Handling help?

[Kellyk100rs]

I posted my first thread yesterday in the generation 6 forum since I own 3 70's trucks and if you want to read about my current dilemma (lol) you can go there and read so I won't reiterate it here....but out of the four trucks I own, my favorite is my 68 F-250 Ranger Camper Special. It looked a lot better when I bought it but I'm in the process of restoring it. The only thing it lacks compared my 73 (same truck) is interior comfort and handling. I was wondering what others have done in the past to improve on these two areas. Outside of this, I absolutely love this truck!

 

[Alvin in AZ]

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/seat-springs.jpg

Well since it's older you won't have the trouble I did with my
'91 F150 Super Cab's bench seat springs. That seat sucked!
My step-father hated it too, I could have fixed it for 'im if I'd
only knew then, what I know now.

But maybe you could swap cushions with one of your other
pickups before selling it?

------------------------

Handling improvement is a straight forward process and cheap
too if you do your own work. The only thing that'll cost you
very much is a rebuilt steering gear from RedHead.com.
~$275

I'm fixing to send two power steering gears to RedHead myself,
a '75 and a '91.

Details on that steering/handling improvement business can be
found in several threads on every Ford truck website forum,
including this one.

One of the best tricks I've found is to set my own toe-in...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/toe-in1.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/toe-in2.jpg
...choose how you want it to handle yourself by experimenting
with it.

I prefer between zero and 1/32" toe-in. And that goes for the
"Old Clunker" '75 F150 and the '91 Bronco both, so there's
something about that setting that seems kinda universal. But
that's after swapping in polyurethane radius arm bushings tho.

Alvin

 

[LEB Ben]

Comfort should be easy and a matter of updating/upgrading your seats...probably enhance access to controls...shocks and ply rating can do alot for comfort...as well as spring stiffness.

Handling...can be related to springs and shocks as well. There are front end swaps all over the net that could assist in better handling...thicker sway bars can help as well...and might be time to upgrade your steering system.

 

[Mr.Majestyk]

I had the seat redone at an upholstery shop and
tried it out before the new cover was installed,
just a couple of spring needed fixing !

For the suspension, I installed Coiled over Gas Charged shocks

 

[Alvin in AZ]

...thicker sway bars can help as well
...and might be time to upgrade your steering system.

Yeah, I'd ASSumed since it was a Camper Special... :/
So... are the sway bars still on it, Kelly?

He hasn't told us yet what he sees as its "handling problems". :/

My father-in-law's '74 Camper Special was boing-y. I fixed mine
with stiffer springs but his still had the original factory wimpy
springs on it.

----------------------------

Going to put the sway-bar off the '90 F250 parts truck on my '75!
I'll replace my gear-spacers and spring-seats with the sway-bar's
spacer+seat+attachment cast iron part from the '90 F250...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/spacer1.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/rideheight.jpg

Alvin in AZ

 

[LEB Ben]

He hasn't told us yet what he sees as its "handling problems". :/

Yeah...he left it rather wide open, hence so many suggestions thrown his way.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

I had the seat redone at an upholstery shop and tried it out before
the new cover was installed, just a couple of spring needed fixing !

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/Northwoodsdon/Mr Majestyk/001-3.jpg
(first picture)

Wow, that's really cool, Madge!

Anybody here raise their seat/s?

Got mine up about 3/4" front and back on the '75 and for the Bronco
(because the floor ain't level) is 1+1/4" in the back and 1+3/4" in the
front right now, but still working on it. LOL

In the Bronco that seat height puts my head about the same distance
away from the ceiling as in the '75 now, and that's about "one hand".
I'm 6'.

http://www.lovelongears.com/hands.html

Nuttier than you ever thought possible in AZ
ps- On the Bronco I moved the steering wheel back-out-of-the-dash
1+1/8" too so, it's back and up so I don't have to reach for it.
pps- Can't stand those single seats the Bronco came with. YMMV?

 

[Kellyk100rs]

