Making the Stang handle better

DerekStangGT said:

i have full lenth subs and a slammed whip, and my subframes are the LAST thing to scrape in order of scrappage it goes: dumps, swaybar, G-Trac bar, LCAs, then subframes.

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I bet that throws off some serious sparks . . . !

there is some good information and some bad information in this thread, while granted i am no expert i will try to put out what i have learned.

as far as springs i would go with HR race over the SS. the drop is not as low, but the combination with the bilstines will make for a wonderous ride (case in point it is the main setup done by Maximum Motorsports). after that i would personaly do full length XL subframes from MM.

from here its really your call, but io would agree with the torque arm/panhard aproach with some solid LCAs. really cant get much better then that.

the watts linkage mentioned above is also a very solid alternative... i have NO knowledge on the mustang application so someone correct me if my thoughts on the watts is not so for the pony. typically watts linkage is a solid way to locate the axle that is pretty much the ultimate. however this does employ a LOT of moving parts and the more moving parts the more chances at bind, but most importantly failure. they are typically a bit noisy (depending on the type of watts) and almost always kill your ground clearance. I hvae seen a few modified ones that do not reduce ground clearance but it was a modified watts. if i am not mistaken it still requires the use of UCAs where as the Torque arm/panhard does not.

the two companies that are the go to companies for suspension are Maximum Motorsports and Griggs, at least in my opinion. very similer gear, though MM seems to be a bit more intuitive to the peoples demands on top of performance.

I really do not care for eibach springs much, there is nothing matched with them for spacific vehicles. granted most spring companies are not, however the big two lean twards HR not eibach for springs, and i would personaly follow their lead. if you want it to corner, spend the money and do it right.

Torinalth

DerekStangGT said:

what does that mean?
would you mind explaining the the panhard bar some more? im really close to buying one. how hard was install? does your car have a tendancy to understeer now? as much as you can tell me is great!

EDIT: can you also analyze your K-Member brace too please? $100 isnt bad if you can tell a difference in stiffness. how do you like yours?

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what i meant by that was that the suspension enables the car to corner incredibly hard, but the tires cant make it stick. i once (unintentionally) 4-wheel drifted thru a corner b/c the tires let loose...zero body roll, all the tires planted...they just slid...if i could have some racing tires it would be insane

the panhard bar controls lateral (side to side) motion of the rear axle...keeps it planted firmly and straight...its DEFINITELY worth getting, period. the understeer is mild, but thats only because my car doesnt have the power to break the tires loose at speed and create oversteer. although, the tires i have suck and can cause the car to tail out...

in fact, in situations where i was always able to light up the tires w/o a problem in any of my past vehicles...well lets say i embarassed myself a little because everything was so well hooked up.

as with bracing, if you are gonna do it, do them all. strut tower, k member and subframes. the strut tower brace and k member brace kinda go hand in hand, but when you have them all together its AWESOME

only downfall is after you have all this done, you give up ALOT of ride quality...but after you carve the first few corners, it becomes worth it...

next upgrade = brakes!

So,
is it worth it to do an IRS swap? Once you get the IRS on there, what other componets do you need to add?

QUICK91LX said:

what i meant by that was that the suspension enables the car to corner incredibly hard, but the tires cant make it stick. i once (unintentionally) 4-wheel drifted thru a corner b/c the tires let loose...zero body roll, all the tires planted...they just slid...if i could have some racing tires it would be insane

the panhard bar controls lateral (side to side) motion of the rear axle...keeps it planted firmly and straight...its DEFINITELY worth getting, period. the understeer is mild, but thats only because my car doesnt have the power to break the tires loose at speed and create oversteer. although, the tires i have suck and can cause the car to tail out...

in fact, in situations where i was always able to light up the tires w/o a problem in any of my past vehicles...well lets say i embarassed myself a little because everything was so well hooked up.

as with bracing, if you are gonna do it, do them all. strut tower, k member and subframes. the strut tower brace and k member brace kinda go hand in hand, but when you have them all together its AWESOME

only downfall is after you have all this done, you give up ALOT of ride quality...but after you carve the first few corners, it becomes worth it...

next upgrade = brakes!

