front as a start and blocks out back. .


HI AndrewNXT

Great post, very informative with cool photos. I had the same challenge with putting Shockwaves in the front of my T-bird, we used L-shaped brackets that pick up on the stock shock mounting holes in the upper A-arm and extend down through the hole in the upper arm. This allows the Showckwave to mount down through the arm, which effectively lowers the front of the car. We used three lower mount holes so we can tune the amount of drop.

We had to open up the hole in the A-arm to clear the adjustment knob on the Shockwave. The chassis shop welded a new reinforcing lip around the cut-out to add the strength back in. We have stringent safety checks on modified vehicles here (in New Zealand) before they are allowed on the road: any suspenion that's welded has to be crack tested by an X-ray lab.

My car has air over leaf at the rear, and we used 2" lowering blocks with only one leaf (with a single fabricated forward control arm each side). Combined with the modified Shockwave lower mounts the car gets really good drop: it will almost sit its sills on the road, and fully extended is pretty well factory ride height.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Alistair

[289falconranchero]

HI AndrewNXT

I had the same challenge with putting Shockwaves in the front of my T-bird, we used L-shaped brackets that pick up on the stock shock mounting holes in the upper A-arm and extend down through the hole in the upper arm. This allows the Showckwave to mount down through the arm, which effectively lowers the front of the car. We used three lower mount holes so we can tune the amount of drop.
Cheers
Alistair


Good idea. It allows some adjustability. Plus, looks like its a pretty simple and cheap way to get more drop. Do you have any pictures of before and after installing the "L brackets"? Have you noticed if the lowered brackets affected the handling of the car? Any binding issues (other than having to allow clearance for the shock adjustment)?

[Alistair Davidson]

Hi
Sorry, the car is at the body shop at the moment. I didn't take any before pics because when I put the shockwaves in the car using the Air Ride 61-66T bird kit, and let it off the axle stands, it sat higher than stock with the shockwaves fully deflated. I never took it out of the shed, instead we made the modification immediately.
There are no binding issues at all, the front suspension goes from fully extended to bump-stopped smoothly. The bag system is fully plumbed and wired, and I've driven the car around the block a couple of time before sending it off to the body shop, and it seemed to ride well.
The extra holes in the L-shaped brackets allow the car to be set up so that when it is at a nice low ride height the shockwave is at its optimum pressure - but I've yet to estabilsh those pressures by putting miles on the car.
I guess it'll be a few months before the car's home and reassembled, I'll post some pics then.
In the meantime here are some pics of the range of suspension travel.
Thanks for the questions.
Cheers
Alistair

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm glad the information on my install is useful.

289Falcon/Ranchero:
Clearance issues - no problem up front; all the stock UCA/LCA etc are in place so that all stays as it was, the SW is behind the factory fender brace/bumper mount anyway. I have not run the 17" wheels yet just these little 13"s so can't say on clearance yet as it is lowered; plus my lowering sp far is modest so nothing drastic is happening to the tires tipping in or out yet.

Clearance, however on the rear - depending on how you mount the bags - will be diminished somewhat by the top mount; trying to keep the airspring centered on the leaf ends up causing this. There may be better ways to do it.

Although spec'd at 5"-6" btwn mounts, being a light car the Falcon seems to like spacing the airspring brackets at least 7" at ride height. Mine sits at the 7" dimension at just 15-20 psi and the bag is filled out. I could only do 1/2" more due to frame and floor clearance. So space out your AirOverLeaf brackets as much as you can.

I think on a Ranchero AirRide would excellent, tune the ride for everyday comfort at a chosen ride height, w/ a nice drop deflated; then when you need to carry heavy items or a trailer you can compensate by adding pressure temporarily.

