The 1966 Lincoln Continental is coming along nicely. With most of the design work done on the rear, Brent got started on the front suspension. A lot of other kits on the market use a new lower control arm, but it looks like we can re-use the factory arm, retain the sway bar, and still get the front crossmember just about on the ground.
With the spring removed, we welded a plate inside the pocket on the lower control arm. This plate sits just below the outer level of the arm, and is wide enough to provide a flat surface for the airbag to roll onto when the car is dropped.
The upper mount sits inside the factory spring pocket. By re-using the spring insulator on the top of the bracket, it sits tightly into place. No cutting of the spring pocket was required for airbag clearance.
Out back, a crossmember bolts against the sub frame rails through holes that are sleeved for reinforcement. This crossmember contains the upper airbag mounts, as well as the brackets for the upper 4 link bars. The only modification required to the vehicle (aside from drilling 3 holes per side) is to slightly notch the bracket at the end of the driveshaft tunnel for clearance for the crossmember.
The lower link bars mount to a new bracket that bolts into the factory location for the leaf spring hanger. This area is reinforced from the factory, so we want to keep the stresses on this same point.
With the emergency brake cable routed underneath the lower link bar, the bar is bolted in place. These bars are built from 2" DOM tubing with a .250" thick wall, so they will hold up to the Continental's weight.
Keep checking back- I'll add more as we get the car together! In the meantime, visit www.bcfab.com and grab everything you need to work on YOUR ride!
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