69 Coupe suspension questions.

[Carnivore]

Okay I have a coupe that I tore down, then ended up putting it aside for a year or so.. here's its current shape:

Per the VIN it was originally a 6cyl but came to me with a 302 in it(with broken rocker arms)

I'm planning on buying a crate 302 or perhaps building a long block up to put in it.. Regardless it will be a 302 again. now my questions.

Suspension... I'm not sure if its stock or has been upgraded. Either way I would feel better with new components. I dont have the money to drop in a TCP system or something of that caliber, but was looking at something a bit more basic such as this 1967-70 Grab-A-Trak™ Spring and Handling Kit .. any opinions on that kit? Think it'd be kosher? I wont be racing this car or anything but will perhaps be driving it across the country so something safe and reliable is a good thing.

Also, should I do the Shelby Drop while I have things taken apart?



and disc brakes. Opinions on what I should do while not dropping a million bucks to do it? I've always heard of the Granada swap but is that very easy to do? Would I be better off just buying a new kit? I really want something reliable and will pay more for such....as long as its not a ton more for just a minor benefit. There's a kit here on EBay but isnt that kinda cheap as kits go? is it missing something?

Any thoughts?


I'm rushing to have it on the road and ready to rip by mid Sept. I know this is a tight timeframe but hey, it'll motivate me to put in some good hours and make progress whether I make it or not.


Thanks for any input, I appreciate it.

 

[Hack]

Looks like you're not afraid to get your hands dirty!

If it were me, I would get Granada spindles (Mustang Steve's website has a list of donor cars) and convert to front discs. There's also a thread you can find here to use the Granada spindles and fabricate a bracket to convert to '99-04 Mustang PBR calipers. I would do that right away if you have the patience for it. I did a Granada swap last year and it's a huge improvement over drums, but I want more. I'm going to do the PBR upgrade when I have the time and money.

I would do the Shelby drop.

I think you should also do the Opentracker roller spring perch modification. You can also find a thread on here about that.

Mustang's Plus has a lot of variety and options, they make it easy to find things for our cars. Generally they wouldn't be my first choice though as usually they are spendy. Pay attention to what they will charge you for shipping before you place your order! I think they overcharge and make their profits on shipping sometimes. I bought my suspension components from Laurel Mountain Mustang last spring. I'm happy with the midolyne bushings so far.

 

[davishokies]

I did my complete suspension about six months ago and shopped around....Laurel Mountain Mustang had the best prices on a kit. Do the Shelby drop, well worth it.

 

[65mistress]

How difficult is it to do a Granada swap on the 70 Grande's? Are there any special considerations on this or is it just a straight spindle swap where all the ball joints and tie rod ends will just fit up in there?

 

[Hack]

How difficult is it to do a Granada swap on the 70 Grande's? Are there any special considerations on this or is it just a straight spindle swap where all the ball joints and tie rod ends will just fit up in there?

A Granada swap is easy on a '70. I did one on mine. I didn't have to change anything except the spindle (and brake parts).

There are no ball joint or tie rod end changes necessary.

 

[DarkBuddha]

You can see my ideas about a budget suspension on my site... check the link in my sig.

 

[Carnivore]

Okeydoke, I ordered my kit from Laurel Mountain.. unfortunatly the front springs are on backorder. So I guess I'll just install everything with the old springs then throw in the new springs when they arrive. Got 1" drop front and rear with Midolyne bushings. Thanks guys!

and I think I'll be bookmarking your page Darkbudda, thanks for the heads up.

 

[shotsy]

I think my kit was from Laurel Mt. I'd have to dig out the reciept but it turned out well and was easy to do!

 

[grego37]

be sure and use the proper template for the new holes for the shelby drop.

 

[DarkBuddha]

and I think I'll be bookmarking your page Darkbudda, thanks for the heads up.

If you find any of it useful, I'm glad.

 

[65mistress]

Excellent Hack and DB, you guys pulled me out of a jam.

Thanks guys

 

[degins]

A Granada swap is easy on a '70. I did one on mine. I didn't have to change anything except the spindle (and brake parts).

There are no ball joint or tie rod end changes necessary.

The ball joint mounts are the same. The geometry is identical. But, the tie rod mounting studs on 70 are smaller than Granada. They have the same taper, so the 70 studs will mount well, but deeper into the Granada mount hole on the steering arm. This may, or may not cause a problem. Two possible problems arise. The stud may be so deeply set that too much of the stud protrudes through to the threaded side. This may make it impossible to correctly fit a nut or to position the retaining pin. The deeply set stud also brings the body of the tie rod closer to the steering arm. There then may be situations of suspension or steering travel where the tie rod body comes in contact with the steering arm. This could have disastrous results. In any case the proper tie rods are only $26/set at Advanced Auto parts.