Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Placed the order for the Fulltilt rear 4-link. Still debating on coil overs or shock waves.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Got the kit in, spent time figuring out where everything goes. It doesn’t apppear to be difficult to put in.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Mocked up one side. The only minor issue I see thus far is I’m going to install the bolts on the axle mount from the opposite side, the nut hits the frame.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Nice looking kit, seems well built...Jim

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Progress has slowed to a crawl on my 4 link install. Still mocking things up, had the drive shaft shortened and installed and realized the yokes were different & the ujoint wouldnÂ’t work. I picked up a different one not thinking that the newer one wouldn’t fit the driveshaft and foolishly threw the old one away. It dawned on me that the old rear was also an 8.5 so I decided to just swap the yokes. This leads me to a couple of other potential issues that I need some advise on:

1. In my haste to remove the yoke, I didn’t count the threads before I removed the nut. What do you recommend I do as far as tightening it up.

2. As you can see there is a little play on the yoke. Is this normal?
https://flic.kr/p/2kh2mTn

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Finally got some time to play around with it. I opted not to go with the super slammed look. It seems to be going together ok, no binding when I raise & lower the axle. Still mocking things up & when it’s all lined up, I’ll take the rear end to have the brackets tig welded & por15 the frame.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Not that I am an expert, but you may want to do some research on your panhard rod attachment location on the frame. I believe that rod should be more horizontal/parallel to the ground to reduce side-to-side movement during suspension travel.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Thanks, someone else pointed that out as well. This video on YouTube was quite helpful in regards to setting up the a panhard bar. I’ll be making some modifications this weekend.

https://youtu.be/liR1--EHMg8

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Anyone ever used the Watts link from Speedway Motors?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I was going to point out the panhard angle as well. it should be as parallel to the ground as possible at ride height to keep the axle location, side to side, in the middle of the travel. there will always be some side to side because the panhard travels in an arc. shorter panhard means more side to side movement. that's why newer trucks with panhard bars have long bars. watts link will also take up some space you may need for exhaust if you plan a rear outlet. since you have the complete panhard rod and brackets it would be simple enough to make the rod longer or purchase a longer rod locally and make the panhard longer. I have used a length of square tubing that is too large for the job, cut a top corner out of it the size of the cross section of the frame, this is so it can be mounted vertically on the frame and go up the outside of the frame, for better stability, and also fit up tight under the frame at the bottom of the cut out to allow a longer weld. then taper the section that hangs below the frame so it is physically smaller and more appealing to the eye but becomes the mount for the rod at the frame end. mount the rod up high on the axle and the frame mount won't need to hang down as far to be level with the axle end at ride height. space the axle end away from the axle some so the rod can pass by the axle cover without contact. some will put the rod at an angle to help with this issue. that would mean the rod ends would need to be welded on an angle so they don't bind when the suspension moves.
when welding brackets on the axle ensure to do it in steps so the axle tubes don't get distorted from the heat/shrink effects of the welding. the shop you use will/should know that.
for the wiring components they could be placed on a tray under the seat with cabinet drawer sliders and a small gas strut to keep them in place and to make access easy if the need arises. a sheet of plastic would take a screw easily, without the screw protruding through to snag on carpet etc, with no worry of shorting or rattling like tin would.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

how do you like the Dakota digital stuff!?! i keep going back n forth between their 2 systems and if the better screen with better info display is worth it.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

truk does not have one, but we install them all the time on new mustangs
i think it's more "see what i bought" than actual need with that group
the watts link does keep the punkin centered vs pan hard that follows a rotation
typically watts link replaces the diff cover with a structural mount


your wiring: my fuse panel is spotless, not a wire out of loom or going to random location

however... under my console looks like this. i tried to keep it clean with loom and wire ties
but after: cruise control, remote entry/alarm, 2 door solenoids, door switch, 4 window relays,
2 window switches, stereo wired to 2 amps, 4 speakers, sub woofer, video screen, engine ecm,
trunk relay, tonneau cover relay, trunk/tonneau cover switch and probably a couple things i missed

there has to be an extra 100 wires in the console. yowza! :D

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I love them. But I have been giving some thought to swapping them for a set of the new VHX series.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I nixed the Watts link idea and just repositioned the panhard.
I took it back apart to put on a coat of Por-15 and to have the 4 link brackets welded to the axle. That leads me to a question on welding costs. The shop that shortened the drive shaft for me said they would do it for $120 mig or it tig. I also checked with a mobile welder, he would charge $275, $55 of that would be the travel fee. That seems like a bit much just to weld two brackets ($275) or am I out of touch with welding charges?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

better articulation of the panhard bar, well done
surprised you haven't learned to weld during this build
i paid similar for my driveshaft supplying the yoke, he supplied 2 u-joints and balanced it
it's not critical welding, it would be if you had all that force on a 2 inch weld,
but most of those brackets wrap the axle 4" or more, both sides of both brackets is 16" of weld

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I can stick two pieces of metal together, but for this I'd rather have someone with more experience weld it up. I don't want to have the rear end rolling past me on the street!

