Complete suspension set up opinions.

[88Stangboy]

Me and my friend are building a 5.0 and were trying to make this thing launch so hard we want it to feel like its going to break something. Were trying to see how fast we can make it by just tuning the suspension until we start on the engine, drive train. Its a completly stock 1990 Notch. Any and all suggestions are welcomed. We've already decided on a PA front K-member. We can gut it, and are already doing so. We want to make it as fast as possible on just a stock engine, T-5 and 3.73 gear. No nitrous, i want all suspension suggestions. Thanks.


Oh and it needs to be streetable, nothing so out there that it makes it hard to drive on the street.

 

[fiveohGT]

http://www.wolferacecraft.com/default.aspx
They have some good suspension setups. Get the through the floor subframe connectors if your gunna gut it anyways.

 

[88Stangboy]

were not thinking about actually altering the frame of the car in any way shape for form...we came up with a few simple rules;

1.) No alteration of the stock engine or drivetrain other than the rear gear.

2.) No cutting of the body/frame of the car.

3.) Suspension must be left in stock configuration.

4.) Only bolt on components can be used. (exceptions would be sub-frame connectors and a roll cage.)

5.) Interior must appear stock, except the cage and rear seat delete and gauges. All dash supports, etc. must be left intact and functional.

And a few others that were still debating on, were doing this very stictly. We are really just curious what a stock 5.0 built by us can do with the right suspension under it.

 

[fiveohGT]

im pretty sure anyone on this forum will tell you that subframes are pretty important. I highly suggest you break that rule.

 

[88Stangboy]

No that is the exception to that rule. We already put subframes on it. That was one of the exceptions to that rule, we put on MM full lengths. Trust me, we already knew that.... Oh and by the way, forgot to mention we got a baseline last September, we had a 14.8 @ 98mph. Thats what we got with a basic tune up. Not to shabby if you ask me. Balding tires and all. We just now decided what to do with the car. Its going to be our...for lack of a better word, test mule. If we think something might mess our car up, were going to test it out on this one first. So...it's going to be alot of fun....any help is appreciated. Right now were doing the suspension. Me and him just turned 18 so it was kinda a mutual birthday present to ourselves.

 

[fiveohGT]

kids today. . .

 

[SeventyMach1]

kids today. . .

Better than the ricer kids now days. Gotta give him alot of credit there.

 

[fiveohGT]

Better than the ricer kids now days. Gotta give him alot of credit there.

too true...he's a true "rice burner"

seventymach1 where in NC do you live?

 

[88Stangboy]

Hey look at it this way, i could be setting at home on the couch playing video games all day Im living and learning


Any more suggestions, i want some things you guys have actually done to your cars. Web sites are helpfull, but i want feedback from guys with the parts on their cars. Like what are the best control arms, springs, im wanting a good drag racing suspension that lanches hard and plants the rear tires. Were going with ET's. Sometime this week were have to put the 3.73 in when i get time off of work. I figure just the slicks and gear should get us to about 14.00-14.3

 

[Rick 91GT]

www.teamzmotorsports.net BEST KIT OUT IMO for the rear. I have the full kit with offset lowers for my Drag Radial car. Dave is also a great guy to deal with who can help you tune it after the sale...not just take your money. If you call tell hime Rick Hawver sent you.

Go with a coil over up front, depending on the weight of the car you'll need a 12" 130-150lb spring, adj drag struts, the Strange pieces are very nice.

 

[88Stangboy]

Thanks Rick, that place has everything! Do you know about how much he charges for his 10 point cages? Its a notch.

 

[mustang351]

Hey 88 stang boy, what part of greenville do you live in. I use to live in Berea.

 

[mustang351]

As of right now I live close to Anderson,SC

 

[rd]

I made it into the 12's with my 82 with this suspension:
boxed stock upper and lower control arms, rear swaybar installed to welded on brackets, right rear airbag, rear v8 springs cut 3/4 coil, and Lakewood traction bars.

Front is stone stock with cut 4 cyl springs.

I think cutting the front springs was a mistake, and I am going to put stock 4 cyls in it soon.

It has welded subframes, and all stock 1980 rubber suspension bushings. Not great, but high 1.9 sixty foots on the 7.5 axle with Drag Radials and nitrous.

The low buck way to live fast and dangerously.

 

[Rick 91GT]

As far as I know Dave does not make any cages that he ships, all his stuff is custom bent in house. He retails the Strange stuff and his suspension set-ups though. I have seen his chassis stuff up close, it is very nice he is a helluva fabricator.

 

[88Stangboy]

I live in simpsonville, off of 385. Nice to know someone on here lives near me, feels more like home.


Yea, thanks rick, he said they'd install one for $1750...little out of our budget. They have some nice setups, no doubt. My dad was a welder/fabricator for 15 years, i could easily make my own cages, etc. I just lack a bender, im using the old torch method. I just ordered a pre-bent 10 point kit from Jegs.


rd...

I was thinking that the first thing we should do is replace all the bushings in the suspension. Then box the control arms and see what we get with that. Then we would start going with the air bags, springs, etc. I was going to start off low buck, just to see how fast we can make it with modified stock components. Were probabally going to un-bolt front sway, box upper and lower control arms,
4 cylinder springs up front. After we get done with that we'll prob. Buy some MM upper and lowers/ then go with PA front K....any more suggestions? How does this plan sound to some of you suspension experts?

 

[Rick 91GT]

I'd still use his kit in the rear, if you piece something like that together it will cost more.

The MM stuff is nice, but you do not see a lot of Drag Racers running their stuff.

 

[kingmoochr]

check out griggsracing.com for some more ideas, or if you want to blow lots of money

 

[88Stangboy]

Well thats another thing, trying to do it cheaply...Well Rick, boxing the uppers and lowers is free for me to do, i have so much plate steel and angle, channel, square tubing laying around i could probably build a Eifle Tower. So thats prob the first thing im going to do. Then i got some spare 4 banger springs laying around someplace, then i already got the MM frame connectors. IM not really trying to race the car, im just trying to make it hook hard and cheaply. Other than the 6 point cage we just ordered im not trying to cut or weld anymore on the frame or body.

See...thats the predicament im in....i can't just blow mybe $1,500-$2,000 at once...im on a fixed income so in the long run its more exspensive, but its better for me to do it that way, because i can buy stuff here and there. Ive also been searching Ebay..nothing found yet though.
So heres the game plan we decided on for now...

So far this plan is free for me to do, since im using all parts i already have laying around.

Box the upper and lower control arms...
Install 4 banger springs up front...
un-bolt front sway bar...
Use set of ET slicks i have in my garage....
Take out anything thats not really helping us (Removed AC, smog, Cats, sound deadening, etc. already..more to come.)
Then me and dad are going to fab. up some torque box re-enforcements.
And install the 3.73 gear ive had for about a year.

And then drive all the way to Georgia to run it and see how much we've taken off our baseline...Im thinking with all that we should at least get to about 14.00 mybe a little better....

 

[mob]

is this gonna be a daily driver? If it were me, id first get ricks torque box reinforcments, your rules might be strict, but towing your car home and having to pay a $1000 is not fun and will make you 1. regret having strict rules 2. regret wanting to launch it so hard. Now after that, get a set of the team z motorsport lower control arms. Get a set of MT ET Street slicks. Trust me, they are streetable, ive been driving them around for more then a week now, and they hook so hard you wont want to do anything else to the car but reinforce it. After that get some strange adjustable shocks, get some skinnies for the front, move some stuff to the back, and with that mph you should be good for mid-low 13's, with a nice 1.6ish 60' and lifting the front end up a good amount. But thats just what i would do.