Alistair
That is clever on the TBird. I did test out a similar concept on the front as far as mounting the SW differently that Kev had sent me. Just to see what effect it had, I mounted the SW lower bar from BELOW the control arm - put some spacers on under the UCA holes so the SW bar would clear the stamped UCA flange. The car came way down, in fact deflated sat on the car's bumpstops not the SW's. It dropped the ride height maybe 2". The picture is shown in this condition, deflated, on car's bumpstops. I just did a mock up, aired it up and down and replaced everything back on top of the UCA.

As you noted such a set up will have to be strengthened, checked and so forth. In the case of the Falcon/Mustang control arm, no notching was needed, the unit fit nicely through and the adjustment knob was readily accessible. I'm not sure a spacer would serve structurally?

Another way to do this would be tubular UCA's, they would allow mounting the SW to the bottom of the perch ear to get the SW in a lower position? Some $$'s though.

For the nxt step I will do the Shelby drop and see what I get. Good to know there are more options beyond that.

[AndrewNTX]

Well I've been busy on the car and to top it off, UPS delivered a few boxes w/ some Salt Flat wheels friday...

At the moment the rear is on a 2" spacer, I'll be changing that to a 3" when my tubing comes in. Good part on the lowering out back is as it drops the bracket gains clearance from the wheel.

Looks a lot different than the first picture on here.... I love the way it turned out!

[loweredd]

Wow! Those salt flats really changed the look for the better! I wanted to use salt flats on mine, but they dont have an 18. Good job on that Ford.

[darren@ridetech.com]

It's amazing what a set of wheels can do for a cars' attitude.

[isaacl30]

Andrew those wheels really set of the look. good job
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f345/kevinl1058/falcon.jpg
kevin

[darren@ridetech.com]

Nice car!...

[INDEEP]

Such a shame they stopped production of the Falcon in the US.

It's still one of the most popular saloons on the road here in Australia.

Just imagine what could be done with this:

(5.4L Quad-cam V8; 422hp, 406ft-lb straight off the showroom floor) :)

/FLAME (Sorry, but I just had to mention it) :rolleyes:

[darren@ridetech.com]

Yea, that's a good looking car.

[AndrewNTX]

Andrew those wheels really set of the look. good job
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f345/kevinl1058/falcon.jpg
kevin

Kevin, as always your car is awesome, glad you posted a recent picture. Looks super! Your car has been my inspiration for how good a Falcon can look for a long time now! I'd watched the car but the only way I was able to contact you was when I found some posts you made on AirRide forums.

I would like to see a picture of your front end set up, I think you have bags and fab shock mount, but I'd like to see the suspension bumper, I know the OE one has to be modified to let the UCA go up that far and I'd like to see how it was done. Can you post a front suspension picture?

Thanks for the compliments on my Sprint.

[AndrewNTX]

Such a shame they stopped production of the Falcon in the US.

It's still one of the most popular saloons on the road here in Australia.

Just imagine what could be done with this:

(5.4L Quad-cam V8; 422hp, 406ft-lb straight off the showroom floor) :)

/FLAME (Sorry, but I just had to mention it) :rolleyes:

Well I am holding out hope for new USA Falcons, since Pontiac is bring some of the Australian RWD cars like the G8 4 door and Sport Truck over as US models, maybe Ford will do the same. I'd be first in line for a 2010 Ford 4 door Falcon w/ a nice V8 and RWD!

[isaacl30]

Andrew,
I will work on getting a shot of the front set up.. Front snubbers are removed, when the front is dumped the lower control arms contact the frame. I'm actually considering going with the TCP lower control arms which allow for more clearance. either that or notching the frame or even modifying the stock control arm. Like you I am looking to step up and run an 3 inch block in the rear so if I can go with a 19 or 20 inch wheel in the rear.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f345/kevinl1058/061508_13491.jpg

[nitroratrod]

I would love to see some pics of the suspension!!! That thing sits nice!!!!

[isaacl30]

Darren, could you possibly make a lowering block kit for our falcons. Its tough to find a kit for the 2" wide leaf and u-bolts for the narrow 7.25" rearend. I was thinkin of going with a 3" block kit and running a 20" wheel in the rear..

