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big brake/PI steering box upgrade -- done!!

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    big brake/PI steering box upgrade -- done!!

    took this past week off work to rebuild the front end on my 89 CV. In the process of the front end rebuild, I swapped all the parts over to upgrade to 1998+ big front brakes and installed a late model steering gear box from a 1999 PI car.
    New coil springs are 2000-2002 Town car limo prep springs, which are tad softer than the PI front springs. I also got some PI front shocks and I got a front PI sway bar from a 97 PI car.
    The entire process took a little longer than I expected, only because I ran into some parts issues. one being I got a poly bushing kit for a civilian car and my salvage upper control arms came from a PI car, so the upper bushings were different. to solve this I ended up using one poly bushing and one rubber bushing. my other issue was Napa sold me 2 left brake hoses and for some reason the RF brake hose on a 98+ car is near impossible to find, Napa ended up having the correct hose after I did some research in the paper catalog at the Napa store.
    Some of the other, minor issues that I had expected was the PS pressure hose and the steering shaft connecting to the new gear box. luckily the guy at the Napa machine shop makes hoses and I had the correct ends already, so he made me a new hose in about 10 mins for $40. on the steering shaft, I had pulled a lower shaft off a 97 PI car previously. I cut both shafts about 1" above the rag joint and welded the new style joint on to my old shaft, it worked very well.

    Ned Nuss gave me some alignment specs for this type of set up. He recommended as much postive caster as you can get with out a 5/10 split, toe out 1/16" and negative .5 degrees camber.

    I was lucky to get an old timer at the alignment shop I went to, he nailed the alignment settings perfectly. to my surprise he got 9 degrees of postive caster with out any split.




    This is the RF. everything is on, except the correct brake hose is missing. Note the old caliper still hanging there, so I don't leak brake fluid all over the place.






    2003 Town Car Signature - 3.27 RAR, Dual exhaust and J-mod - SOLD 9/2011
    89 Crown Victoria LX HPP -- SOLD 9/2010
    88 Grand Marquis LS - The Original -- Totaled 5/2006


    I rebuild AOD/AODE/4R70W/4R75E transmissions....Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/North...48414635312478

    #2
    Rock on. How do you like that steering gear? I love mine.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

    Comment


      #3
      88grandmarq, I second on what the guys over at CVN told you about that steering shaft weld - don't trust it! I'd just cut the two shafts , then press a smaller diameter pipe in both of them to connect them, then cross-pin both shafts to the inner pipe, and finally weld the two shafts together - should be plenty strong, and not too hard to do either. But please don't drive around like that, or if you have to before you fix it just try to corner as if you're driving tha grandpamobile your car started as, and not the Mustang in disguise it is now.

      Comment


        #4
        Man, another thing I need to get and put on...
        Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

        Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

        Comment


          #5
          And yeah...weld is kinda nasty.

          Moog upper ball joints?
          Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

          Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

          Comment


            #6
            gadget and i use a help rag joint kit and leave the shaft alone.....no welding required, just a bit of grinding the steering box couplers off and swapping them

            1986 lincoln towncar signature series. 5.0 HO with thumper performance ported e7 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, warm air intake, 65mm throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, ported intakes, 3.73 rear with trac lock, 98-02 front brake conversion, 92-97 rear disc conversion, 1" rear swaybar, 1 3/16" front swaybar, 16" wheels and tires, loud ass stereo system, badass cb, best time to date 15.94 at 87 mph. lots of mods in the works 221.8 rwhp 278 rwt
            2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature. Stock for now
            1989 Ford F-250 4x4 much much more to come, sefi converted so far.
            1986 Toyota pickup with LSC wheels and 225/60/16 tires.
            2008 Hyundai Elantra future Revcon toad
            1987 TriBurner and 1986 Alaska stokers keeping me warm. (and some pesky oil heat)

            please be patient, rebuilding an empire!

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Ivan D
              88grandmarq, I second on what the guys over at CVN told you about that steering shaft weld - don't trust it! I'd just cut the two shafts , then press a smaller diameter pipe in both of them to connect them, then cross-pin both shafts to the inner pipe, and finally weld the two shafts together - should be plenty strong, and not too hard to do either. But please don't drive around like that, or if you have to before you fix it just try to corner as if you're driving tha grandpamobile your car started as, and not the Mustang in disguise it is now.
              the welded steering shaft issue is being adressed. I have several ideas how to fix it, I just need to gather some parts and have the time to fix it.
              2003 Town Car Signature - 3.27 RAR, Dual exhaust and J-mod - SOLD 9/2011
              89 Crown Victoria LX HPP -- SOLD 9/2010
              88 Grand Marquis LS - The Original -- Totaled 5/2006


              I rebuild AOD/AODE/4R70W/4R75E transmissions....Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/North...48414635312478

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by mrltd
                And yeah...weld is kinda nasty.

                Moog upper ball joints?
                the weld actually turned out pretty well, but the picture doesn't show it.

                all the suspension parts are Napa premimum parts which are made by Dana corp.
                pretty Heavy duty units with grease fittings.
                Last edited by 88grandmarq; 05-25-2006, 09:28 AM.
                2003 Town Car Signature - 3.27 RAR, Dual exhaust and J-mod - SOLD 9/2011
                89 Crown Victoria LX HPP -- SOLD 9/2010
                88 Grand Marquis LS - The Original -- Totaled 5/2006


                I rebuild AOD/AODE/4R70W/4R75E transmissions....Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/North...48414635312478

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by lincolnmania
                  gadget and i use a help rag joint kit and leave the shaft alone.....no welding required, just a bit of grinding the steering box couplers off and swapping them
                  I had a HELP rag joint, but the distance between the bolt holes on the late model gear box end were much closer together than the stock shaft, I saw no good way to make the joint work.

                  I may go find another late model steering shaft and try to make something work with the shaft off my wrecked 88 GM, basically start over and make a new shaft.
                  2003 Town Car Signature - 3.27 RAR, Dual exhaust and J-mod - SOLD 9/2011
                  89 Crown Victoria LX HPP -- SOLD 9/2010
                  88 Grand Marquis LS - The Original -- Totaled 5/2006


                  I rebuild AOD/AODE/4R70W/4R75E transmissions....Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/North...48414635312478

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by 88grandmarq
                    I had a HELP rag joint, but the distance between the bolt holes on the late model gear box end were much closer together than the stock shaft, I saw no good way to make the joint work.
                    Yeah, that was a problem. I just re-punched all 4 holes to line up how I needed them to. Its not perfect but its functional.
                    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                    Originally posted by phayzer5
                    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                    Comment

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