1972 Torino Performance Suspension Parts?

Originally Posted by dbu8554

isnt 7/8 the stock size anyways?

for the rear, I should of stated that properly.

Originally Posted by RonEarp

Anyone have any sources for performance suspension parts for the 72-up Torinos? New control arms, bushings, springs, etc?

I found this company:

Performance Suspension Technology

But I'm not finding anything for 72s. How much different were the 72s than the earlier year models?

I don't mind having to make all my own stuff, I do that for the race cars anyhow. But buying good stuff or even some basic parts would be a nicer starting place. The more I'm learning the more I'm finding out that the 72-up Torino is something of a red-headed stepchild....which is ok since I've owned many "non-popular" Fords over the years and had to make my way.

How about front brake upgrade kits? Any sources on those?

Ron

You may want to call PST. I bought a complete front end kit from them with coil springs for my 72 , but it has been about 5 years ago.

I called them up and they said they could do a polygraphite set, sway bar, and HD springs.

Problem is, I am getting the feeling Muscle Car vendors aren't that much into handling since they could answer a lot of my questions like "how hard are the polygraphites, as hard as Derlin?" and "what is the rate on those HD springs?"

Their HD springs are the same as the HD springs you can get from any parts store.. unless they can provide the spring rate to prove otherwise. On my '75 I just have the HD/460 spring and cut about 1.5 inches off of them. Gives a slight amount of forward rake to the car. Combined with the polyurathane bushing from Perfornace Suspension and front and rear addco swaybars, my heavy Elite corners excellent and there is very little body roll, if any at all. The car handles nearly as well as the '94 T-bird, which is pretty dang good.

That is somewhat encouraging. I used to have a Cougar XR7 5L car with the adjustable suspension and it wasn't too bad. But, I'm looking for a considerably flatter cornering stance than that car could achieve as well.

Probably going to be looking at some front springs >650 lb/in rate and about a 2-3 inch reduction in ride height. Not a problem getting the springs, but some headers will have to be constructed to keep them off the ground. This car has some Hooker Cleveland headers that are quite low even at the stock ride height.

Torinos and Cougars are heavy, and for them to go around corners nicely, you will need some springs in there. I would venture to say that something on the order of 1,000 lb. springs on the front and 350 lb. springs on the back would not be far off. The whole boxing of control arms has been beaten to death, but I leave the stock arms as is because they are designed to flex a little as they locate the rearend front to back as well as side to side. New bushings are a plus, but boxing does little and tends to bind the car up. QA-1 and Bilstein both have excellent circle track shocks that should enhance a Torino on the street or track.

Ron-
considering the brakes, honestly, i would tell you look into someone like what I saw on a show, Muscle Car on the Spike Network. They were building a road race mustang, and used a set of spindles from Port City, nice big bearings, and rather stout looking pieces, and they were using screw in threaded AFCO ball joints. Bolted on the brake package from hell!
Granted, the control arms were completely custom built, but if you looked around, you could probably source a set of upper/lower control arms from the aftermarket and set the Torino frame up to work well.
I recently worked on a '69 Judge, and it had the Air Ride strong arm system, tubular upper/lower, and despite the slightly different mounting differances up top, I think a set of tubular uppers could be made to work.

One thing about the panhard rod-the full size mercury and lincolns had them on the 9" housings, I want to say 1975-1979 on the full frame stuff. I recall my '76 Gran Marquis coupe had a rod, which I was not expecting.

On the spring layout, if you can find someplace as you mentioned, that is great. The reason I brought up the spring cut spacer was by using a weld in cup you can still utilize a stock type or adjustable shock, but yet you can get 5" od springs from about any place such as eibach, or any number of the oval/dirt track places.
The truck arm conversion...keeps coming to mind.
For the money, if you were planning on running at speed, that would be the way to go. {something tells me Nascar can't be wrong on this one...}

One of my good friends has a 1974 Montego MX that will be going under the knife soon, for a complete David Pearson street driven clone, with plans for the Silver State classic...

One thing, on the rear arms, someone did a bearing conversion, and I have wanted to look a little more into this:

I have also heard for the mustang crowd of the same setup, with bearings for the strut rods, really trick pieces, for I want to say the 68-69 mustang?
I forget the site, but the strut rods I found looked like quite a well built piece.

I pulled up Speedway Motors catalog, and looking under their online offerngs, if one could utilize circle/oval track parts for the arms, you could have a number of options for suspension pieces.
Just depends on how far you want to go

Right now, for me, I'd just like to get my car painted.

Originally Posted by eliteman76

The Pure Vision Gran Torino Sport used stock arms up front, but they were able to stick coilovers with very minimal work, I don't have any pictures for referance right now, otherwise I would post.


On the bushings, I got all my front end stuff in a package deal from my buddy with the mark5 stuff...so I went factory-type replacement.
I have a PST polygraphite kit for the rear arms, and they will go in eventually, as I am not running my MH uppers right now. {for what ever reason, when I boxed my lowers, I used a spare set of regular uppers instead of doing my MH parts. DOH!}


Sway bars are a must, but the biggest I have seen factory is the 1-1/8" front bar. I have a factory rear bar, a small 5/8" diameter, I've heard of guys doing a 7/8" front bar flip and fabricating the brackets to mount it up.
There was a guy who did a book, I think "MRE", I have it somewhere, for referance. Not the best, but useful.

Thanks for the fantastic info. I'm following up on these leads and collecting information.

What is MH?

Does anyone have any pictures and more info on the Purevision Torino? I found some pictures on the web but they weren't much.

And, does anyone have more info on this Torino found here:
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2003/04/Gumball/

There is a link on that page that supposedly goes to a build up page of that Torino but the link it dead. The link is (was):
http://66.96.130.106/archives/2003/0...00/index.shtml

Thanks,
Ron

71-73 Mustang power steering box is Saginaw and is variable ratio, much better than the stock Ford box. I have one in my 73 GTS works great.
I have owned my GTS since day one, several years ago I found a L.A.P.D. police option on a LTD II The rear sway bar is 1-1/8 that bar really made a difference in handling! Nothing mushy about my car!

The Ranchero and Torino Handling and Suspension Manual 1972 to 1979


This is a pretty good book on Torino suspension help , and gives rear disc brake swap , parts and how-to.