[AndrewNTX]

Darren, could you possibly make a lowering block kit for our falcons. Its tough to find a kit for the 2" wide leaf and u-bolts for the narrow 7.25" rearend. I was thinkin of going with a 3" block kit and running a 20" wheel in the rear..

Yes,the 2" wide leaf ain't too common. I looked but found no kits. Mustangs and 64+ Falcons are 2 1/2". Stuff for that is on the shelf at PepBoys. What OD is your axle tube?

For my car, I found that a custom made 3/8" u-bolt had to be made, I found an over the road rig (18wheeler) place and they could make them, but the die at 2 1/4" round is not that common. I measured the OE u-bolts and added length accordingly for the new u-bolts. The space btwn the legs has to be 2 1/4" since that is my axle tube OD. Not an off the shelf u-bolt that I could find.

As to blocks, again not common due to 2" wide. Here's what I made. Rect Tube, 2" wide by 3" tall, 1/4" wall. Easy to find. Cut it to 3 1/4" long. Longer would work but I had my AirOverLeaf brkt snug near the axle and this dimension suited to clear bend in the bracket nicely. You could also find an aluminum extrusion to serve this purpose.

I drilled a 5/16" hole through the tube in the center.

I took a 5" long 5/16" bolt and rounded the head. (to fit into the axle spring perch, which would keep the axle/spring/spacer lined up).

Bolted the tube via the bolt through the tube and the AirOverLeaf and all the remaining springs (3 in my case) and 5" long bolt worked perfectly.

Drop the axle down so it centers on the rounded bolt head. Fish the u-bolts through to the spring/shock plate and 3" drop is done. Pinion angle may become a factor, I have not checked this.

I went through 1" block, 2" block, and now 3" block and deflated the car now rests on the OE diff housing pinion bumper. So I'm happy w/ a 3" block and 3 OE leafs. Also I like the way the upper bag mount tends to gain clearance as these blocks move the wheel up and provide more clearance than before.

If I had enough leftover 2x3 tube drop I'd make you a pair of blocks for free, but I only have 5" left!

It would be a nice addition to the kit for AirRide to offer. Simple but I did spend a lot of time chasing around the odds and ends.

Hmmm you're thinking new wheels for your ride... whatcha gonna do w/ the old 18's??


Side question, how do you post a full size pic, mine always come out post stamp size....

I'll get some pictures of the car on the 3" drop blocks soon and post them.

[isaacl30]

andrew, how tall are your u-bolts? and did you measure the distance between the inner legs of the ubolts to get the 2 1/4". I found a place in portland the makes custom u bolts. thanks kev

[isaacl30]

R u running any shims at this point to correct the pinion angle.

[AndrewNTX]

andrew, how tall are your u-bolts? and did you measure the distance between the inner legs of the ubolts to get the 2 1/4". I found a place in portland the makes custom u bolts. thanks kev

The dimension inside depends on your axle tube OD which = the distance btwn inner legs, yes mine are 2 1/4" inside legs. For my set up, I used u-bolts 7 3/4" long, from inside of top round to bottom of legs. Each set up must be measured as it varies car to car depending on many factors like spring plate, number of springs, etc. Custom u-bolts seem to cost about $25/carset.

No I have not measured or corrected for the pinion angle yet. I need to pick up one of those 12" digital angle finders and see what it says. Here's a great bit of info on the topic:
http://www.mre-books.com/resto/restomod3.html

[AndrewNTX]

Here's a few shots from today, the rear is on the 3" blocks now. The look is world's away from how it started..

[INDEEP]

Andrew, it hardly looks like the same car now! It's amazing what a set of wheels and a new stance can do for a car's overall appearance. Makes me even more enthusiastic to get the chassis fitted out and back under my 55 Chevy now! Keep up the great work!

