I figure since I'm doing it, I might as well do a write up.

Just got done stripping the front end. You'll need to pull the pitman arm, and drop all the steering gear to get the front lower a-arm bolts out.



I just pulled all the suspension off as one, I'll separate the lowers arms to reuse later. (going to clean them up and paint them.)



I would recommend using a spring compressor to get the old ones out, i just got it to this point and popped them out of the lower seat with a 2x4...



Old vs. New (I was pretty blown away by the size difference.)
Rockauto 12761055L & 12761055R




New vs. old front springs.
Speedway Motors 925lb springs

Looks good. Are you lowering it too? What rotors did you use?

These springs will drop it about 1" (supposedly)

Added a link for the rotors.

Would be interesting to know how those Centric rotors hold up. I was afraid to try them having never heard of the brand.

I'm pairing these rotors with some EBC green stuff pads. It's gonna stop! Ha

Gonna keep an eye on this thread for when I do the brake swap on my 84!

Are you doing the rear too or just the front?
I was looking at the front suspension kits available, maybe after the motor is done...

Rears eventually. I'm dropping the rearend to build it with gears, LSD, girdle, springs (225lb from Speedway Motors as well) and shocks. I'll be boxing my rear control arms too.

Are those supposed to be equal drop as the 925# fronts?

I had the same combo on my Crown Vic and it dropped the car 1.5" all around. Eventually, I put another rear in and ended up getting Eibach 15" x 3"ID rear springs (rotted rear spring perches on donor rear)which lifted it a little. I have a little rake, but nothing distasteful.

JeffBoudah: Are you planning on swapping in rear discs? I regret that I didn't do that when I had the rear apart. I don't think it would have been too hard to get the backing plates off of the rear. Oh well.......live and learn.

Take your time with this swap. I was hasty and installed one of my rear trailing arms backwards. Now i have to go back under there sometime and turn it 180* so I can install the rear sway bar.


Packman

I ran a similar set up on my 96 B body. I sourced a Bilstein shock through Speedway as well that was properly valved for that spring rate. I don t have the part number but it was for a second generation Camaro I believe. (The Caprice and Crown Vics use the same shock dimensions ) The ride was firm but not harsh or jarring.
Quick check of their catalog and I couldn t find them but maybe it will point you in the right direction.

You'll want 250#'s for a wagon.



I had 225#'s on my 89, but it had too much rake for me, I ended up going to 200#'s

With 225:


200:




And the 87 with 250#'s

Box brakes are tiny. The front rotors off my buddy's '91 Wagon were smaller in diameter than the rear rotors off my '96. They were vented at least. I was still pretty surprised when I tossed them in my rotor pile and saw that. FWIW, '95-'97 front rotors are pretty small too, they were pretty close to the same diameter as the fronts off my mom's '03 4cyl Accord, the Accord rotors were thicker too IIRC.

Separated the lowers (pickle for required.) and burned out the bushings, that sucked, but it worked.




New bushings!

The rotor pic says enough about why one should do the swap. Kinda like a 3G swap, just do it. =-)

Alex.