Falcon and Econoline

Hi guys, new here. Got some ants in my pants , my van is still on it's way from oh Canada..

Doing some research, the Eco was based on the Falcon, right? Did they use the same frame?
And are the suspension parts interchangeable then

The 170 engine is the same. Everything else is different.

sooo, "based on" is a loosely used term..

It's unibody,no frame. It shares a few pieces but basically is totally different than the car.

Ford used parts from as far back as a 56 F series truck,,, cigarette lighter, steering column, door handles, carbs, windshield glass, tail lights, etc, etc,etc in the Econolines.  Shift knobs, a gazillion pot porry of parts used to make the ECONOLINE of which the name says it  all...  LOL.... 
  Economy line!!  The Falcon with some added bells and whistles but nothing of the body itself being the same as the car...
OLDSKOOL

Thanks for the info. I was actually looking into the Falcon car for parts for lowering the E. I'm not into lowering it to the ground, but just a little.
There must be a thread about that

Tim EconoUSAparts has a lowering kit he sells for a fair price. Check with him

joe-a-gogo wrote:Thanks for the info. I was actually looking into the Falcon car for parts for lowering the E. I'm not into lowering it to the ground, but just a little.
There must be a thread about that

Taking a leaf out of each spring pack will lower it a little.

Respectfully,,  the Falcon car and the Econoline suspension are completely different and an IFS most common on any car. No cars that I know of that would have a straight front axle unless built that way as a drag car,,,?  and so my point is that it sounds like you will be both asking a lot of questions about the suspension systems as well as many others....LOL
  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for you to purchase and read this book,,, HE IS VERY DETAILED in regards to many things that you will be asking about,,, I have been recommending this book for many years and an EXCELLENT source. 
 I expect when you get into the suspension you will need to know and understand things like "BUMP STEER",,, brakes, lowering methods and what you will need to do to accomplish it correctly..

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CAR HANDLE  BY Fred Puhn   HPBOOKS-46 

I can vouch for Tim's reversing kit,, LOL,,, (inside joke there),,, but every vehicle will act differently and you will need to understand what you are creating and how to solve the issues. More than likely your 1st will be the king pins, how to do them, why the OEM pins are not correct, the steering box will be the next if not the 1st one also,, is it gone, does it need rebuilding, how to adjust it for play, etc,,,, How are the ball joints, alignment and very importantly things like caster and camber (again ALL well explained in the book).......
  For every action there is another reaction,, and perhaps one of the worst issues with a straight front axle can be bump steer,,,, but none of it good unless you fix the other issues worn out firstly !!!
OLDSKOOL

I think I'll best wait until the E actually arrives. It's been shipped this Friday.
You see, I bought Abitibi's (David) van.

When it gets here, then I'll start with the Q's..

Hey mister! Nothing wrong with asking questions, we've all been there and I'm sure everyone understand how impatient we grow waiting for a new van to arrive

I bet you're been reading a lot of old posts as well haven't you?

BTW, I just realized I forgot to remove my "big foot" gas pedal cover before sending the van your way I was gonna keep it for my next van but now it's yours to enjoy (soon anyway)... Makes it a little bonus for you

Cheers!
Mr. D

Enjoy the Van it looks like a nice one.....

Been reading my butt off, mr D

Thanks for forgetting the pedal, I guess

Old Skool wrote:
  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for you to purchase and read this book,,, HE IS VERY DETAILED in regards to many things that you will be asking about,,, I have been recommending this book for many years and an EXCELLENT source. 
 I expect when you get into the suspension you will need to know and understand things like "BUMP STEER",,, brakes, lowering methods and what you will need to do to accomplish it correctly..

Buy the book. It will answer all of your questions about the proper way to drop a vehicle.

Cool, to have another early E in Europe! Welcome to the forum. Enjoy the frindly and helpful community here. Hope to see you and your van someday. Do you go to Kustom Kulture Forever next year? I try to get my van on the road till then.
Fab

Tim Brogans kit is the way to go up front, tried and proven, no bump steer. I would not remove a leaf spring from the pack as it WILL change the handling of the van. With Tim's kit, it lowers it without changing the handling.

Hi Fab, I'll try and go to as many meetings as I can, have to find the time.. Yeah a lot of knowledge around these parts hehe

Thanks Rip, that kit is something to check out