[isaacl30]

Just think if you removed one more leaf.. Kev

[AndrewNTX]

Just think if you removed one more leaf.. Kev


Nope not at the moment, I like it where it is. It is sitting on the pinion snubber bumper now, I'd need to trim that down to get it any lower. Same is true at the front, sitting on OE bumpers. But that could be done later on..

Next project is new exhaust for the 260 V8, Juan here in Plano, TX (Jim's Muffler) is ready to bend me up some 2.25" pipe and hook it up to some sst Borla's..

[289falconranchero]

Car looks absolutely awesome!!

To clearify, on the front, you mounted the SW under the UCA instead of over it, to obtain the added drop? However, my understanding is that you switched that settup back to over the UCA? Why; to much drop with it mounted below or were you concerned about structural strength issues? Have you done the Shelby drop yet? If so, what were your results with that?

Awesome thread AndrewNTX. Thanks for being the guinea pig. I'll know exactly what to do to mine to get the drop I want, when I get to installing the AirRide in the next few weeks. I know how frustrating it can be to do a modification, not have it work exactly like you want it to, take it apart, re-fabricate it, and repeat the process over and over until it's just right. I'm sure you've saved numerous people hours and hours of fabrication and wrenching time, myself included.

Also, those salt flat wheels look great. Matches the look of the car perfectly.

As for the exhaust, do you have headers on the car already? If not, I highly recommend you do so as it really wakes up the 260's and 289's. Although, they are a pain to install. Prepare to do some "tweaking" to the header on the passenger side to get it to fit.

What's next on the to-do list?

[isaacl30]

thanks,
I'm going to swap out my 2" block for a 3" this allow for my bag to be in a better position when the car is dumped, plus I will be increasing my spring rate at basically a 1" lower ride hieght.

[AndrewNTX]

Car looks absolutely awesome!!

To clearify, on the front, you mounted the SW under the UCA instead of over it, to obtain the added drop? However, my understanding is that you switched that settup back to over the UCA? Why; to much drop with it mounted below or were you concerned about structural strength issues? Have you done the Shelby drop yet? If so, what were your results with that?

Awesome thread AndrewNTX. Thanks for being the guinea pig. I'll know exactly what to do to mine to get the drop I want, when I get to installing the AirRide in the next few weeks. I know how frustrating it can be to do a modification, not have it work exactly like you want it to, take it apart, re-fabricate it, and repeat the process over and over until it's just right. I'm sure you've saved numerous people hours and hours of fabrication and wrenching time, myself included.

Also, those salt flat wheels look great. Matches the look of the car perfectly.

As for the exhaust, do you have headers on the car already? If not, I highly recommend you do so as it really wakes up the 260's and 289's. Although, they are a pain to install. Prepare to do some "tweaking" to the header on the passenger side to get it to fit.

What's next on the to-do list?

Thanks for all the compliments! I hope you make a build thread too, it is a good way to get some feedback when one runs into problems. Yes - no hot rod project is without issues. I think I jacked that car up and down 300 times!

OK I have not done the Shelby drop yet. I am planning to go to Springfield, MO to a Ford Falcon Nationals yearly car show in July so just running out of time for much more. When my SW was top of the UCA, I got basically a stock high position, no drop to speak of.

At this time, the car has the SW mounted under the UCA, in all the pictures w/ the Salt Flats. The drop is nice, talking measurements from axle to fender:

stock 15"
SW on top of UCA (aired out/ride/topped):
12.5"/14"/16"
SW mounted under UCA (aired out/ride/topped):
10.5"**/12"/14"

** bumpstop limited, will go down more if trimmed/removed

I'm trying this out so I would not recommend it to anyone else just yet, I may end up w/ a custom modified OE UCA or one of the tubular control arms out there or drop spindles/Shelby mod. But bottom line to get any drop you will have to make some suspension changes if using a SW.

Exhaust: I have manifolds, no headers but may consider your suggestion later on. I just want to get rid of these glasspacks and droopy 2" stovepipe hanging by a thread that is on there now!

