calling Almighty Suspension Guru's--help me spend my $$ wisely

bgrd351 · Jan 19, 2006

ok...as the title states...time to spend $$. here is the deal, I have a "little" $$ to spend on suspension and tires/rims. BUT...I have questions about it before I throw my little money in the wrong place or just waste it. I have already had MM on the phone for about an hour discussing options and when I heard the total I about hit the floor...correction...I woke up on the floor with the tech asking if I was still alive.

ok...here is the plan/requirements of this ordeal:

1. not shake my teeth out :I know it will be stiffer...but this is a DD after all

2. cheap as possible w/o sacrificing quality

3. fit 17x10.5 95 Cobra r's I want to get on the back w/o rubbing in corners or bumps

ok...ideas so far:

1. bullit kit: cheap ($395), not enough drop in the front

2. MM suggested custom kit (progressive springs,CC,Bilsten,Upper/lower CA,Isolators,panhard bar kit) ($1700 )

3. make my own ($/parts-???)

Questions:

1. can the bullit kit be lowered in the front by leaving out the stock isolators w/o issues?

2. MM says with the 315 tires I want to run that I need the panhard bar to keep from slicing up the tires...is this true with the 10.5 95' Cobra r rims?

3. what is the best idea for what I need to make this work w/o un-needed parts?

4. besides looks...which are awesome...is it really worth going 315 on the back or just buy spacers to fill the space until I NEED the added traction?

Thanks for the help....I have searched but didnt really find these answers.

Silvr04GT · Jan 19, 2006

Depending on your budget, I would follow the MM plan. Go with something like this:
-H&R SuperSports (stick with the stock isolators)
-Bilstein Shocks and Struts
-FRPP UCAs
-MM LCAs
-Shorter Urethane Swaybar Endlinks

The pan hard bar is sweet but it might be something to do later unless you have lots of cash to spend now!

bgrd351 · Jan 19, 2006

Well, for the record...I fully trust MM and if $$ wasnt so tight on $$ I would have ordered it all already. I CAN fit it all in on the $$ I have gathered up...just dont want to spend every cent I have and have something go wrong or not be accounted for (which always happens in upgrades) then I am screwed. The good part of all this is that I can do all the install except weld the panhard bar bracket. This is all starting because I need tires and love the look of the 315's tires. I need an alignment w/ CC's because the previous owner my have cut the front springs thus leading to new springs. And while I am putting in the new springs I might as well tighten up the rear with the UCA/LCA's and get rid of the quad shock. But of course the springs need new shocks/struts. And there in lies the problem...dont want to spend or work twice but not wanting to spend it all now if I dont have to.

Kilgore Trout · Jan 19, 2006

Panhard bars rock I wish I could afford to upgrade my suspension but I couldn't so I just replaced the shocks and struts. It made a nice difference just doing that though.

bgrd351 · Jan 20, 2006

I would love to have all of it...and might still do it. But why would MM think that the 315's would get destroyed if I didnt run the panhard bar when so many people run the 315's with just springs and CC's? I want the tires for the looks...but I can get the same effect (sorta) with spacers and dont really needed the added traction of the meats...yet. All in all....my ultimate goal is to upgrade the super soft suspension w/o rattling the car apart and hopefully have enough left over to get my gears.

Silvr04GT · Jan 20, 2006

well CC plates don't have anything to do with your 315s cause those are in the back and CC plates deal with the alignment of your front suspension. Like I suggested before do the stuff I listed above and then down the road when you have some more cash to spend do the panhard bar then.

timeless2 · Jan 20, 2006

Go for a tested, proven kit from MM.

A package will likely give best results, as piecemealing a la carte can sometimes not be the best and cheapest option if you are going after all the components.

BooWFO · Jan 20, 2006

Bgrd351- I think you know the answer. In your post you say you want it all you have the funds for all of it...

Be nice if I did.
But as to why they say you need the panhard for the 315's could it be that they don't suggest removing the quad shock without the panhard? Not sure asking.
Also I didn't see SFC listed I'd suggest if you don't have those you think about them too.

bgrd351 · Jan 20, 2006

ok....to answer the question about the panhard bar first...they say...and it is quoted on their site...that the car can lean as much as 2" which can and WILL make the 315's connect with the inner fenderwell and chew up the tire. I dont have the $$ to do any part of this twice.

which then leads to the original question inwhich I stated what most people seem to be running (I know that CC's having nothing to do with the 315's...but they do with springs that would be up front) and how they are able to run 315's w/o tearing up the tires. If I can run w/o the bar SAFELY until a later date which would knock about $350 of part and labor off the total then I might go that route.

