I want to put a Mustang II front suspension kit in my 48 Chevy. Anyone have reccomendations for bolt-in or weld-in? I can tack weld the pieces in place. Do some kits have much better quality and installation instructions than others? I'd like to avoid dropped spindles. I've talked to a couple car owners with ground clearance problems w/dropped spindles and cut coils.

Fatman Fabrications, ask for Brent, very knowedgeable. If he doesnt have it....it aint made.

I've got catalogues from a bunch of MII kit fabricators, and Fat Man Fabrications is on my short list because of their ultra low option which "c"notches the frame to clear the raised steering rack. A couple other companies offer this as well. I wonder if there's any ground clearance problem with the compression rod frame mount or will I need to upgrade to a tubular lower control arm. Chassis Engineering's bolt-on kit would avoid trying to get a welder to come to my house, and has adjustable upper coil spring pods to fine tune the ride height. One other catalogue puts down the bolt-in kits as not providing as much torsional rigidity as a welded crossmember, but the stock 48 Chevy crossmember is rivited to the frame rails similar to the way the bolt-on kits attach. What do you think?

Try Macgyvers Street Rod Products Ltd. www.macgyvers.com with their quality product and the difference in the canadian dollar vrs the americian dollar, makes for a combination difficult to beat. contact Brian their engineer with your tech questions @ "toll free" 1-888-275-2588 or e-mail them macgyvers @sk.sympatico.ca with your application

Being from NC originally fatman was the first to come to my mind too, but I've known a few folks (namely my sister) who've had problems with fatman stuff, although generally I think the have a great line and rep.

I suggest checking out Chassis engineering in West Branch Iowa (ask for Jim) they have everything you could possibly want and were very helpfull.

Another option is the lesser known Innovative Rod shop in Nevada (innovaterods.com--I think)the specialize in 30's and 40's chevy's and everything I have ordered worked like a charm. They offer a mustang II kit that has a system where you can choose your ride height without messing with spindles--he doesn't believe in lowering blocks or dropped spindles. They were great to work with.

Having installed many diff companys.I would never use fat man again,i think he got to big and the quality is way down from what it once was.(2 crossmemebers this year i have seen split) Progressive ,hedits ,TCI have been great.Just my .05 worth as an installer.Just a tip if your doing the stang II pay the extra cash and buy the full lower a-frame dont go with the old strut rod type.

Thanks for the info! The more I look at the catalogues, I keep noticing those frontal pictures of the crossmember kits and that hole where the stock frame goes thru what should be a continuouus crossmember-bothers me. Chassis Engineering's bolt-on system seems to have more metal wrapping around the frame and actually connecting the upper spring "hats" to the crossmember. I don't think the stock 48 frame rails were designed to take the point loads of little welded-on brackets--like the ones for the compression rods. I've talked to a couple other installers who've seen cracked frames and also recommend using the lower A-arms instead of the strut rods. I'm trying to find out how those diagonal braces from the strut rod brackets attach to the crossmember on the Chassis Eng. kit. Do they attach behind or below the crossmember? If they're below, wouldn't they be a ground clearance problem?

If your talking about the strut brace it goes behind the croosmember.One of the problems is a you have mentioned.The strutrod bracket that is welded to the orig frame is very thick and the frame is not.Soooooo...after it is welded it can crack and break at that point.It has several other problems also.Just someething to stay away from.When you do set up on any front clip or crossmember make sure the lower control arms are level.Thats the ride height period>>.When you see a frontend with the lower a-frames angled up on the ball joint side,it was installed improperly or the owner wanted to lower the car/truck and did not know what he/she was doing.

I'm not sure if I didn't make my question clear or I'm not understanding you. Chassis Engineering's bolt-on kit has bolt-on brackets for the rearward ends of the compression rods to attach to. The brackets bolt to the underside of the frame. But unlike other kits, they have a brace(a rod aboout a foot long) that comes welded to the bracket, and attaches to the crossmember near the middle. I'm trying to find out how that rod attaches to the crossmember. You can see the rod in their ad in Street Rodder Magazine-October 2001 p231. I've been looking through my stockpile of magazines for install articles and other ads, but none show how those rods attach to the crossmember.

[ September 24, 2001: Message edited by: 48Phred ]

Check with TCI they just lowered there price.(like this month)I dont think you can beat it.It does NOT have the strut rods and has the big brakes.