[AndrewNTX]

thanks,
I'm going to swap out my 2" block for a 3" this allow for my bag to be in a better position when the car is dumped, plus I will be increasing my spring rate at basically a 1" lower ride hieght.

I think you will like it better w/ a 3" block. As I said I tried 1", 2" and like 3" best. As you said the bag will be in a better position deflated plus the wheel to upper brkt clearance is better. Makes it tougher to get the wheels on and off the car though.

[isaacl30]

Yeah I hear you on getting the wheels off in the rear.. that is a skill in itself..

[isaacl30]

Andrew can u send a pic of the set up of the shockwave mounted under the UCA with the spacers.. I would think that using a solid steel spacer(.75") and Grade * bolts you should be able to mount the t-bar pretty solid. The T-bar allows the pivot actio to still occur without any binding right. I just want to make sure that I don't loose the stance that I have right now, but I do want to upgrade to the shockwave unit. just plain cleaner..
kev

[Gumboot]

Just had a dealer install the rear Mustang AirBar on a 68 Falcon. Had to heavily modify the upper cradle, but was able to make it work.

duuude, please help me out with info on that job. I have a 67Falcon that I dropped a 351C into and I want to bag it on all four. Any info would be mucho appreciado.


Nice work AndrewNTX, thanks for sendin me the link to thise site from FM.:cool:

[darren@ridetech.com]

For the life of me, I can not remember which dealer it was. :( I'll keep thinking.

[pikesan]

Thanks for a great post. 9 pages and I read them all to try and figure out the best way for my 1963 Falcon Wagon. It was on 3 inch blocks out back and cut springs in the front and sat nice, but I want to drop it down a bit when parked.

Are you getting any clearance trouble with the propshaft? I read somewhere else that the propshaft will hit the tunnel if you drop the Falcons much? The other trouble was with the axle pinion, but you said you're already on the bump.

Finally, what's the airride kit your getting for the air over leaf? When I search airride, all I get is Mustangs and T-birds... or "full size" gets me Galaxies.

Thanks for any help!
pikesan

[pikesan]

I see that you used the kit for a mustang: ARK2005. That looks like a pretty clean and easy setup...
Thanks!

[isaacl30]

I just used the AOL kit.. I made different brackets (stronger) with attachment points under and to the side of the frame. I would suggest mounting the bags in front of the axle. This really helps in eliminating axle wrap. Since your running some good HP (351W) I would look into a triangulated set up.. AOL may be pretty week for a big torque motor. Anoterh Idea that you could do is run an AOL set up with dearched springs. Just abit stiffer but it allow for some adjustability in the rear. The front you can use the mustang shockwave set up to put the nose down at shows.
Kev

[darren@ridetech.com]

All good ideas......

[AndrewNTX]

Thanks for a great post. 9 pages and I read them all to try and figure out the best way for my 1963 Falcon Wagon. It was on 3 inch blocks out back and cut springs in the front and sat nice, but I want to drop it down a bit when parked.

Are you getting any clearance trouble with the propshaft? I read somewhere else that the propshaft will hit the tunnel if you drop the Falcons much? The other trouble was with the axle pinion, but you said you're already on the bump.

Finally, what's the airride kit your getting for the air over leaf? When I search airride, all I get is Mustangs and T-birds... or "full size" gets me Galaxies.

Thanks for any help!
pikesan

Well I'm enjoying the car that is for sure.

Prop shaft quickly becomes intimate to the floor on the Falcon - true. I removed my pinion bumper completely to get more drop aired out and if rear airbag pressure is not up enough I get contact on a hard bump. I run about 25-30 psi back there. I think I will replace the pinion bumper but w/ a cut down bumper.

Yes the Mustang AirOverLeaf is what I used. The top mount had to be modified quite a bit, cut down and adding reinforcements inside the frame channel. The bottom bag mount plate I used w/o modification. I have a small 260 v8 so big power is not an issue. The bag behind the leaf seems to work ok for me.

