front strut suspension?

THX 138 · Nov 16, 2005

is there a DIY writeup on switching to fox/sn95 front suspension like the Fatman setup?

LMan · Nov 16, 2005

you mean Mustang II front suspension?

THX 138 · Nov 16, 2005

LMan said:
you mean Mustang II front suspension?

no mustang 2 uses control arms and cuts out the shock towers. The Fox body cars still have shock towers but the spindles accept struts which you can convert over to coilover struts.

68rustang · Nov 16, 2005

No he means a McPhearson strut suspension like the 86 and up mustangs use.

Why?

Nevermind THX beat me to it.

THX 138 · Nov 16, 2005

68rustang said:
No he means a McPhearson strut suspension like the 86 and up mustangs use.

Why?

Nevermind THX beat me to it.

why to me? To get wider wheels in front maybe and for the new cobra brakes to be bolt on.

LMan · Nov 16, 2005

you can put PBR brakes on stock spindles.

I know of 1 fella that has Crown Vic spindles on his '68, but Ive not seen Foxbody stuff on a vintage car yet. Im sure someone has done it somewhere, though.

Looks like a lot of geometry issues to sort out.

THX 138 · Nov 16, 2005

http://www.fatmanfab.com/06page19.htm

Hack · Nov 16, 2005

With a strut type suspension and a rack and pinion you could get better steering than the old recirculating ball. That would be a nice improvement.

However, the factory SLA first gen. Mustang suspension is superior to a strut in some ways. You get better camber gain with SLA, for instance.

IMO my 1970 vert handles better than either of the two Fox Mustangs I've owned. Now a big part of that is the rear "quadra bind" in the Foxes, I know... And I've relocated the UCAs down by 2 inches and added subframe connectors, those changes did make a very noticeable difference in my '70.

Anyhoo, everyone's got an opinion, right?

bnickel · Nov 17, 2005

what we really need is someone to make a set of dropped spindles for the early stangs. they will improve the camber curve, scrub ratio and something else i'm forgetting, doing that in addition to the shelby drop or even lower drop would yield a far superior suspension design than just about anything else that can be done to the early car suspension.

1320stang · Nov 17, 2005

B, you mean like these?

http://www.fatmanfab.com/06page17.htm

bnickel · Nov 17, 2005

actually that is a granada spindle that has a 2" drop. the geometry of the early cars is different than the granada's. if they were actually for the stang that would probably be good.

bnickel · Nov 17, 2005

personally i would rather have a 70 drum spindle that has a 2" drop, so i can use the boss 302 TA style 12" "big brake kit" with 1.25" wide 12" diameter rotors and 4 piston kelsey hayes caliper, or the new aluminum versions from SSBC.

1320stang · Nov 17, 2005

Would you like some cheese with your whine?

70vert · Nov 17, 2005

yeah, me too - 70 drum 2" drop spindle

That would solve the UCA clearance problem I have with Unique coilovers - it clears, but just too close for comfort, and it just seems to make sense to have it lower . . .

the Unique kit never came with a coilover adjustment tool, so now I have to order one for the QA1 kit, and I need to call their tech support to get instructions just in case . . .

bnickel said:
personally i would rather have a 70 drum spindle that has a 2" drop, so i can use the boss 302 TA style 12" "big brake kit" with 1.25" wide 12" diameter rotors and 4 piston kelsey hayes caliper, or the new aluminum versions from SSBC.

bnickel · Nov 17, 2005

belltech's website says they are making drop spindles for cars now as well as trucks but i'll be damned if i can find an application guide for the cars just the trucks is all i'm finding.

reenmachine · Nov 17, 2005

If you want to go strut, RRS is the only way to go. The Fatman kit is only $1995 or whatever, but it's incomplete. Once you buy everything else you need you're similar in price to RRS, and RRS is a better-engineered system.

Just my .02, but an "experienced with strut kits" .02.

jbuening · Nov 18, 2005

Kinda funny, some of the Fox body race guys are converting their strut suspensions to our old suspensions. I know a handful that have done it and state that it is much better. I'd go with the TCP coilover conversion with their UCA and LCA + rack and pinion. Add an '03 cobra rear independent suspension and you have yourself a Cadillac. There were a few kits on ebay for strut conversions but they are not cheap. I can't seem to find them now but they had various stages of kits and the price went up for each stage.

LMan · Nov 18, 2005

I agree, no one ever said the original Fox suspension was anything but the cheapest idea around. To spend real $$$ and time to get the front-end of a 1980 Fairmont doesn't spell "progress" to me........

THX 138 · Nov 18, 2005

LMan said:
I agree, no one ever said the original Fox suspension was anything but the cheapest idea around. To spend real $$$ and time to get the front-end of a 1980 Fairmont doesn't spell "progress" to me........

I wouldn't spend real money that's why i asked for home brew. If these guys can bolt em up with some shock tower adapter there's no reason why a guy with a mill and a lathe can't do it too and for a lot less than $2000-$3000!!. I just wana try to get 17x9.5s in front and some better brakes

68rustang · Nov 18, 2005

better brakes are easy.

17 x 9.5's not so much...

front strut suspension?

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