Looks great!  I would think that those long spring perches under normal conditions won't touch (or barely touch) in front and in back due to the slight arch of springs at normal ride height but they may act as advertised as a mini traction bar.  The u-bolts are still in the stock location so you still effectively locking the axle to spring where the clamping action occurs with stock perches.  I can't see that they would hurt and if they do happen to affect the ride they can easily be trimmed back to stock.

You're right - it's been a long day, I'm in a hotel room, and apparently thinking upside down.  So now I'm wondering at ride height how flat or arched the spring actually is at the axle/perch?  I think the anti-wrap-up cabablity/potential is work the risk - once they are welded on they will still be easy enough to trim if the results are unacceptable.  So in a typical application that these were originally developed for, would the axle be above or below the spring?  That alone may be the factor that determines if they will work on the Mustang. For an axle mounted below the spring like an F-150 (I cheated and did a google search to hopefully get this right) I think my original posting is on track.  So you maybe exploring the limits of this technology - or maybe you can develop a variant of the design that also has a radius to match the spring at ride height for applications with the axle mounted above the springs!  

Looks like you got her BB!!!

Good idea on the connecting alignment piece! Dont know if I'd thought about oil trough slot?
I have a limited slip 8.8 waiting for the same tube shortning job. Need to talk to you about borrowing
your wonderful alignment tools when your finished?
Could the bent housing be from jacking up under the pumpkin? Have heard-read about this jacking up thing not being a good idea, but have used this jacking practice for over 60 years?
Howard

hmartin025 wrote:

Good idea on the connecting alignment piece! Dont know if I'd thought about oil trough slot?
I have a limited slip 8.8 waiting for the same tube shortning job. Need to talk to you about borrowing
your wonderful alignment tools when your finished?
Could the bent housing be from jacking up under the pumpkin? Have heard-read about this jacking up thing not being a good idea, but have used this jacking practice for over 60 years?
Howard

It'll be borrowable for the price of shipping, Howard.  Give a call before you take it apart and maybe I can save you some trouble.  That is if you don't wait too long.  Remember, my memory sux worse than I remembered it did. 

DC, it's good to know that I didn't go too far astray.  Tomorrow we weld, I'll post another pic or two.
Been doing a bit of studying on setting up the 8.8 and it don't sound too difficult.  I think I'll make a "axle center to pinion" plate for getting that measurment if anyone ever needs to start from scratch on aftermarket gears.  For now I'm in good shape as I'm using gennie used Ford gears that I was able to get the  bearing-to-pinion butt measurement on before I removed the bearing.  That should make setup pretty easy...or at least easier.
How do you go about  getting the carrier preload shims in.  I've read that you should add .006 on each side after you get every thing set up right.  That sounds like a lot.  What I read says you need to drive them in... .012?, no kidding!
I've been told that Ford uses a device to actually spread the carrier saddles to insert preload shims.  How do you do it? All advice greatly appreciated.

BB

Bob, on the long spring perches...  I kind of like that idea.  Where can I get a pair?

I think what is going to happen is the ends of the perches are going to put a stress line across the width of the spring every time the spring flexes.  That can make a nice place for all the spring flexing to pivot on and could theoretically cause a problem.  I think you can totally eliminate the problem by simply grinding the ends of the perches with a small radius so it does not point-load the spring leaf.

MustangSteve wrote:

Bob, on the long spring perches...  I kind of like that idea.  Where can I get a pair?

I think what is going to happen is the ends of the perches are going to put a stress line across the width of the spring every time the spring flexes.  That can make a nice place for all the spring flexing to pivot on and could theoretically cause a problem.  I think you can totally eliminate the problem by simply grinding the ends of the perches with a small radius so it does not point-load the spring leaf.

After I thought about it for a day I decided that while it might be a fine idea for over-rider springs, it would probably cause more trouble than it fixes in an underslung situation.  
I thought about cutting off the front and taking  a small wedge out of the rear and bending the tail up a bit so it  would only contact the spring in a wrap situation. 

In the end I cut them off at 4 1/4" which should  be 1/4" longer than stock...don't ask why, can't say.  The tail idea might work and could be added later but for now I'll just have to not try to do a Corky.

Tube bending.  I already straightened both tubes before welding.  Both were out 1/8 so I used the heat/cool method to make the jig fit in.  Now I'll do it again to get everything string straight.

BB