Looking forward to seeing your project on the wagon.

[isaacl30]

Andrew,
sounds like all is good with the falcon as with mine.. I can tell you one thing for sure try running the bag in front of the axle it will really help in eliminating the wrap. rolling solo I'm at 60 psi up front and 20 in the rear. The bag is at designd height as well 5.5-6", with the kids 23-25psi. I will say that is with 2 leafs and a 3" block. My only issue is on city driving i kick up the psi so that turning isn't an issue. I'm going to see is the strong arm set up through ride tech can be made 1" narrower. to compensate for the 18" wheels allowing for me to keep my ride height lower gaining some turning radius.
Kev

[pikesan]

A friend of mine dropped a Falcon, front and back. He did some very clean work. He blogged it in his garage at MyRideisMe.com.
Click here, then go to "my Blog" (http://www.myrideisme.com/Garage/falconizer_62/468)

He cut the upper and lower a-arms to get things way down and did a 2 link w/ a panhard bar in the back.

[AndrewNTX]

Pikesan, that is a neat Falcon. I like the artwork and story that goes along with it. Great detail on that control arm work too.

Here is my Cardomain 63 Falcon Sprint webpage, hope you like it!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3125541

[AndrewNTX]

Wow time flies, had to come back and see how the forum was doing, lots of great improvements on the website, congrats AirRide guys!

The Falcon and its AirRide suspension is doing just great - getting lots of miles on it and all is well. Lots and lots of compliments on the stance, that's for sure.

[joshwho?]

Andrew,
I will work on getting a shot of the front set up.. Front snubbers are removed, when the front is dumped the lower control arms contact the frame. I'm actually considering going with the TCP lower control arms which allow for more clearance. either that or notching the frame or even modifying the stock control arm. Like you I am looking to step up and run an 3 inch block in the rear so if I can go with a 19 or 20 inch wheel in the rear.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f345/kevinl1058/061508_13491.jpg
I'll start by saying "Sorry for digging up an old thread."

Hi,, I was wondering what you did in the rear to get yours down (namely is the frame notched?) and how much down travel do you have in the rear with it sitting like it is in this picture? I saw you car during setup at the roadster show and I must say that it's really nice! Did you section the front seat brackets? It looks lower that the rear seat and a bit lower than the front seat in my '63 Comet. Thank you for your time and have a great day, Josh.

[289falconranchero]

Sorry about poaching the tread, but I think I have the answers you're looking for. I have a '65 Falcon Ranchero with front shockwaves and rear air-over-leaf.

For the rear, you don't need to notch the frame. I'm running two leafs on each side, 3inch lowering blocks, and the bags just in front of the rear axle. All the way down, the axle is riding on the bump stops on the frame AND pinion. I did cut down the frame bump stops by about 2inches and the pinion bump stop by about 1/2inch. You can't go any lower without the differential becoming intimate with the floor pan and/or riding on your exhaust. Removing the bump stops entirely will result in the differential resting on the floor pan. This also doesn't take into effect the exhaust system. If you're thinking of going this low, you'll either have to cut off the exhaust before the axle, route it under the axle, or (as I did) route it over the axle about 1/4 inch from the floor pan and have the exhaust tubing compressed a bit to allow clearance. Even still, if I were to drive it all the way down, the axle may still contact the exhaust and floor pan if you hit a bump and compress the bump stops. As for ride-height, about 45 psi is perfect and will be about 1-2inches lower than stock.

For the front, I took out the outer spring cover and bump stop entirely to allow the suspension to go all the way down. You'll have to mount the bottom of the shockwave underneath the upper control arm to get this much drop. Again, I don't recommend driving the car all the way down as you'll end up wrecking your lower control arms as they'll contact the frame and risk crushing the oil pans. At ride height, around 65 psi for a V8 car, you'll be about 2inches lower than stock. All the way down and the engine and transmission oil pans are both about 1/4 inch off the ground.

