You've probably heard the comment that the Mustang was derived from the Ford Falcon to save on engineering and design costs. While this is true, the Mustang is far from being a "re-skinned Falcon" as some say. All you have to do is ask a Falcon owner/builder or lay hands on a Falcon yourself. You'll quickly see that, while similar, the Falcon is different enough from the Mustang that many popular Mustang upgrades flat out will not work on the Falcon, and thus Falcon-specific versions must be created. This is true of many components, including the suspension on the Falcon.
While Mustang parts are similar, and some stock parts might swap, your typical coil spring or coilover IFS (independent front suspension) conversion kits will not. Some companies don't see a market for the Falcon, and as such, don't produce a Falcon version of their Mustang suspension kits, but Total Cost Involved, known as TCI to many, has.
After the success of its Mustang front and rear suspension upgrades that were launched a few years ago, TCI began seeing a demand for suspensions for other popular Fords that have had smaller production runs than the Mustang, but just as rabid an enthusiast base. Cars like the Ranchero, Comet, Falcon, Cougar, and more.
TCI took its successful front and rear suspension systems for the '65-'70 Mustang and reengineered them to fit these cars and give your Falcon, Comet, Ranchero, or Cougar the same great handling that its Mustang customers have been benefitting from for years.
TCI's new front suspension package is designed for '60-'65 Falcons, '62-'65 Rancheros, and '62-'65 Comets. The suspension package is a coil-spring-based double A-arm setup and is designed to lower the stance, dramatically improve handling and braking, and also open up the engine compartment area for header clearance, Windsor, modular, or big-block engine installs.
The coil spring IFS is a weld-in solution and comes with frame reinforcing plates, inner fender panels, crossmember, shock mounting towers, urethane-bushed tubular A-arms, TCI Engineering 2-inch drop spindles, steering arms, rack-and-pinion steering, coil springs, shocks, and 11-inch disc brakes. Options include coilover retrofits, engine mount kits, power steering, stainless control arms, air springs, and upgraded brake packages as well. The base IFS kit starts at $2,348.
The Falcon that TCI used for design work and to verify fit and functionality is owned by Nick and Debbie Licata (Nick is an editor for a sister magazine out on the West Coast). They've owned their '64 Futura for just north of a decade now. Originally purchased with the stock 260 V-8 and two-speed auto, Nick dropped in a mild 302 and C4 automatic so that Debbie could use it as a daily driver in southern California.
After the birth of their first child, the Licatas knew a safer, modern car was the best decision for a daily driver now that they had some precious cargo, and the Falcon was relegated to weekend toy. Because of the limited use of the Falcon, it was the perfect car for TCI to build off of, as Nick didn't rely on it for daily transportation anymore and the folks at TCI could take their time with it. Luckily for you Falcon owners out there, TCI was able to find such a car for long-term engineering and testing to put out another great suspension kit. Check out the setup in the following photos and stay tuned for a follow up story on TCI's new four-link rear suspension for the Comet, Falcon, and Ranchero as well.
1 First, the engine is removed,...
1 First, the engine is removed, and then the entire front suspension gets the heave-ho. While a plasma cutter is used here for expediency and a clean base cut, cut-off wheels, a reciprocating saw, or even an oxy-acetylene torch can be used to remove the unwanted metal. The lower control arm mounts are the first to be cut free.
2 The base of the shock tower...
2 The base of the shock tower is cut from the wheelwell opening side first. Do yourself a favor and clean the area of any grunge, undercoat, and so on so you can make more accurate cuts.
3 The remaining removal of...
3 The remaining removal of the shock towers will be accomplished from the engine compartment side. Cut the tower free from the inner fender panels at the middle of the bend radius. Grind away any excess metal until you have a flat inner fender opening.
4 The outer framerail flange...
4 The outer framerail flange will need to be cut away for clearance of the new suspension. Remove the flange, leaving about a 1⁄8-inch lip. If you try to cut it flush you’ll remove too much material. Sneak up on the rail by grinding the rest of the material away until flush.
5 Once you’ve ground the...
5 Once you’ve ground the rail flush you’ll find it’s actually two separate pieces of metal and you now have a small gap between them. Finish weld the gap closed and grind the area smooth. Repeat these steps for the opposite shock tower area and you’re ready to move on to installation of the crossmember.
6a The TCI kit uses boxing...
6a The TCI kit uses boxing plates to further reinforce the factory framerails...
6b ...These plates are located...
6b ...These plates are located by using the stock steering box and idler arm mounting holes in the framerails. Slip the plates over the rails and secure with the proper hardware. Ensure the boxing plate edges are parallel to each other and clamp them in place for welding.
7 When welding the boxing...
7 When welding the boxing plates to the framerails and to each other, use care to prevent warping the plates by moving your welds around so as to not localize the welding heat in one area for too long.
8 The outer boxing plate...
8 The outer boxing plate is welded to the inner plate at the top and then completely around its circumference. The inner plate will only be welded at the top and its sides (and through the three slots at its bend) for now.
9 The bottom boxing plate...
9 The bottom boxing plate is the last piece of the puzzle. Line it up so that it is parallel to the inner boxing plate, leaving a gap for welding. Tack weld it to the framerail and then completely weld it to the inner boxing plate. The outer edge of the bottom plate has a pre-cut profile showing where the stock framerail needs to be ground back to match. Grind the framerail lip back to this point and then weld the framerail flange and bottom plate together.