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I got it welded up over the weekend, no pics yet. After looking over my running boards I decided to replace them rather than trying to fix them. I ordered a set from Rock Auto, made by Goodmark. They seemed to be ok but as with most aftermarket parts they aren’t perfect. One of the holes to the rear fender doesn’t line up and there’s a noticeable gap on the corner.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Ever so slowly...

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

it's moments like this that i lean on to easily convince the wife i need more tools. :lol:

new panhard bar mount is a win and she's lookin good, keep after it.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

the thing with welding on the axle tubes anywhere is that it must be done in short welds allowing time to cool off between welding spurts. otherwise the axle tubes heat a bunch in one spot and that ends up causing warpage in the tube. once that happens the axle housing is basically toast because it costs more to straighten it than you can get another housing/axle for. the welders/shops SHOULD know this and I would advise asking them BEFORE they weld on your housing and I also advise checking the welds and the axle tubes afterwards to see if the welds were done as a continuous bead or in sections. if continuous then check the tubes for straight before emptying your wallet for them.
that's maybe why the costs are a tad higher than you might expect. it is time for the welder that is paid by the hour. a shop may be able to task the welder to another job, like 2 jobs going at once, so he can weld a piece, go to the other job while it cools, then come back. instead of driving to your house and waiting for the parts to cool between welds with no access to another job.
just my 2 cents

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

looking good!

and the saying is goodMARK, poorFIT. but nobody will notice! I used rock auto floor pans before, better than making them!

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Thanks for the compliment Joedoh. This gap would be pretty noticeable. Hopefully I'll have some garage time this weekend to figure out how I want to address it.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Slice it, mount it, add a pie shaped piece, carry on. easier than fixing the old part.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I had a piece of tube left over from the panhard bar I used to make 2 1/4 spacers for the coil overs. The bolts are 5/8 x6 grade 8. Wondering if I need to weld on some tabs for additional strength or am I overthinking this?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

yes plz!!

this is one of those better safe than sorry kinda moments. i'd not be worried about the bolt, it's the bracket that'll give out first. sure it'll drive fine without, but who knows when or where that extra twist might fatigue it n leave ya stranded.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Good point. Never considered an issue with the brackets.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

That should do it.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I would recommend is a plate on the frame to distribute the weight better so the coil over has better mounting support.
looks great

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Yep, had that already planned. I had washers between the mount and frame trying to gauge how much room I needed to keep the top of the shock from hitting the frame. Turned out to be about 1/2” and I had some spring perches that worked out perfectly.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up
 

Since I’ve got coilovers on the rear I’ve been thinking about doing the same up front. I see that CCP has a kit that uses the same Viking shocks I have on the rear. My only concern is the position of the sway bar. The way it’s mounted looks like it would hang too low. Thoughts?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

going back a couple pics, did you get a plate behind the upper coilover mount? just curious if you did a full suspension movement to ensure the coilover doesn't get too close to the frame when the panhard bar arcs and moves the axle over at full jounce or compression.
out front, I would say the end of the stabilizer bar is already on the low side so possibly a new shorter link could be made to eliminate the length and allow the bar to move closer. its always good to know the wheel and tire size for this because you don't want a sudden flat tire to allow the suspension parts to drag. it's law when I come from, dunno about there. nothing can hang lower than the bottom of the wheel rim. that means a tire could blow right off the wheel and you won't drag car parts as long as the wheel stays intact.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

also, check out the lower ball joint sealing boot. if left like it is the ball joint is going to fill with dirt and water real quick. possibly a spacer above to keep it pushed down onto the ball joint. possibly a spring?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

I did mount a 1/2” plate to the upper mount. It’s kinda hard to see i\on the pics. The pic with the sway bar is not my truck. That one is the vendor used in the advertisement. BUT, thanks for the suggestion on the spacer. I noticed that the boot on my setup is crushed as you mentioned and I was curious as too why. Then I noticed I had installed the spacer incorrectly.

I’m still on the fence about that sway bar location and you are also correct, I definitely don’t want it below the scrub line. I plan on switching from 17” to 18” rims up front. I’m going to do some measuring to see what kinda room I have to work with.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up
 

I have the same way bar from CPP with 2" drop spindles on my '56. No issues with its position. Does not catch on anything. Should be okay with your setup. Truck is looking great.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up
 

Thanks Bosco. What size rims are you running up front?

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Pretty much done with the exhaust. I ended up switching from 2.25” to 2.5” pipes. Picked up the straight tubes from a local shop and ordered a Flowmaster tailpipe kit #15802 and Walker SS Quiet Flow mufflers. Cutting it close on the header ground clearance though, got 5” on the driver side & 4.5” passenger but thats with the mustang suspension completely lowered. Will probably raise it up an inch or so.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Drop all the suspension and see what you have for clearance if youre worried. Go from there. Only takes a floor jack and a few minutes.

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Really wanted to use the full length headers but they were too low for comfort. I really didn’t want to raise the front up either. This is Much better!

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

those headers were a tad crazy, good call

Re: '50 3600 re-do. Shortening things up!
 

Yeah, if the truck wasn’t lowered they’d be perfect. If anyone needs them hit me up!