drop beams for 1972 f100 2wd

[corniglio]

im not finding the answers im looking for and hope someone here can provide some. as for drop beams, who is making the best quality ones in 2019? much of the info out on the internet mentions DJM suspension, AIM or even X2 industries with good and bad reviews on them but nothing current from 2019. im wondering if any of these manufacturers have stepped up the quality and perfected their product. its got me thinking that with the crown vic swap being popular, people are not doing the drop beams as much.

[Moneypit67]

This might be my first reply on this site...

I went with the DJM dream beams, 1991 Ford Explorer 4x4 front springs and a c-notch. I have purchased DJM products for 2 previous Ford trucks and have had no issues(98 Ranger, 00 F150). I did not choose the crown vic swap because I have a perfectly good running truck that I want to drive. I don't have a good place to work on a vehicle for a long period of time and I have a family and a job...I have a bad habit of starting a project and "life" happens and it is put on hold.

Other than removing the kingpins out of the old beams to re-use the spindles, it was an easy install. Could be done on a Friday night, Saturday and a half day Sunday total. And I take my time and work by myself.

When I get older and my kids are out of the house and I have a shop I will go to the junkyard and get a complete crown vic and do the complete frame swap. I won't be out that much money that I spent on the beams and C-notch and I can sell the whole F100 chassis and come out ahead.

And yes I know the vic front would ride better but I have punished myself over the years enough that I am used to a rough ride. My 98 Ranger was lowered 5/8 (eventually bagged) and my 00 F150 was lowered 5/10.

Blake

[JoshT]

My bumpside is a 4x4 so I don't really have a dog in this fight, but...

If I had a 2wd F-100 and was planning to street truck it, I'd still go drop beams over CV front end. It's a truck, not a sports car. Even lowered I'd plan to use it as a truck. It'd still be driven on the farm and to the woods even if only as far as the camp site. A lot of people have bad mouthed the Twin I-beam suspension over the years based on what they read somewhere. Ford designed an excellent and strong TRUCK suspension when they came up with this design. With the right work it can be made to handle pretty well too. No it'll never be on par with the crown vic handling or ride wise, but it'll do very well within the relm of what most people do with their truck and be a hell of a lot tougher.

As for people dissing on a particular brand of beams, it's mostly repeating what they read on a competitors website, not first hand experience. What ever you read, dream beams are strong. I-Beams work good too. The only damage I've ever seen on a Dream Beam would have destroyed any beam style, or any suspension in general. On the other hand I have seen damage to a welded drop I-beam (can't remember brand) where it hit something on the road and twisted the beam.

FWIW, while I haven't used dream beams on an F-100, I do have a set I'll be installing on an 86 Ranger if I ever get back on that project. I also followed dropped I-beam suspension in the Rangers for a long time before I totaled my 84 Ranger back in 09.

[corniglio]

thanks for the insight on the djm dream beams. im going to order the package.

[Ohiotinkerer]

If I had a 2wd F-100 and was planning to street truck it, I'd still go drop beams over CV front end. It's a truck, not a sports car. Even lowered I'd plan to use it as a truck. It'd still be driven on the farm and to the woods even if only as far as the camp site. A lot of people have bad mouthed the Twin I-beam suspension over the years based on what they read somewhere. Ford designed an excellent and strong TRUCK suspension when they came up with this design. With the right work it can be made to handle pretty well too. No it'll never be on par with the crown vic handling or ride wise, but it'll do very well within the relm of what most people do with their truck and be a hell of a lot tougher.

Believe it or not my 86 Ranger with a Rancho 4" drop kit and 1" sway bars and low profile 60's on it would outhandle BMW's on the twisty mountain road coming down from the Autobahn to the town i was stationed in in Germany - I shocked quite a few of my German friends with that truck! It makes a hell of a difference but we are taking about a full sized much heavier bump vs a tinny Ranger though.......even so it will be a very noticeable improvement and is a great idea if you don't want to go the CV route - especially if you upgrade the sway bars, shocks, and tires when you do it.......

As far as which brand to use I have heard nothing bad about the Dream Beams......people I talk to that have them have nothing bad to say about them........I went with the Rancho kit because when I did mine there wasn't that big a selection of people making beams for them........

[JoshT]

I believe you, but that's been a while. I didn't even remember that Rancho made drop beams for the Rangers. I recall the DJM beams, and IIRC AIM and Chassis Tech made welded I-beams. Seems that there were a couple others over the years, but I didn't remember Rancho.