You guys have really helped whether you know it not in only what you offered so far. Thank you by the way, and sorry for being so vague up till now. It's just been difficult to pinpoint just what and where to look as for as the differences between my 73 and 68 . I've never had two let alone four of the same kind of vehicle at the same time that I can drive and compare to on a daily basis. I realize right off that they all are in different states of disrepair and they all have had different things done or not done to them which makes it even harder to narrow down. I just crawled under my 68 to take a look with fresh eyes and to answer Ben's questions, no there is no sway bar but there is one on on my 73. Both vehicles look like they have basic shocks (yellow jacket Monroe's on the 68) which I'm sure could stand replacing. I took a quick look under my 74 f-100 and low and behold under all the dirt are some pretty trick looking coil over gas shocks. I didn't scrape the dirt off to see what make but right off the bat, this explains at least why that truck feels tighter than the other two besides the lighter engine and tranny. I did want to get some unadulterated opinions on these trucks before I gave away too much just to see what others had to say but my true problem with making a choice is that I really love my 68 and my 73 is a close second. My 73 steers better, corners better and rides better than my 68 which is the real problem. I also know that the 68's original owner had just replaced the steering box with a used one. Out of what or any particulars I haven't a clue yet. Last night after reading your posts to my thread, I started to really analyze the geometry and placement of individual components. I noticed something I hadn't before and am wondering if this might not be where one of issues that I have with my 68 is coming from. I always felt like the steering wheel was crowding me and I think that it might have been relocated slightly too far forward when they replaced the steering unit. I took some pics of my 73 and 68 in re guards to this to show the difference. You'll notice that the seat in my 73 is one out of a 87-93 which vastly improved the comfort from the original. You'll also notice the brand new custom color seat that that I did myself just a little over a year ago in my 68. All I'm going to say right now that this is part of the long story that I don't want to talk about. I'll only say that the thing about a woman's scorn?...........you be the judge. Bottom line here, if I can get my 68 to equal my 73 in the areas that it is lacking then this is my first choice. i may keep the 73 as a possible option if finances will allow. This is really what I need help in figuring out. I just didn't want to be unrealistic and try to make a cat act like a dog. FYI, seems I've hogged up too much space for my attachments so I'll have to send the pics after i figure that out.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

If you are up to the challenge you could make that '68 do -everything-
better than what the '73 can do now. Climbing under them was the first
small step. Parts swapping from the '73 before you sell it is another. LOL

Alvin in AZ

 

[Kellyk100rs]

This is why I joined, to learn...and trust me, none of these trucks go anywhere until I scavenged them all for the best that each one has to offer. Thanks again for your input Alvin, I'm looking forward to chronicling my progress and sharing what i come up with.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Here's a quick list of things I did to make my '75 handle better than new...

235/85-16E's on 16x7" wheels, wheel width is a biggie! It's up to you to
get the right size wheels, the tire sellers and tire makers will -lie- to you.
The original Ford wheels were 5+1/2" wide and absolute crap!
Ford screwed the pooch on the wheels on both my '91 F150 and Bronco
too. They still hadn't learned how to size wheels by then?

Reduced the steering play by having my Ford Integral Steering Gear line
bored and fitted with bearings. That was a big one. I'd already changed
out the tie-rods, kingpins and bearings and fixed the flex coupling and even
worked on the steering column, so, the slop in the steering gear was last.
I'm going to get a RedHead for it and the '91 Bronco when I can afford 'em.

Experimented with toe-in, like zero to 1/32" "in", that and adjusting the
"ride height" reduces tire cupping and improves handling.

Under warranty they changed the front springs to very heavy ones, later
I squared up the front end by getting a .745" thick front spring to go with
the .740" I already had. (IM,sorry#%ed,O wimpy coil-overs suck, YMMV
Get a .001" reading caliper and measure your front springs and figure on
buying some from a wrecking yard.

Squared up the frame, moved one radius arm bracket forward about 5/16",
the rear axle was already straight as it could be. The rear leaf packs are
different by 5/8" and are not interchangeable on my pickup, neither would
a set that match, work on my pickup either. I cringe when guys buy new
spring packs and don't measure anything other than concern for "if they'll
fit".

Changed out all the rubber for -black- Energy Suspension polyurethane.
Black is supposed to have graphite in it reducing squeaking but it don't all
the way get rid of it, squirting STP on 'em works good tho. LOL

Re-arched the rear leaf springs and added a hick-torsion-bar setup which
is nothing more than homemade spring clamps but put it on the overload
leaf.

For dirt roads back-when-it-was still under warranty had to dual-up all four
shocks, otherwise it'd dance sideways! Big improvement that, along with
the stiff front springs. The springs are a ride improvement too, firm but not
harsh and not -bouncy- like the sorry-wimpy original front springs were.
Coil-overs can't fix that! They add to it if anything. Want to argue?
Re-arching the rear overload leaves to match the rest of the pack stopped
it from "bucking" so bad when empty.

Lead in the bumper! LOL Adds traction weight in amounts more than it
itself weighs and takes off weight from the front tires both. Weird one but
true and works great, no kidding. People in the snowy areas tend to "done
knowed that one already". Adds to the "firm but not harsh" ride too.

Next I'm going to put a sway bar on it.

A few years ago went with singled-up Rancho 5000's and going to go back
to duals again as soon as I can.

Well, that's what I could think of off hand.

Alvin in AZ