1954 Ford Sedan Delivery front end

G

garyhamblin

Junior Member
I am at a stand still with my project.The front end parts are really used up,lower control arms thin as paper.front crossmember is shot.All the bushings are shot.I can see a lot of money to get it in shape was just wondering if anyone has any ideas.If so let me know .cell# 804-761-0136
 
mustang 2 and hotrod it. just kidding I have seen posts on here of a company that is repoping the cross member , control arms shouldn't be to hard to find I bought all the bushings and ball joints from a co. in jersey don't remember the name at the time it was around $225.00 they have kits on e --- good luck
 
Kanter has higher prices than most aftermarket suppliers,which in the past meant you would get USA made quality parts, that is changing the outsourcing bug has bit them too. So before you blindly order online pick up the phone and ask straight out where the company of origin of the part is,if it's China or India pass it up.
 
Here is the only "game in town" for the cross member: http://clutch-release-bearing.dvaut...or-1954-1955-1956-ford-mercury-w-jnjlmjkpilpk Oddly the shipping charge shown on ebay is over triple what is shown here for the same piece. you should check this out too: http://webrodder.com/article/rebuilding-the-1954-59-ford-ifs-part-1 If you are a good welder the plans for building a cross member are available here: Join up free and do an intro: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/social-forums/1952-59-ford-social-group.282/
 
Some of the Kanter products I've seen were not so great looking.

Even worse are the parts from the restoration sites that are made offshore. Unfortunately I have some of these in my Ford and they are definitely not Moog or TRW quality. Things to look for: Cotter pin holes off center, castle nuts that don't fully seat (use the old Ford ones), incomplete threads and so on. My lower ball joints, I hope they loosen up once I get to drive the car.

I like the PST line of parts, although I don't know how far they go back.
 
My PST catalog says they will sell you all the ball joints. I got my A arm bushings from NAPA and pressed them in with a big vice. It helps to have a helper to do this, three hands are almost a must. It is a sin to replace this front end. It is one of the best designs out of Detroit during the 50"s. Add Granada spindles and brakes and a one inch sway bar and its like a new car.
 
OK, if some of you guys want to send out the tar & feather gang to punish me for what I am about to say, have at it. I'll be waiting on the corner of "Walk & Don't Walk"
If the car in question has all of the front-end issues mention, then for my money it is time to bring the car up to modern safety standards.
My '57 T-Bird is dead stock, however, it is a car that has been pampered all of it's life. The front end, etc., has been rebuilt once in the 32 years that we have owned the car.
My '36 Ford has '42-48 suspension, safety and reliable parts supply.. My other cars ranging in age from '39 to '64 have all been upgraded with components from FatMan.
Why did I use FatMan components in lieu of haunting the wrecking yards and swap meets for "deals" on used parts? Very simple, used parts are just that, used.. It is true that later model and/or after market disk brakes and even rack-pinion steering can be adapted into an earlier cross member or spindles, however, what do you have when you are done? A friend of mine did that, the machine/welding work on the adaptation failed and the whole thing came apart at 65 mph. Another friend of mine could not drive his '54 above 50 mph because it became uncontrollable..
All of my cars are safe and reliable, they handle just as well at freeway/interstate speeds as they do on surface streets/country roads..
 
In 1952, Lincoln motor cars introduced the world to independent ball joint suspension in an assembly line auto. They were raced in the Mexican Road Race and won thier class and later overall, against all who came. This is the design of the Ford and Merc starting in 1954. Parts are easy to get, and far less expensive that grafting something newer. Rebuild it, give it more modern brakes, and a bigger sway bar. FYI, at the 100TH Anniversary of Ford in Dearborn, I saw a sign saying that all GM products that had ball joints paid Ford untill the original patent ran out. They were good for seven years in those days.
 
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