It’s no secret that 1960-1964 Ford Full-Size Fords are large cars. With their size, suspension plays a huge role in performance, handling, comfort, and, most important, safety. The suspension keeps your car on the road and driving in the direction you choose. Loose, worn-out, or sagging suspension hurts the drivability of your car and, moreover, makes it unsafe.

So many items on your Ford can control attitude, with ride height being one of those factors. Stock height on a 1960–1964 full-size Ford should be level. Sagging in the rear is common for a car of this vintage, and a sagging rear not only is unappealing but also negatively affects the ride quality. An un-level car does not handle as well as it should.

Inspecting the suspension components is a great idea and really should be done regularly. On a full restoration, it may not be necessary to check every part because it will be disassembled for the rebuild. If the car is not being fully restored, start with a visual inspection. Look for cracked or sagging springs and inspect all of the control arms and all of their respective mounting hardware. The same goes for the rear springs. The eyelet bushings, hardware, and hangers should be thoroughly inspected.

The next step is to relieve the suspension of its weight; in other words, jack the car up. With the front end off the ground, grab a wheel and check its movement up and down and side to side. Checking vertical play and horizontal play is a good indicator of a front end’s health. There really shouldn’t be much vertical play with full-size Ford ball joints. Side-to-side play could be a worn-out bearing or excessive wear of a tie-rod.

Any suspension issues that are visible or have excessive play should be replaced right away, considering the age of these cars. There is nothing overly complicated or expensive that will stand in the way.

Front-End Suspension and Steering

Restoring the front-end suspension is critical with any large-framed car. Because a properly handling car isn’t exclusive to one level of restoration, this process holds true to all levels of restoration. All 1960–1964 full-size Fords have upper and lower control arms (A-arms). Although these front ends are very similar, they do vary slightly from year to year, even though some parts are the same from year to year. An example of this is front spindles. They are the same from 1960 to 1964. Even cars with the 3-inch-wide front brakes use the same spindles.

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This Tech Tip is from the full book, FULL SIZE FORD RESTORATION: 1960 – 1964. For a comprehensive guide on this entire subject you can visit this link:

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Front-end kits are not overly expensive; all suspension parts are available from most big box parts outfits and even smaller auto stores. I use my local parts store, The Auto House, in Robinson, Pennsylvania, for all my front-end parts. Parts are usually in the very next day.

When restoring the front end, use caution and be sure the car is secure on flat, solid ground with jack stands. The springs are not known to pop out on 1960–1964 full-size Fords, but always use caution when releasing any spring pressure.

All 1960–1964 Fords equipped with power steering use a power-assist setup that uses a control valve on the drag link. This is hydraulically controlled. It wasn’t until the following year (1965) that this was eliminated and the power steering became controlled through the steering box. The control valves had a tendency to leak over time. They are rebuildable and that usually stops the leaking for a while.

Front-End Disassembly

There is no specific way to break the front end down. The way I did it was starting with the front shocks. The front shocks can sometimes be tricky if the top studs are corroded. If you do need to cut them, don’t use torches and only cut the top nut off. These are oil-filled and can explode. After I remove the shocks, the anti-sway bar is disconnected from the lower A-arms. The next step is to tap the outer tie-rod ends out of the spindles.

The upper and lower ball joint nuts are loosened but not all the way removed. Most people use a ball joint separator (fork) to pull the ball joint out of the spindle. In this case, I applied force to the top of the ball joint stud and they easily came loose. Either approach works, the goal is to remove the ball joints from the spindle without causing any damage to the spindle. Ford dealerships had a specific tool that would apply force to both studs, thus loosening them. If you are like most people and don’t have Ford service tools, the fork will have to do.

After the ball joint has “popped” out of its place in the spindle you can remove the nut the rest of the way. If the lower control arm falls down, be sure that the car is high enough so the A-arm can swing all the way down, hanging vertical.

You need that much swing to pull the spring out. Use your foot to press the lower control arm vertical so the spring falls out. If you are worried about spring recoil or it flying, feel free to put a floor jack under the A-arm and lower it slowly when the nut is removed. Spring safety is very important; however, these cars usually have no spring issues during removal. Next, remove the upper A-arm. You can remove this along with the spindle or work the ball joint loose from the spindle before removing.

Two bolts and nuts connect the A-arm to the car’s frame. They pass through the inner shaft, which is attached to the upper A-arm with bushings. You need to pick up the A-arm a bit to access the head of the bolts.

The nuts are on the other side of the frame by the exhaust manifolds. After this is unbolted, you can pick it up and set it aside.

