I plan on starting to work on my wife's 70 maverick this winter. It will mostly be a 90% street maybe 10% strip car. Car is basically a shell at the moment. Looking to upgrade the front suspension. We plan on installing a 351W we already have. Debating on doing a complete IFS vs upgrading the stock components to better stuff. Car will probably be driven at most 500-1000 miles a year. Does a IFS suspension kit handle/drive any better than stock components that have been upgraded? Any recommendations on which way to go and which manufacturers to use or stay away from?
For starters, the stock front end is already an IFS suspension. I'd think really long and hard about cutting out the stock suspension if you want to finish it this winter. My philosophy is to not cut any deeper into a car than you have to in order to keep it on the road as much as possible. The most affordable replacement for the stock suspension is Mustang II...which isn't actually any more "modern" or sophisticated than the Falcon-chassis suspension despite having rack & pinion. Here's how I would go if it were my car: First choice to avoid cutting into the car would be to build a 302/5.0 with a 347, because it's a low deck block. You have a 351W, though, and it's a darned good engine...able to handle a lot more power than a 302 block, and you can stroke them out a lot bigger if you get a mind to do so. In that case there's a lot of threads here and elsewhere about notching the shock towers to make room for the physically larger engine. Here's one: http://mmb.maverick.to/threads/cuttin-the-shock-towers.78568/ Add an Export Brace https://deltabaymustangmaverick.com...th-cowl-support-bracket-primer-paint-usa-made and a Monte Carlo bar. https://deltabaymustangmaverick.com...maverick-1970-1977-montecarlo-bar-prime-paint If you're talking about replacing your suspension then you know how to weld, and you can make very usable alternatives to these parts yourself or source them elsewhere. In might be helpful to have the Export Brace and Monte Carlo in the car before you cut into the shock towers, just to be sure you weld it back together in the proper shape. Stock spring perches will get the job done, but these Opentracker roller spring perches come very well recommended. https://opentrackerracing.com/shop/roller-spring-perches/ Do the Shelby/Arning drop. It won't change the height of your front end more than a little, and you get a significant improvement in front suspension geometry for almost nothing. This page also has a YouTube video on a possible coilover setup. https://dazecars.com/dazed/drop.html Replace your strut rod bushings with these delrin monoball units. You won't miss the soft bushings which give you, ummm, variable caster under braking. There are also heim joint versions, but IMO heim joints should be avoided on the street where possible. https://opentrackerracing.com/shop/racing-strut-rod-bushing-set-1967-1973-mustang/ Use these alignment specs, which are far superior for modern tires. https://opentrackerracing.com/tech-info/ If you follow this plan I think you'll have a car which drives very well and feels more solid, more like a modern car. You'll also save a decent chunk of change, and avoid the risk of cutting the whole front end off the car and maybe get discouraged before you get it all put back together.
Given the year, I assume it still has the I-6? As Jaybee was saying stay with the upgraded stock components will get you where you want with the best return for the $. You will probably need to source a V8 "belly bar", I am not certain if the transmission mount is different for a V8 car. My list of should do's is similar to Jaybee's. Do either the Arning/Shelby drop on the upper arms or get a set of upper arms that have the 1 inch drop incorporated into the shaft. Some of the aftermarket upper arms also have the upper ball joint moved towards the rear of the car which adds to the caster. I would also highly recommend roller spring perches, after using them they are a must for me. Export brace will greatly tighten up the front, either make your own from a Mustang unit or purchase the one listed above. Delrin strut rod bushings listed above are also much better than the factory bushings. Personally I do not like 4 bolt wheels or front drums. Replace the front spindles with 5 lug and add manual disc brakes. Factory stuff is actually very good. If you go aftermarket don't waste $$ on high dollar stuff. The factory lower arms are adequate but if you want more the OpenTracker "rollerized" ones are excellent options. Regardless, add the OpenTracker eccentric eliminators. Never had a problem with the factory coils, but the larger 7/8 front anti-sway bar makes a welcome difference. If you are dead set on the 351 OK, but if you can source a late 80-s early 90's roller 5.0 I would go that route. Factory power steering works great, if staying manual you may want a "rollerized" idler arm if you can get it. Staying with factory type components allows you to replace things in stages since they fit with the other components already on the car. Aftermarket will be an all or nothing approach and the car will not be drive-able until complete. OpenTracker is an excellent source of improved factory components that won't break the bank and still make a very noticeable improvement in the car.
The rubber strut rod bushings are the best choice for street driving. Stiff bushings like Delrin and poly-urethane can result in broken strut rods. I know, I know...people will say they've been running them for years and "never had a problem", but it's a gamble...
'Would really like more information on what your plans are for this project. Are you planning to notch or remove the spring towers? Rack & pinion steering? Coil-over shocks/springs? Tubular A-arms? How modern or "trick" are you planning to go with this? Are you wanting to stick with the stock suspension and just do a few upgrades (like the Open Tracker stuff)? A 351w is fine if you notch the spring towers. You just have about an inch less hood clearance which makes a high-rise intake with a standard-height air filter a little more of a challenge. Of course a standard-height intake is fine up to 5500 RPM...
I dont have a garage. My car sits outside, covered with plastic 9 months out of the year. I redone all the front end parts with factory style pieces....with Granada disc brakes....and the arning drop. I put a roller 302 in with long tube headers. So, after owning this car 7 years, what do I want to do with it? Paint it? No. Drive it? about 500 miles a year. Race it? Once, last Sumer. What do I want? I want a Posi, get the last of the vibrations ironed out, install subframe connectors, and build a mock boss 302. Why that? Cuz I discovered that building an engine is the most enjoyable aspect of owning this car....for me. What part of owning your car is the most enjoyable part to you? Aim at maximizing that part, and dont overspend on other parts. Thats all I can tell you.
The Delrin monoballs do not work the same way as the stock bushings or poly bushings. You're absolutely correct about poly bushings, as their high durometer rating forces the strut rod bushings to bend back and forth, eventually causing them to fail due to metal fatigue. The monoballs are plastic and aluminum ball joints, spherical joints in which the washers are made to match the outer surface of the delrin and move back and forth across the face of the ball without requiring it to flex in order for the strut rod to move.
