Crown Vic front end

Anybody ever use a Crown Vic front end, they look like a nice unit that can be installed fairly fast.

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Other than width it's a neat package.

Yes, it makes for a nice installation, but only if the track width is close. On top of being fairly wide it uses a very weird off set wheel. There are many threads on various web sites on numerous install including a guy that narrowed the cross member. Mostly used on '65 and up Ford pick up's, yep it's wide.

I looked at it for my '56 Plymouth but the Dakota was a much better match.(like almost exact). Anyone looking at using the CV should do their home work, it is to wide for older cars.

what did you have in mind using that setup ?

I was thinking on putting one under a 63 sweptline??

Might fit, what's the track?

Near as I can find, not being a truck guy, the 63's track is 64.7"

the Crown Vic is 62.8"

So it ought to work but the kicker is it appears that the frame width is the same at 34" for both.

Some time with a tape measure and online looking at CV swaps might pay dividends.

You will have to remove the sweptline's under the motor crossmember, the CV's crossmember will occupy the same area. Then you will have to add a flat surface to the bottom of the Sweptline's frame from the rad support to the end of the rear spring hanger to get rid of the Mopar hump in the font frame rails so the CV suspension has something to "bolt" to. That flat surface will have to be long enough to pick up the back end of the lower control arm mounting as well, hopefully they are close enough inline with the other mounting holes.

The CV has something like 4" of backspacing on the wheels, you did get the wheels as well, right?

Take pictures of your progress. It would be nice to have a documented step by step procedure of another option for a front clip, as limited as it might be. Gene

Panther rim offset answers

https://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1061930

Pretty sure it's not an issue if it doesn't hit. the stock rims have the offset they have to fit the chassis, the truck will have a different setup and will need rims to fit that.

I think from speed reading the link and from a really old poor failing memory, I think there is some interference on the spindles with non-stock type wheels. (maybe)

I was thinking of using this in my 37 Plymouth

Really ?

http://canadianrodder.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20843

more;

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1441635-tell-me-im-stupid-crown-vic-ifs-50-f1.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/964486-crown-vic-track-width-question.html

This is from measurements taken from an '05 Crown Vic. as close as I could measure.

Track width with stock wheels - 63 1/2
Hub to hub surface - 67 1/2
Outside of tire - 71 1/4

Here's a thread from over at fbbo where he used one in a 66.

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/pro-touring-66-d100.130193/

It's been done by quite a few people. There is still a lot of frame hacking required to do it.

Store bought narrowed cross member 800.00 us dollars here; (kind of defeats the purpose of a inexpensive install?)

http://team321.com/truckirs/narrowcvinstall/narrowcvinstall.html

two narrowed crown vic cross-members, one welded, one bolted.

The good news, this is my last post on this subject.

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We put one in a 1965 D100 recently. Check "chopped up sweet sweptline" group on Facebook. Lots of pics posted there.

A guy makes a kit which helps with the install.

One of the annoying things is the factory steering column is not supported well near the bottom of the tube so removing the factory steering box removes its support. The steering shaft to connect the factory column to the Crown Vic steering rack may need some support, depending on how long it is on your application.

on the steering column issue the sweptline is a rear steer and the column dives at a sharp angle---the crown vic is a front steer---when you pick up the end of the steering column to put in on the steering gear the steering wheel drops onto the seat----so you need to weld in some ujoints or notch into the dash board to raise the steering column.....if you dont want an original looking column after market is the answer

Here's a pic of the steering shaft we built.