The lower control arms that are still connected to the front of the frame and the crossmember that runs under the engine can now be removed. The nut on the front bolt can be removed, and there is enough room to remove the lower control arm. The front bolt may take a little elbow grease to remove from the frame. Toward the back portion of the control arm, the bolt unscrews out of the stud and the stud slides out of the frame.

The 1963 and 1964 cars use “Anti-Harsh-Ride” offset front studs. Kits are available to remove these for a better handling car. The upper A-arm ball joint can now be removed from the spindle, if you didn’t do this when it was on the car. It is easier to remove the ball joint by removing the top bolt that holds the spindle to the brake backing plate. Now that you have the parts apart, you can remove the old bushings out of the lower A-arms, remove the ball joints, and restore the parts.

The steering linkages can be removed and restored at this time as well. Since the tie-rods are already dropped out of the spindles, you can now work to remove the pitman arm, idler arm brackets, and power steering lines, if applicable. A large nut holds the pitman arm in place. Remove the nut and use a pitman arm removal tool to drop the pitman arm off the steering box. You can purchase a pitman arm tool at any good tool supplier.

A pitman arm removal tool is the only specialized tool you need for the front steering suspension. Besides the pitman arm tool, you need a basic socket set, ball-joint separator, and possibly a hammer to coax the outer tie-rod end out of their spinals and to coax the inner tie-rods out of the drag link. When that is off, remove the idler arm bracket from the frame. The entire steering setup is dropped and ready for restoration. Before removing tie-rods or the tie-rod ends, measure their length. You want the new parts to go back in the correct positions.

Restoration and Installation

With all new front-end parts being added to the car, it’s now a good time to restore the A-arms and car frame. If you’re doing a frame-off restoration, this may have been addressed already. A-arms and spindles can be powder-coated for a good-looking durable finish. As with the frame, a 70-percent gloss, which is a semi-gloss, is perfect and matches what came on these cars new. Before coating or painting the A-arms, the bushings and ball joints must be removed. An easy trick for removing the bushings out of a lower control arm is using fire and a Sawzall. Even though that sounds barbaric, it takes a soft touch.

First, you need to use a torch to burn out the rubber portions of the bushings. (Don’t breathe the smoke in; it’s nasty.) When that happens, the sleeve falls out of the bushing, leaving just the metal outer casing of the bushing. Now carefully use a Sawzall to make a cut into the casing.

Do not go too deep, as you do not want to cut into the A-arm. If you do cut into it, you have to fix it with a small bead of weld. After the casing is cut, it taps right out. The arms are now ready for blasting and powder coating or paint. Due to the high heat of powder coating, rubber and plastic suspension (such as tie-rods) must be painted.

After the A-arms and steering parts are cleaned up and restored to the desired level, it’s time to install new parts. The factory ball joints were riveted onto the A-arms, and the new ball joints bolt into place. When pressing in new lower control arm bushings, remember there is a different bushing for the front and the rear. The front bushing (closest to the front of your car) has a slim- mer inner diameter bushing. The rear has a bigger inner diameter to fit the large stud pin. They look the same from the outside; be sure you have them in their correct positions.

If you are pressing these in your- self, keep this in mind. If someone else is doing it, mark the bushings. It’s easy to mix up the front and back bushings. In addition, someone who is not familiar with these cars may not know the difference between a right and left A-arm, thus may install the bushings incorrectly. They are not difficult to press in yourself. A simple shop press does the trick. If you don’t have one of those, be creative. It’s amazing what one can do with a large socket, bolt, and nut.

The upper control arms are not difficult to rebuild, but they are a little different from many vehicles of this vintage. The approach to install- ing bushings in the upper control arms is a little more than just pressing them in. As a matter of fact, they don’t press in at all; they actually screw in.

One of the first things that must be noted before installing the new bushings is the condition of the threads in the upper control arms. Make sure that the threads are in good shape; it’s not uncommon for them to strip or become worn away when the old bushings are removed. If you have the upper control arms powder-coated, be sure to tell the coater to not blast or coat the inside threads of the upper control arms. The new upper bushings and support shaft can be lightly greased before installation in the arm.

Start by applying grease on the end’s shaft, to the part that screws into the actual nut bushings. Apply the grease liberally; it helps stop the effects of wear and tear. Having grease on the inner shaft threads also helps allow the control arm to rotate freely after it’s assembled. There is no need to actually pack it; Zerk fittings allow grease to be added.

Install the center shaft into the control arm, followed by the screw-in bushings. The screw-in bushings are torqued to 160 to 190 ft-lbs. After it’s assembled, be sure that the inner shaft is centered in the control arm. You do this by measuring the distance from the inner surface of the control arm to the center of the mounting bolt hole. Do this on both sides. It is very important that the inner shaft is centered. It isn’t important how the shaft looks in relation to the seals; the only requirement is that the mounting bolt holes are the same distance from the inside of the arm. This ensures that it’s centered. After the inner shaft is correctly installed, the ball joint and rubber bumper assemblies are straightforward.