10 You’ll find a hole in...
10 You’ll find a hole in the boxing plates that will be used as a locating point for the crossmember. Drill through this locating hole and then install the 3⁄8-inch bolt and 1-inch-wide locating plate. Repeat these steps for the opposite side and then clean up your welds up to this point.
11 Position the crossmember...
11 Position the crossmember between the framerails and butt it up against the locating plates bolted to the rails. If the crossmember won’t tap into place easily it’s OK to trim the ends slightly, just be sure to take off an even amount per side.
12 Clamp the crossmember...
12 Clamp the crossmember into place. A long piece of square tubing across the top of the framerails and a set of large C-clamps will help ensure the crossmember is tight to the rails. Verify the crossmember is positioned at a 90-degree angle to the framerails and trim as needed to make it so.
13 Once again, verify the...
13 Once again, verify the crossmember is square to the framerails and then tack weld the crossmember in place. Remove the two bolt-in locating plates and finish weld the crossmember to the rails. Plug weld the locating holes as well, since they will no longer be needed. Filling and grinding down these holes will give a better finished look.
14 The coil spring upper...
14 The coil spring upper tower (which also mounts the upper control arm and shock absorber) is clamped to the crossmember for welding. The taller end is located to the front and the locating slot is aligned with the forward edge of the crossmember. Tack weld the upper tower to the crossmember and ensure the locating slot is still properly aligned, and then finish weld the tower.
15 If you’re using the optional...
15 If you’re using the optional antisway bar, the frame mounts need to be welded to the framerails. Measure 11.25 inches from the forward edge of the crossmember to the center of the antisway bar bracket and weld the mounts with their wings flush to the framerail.
16 Install the lower control...
16 Install the lower control arms with the antisway bar tab toward the front. Then install the pivot shaft bolt from the front of the crossmember and secure with the included lock nut. Apply antiseize to all threads.
17 The upper control arm...
17 The upper control arm is installed to the coil spring tower using special T-bolts that are supplied. Secure with the supplied lock nuts, but do not final tighten yet, as the upper arm adjustment is how caster and camber will be set during the alignment.
18 To install the coil spring...
18 To install the coil spring and shock, you’ll need to use a pair of traditional spring compressors that mount to the outside of the coils. Alternatively, you can enlist a helper to use a pair of pry bars to “pop” the coil spring into the lower control arm seat. Ensure the spring’s pigtail end is facing outward, as shown. The shock is secured by a through-bolt on the bottom and the traditional bushings/washers and lock nut at the top.
19 TCI saves a bit of assembly...
19 TCI saves a bit of assembly time for you by shipping its spindles with brakes fully assembled and all bearings greased and ready to go. All you have to do is pull the assembly out of the shipping boxes and bolt them on, ensuring the steering arm is facing forward. Don’t forget to align the ball joint nuts to allow installation of their cotter pins.
20 A manual rack-and-pinion...
20 A manual rack-and-pinion steering gear is standard, but we upgraded our package with TCI’s optional power steering rack. The rack easily bolts to the crossmember with the included hardware. Ensure the rack is centered by counting the number of turns from lock to lock and divide by two to turn the rack to center. You can also extend the steering rack tie rod to its max limit and measure from the housing to the end of the tie rod, and then turn the rack to full opposite lock and take another measurement to the same point. Subtract the small measurement from the large one, and then divide by two. Add that sum to the original small measurement and then turn the rack until you get that measurement, which centers the rack.
21 Before installing the...
21 Before installing the outer tie-rod ends, clamp a straight edge to each front brake disc and position the disc so that they measure out with a 1⁄8-inch of toe-in. Thread the outer tie-rod ends onto the rack, ensuring that the left and right ends are threaded the same number of threads until the tie-rod ends can be installed into the spindle eyes. Recheck the toe-in setting and adjust as necessary.
22 Install the antisway bar...
22 Install the antisway bar with the dropped center section facing down using the supplied 3⁄8-inch bolts. Use marine-grade grease in the mounting bushings to prevent squeaking. Before installing the antisway bar endlinks, cycle the bar up to simulate suspension movement to ensure the bar does not hit the framerail flange. Clearance the flange if need be. The use of antiseize is recommended for the endlink threads.
23 The finished installation...
23 The finished installation looks clean and is worlds ahead in suspension handling, braking ability, and steering effort.
24 The included inner fender...
24 The included inner fender panels align with the factory holes for the Falcon’s coil spring cover. Bolt the fender panels into place and use the remaining holes as drill guides to drill out the remaining mounting bolt locations with a 5⁄16-inch drill bit.
25 TCI’s IFS allows you to...
25 TCI’s IFS allows you to reuse your stock steering column with modifications, but the owner of this Falcon opted to step up to TCI’s optional tilt column manufactured by ididit. TCI also offers a Borgeson universal joint and shaft kit to hook everything up.
26 Once the steering column...
26 Once the steering column is installed per the included directions, the Borgeson universal joints are slipped onto the end of the column and the steering rack’s pinion shaft so that the steering shaft length measurement can be taken. Cut the steering shaft to the measured length. It’s always best to cut a little too long and trim to length than cut the shaft too short.
27 Unbolt the steering rack...
27 Unbolt the steering rack to allow the steering shaft to be slipped into place. Double check the installed length. You don’t want the steering shaft protruding into the joint (it should be flush with the joint casting) otherwise it will interfere with the operation of the joint and could cause a bind in the steering or system damage. Secure the set screws to mark the shaft, then remove the shaft one more time and drill an indent where the mark is to allow the set screw to seat during final assembly. Loctite the set screws and lock nuts to secure the assembly.