Good luck with putting air ride in your car. You'll love it. Its absolutely unbelievable the improvement in ride and handling it makes.

[joshwho?]

Sorry about poaching the tread, but I think I have the answers you're looking for. I have a '65 Falcon Ranchero with front shockwaves and rear air-over-leaf.

For the rear, you don't need to notch the frame. I'm running two leafs on each side, 3inch lowering blocks, and the bags just in front of the rear axle. All the way down, the axle is riding on the bump stops on the frame AND pinion. I did cut down the frame bump stops by about 2inches and the pinion bump stop by about 1/2inch. You can't go any lower without the differential becoming intimate with the floor pan and/or riding on your exhaust. Removing the bump stops entirely will result in the differential resting on the floor pan. This also doesn't take into effect the exhaust system. If you're thinking of going this low, you'll either have to cut off the exhaust before the axle, route it under the axle, or (as I did) route it over the axle about 1/4 inch from the floor pan and have the exhaust tubing compressed a bit to allow clearance. Even still, if I were to drive it all the way down, the axle may still contact the exhaust and floor pan if you hit a bump and compress the bump stops. As for ride-height, about 45 psi is perfect and will be about 1-2inches lower than stock.

For the front, I took out the outer spring cover and bump stop entirely to allow the suspension to go all the way down. You'll have to mount the bottom of the shockwave underneath the upper control arm to get this much drop. Again, I don't recommend driving the car all the way down as you'll end up wrecking your lower control arms as they'll contact the frame and risk crushing the oil pans. At ride height, around 65 psi for a V8 car, you'll be about 2inches lower than stock. All the way down and the engine and transmission oil pans are both about 1/4 inch off the ground.

Good luck with putting air ride in your car. You'll love it. Its absolutely unbelievable the improvement in ride and handling it makes.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this, I didn't subscribe! :o

I'm lower than the bumpstops in the rear in this picture. I have a full spring pack (although it's flat) and 4" lift blocks that I chocked up in the mill to get my pinion angle correct without shims, I cut the bumpstops and all three of the bumpstop mounts off and the rear axle was about 1/4" from the frame (depending on how much fuel was in it) with a piece of 3/16" thick rubber wrapped arount the axle to dampen the violent metal to metal smashing between the frame and axle and I raised the driveshaft tunnel from the rearmost point up to the front of the back seat and re-routed the stock sized 2" exhaust up towards the trunk floor a bit...

Then I notched the frame about 2 1/2" and I needed to rotate the pinion down some more to keep the driveshaft from contacting the tunnel where I didn't raise it at the front of the back seat.

I was just asking because I didn't know if he had notched his, raised the tunnel, or if the rear wasn't as low as I was thinking it was. I was running a 185/80/13 (24.7" tall) in the picture, but now I'm running 195/75/14's (25.5" tall) and now that I've notched it the rear tires rub the top of the fenderwells in hard corners (195's do it pretty easily and the 185's take some serious body roll to rub) and up until this point I wasn't too interested in going with air rather than all spring other than being able to haul more weight in the trunk. So now it looks like it's time for me to put my air stuff in, raise the fenderwells and be happy!

http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/3325/sdphonecardpictures915.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9536/sdphonecardpictures928.jpg

[289falconranchero]

I would say that the rear of my car sits about as low as yours does when mine is fully deflated. I think the same can be said about AndrewNTX's car too.

The front on mine sits lower than yours, when deflated, though. However, as mentioned, if you go lower in the front, you won't be able to drive it like that as your lower a-arms will be riding on the frame. As mentioned, I don't drive it when it's deflated. Fully deflated is for when its parked at car shows only

At ride height, mine is about 2" lower than stock all the way around. This is why I didn't have the notch the frame. Looking at your pictures, I would say you're closer to 6" lower than stock in the back and about 3" lower than stock in the front.