Front-End Reassembly

The tie-rod length on the steering arm should have been measured before disassembly. There is no right or wrong way to measure, but just be sure you measure. Doing things such as counting threads on tie-rod ends doesn’t work.

Different brands may have different thread counts. Just stay consistent. On the 1960, I measured from the shaft of the outer tie-rod end to the shaft of the inner. The tie-rods were 22 inches long. When installing the new inner and outer tie-rod ends, they are set to 22 inches. Even when installing the same amount of shims on the upper control arm and putting the steering back to the same length, you still need to have the car aligned when it’s all finished. Measuring and setting parts back at the same length or spacing as before will help it be closer to correct. Get it close then have it aligned correctly.

Idler arm install for 1960 is different from the installation for 1961–1964 cars. The 1961–1964s have bushings that are pressed into the steering arm and idler arm bracket. The 1960s use bushings that thread into the steering arm and idler arm bracket. On the 1960 cars, the screw-in bushings should be torqued to 80 to 100 ft-lbs on both the idler arm bracket (on frame) and the steering arm.

The idler arm should thread into the bushing in the steering arm until it bottoms out. After it’s bottomed out, back the arm off about three-quarters of a turn. Then thread the idler arm bracket and bushing on to the idler arm until it bottoms out. Then back the bushing off enough that the bracket-mounting surface is parallel with the frame. Install the bracket into the frame in its appropriate mounting location. For the 1961–1964 cars, you need to press the bushings into the bracket. This can be done with the bracket out of the car or you can be creative and do it with the bracket mounted to the frame.

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This Tech Tip is from the full book, FULL SIZE FORD RESTORATION: 1960 – 1964. For a comprehensive guide on this entire subject you can visit this link:

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK HERE

SHARE THIS ARTICLE: Please feel free to share this post on Facebook / Twitter / Google+ or any automotive Forums or blogs you read. You can use the social sharing buttons to the left, or copy and paste the website link: https://www.diyford.com/how-to-rebuild-the-suspension-on-a-60-64-full-size-ford

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Front-End Reassembly

Springs

All 1960–1964 full-size Fords have front coil springs and rear leaf springs. All of the springs need to be in good shape and uncompromised to be safe and allow the car to ride correctly. In comparison to other items on these cars, springs are not a very expensive part to replace or in the case of the rears, possibly rebuild. Shortcuts such as coil spring spacers or rear springs shackle flipping should not be an option. Do the job correctly; skip the shortcuts such as air shocks.

Front Coil Springs
If your car has a good ride height, there is a good chance the springs are okay. They should be removed and inspected for cracks, fractures, rust, or any condition that compromises the spring metal. If your car has an uneven stance or sits too low in the front, the springs may need to be replaced. Coil spring spacers are not a very safe option. They have no place on a restoration either, as all of your work should be correct with no shortcuts. Coil springs have specific rates and sizes, so putting a spacer or a base plate to raise the front end just hurts the ride and handling.

Never heat the springs to lower the car. This is simply dangerous and has no place in automobile restoration. Replacing the springs is the best option, and many places custom make springs. Stock height, lower, or higher; the altitude can be adjusted with new springs. I use Eaton Detroit Spring Company for the springs on my restorations. Going right to the source, such as Detroit or General Spring, seems to be the best solution. I have found that many of the parts suppliers that offer correct springs usually have them supplied by Eaton Detroit. Another option is finding a local spring builder in your area. They do exist, and if they do good work that’s guaranteed, why not support a local business?

When ordering springs you need to specify the year, model, and engine of your car. This determines the rate and size of the springs. At this time, your preference for ride height can be met as well. A stock, lowered, or raised car is determined by the springs. Simply let the spring vendor know what your intent is. They should have a series of questions about your car to get a better understanding of the spring you need.

The front coil springs on full-size Fords left the factory a gloss black with a specific color code. The color-coding can usually still be found on the original spring under years of mud and dirt. The specific color identifies which engine or duty level the spring was. Many spring options were available. Different options lead to different springs. You could have red, green, blue, yellow, orange, or a gray stripe. Orange and Gray were heavy-duty springs. Although these color codes usually do follow a particular body style, engine, transmission, and options, the cars certain springs end up on are not all set in stone. For a complete list of which springs typically go with a certain body style or option, refer to the Ford Passenger Car Parts and Accessories Catalog.