That's kinda the set-up I had to go on my 86 Ranger.
89-97 DJM Beams w/spindles
1-1/16" front sway bar
1" Rear sway bar
Explorer Disc brake 8.8" installed spring under W/ 3.73 ls IIRC
13" cobra brake conversion kit for front
245/45R17 on Mustang Mach 1 wheels
NIB set of Edelbrock IAS Shocks
Explorer 5.0L & 4R70W

I got stalled out the first time figuring out how to run the Explorer's EFI system standalone. I think that I got that sorted, but the truck's wiring is butchered and it has rust issues. I still have my totaled 84 Ranger I could transplant wiring from, but not sure if I want to do that or find another truck and swap the whole body over. I've also been considering using that drive train in a classic car (67-68 Mustang or 65-67 Galaxie preferred) instead and giving up on the Ranger project. Too many options and too many other things to do, I think I'll just keep working on the 68 instead while I think about it.

[BayStYAt]

This might be my first reply on this site...

I went with the DJM dream beams, 1991 Ford Explorer 4x4 front springs and a c-notch. I have purchased DJM products for 2 previous Ford trucks and have had no issues(98 Ranger, 00 F150). I did not choose the crown vic swap because I have a perfectly good running truck that I want to drive. I don't have a good place to work on a vehicle for a long period of time and I have a family and a job...I have a bad habit of starting a project and "life" happens and it is put on hold.

Other than removing the kingpins out of the old beams to re-use the spindles, it was an easy install. Could be done on a Friday night, Saturday and a half day Sunday total. And I take my time and work by myself.

When I get older and my kids are out of the house and I have a shop I will go to the junkyard and get a complete crown vic and do the complete frame swap. I won't be out that much money that I spent on the beams and C-notch and I can sell the whole F100 chassis and come out ahead.

And yes I know the vic front would ride better but I have punished myself over the years enough that I am used to a rough ride. My 98 Ranger was lowered 5/8 (eventually bagged) and my 00 F150 was lowered 5/10.

Blake

Blake,

please explain why the 1991 Explorer springs. I used stock springs. What shocks do you run?

[JoshT]

IIRC they work good for a drop spring on these trucks.

[BayStYAt]

IIRC they work good for a drop spring on these trucks.

Josh,

what can you expect running those springs over the stock ones ?

[JoshT]

Oh, I have no idea. You asked Moneypit67 about the explorer springs. I've read several accounts about people using them for drop springs on these trucks. Moneypit67 hasn't been around in a while and seems unlikely to respond any time soon, I was just giving you a reply so you weren't left hanging and could look into it more.

[Moneypit67]

This might be my first reply on this site...

I went with the DJM dream beams, 1991 Ford Explorer 4x4 front springs and a c-notch. I have purchased DJM products for 2 previous Ford trucks and have had no issues(98 Ranger, 00 F150). I did not choose the crown vic swap because I have a perfectly good running truck that I want to drive. I don't have a good place to work on a vehicle for a long period of time and I have a family and a job...I have a bad habit of starting a project and "life" happens and it is put on hold.

Other than removing the kingpins out of the old beams to re-use the spindles, it was an easy install. Could be done on a Friday night, Saturday and a half day Sunday total. And I take my time and work by myself.

When I get older and my kids are out of the house and I have a shop I will go to the junkyard and get a complete crown vic and do the complete frame swap. I won't be out that much money that I spent on the beams and C-notch and I can sell the whole F100 chassis and come out ahead.

And yes I know the vic front would ride better but I have punished myself over the years enough that I am used to a rough ride. My 98 Ranger was lowered 5/8 (eventually bagged) and my 00 F150 was lowered 5/10.

Blake

Blake,

please explain why the 1991 Explorer springs. I used stock springs. What shocks do you run?

Sorry I did not receive an email saying someone replied to this thread. I guess I need to update my preferences.

There is a thread in the suspension forum concerning the Explorer springs. People are getting 2 inches drop plus or minus. I guess that would make my drop 5 inches in the front. Honestly I need another inch to be level with the flip kit in the rear.

I am using the stock replacement generic parts store shocks on the front, one of which is blown out. I hit the bump stop before I bottom out the shocks. I have removed the factory bump stop and bracket and used the low profile Energy Suspension bump stops you can get from the parts store.
The plan is to install KYB Nissan "hardbody" front shocks, part number KG4605A. Also I have the CPP/ADCO front sway bay kit, with DIY brackets that do not drill into the Dream Beams. My truck did not have a factory sway bar.

In the rear I am running KYB Chevy C10 front shocks, don't have that part number right off.

Blake

[Moneypit67]

Sorry I did not receive an email saying someone replied to this thread. I guess I need to update my preferences.