83-96 Ford F-150 Bolt-in Ultimate Front Suspension Kit

Handling is a very subjective thing and means different things to different people. Some consider it the feel of the vehicle, some consider it to be peak cornering load, others consider it the ability to turn a fast lap time. Those are all very different things and there might be others. I can't imagine that a CV swap wouldn't significantly improve all of those. Just the removal of 80lbs on the nose of the truck and at least as much unsprung weight is huge for handling.

FWIW, I don't remember ever driving any mildly modified street truck that didn't understeer. It doesn't always show up that way on the track, but the track is a terrible place to evaluate that because of all the variables. You could have a truck with significant understeer and all it takes to change that is getting on the brakes or making a throttle adjustment. The only place to really evaluate it is on a skid pad where there aren't as many variables in play.

The rear leafs are a limitation, but you can still go a long way with them and they still aren't as limiting as the front. A $100 Panhard bar will completely change the character of the truck.
 
The biggest improvements wouldn't be on a track. It would be on public roads. The huge difference in unsprung weight makes a big difference in the way the suspension reacts, and the vast improvement in geometry (we can't even align caster and camber separately with the I-beams, plus we have huge amounts of bushing compliance at every connection to the frame) works to keep the tire square to the road when the suspension is taxed.

I've tracked and autocrossed both my Gen 1 (with Eibach springs) and a Gen 2 (also with Eibach springs), which is where you'd be headed with a control arm front suspension. In terms of ultimate handling on a smooth surface, the Gen 1 was superior at both - it was shockingly good during the later 90s/early 2000s). But the difference in ride compliance between the two, the way a Gen 1 crashes and hammers over surface irregularities in comparison to a Gen 2, is where you really see the difference.

I'd personally be happy with just a rack and pinion replacement for the crappy steering.
 
FMOS Racing said:
I'd personally be happy with just a rack and pinion replacement for the crappy steering.
Click to expand...

If you kept the I beams I doubt that would be any better. The bump steer would be horrible with the tie rods swinging in such a different arc than the beams. Unless you could find a way to connect the tie rods similar to how the factory had them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top