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ride quality went out the window for me a long time ago. and i already have the full lenth subs and STB. im now thinking i shoudl buy the K-Member brace, and then continue saving for the panhard and tq arm.

Suspension is a day and night difference. I recomend eibach

COBRA90GT said:

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm

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great site, thanks

DerekStangGT said:

ride quality went out the window for me a long time ago. and i already have the full lenth subs and STB. im now thinking i shoudl buy the K-Member brace, and then continue saving for the panhard and tq arm.

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I couldn't really tell the difference of the Chassis Brace but I also don't have a STB to equal it out with since I have the Cobra, it won't fit. I have the GT STB from the last car.

Panhard bar - I miss it on my GT, but I still got it and it will go in soon.

I have the stock SVT shock/struts. they pretty tuff. I'd recommend bilstiens with a nice matching h&r spring set.

shocks and springs will only do so much.


subframes and rear end location are a must.

I would start with bilsteins and H&R SS if you want a drop.

then do full lenght subs and panhard bar/rear control arms.

I read some info from global west about panhard rod creating extra bind. they recoment the correct lower control arm. where maximum motorsports recomends the panhard rod as well as a torqu arm. saying there is more bind but with a panhard rod and a torque arm the perfromance is better.

I did not have the coin for all that so i just went with a sphererical arm. I do get a bit more road noise. the global west arms have a different bushing design and may not increas the road noise quite as much.

one thing I will say is listen more to the big companies than people on the boards unless they actaully race and have real experience. many people miss match thier combos are run reall stiff rear bushings and things that make for a very nuetral feeling car that slides around corners.

hognutz said:

many people miss match thier combos are run reall stiff rear bushings and things that make for a very nuetral feeling car that slides around corners.

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That is one thing that is very common. Companys make kits for a reason, and to an extent they also make additions to other products for better stiffening or results.

Lots of good info here.

I'll offer another perspective...steering.

I installed a Flaming River rack and shaft on my 2000 GT. It's a power rack that replaces the stocker with some minor fabrication.

I lost a full turn lock-to-lock versus the stocker, and all the "slop" is gone.

At 70+mph, you think lane change...you've changed lanes. Totally connected.

Just another thought.

hognutz said:

shocks and springs will only do so much.


subframes and rear end location are a must.

I would start with bilsteins and H&R SS if you want a drop.

then do full lenght subs and panhard bar/rear control arms.

I read some info from global west about panhard rod creating extra bind. they recoment the correct lower control arm. where maximum motorsports recomends the panhard rod as well as a torqu arm. saying there is more bind but with a panhard rod and a torque arm the perfromance is better.

I did not have the coin for all that so i just went with a sphererical arm. I do get a bit more road noise. the global west arms have a different bushing design and may not increas the road noise quite as much.

one thing I will say is listen more to the big companies than people on the boards unless they actaully race and have real experience. many people miss match thier combos are run reall stiff rear bushings and things that make for a very nuetral feeling car that slides around corners.

Click to expand...

Actuallt the GW arms are louder becasue the Heim Joint is located at the chassis end. They handle well but the noise was totally unnecessary. It was so bad my stereo sounded like garbage and I could hardly talk on my phone in the car. They are garbage for a street car, I sold mine, and couldnt be happier. Im just going to do a panhard bar w/ the stock lcas now.

DerekStangGT said:

listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about, plus he was to mustangs ( )

my suspension mods are in "my garage". my stang handles head and shoulders better than a stock stang. VERY noticeable difference. ive heard the MM panhard bar is one of the best things you can do to a solid rear. im currently trying to save for panhard bar and the tq arm from MM

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i have thought about getting a panhard bar and sway bars.

where can i find the MM panhard?

ohhh and about how much would they cost?

thx

www.maximummotorsports.com

only found it a few other places and for only about 10-15 off.... personally i'd rather spend the 10-15 at MM and be able to ask them anything saying "i purchased it from YOU.. this is my question"

Torinalth

I bought the starter box and panhard bar at the same time I belive I spent $1500, the car handles completly different. I put in the springs/struts etc in first, drove it around like that for a few weeks, then I put the panhad bar in and it was a big time difference in the feeling of the rear.