Anyway you look at it bolt on weld on.Stay away from the mustangII with strut rods.Spend the money and buy with full lower a-frames.The bolt on kits are more of a gimick targeted to the guy that cant weld and are no stonger than weld on(also more money,and looka little crummy when finished)a properly welded mustang II will give you no problems.You do have to have a good frame to begin with. Also you will want to go with the newer style rack that is much slower than what was used in the past.(ask about this at time of purchase)

Thanks for the input. I finally called Chassis Eng. and got some answers(it's hard to get ahold of them on the phone with the time zone difference from CA-wish they had email). I tried to find a local SoCal dealer that stocks their kits, but ended up ordering from JPL Street Rods in PA. They offer free shipping on orders over $100.00, which is great for us on the Left Coast! The bolt-on kit attaches to the frame the same way the stock crossmember does so I figure the loads will be transfered more evenly than smaller welded-on brackets on other kits. With the weld-on kits I'd have to find(and pay extra for)a welder to come to my house. The Chassis Eng. strut rod brackets look pretty well braced and gusseted, so I'm going to try them. I splurged on a new Flaming River manual rack & pinion(4 turns lock to lock). I decided to avoid the hidden costs of mobile welders and finding and rebuilding the rack that don't get mentioned in the magazine installation articles. Now on to the next cans of worms---clutch linkage and a WC T5 trans, brakes, and mounting a Ford 9"rearend with a nice low stance without lowering blocks. Thanks again guys!

[ October 11, 2001: Message edited by: 48Phred ]

If you are looking for the lowered stance i would stop your order!!! Cause that frontend has to have the lower control arms level(NO adjustability no matter what they tell you) or it will have terriable bump steer and WILL be pulling the strut rod bushings out.The only reason i tell you this is cause i install this stuff for a living and have cut many of the strut rod ones out.Dont cheap out with the front end .I like the rack but if your wife is going to drive it she wont be able to park it.The bolt on one also gives some problems in installing engine mounts(i have had to weld 2 of RB's in cause of movement).In the end if you cant weld your in trouble cause there is weldin involved with steering,and motor mounts,and trans mount and much more.You will have to weld ,i have seen this happen too many times and have had to finish cars because the parts guys sell a bill of goods that dont work.Good luck but i think you may be sorry in the end.There is more to it than bolt on.The wheel base comes to mind,DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.They are so far off from car to car mock it up with fenders before you do the complete install.Please understand i am telling you this to save you time and money as i am not selling you anything,just have done many of them. Also make sure you get the 11inch brake kit with gm calipers. Hope i helped and did not hinder.

I appreciate your advice, and I will be careful installing the system. Chassis Eng. uses some of the bolt holes in the stock frame to locate the crossmember and they reccomend mocking it up with wheels & tires, to check centering in the wheelwells. I just received the kit. I may upgrade some of the bolts from grade 5 to 8, but the parts look well made. I figure once it's bolted together it will be easier to roll onto a trailer and take to get welded if need be. I don't have a wife so power steeriing and brakes aren't a priority for me. The motor and trans mounts I can (oxyecetylene) tack weld and take to a welder. I know I'll have to fabricate the mounts for the Pontiac OHC 6. The rear axle kit will probably be from Innovative Rod Products and welded in, unless I can be convinced that a bolt-in setup will lower the back without using lowering blocks(maybe leaf springs with reversed eyes at both ends). As far a s brakes, I'm thinking of using ECI's finned aluminum Corvette discs front and back with a 1" bore Corvette master cylinder. A couple companies have an underfloor universal brake & clutch master cylinder setup that I'll have to adapt (the pedal arms)to my car. The firewall would have to be braced or reinforced if the master cylinders were mounted there, and there might be clearance problems with the Clifford 4bbl intake I plan to use on the 6. That's my thinking so far. I've also joined a local street rod club that has a lot of nice cars. So maybe I can find a good welder with experience under cars like mine through the club.

Grade 5 bolts will be fine.I have found some of the grade 8 bolts to be of not such good quality of late(import stuff) stay with chassis idea.They are a very good company.I love the idea of the pontiac 6(cant hardly find one anymore,i run a warmed up 235 chevy in my shop truck))as they say do mock it up,(cause its rare when the wheels end up were they are supposed to)nothing worse than a finished car with the wheels to far forward or back ward.Make sure you do the upgrade to the 11inch rotors and brakes please cause that aint for dicussion thats safety.If you do go with ECI corvette stuff go with the power booster or it will stop crummy(lot of leg pressure) What are you going to use for a trans??Sounds like a neat project keep us updated.