66 mustang coupe 8.8 4 link rear differential

[66babybluecoupe]

new to the forum. not new to the mustang scene though. have an 89 foxbody heavily modded. but recently picked up a baby blue 66 coupe 6cyl model. complete suspension swap will be underway soon. just wanted a little input as to wether anybody has done something similar. aje racing will be supplying the suspension upgrades. colt 65 suspension k member coil over kit allowing any motor i basically wanna choose from big block to small block or coyote or sbc if desire.
the question is on the rear differential as aje racing provides a bolt in rear tubular subframe similar to front tubular k member having the proper mounts to accept the 4 link 8.8 from a foxbody or sn95 mustang. ive read were many of you cut and modified 8.8's to accept leaf springs, and wondering why no one posted or has spoken of installing a 4 link setup over leaf springs. i know 4 link isnt the best but is better then leaf spring and they do offer upgraded adjustable links with bushing or without using sperical bearings (better) to address bind.
any input would be appreciated. thanks

 

[66babybluecoupe]

new to the forum. not new to the mustang scene though. have an 89 foxbody heavily modded. but recently picked up a baby blue 66 coupe 6cyl model. complete suspension swap will be underway soon. just wanted a little input as to wether anybody has done something similar. aje racing will be supplying the suspension upgrades. colt 65 suspension k member coil over kit allowing any motor i basically wanna choose from big block to small block or coyote or sbc if desire.
the question is on the rear differential as aje racing provides a bolt in rear tubular subframe similar to front tubular k member having the proper mounts to accept the 4 link 8.8 from a foxbody or sn95 mustang. ive read were many of you cut and modified 8.8's to accept leaf springs, and wondering why no one posted or has spoken of installing a 4 link setup over leaf springs. i know 4 link isnt the best but is better then leaf spring and they do offer upgraded adjustable links with bushing or without using sperical bearings (better) to address bind.
any input would be appreciated. thanks

and yes am currently building v8 to drop in. block is at machine shop

 

[66babybluecoupe]

be nice having power disc brakes and power rack and pinion on 66 coupe. got a lot of stripping to do off a 99 donor mustang my coworker hooked me up with. gonna salvage and use as much of the sn95 to cut costs a little since sub frames are quite spendy from summit but will be well worth it when car is finished. probably be stuck ordering offset rims for rear to tuck them in. not sure why instructions say i need a foxbody rack and pinion indicating i cant use the sn95 rack but im gonna look that aspect over closely

 

[rbohm]

ok my first question is what do you want from this car? rae you building a daily driver, cruiser, a toy, a street/strip car, or a pure race car?

if you are building a toy, or a pure race car, then spend all the money you wish cutting up the car. otherwise the leaf springs will do very nicely for you. if you want to reduce the binding of the leaf springs though, consider this modification shown in these videos(yes i know its a dodge truck, but the idea still applies);


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS_5xwt1_io



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLdhpT2OM-w



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo2snZb1UA8



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHyEk4Av4-Q

 

[rbohm]

by the way i am considering this very mod for my 66 coupe. i like the vintage look, and the better handling.

 

[66babybluecoupe]

ok my first question is what do you want from this car? rae you building a daily driver, cruiser, a toy, a street/strip car, or a pure race car?

if you are building a toy, or a pure race car, then spend all the money you wish cutting up the car. otherwise the leaf springs will do very nicely for you. if you want to reduce the binding of the leaf springs though, consider this modification shown in these videos(yes i know its a dodge truck, but the idea still applies);


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS_5xwt1_io



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLdhpT2OM-w



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo2snZb1UA8



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHyEk4Av4-Q

street and strip and modern is the goal. its the wifes dream car., but she wants it modernized. thats why we chose a 6cyl model knowing i wouldnt be destroying a more collectible v8 models value. and having a donor 99 with discs at all 4 corners and the 66 look but the handling of a sn95 in all aspects or better. she has a lead foot and enjoys fast cars

 

[66babybluecoupe]

by the way i am considering this very mod for my 66 coupe. i like the vintage look, and the better handling.

its a little spendy but the end result will be sweet.

 

[rbohm]

going with ladder bars like shown in the videos isnt as costly as you might think. in fact most aftermarket four link suspensions are far more costly than installing ladder bars.

 

[66babybluecoupe]

going with ladder bars like shown in the videos isnt as costly as you might think. in fact most aftermarket four link suspensions are far more costly than installing ladder bars.

yea understandable but the donor 99 I purchased the previous owner wrecked it and decided he didn't want to repair it and cashed out with insurance company on it upgraded suspension items like for instance the 4 link rear already has spherical tubular links eliminating the common bind issue and upgraded calipers up front and he kept powertrain. cost I got it from him I couldn't even come close in price so the aje tubular rear was cheapest route surprisingly.
and the other plus thing is having the suspension front to back easily serviceable by parts stores going in for 99 mustang parts when needed

 

[66babybluecoupe]

surprisingly the amount of cutting on vehicle is minimal. only real cutting needed is in engine bay removing shock towers to create more room. other then that its basically bolt in and drill mounting holes here and there. aje simplified the installation process.

 

[02 281 GT]

I'll be following this closely. I'm looking into a similar setup for my '66 coupe. I would hardly call the kits I've seen "cutting up" the car. Might as well have modern suspension if it's available.

 

[66babybluecoupe]

I'll be following this closely. I'm looking into a similar setup for my '66 coupe. I would hardly call the kits I've seen "cutting up" the car. Might as well have modern suspension if it's available.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/aje-sus...ith-late-model-spindles-1965-1970/p/SUSK65-V/ this is front from cjponyparts.com but I actually ordered mine from summitracing.com
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aje-mr1000/overview/ the rear subframe
and yea I had issues trying to contact aje with poor results but summits tech dept was quite helpful. I know it sucks buying someones product and having piss poor tech from seller but if your mechanically inclined its capable of figuring out. like I said huge plus is being able to service front and rear of vehicles suspension using donor vehicles info in parts stores.

 

[66babybluecoupe]

like I said summitracing tech and cjpony for that matter have been quite helpful in letting you know what other parts are required. I have to order trans crossmember next wich aje also makes.
and summit tech brought to my attention you can install just about any motor you want including gm etc. part number of kit changes slightly

 

[66babybluecoupe]

going after donor sn95 this weekend and stripping it of suspension items begins this weekend..