I have an 89 coupe it was a 4 banger. I have a 302 in it now I think the guy swapped the rear-end it has posi I don’t know if they make 7.5 in posi. my problem is car jumps around when im gunning it and if i do a brake stand the back end hops so bad i get crazy wheel hop. I’m building a 351w for it so what should I do for the suspension?
need help suspension.
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50gt1988
New Member
The suspension on the 4 banger cars is a lot lighter then the suspension on the 5.0 models so you'll have to basicially replace most of it. I would go with some performance springs, struts, shocks, rear lower control arms, and camber plates. If your going to replace the suspension you might as well put some good stuff in. One suggestion about suspension though make sure you have an 18 mm socket.
Swapping between 4-cylinder and 8-cylinder suspensions can be tricky.
A quick question: does your car have the handling package with quad shocks (verticle, connecting rear end to frame?)
I've done a few Mustang suspensions, so I know what it takes to do this and it isn't the easiest thing to do right.
Here are the components you are going to need:
Front struts
Front springs
Upper spring pads, lower spring sleeves
Ford Racing lower control arms
New A-arm bolts and nuts
Outer tie rod ends (I prefer Ford)
5.0 steering rack (Again, I prefer Ford)
Power steering pressure switch for 5.0
Front sway bar & hardware
(You'll have to check to see if your brakes are the same, but I believe 4-cylinder brakes are different from V8 brakes, so here are the brake components I am aware of, you'll need to change)
Spindles & hardware
Master Cylinder
Distribution Block
Discs
Bearings & seals
Calipers & pads & hardware
Rear trailing arms w/good bushings (if you choose a bushing harder than factory rubber, make sure only one of the upper trailing arm bushings is changed, the other must remain rubber for binding purposes)
New trailing arm hardware
Rear springs w/upper and lower pads
Rear sway bar and hardware
Quad & horizontal shocks (if the chassis isn't set up for quad shocks [frame drilled] there is still an option for rear end rotation control and it is better than quad shocks...Global West/Ford Racing Trac Link)
Clevis bracket for rear end horizontal shock mounting
Rear brake backing plates
Rear brake shoes, hardware & wheel cylinders
Rear brake drums
I hope that is complete...as far as I can remember it is (I'm in the process of completely re-doing the suspension on my '89 5.0 coupe as I write this because the meat head that decided he knew how to work on a car touched it and left a disaster everywhere he went...too bad he went everywhere).
A quick question: does your car have the handling package with quad shocks (verticle, connecting rear end to frame?)
I've done a few Mustang suspensions, so I know what it takes to do this and it isn't the easiest thing to do right.
Here are the components you are going to need:
Front struts
Front springs
Upper spring pads, lower spring sleeves
Ford Racing lower control arms
New A-arm bolts and nuts
Outer tie rod ends (I prefer Ford)
5.0 steering rack (Again, I prefer Ford)
Power steering pressure switch for 5.0
Front sway bar & hardware
(You'll have to check to see if your brakes are the same, but I believe 4-cylinder brakes are different from V8 brakes, so here are the brake components I am aware of, you'll need to change)
Spindles & hardware
Master Cylinder
Distribution Block
Discs
Bearings & seals
Calipers & pads & hardware
Rear trailing arms w/good bushings (if you choose a bushing harder than factory rubber, make sure only one of the upper trailing arm bushings is changed, the other must remain rubber for binding purposes)
New trailing arm hardware
Rear springs w/upper and lower pads
Rear sway bar and hardware
Quad & horizontal shocks (if the chassis isn't set up for quad shocks [frame drilled] there is still an option for rear end rotation control and it is better than quad shocks...Global West/Ford Racing Trac Link)
Clevis bracket for rear end horizontal shock mounting
Rear brake backing plates
Rear brake shoes, hardware & wheel cylinders
Rear brake drums
I hope that is complete...as far as I can remember it is (I'm in the process of completely re-doing the suspension on my '89 5.0 coupe as I write this because the meat head that decided he knew how to work on a car touched it and left a disaster everywhere he went...too bad he went everywhere).
darthcual
Member
Whoa whoa whoa lets not get all crazy. I have a 4 banger conversion to 5.0 and i had the same problem of the backend getting away. I fixed it with subframe connectors which you will need anyways for that monster (jealous) 351w. Also reconfigured upper/lower rear control arms with poly bushings would be nice.
darthcual
Member
Notchback5.0 said:
Alot of the aftermarket tend to be slightly longer to change the pinion angle so that the rear tires have more bite. Also ther is adjustable uppers/lowers which allow you to control the pinion angle. Hope that helps. And yes the ones for the 5.0s will fit your car. As far as I know the only difference in the two cars suspension is the spring rates and the shocks struts. I have bought all kinds of suspension components for my car and always ordered the 5.0 pieces. I mean think about it, ford is not going to have two different assembly lines going for the same exact car.(to back this point up i recently bought a rear sway bar off a junk yard fiveoh which my car did not come equiped with and it fit on my four cylinder lower control arms just fine) Besides the mentioned also there is the rear end to consider. If you want to change to 8.8 go for it but i have found my 7.5 to be more than strong enuff. And they do make gears for the 7.5 and its ford racing that makes them!