And yes..I do have the money and do want it all...but I would rather babystep it so I can still get my gears and plus if I do it all and the gears then I am cutting into other funds that I need for something else.

but please keep the questions and suggestions coming.

tomustang · Jan 20, 2006

bgrd351 said:
ok...as the title states...time to spend $$. here is the deal, I have a "little" $$ to spend on suspension and tires/rims.

Would like to know the budget

bgrd351 said:
2. cheap as possible w/o sacrificing quality

you will sacrifice quality if you went too cheap

bgrd351 said:
1. can the bullit kit be lowered in the front by leaving out the stock isolators w/o issues?

yes

bgrd351 said:
2. MM says with the 315 tires I want to run that I need the panhard bar to keep from slicing up the tires...is this true with the 10.5 95' Cobra r rims?

lateral movement of the axle

bgrd351 said:
3. what is the best idea for what I need to make this work w/o un-needed parts?

the only thing you stressed about was that you want big rear tires. not needed parts = huge heavy tires/wheel. you don't have to have 315s's, spacers will do wonders, either way you look at it the rear lugs will have stress on them and you should upgrade them. having a big tire means spending more too

bgrd351 said:
4. besides looks...which are awesome...is it really worth going 315 on the back or just buy spacers to fill the space until I NEED the added traction?

going for just looks 315's will be ok, BUT if you plan to 'move' around turns having TOO big of a rear tire without having the correct 'steer' setup will be worse

tomustang · Jan 20, 2006

BooWFO said:
But as to why they say you need the panhard for the 315's could it be that they don't suggest removing the quad shock without the panhard? Not sure asking.

lateral movment of the axle, that fender gap from the stock tire shrinks with longer tires

DocG · Jan 20, 2006

Well if you go the MM route, you don't have to get all that at once either, you could add a few of the pieces, and add more when you got the money. For the 315's, yes they look awesome, but I don't think you're gonna need that wide of a tire to get the lateral traction you need for a daily driver, and I don't think you need that wide a tire for the launch traction you'll need for a daily driver, unless you're gonna blow it. Even then, to replace 315's on a daily driver (and if you're worried about traction, you better make it worth it and have DR's)....you're probably talking $1200 a year in tires alone.

Just make life easier, get some 295's, still look sweet.

bgrd351 · Jan 20, 2006

Would like to know the budget

for all my wants/needs (tires/rims/alignment/suspension parts/welding/gears/labor as needed) I have a total of about $3000

having a big tire means spending more too

very true...about $400 for 2 rims to match fronts...but I need 4 tires no matter what and the 315 nittos are about the same $$ so just the rims make the difference

Just make life easier, get some 295's, still look sweet.

that would still need the 10.5 ...correct?

ok...thank you so much for the responses so far...but one question still remains to be answered before I can really procede with figuring a combo...IF I decide to stick to the 315 idea...how do people who have 315's keep from tearing them up on a DD w/o the panhard bar?

tomustang · Jan 20, 2006

bgrd351 said:
for all my wants/needs (tires/rims/alignment/suspension parts/welding/gears/labor as needed) I have a total of about $3000

very true...about $400 for 2 rims to match fronts...but I need 4 tires no matter what and the 315 nittos are about the same $$ so just the rims make the difference

that would still need the 10.5 ...correct?

ok...thank you so much for the responses so far...but one question still remains to be answered before I can really procede with figuring a combo...IF I decide to stick to the 315 idea...how do people who have 315's keep from tearing them up on a DD w/o the panhard bar?

well lets say you get a good deal with the gears and install, $300. Alignment is usually around $60. Rim/Tires can combo'd at sites, or even piecing rims out on www.mustangtuning.com are around $130-150 per wheel, choosing what type of tire is up to you

can't help you with the 315's i don't have them

bgrd351 · Jan 21, 2006

ok...with some recently gained insight and some serious reflection on my wants vs my needs...I am seriously thinking about getting a smaller version drag radial on the back...like the 275 and putting it on the 17x9 rims I have now. I can put 275 (unless I can go wider w/o going too big on the rim) and say 255-275 regular nitto 555's on the front 17x9. I can upgrade to the 315's in a year or so after I drop another big chunk on the car and get heads and cams. with the $$ saved on rims I should be able to get a great package from MM and still put gears in the back. All I have to do is find a honest shop here in Jax that doesnt want to charge $400 just in labor. Ok...so that brings me to the next questions:

1. how big to go on the 17x9 rim on the back when I get the nitto DR's?