Rear Leaf Springs
Rear leaf springs have a tendency to lose their arch over time. This can cause rear sagging, a common issue with full-size Fords. If this occurs, the options are to rebuild or replace. The option to buy new springs is very often the easier route, and it saves you time. On the other hand, to rebuild the springs, the costs are significantly less. On the 1960 Country Sedan, a new set of five-leaf springs cost us around $500. When I added the option of a sixth leaf, the price went up a little further. On top of that, I still needed $125 for an install kit. The install kit included the bushings, shackles, and spring isolators. Even at more than $600 for just the rear spring setup, it seems like a fair deal for any car to look right and ride correctly.

Because the car sat and rode perfectly fine with its factory springs, I decided to take a close look at the springs themselves after they were removed. I was hoping that these springs would be just fine and simply need a good cleaning. With springs approaching 60 years old, there was a good chance for surprises such as cracks. When the rear end was out, I removed the rear springs, first by disconnecting the rear shackles, then the front eyebolt. When removed, the springs should be placed on a workbench or a set of horses in preparation for dismantling. To take the springs apart, simply remove the rebound clips and center bolt.

Be sure to take note of how the springs are assembled so the leaves are put back together in the correct order. You should also take note of the spring rebound clip locations. You want to place the new rebound clips in the same spots. Taking pictures and/or logging the locations helps you during the rebuild pro- cess. When the springs are apart, you should be able to inspect each leaf for cracks, rust, or any issues. Usually a crack or any blemish to the spring shows immediately. You may need to inspect further. A good sand blasting helps remove dirt or surface rust on the springs. After blasting each spring leaf, inspection becomes easy.

If the rear spring leaves are all in good shape, you have a few options for restoration. The first thing that needs to be done is sandblasting. This may have been done for inspection, but either way, all the old grime and surface rust needs to be removed. To coat the springs a high-quality chassis black paint or powder coating is a good option. There has been some debate about springs and powder coating. People worried that the heat was too much and it would weaken the springs. The other concern was that the powder coating was too thick and it would make it difficult to install the bushings. I have powder-coated more than 10 sets of Galaxie springs during the last few years with no issues whatsoever. If you have a good powder coater, there shouldn’t be an issue.

After the leaves are painted or powder-coated, it’s time to put the springs back together. You need fresh hardware such as the following:

• Shackles
• Shackle bushings
• Front-eye bushings
• Front eyebolt
• 4 spring isolators
• Center bolt
• 6 to 9 spring rebound clips
• Anti-squeak pads (usually 12–16)

Rear Leaf Spring Restoration

Everything with the spring restoration should be straightforward and rudimentary. Each leaf that accepts an anti-squeak pad has a little dimple. I usually use a touch of adhesive to hold them in place when I am putting the springs together. RTV or weather-stripping adhesive works great.

After they are in place, lay the main spring leaf (the first one with the bushing holes) upside down. Each leaf should be placed onto the upside down main leaf in the correct order.
Be sure the anti-squeak pads are still in place then place the center bolt through the holes. Tighten the center bolt then flip the spring back over.

Now it’s time to install the rebound clips. If you were able to cleanly take the original rebound clips off, you can reuse them. It takes time and talent to get them off and back on without compromising them. Replacement clips are an affordable option. For a concours restoration, I would seek NOS or factory-style clips. The aftermarket clips from Eaton look very presentable. When installing, put the new clips in the same spots as the old clips. Usually these Galaxies had 3 clips per spring. This can be different depending on how many leaves the springs have.

Between 30 and 50 percent of the leaves should be between the clips. These do not need to be very tight; the clips should allow the leaves to flex and move lengthwise. You can install new clips in various ways. If you are using a replacement style as I did, a simple C-clamp works, along with a hammer. Another method is to use a vise and a C-clamp, and then you avoid using a hammer.

If you plan on just purchasing new springs, be sure they are coming from a reputable source. Reputable sources such as General Spring, Eaton Detroit Spring, almost all of the Galaxie parts supplies (though they are usually made by one of the bigger spring companies such as Detroit), and also local custom spring builders. When you’re placing an order for springs, the vendor or builder should be asking you many questions about the car, such as the following:

• Year
• Model
• Body style
• Engine type
• Transmission
• AC car
• Any special requirements, such as heavy duty
• Stock or modified height
• Any modifications to the vehicle

Stay away from air shocks, if at all possible. The weight of your car should be on the rear springs and their mounts, not the shock mount area. Although modified suspensions with coil-over shock setups are available, I discuss only stock-style suspensions here.

A fresh suspension makes your car a dream to drive. It also provides peace of mind when driving down the road, highway, or racetrack. The 1960–1964 cars have an easy suspension that isn’t very challenging to work on. There is no need for short-cuts or neglect.

Written by Colin Kleer and republished with permission of CarTech Inc

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