If you're driving it around that low, then I understand why you had to notch the frame. Otherwise, you wouldn't have any suspension travel.

Not trying to burst your bubble, but I have a couple words of caution since your car is so low and you're driving it that way:
*Be careful with changing your pinion angle to gain clearance. Your u-joints are going to pay the price and it won't be long until they're destroyed.
*If your axle is hitting the frame while driving, sooner or later you WILL bend the axle. 3/16" of rubber isn't enough to provide much, if any, cushion. All you're doing is quieting the sound of the impact.
*Watch your ground clearance under the oil pan and transmission pan. I have to assume that you only have an inch or so of clearance between the pans and the ground. One raised manhole cover or good sized bump in the road and your oil pan is a goner.

As mentioned, not trying to be a downer. Just warning of some potential issues so you're prepared.

Air ride would be a great option for you. It would allow you to have the best of both drive-ability and the ability to go really low.

Car looks good.

[joshwho?]

I would say that the rear of my car sits about as low as yours does when mine is fully deflated. I think the same can be said about AndrewNTX's car too.

No, not if your frame isn't notched (unless you're on 185/80/13's or shorter), my axle sits about 3/4" up into the frame with a half a tank of fuel. I was just wondering if Andrew's car was notched. Do you have any pictures? What year is your car?

If you're driving it around that low, then I understand why you had to notch the frame. Otherwise, you wouldn't have any suspension travel.

Yup, that's why it's notched, it's driven daily. ;)

Not trying to burst your bubble, but I have a couple words of caution since your car is so low and you're driving it that way:
*Be careful with changing your pinion angle to gain clearance. Your u-joints are going to pay the price and it won't be long until they're destroyed.
*If your axle is hitting the frame while driving, sooner or later you WILL bend the axle. 3/16" of rubber isn't enough to provide much, if any, cushion. All you're doing is quieting the sound of the impact.
*Watch your ground clearance under the oil pan and transmission pan. I have to assume that you only have an inch or so of clearance between the pans and the ground. One raised manhole cover or good sized bump in the road and your oil pan is a goner.

Not trying to bust your bubble, but I'm aware of these things, I'm not "green" or new to this stuff. :)

My pinion angle is perfect, once I notched it and it settled the pinion and driveshaft had NO difference in angle between the two, so I rolled it down some more (I would've rasied the tunnel AGAIN if needed).

That's all the rubber was for, to HELP dampen the sound until I notched it (it has since been bumped correctly)

I have pleanty of clearance on my pans, but thanks for the concern!

As mentioned, not trying to be a downer. Just warning of some potential issues so you're prepared.

Unlike some people, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't know what I was doing. :D

Air ride would be a great option for you. It would allow you to have the best of both drive-ability and the ability to go really low.

I DRIVE my cars low and raise them if I NEED the clearance to get over something. :cool:

Car looks good.

Thanks! :D

[289falconranchero]

[QUOTE=joshwho?;22253 No, not if your frame isn't notched (unless you're on 185/80/13's or shorter), my axle sits about 3/4" up into the frame with a half a tank of fuel. I was just wondering if Andrew's car was notched. Do you have any pictures? What year is your car?]



Mine's a '65. I think there may be some frame differences in the rear between the Falcons, Comets, and Rancheros. I thought they were the same, but when I installed the Mustang/Falcon rear bag kit on my car, I had to install the bags in front of the axle, whereas AndrewNTX had to install his bags behind the axle. The spacing, even with 3" blocks, between the axle and frame was too much. The bags don't extend enough to reach the mounting brackets. I had to put the bags in front of the axle, where the frame is closer. AndrewNTX had the opposite issue. There wasn't enough space in front of the axle, so he put his behind the axle.

Even though mine is not notched, my oil pans and exhaust are only 1/4" off the ground when fully deflated. However, as mentioned, that's with the front fully deflated too.

If I remember right, my tires are 195/80/14's.