2. what size spacer would I need to push the tire out to where it looks like the 315's look? IE: like the tire should have from the factory

3. if you had $1700 to spend on just parts for a suspension from MM what would get?

4. does anyone have a shop in Jax,Fl that installs gears that they trust AND doesnt take your first born to do it?

5. who wants to help me put all this on? I'll buy the pizza and coke...sorry...no beer while working on my car...lol

and thank you again for all your help in the past and now...:SNSign:

BullittStangV8 · Jan 21, 2006

The suspension choices depends on what your goals are. Daily driver/drag set up? Daily driver/auto-x set up?
Or just a daily driver with good handling thats not truly directed towards the strip or autox?
I vote for the Sports Box kit if you are a street driver mostly and want good handling, but not really strip directed. The kit comes with CC plates though, so maybe you could talk to them about taking them out of the kit and droping the cost a little?

comporange04GT · Jan 21, 2006

bgrd351 said:
2. MM suggested custom kit (progressive springs,CC,Bilsten,Upper/lower CA,Isolators,panhard bar kit) ($1700 )

QUOTE]

I would say go down a similar route but the lower control arms aren't really required.

As for the panhard bar before you make the decision on whether or not you can run 315s without it and not shred them measure your car to see if the axle is centered. Ford has a pretty generous tolerance on rear axle location. If you are lucky and your axle is centered you can probably feel safe without the bar. As for the above comment about panhard bar instillation you don't need to weld the frame brackets. Infact I think that MM suggests not to.

bgrd351 · Jan 21, 2006

I would say go down a similar route but the lower control arms aren't really required.

Actually they listened to what I wanted to do with the car and suggested that package and said that the arms would help but when I asked about the cobra front control arms they told me not to use the $$ on those since I will not be pushing my car to the max

The suspension choices depends on what your goals are. Daily driver/drag set up? Daily driver/auto-x set up?

it's a DD here in Jax that will be driven...but I like to do the on/off ramps, uturns, stop lights, hairpins just like everybody.

As for the above comment about panhard bar instillation you don't need to weld the frame brackets. Infact I think that MM suggests not to.
actually the tech that helped me said that it would be easier to have a muffler shop weld it real quick after I mark it and that if I decided to bolt it on it would take several hours and a lot of drillbits to drill the frame

tomustang · Jan 21, 2006

comporange04GT said:
As for the panhard bar before you make the decision on whether or not you can run 315s without it and not shred them measure your car to see if the axle is centered. Ford has a pretty generous tolerance on rear axle location. If you are lucky and your axle is centered you can probably feel safe without the bar.

It's the movement of the axle, not the placement when it's inactive he should worry about

damacman · Jan 21, 2006

I purchased and installed a Hotchkis TVS kit for my 2k3 GT and I'm certainly glad that I did. The kit included front and rear anti-sway bars (rear does away with the quad shocks and connects to the quad shock upper mounts), lower boxed aluminum control arms, adjustable upper control arms, progressive rate springs for front and rear and caster / camber plates. It took me about a day to put it all on. Getting the upper control arm bushings out of the rear was NOT fun. All in all, it is an extremely well thought out kit. I added a set of generic weld-in subframes and wallah.

I've had this kit on my car for over two years now. I'm totally blown away by how flat it stays in corners and how awesome it drives. People that ride in my vehicle for the first time comment how the ride isn't nearly as rough as they would have thought for how low it sits.

Overall, I couldn't be happier. I can assure you this kit is far more suspension than most people can drive . . . and it sells for about $1300 or so complete. Last time I looked at their website, www.hotchkis.net , I couldn't find the kit any more but I'm sure a phone call to them could steer you in the right direction.

calling Almighty Suspension Guru's--help me spend my $$ wisely

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