New Suspension Setup: First Impressions

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

Founding Member

Jan 15, 2002

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Dallas, GA

Aug 28, 2004

#1

• Aug 28, 2004

• #1

After all the bs I have gone through I finally got it back on the street. It feels a lot different than stock. My setup:

Lakewood 90/10 Struts
Lakewood 50/50 Shocks
Granatelli Front Coil Over Drag Kit
QA1 Camber Caster Plates
Moroso Trick Rear Springs
Energy Suspension Front Controll Arm Bushings
New Ball Joints
HPM MegaBite Jr LCA (newer, but not recent)
HPM Megabite D-adjustable UCA (ditto)

Alread had but still included:
MM Full Lenth Subframes
Front Swaybar Deleted

The Lakewoods feel alot different from the KYB's. I don't get why they say 90/10's are race only, they drive really well. They let the front end come up nice too.
The coil overs are nice, I think they could have gone with a softer, longer spring. Now I am addicted to them, I love their adjustability.
The C/C plates were really nice, I have perfect alignment.
The Moroso Rear Springs make the back sit too high. They do controll the rear end movement. I think I will get a coil over kit for the rear when I can afford it.
As far as putting on new poly bushings on a drag application, I think it was a waste. Alot of work for little bennifit. New ball joints, are nice, it was time, but I think I would have been better off buying some new A-arms.
The UCA's and LCA's made a huge difference in everything.

Overall I am happy. The front end does come up and it rides nice.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Aug 29, 2004

#2

• Aug 29, 2004

• #2

after some of the battles you had with the springs, it is nice to hear you like how you set it up!

 

0

00 Red SS

New Member

Jan 22, 2003

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Grain Valley, MO

Aug 29, 2004

#3

• Aug 29, 2004

• #3

Hell yes!, i have the same upper/lowers and shock/strut combo and love it. Def. money well spent.

 

S

seijirou

Founding Member

Aug 15, 2002

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DFW

Aug 29, 2004

#4

• Aug 29, 2004

• #4

quick question, does 90/10 mean alot of resistance to bound and not alot to rebound?

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

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Jan 15, 2002

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Aug 29, 2004

#5

• Aug 29, 2004

• #5

seijirou said:

quick question, does 90/10 mean alot of resistance to bound and not alot to rebound?

Click to expand...

90/10's will extend with almost no resistance but will compress firmly, allowing the front end to rise like a blown strut but the front will come down slowly.

 

D

Daggar

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Jul 19, 2004

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Aug 29, 2004

#6

• Aug 29, 2004

• #6

That's a great point you made about the front struts being race only. What does that mean exactly??? Does that mean they're not supposed to handle well during hard cornering? What do the Road Coarse setups use?

 

PNY PWR

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Jul 23, 2004

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Wichita, KS

Aug 29, 2004

#7

• Aug 29, 2004

• #7

How was the front control arm bushing swap? pretty hard?
Did you have the ball joint pressed? Is there a good quality ball joiont or just stock replacement?

 

Z

Zombietime

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May 9, 2004

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Aug 29, 2004

#8

• Aug 29, 2004

• #8

Daggar said:

That's a great point you made about the front struts being race only. What does that mean exactly??? Does that mean they're not supposed to handle well during hard cornering? What do the Road Coarse setups use?

Click to expand...

Think about it... in drag racing if you use a front shock that allows rapid weight transfer to the rear and keeps it there, that doesn't translate well to road use. That's why the shocks extend quickly but compress slowly. That's not something I'd want to use on the street... the "road course" cars use a proper shock/strut setup for road use.

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

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Jan 15, 2002

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Aug 29, 2004

#9

• Aug 29, 2004

• #9

All I think of when I think of standard front springs and controll arms is F-it. Just go ahead and get some coil-overs with aftermarket A-arms.

The front controll arm rebuild was a time consuming PITA waste of money. For two new ball joints and the poly bushings it was $105. The ball joints I just had to put the arms in a vice and hit them out with a hammer and the new one's went in the same way. That was easy but I had to use a air chisel to get the old bushings and they did not come out easy at all, had to press the new one's in and didn't have the right press so I had to pay to get them in. All said and done I paid $120 for factory controll arms, it would cost alot more if I didn't do most of the labor myself. You can get decent aftermarket A arms for a little over $200 and they would weight half.

As far as handeling, I don't see what's wrong with my setup, it handles fine. It feels great. No problems in the corners at all. I wouldn't autocross it but "spirited" driving on curvy roads is no problem.

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

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Aug 29, 2004

#10

• Aug 29, 2004

• #10

I think I am going to ditch these rear springs. The rear end sits way too high. I've got the front end where I like it but now it makes the rear look all jacked up. Measuring with a yardstick and a straightedge, the top of the fender the front end sits 25.75" high, and the rear sits 27.75" high, that's a 2" difference! The front end doesn't come up and weight doesn't transfer unless I am going uphill or I hook good, I got it to hook once and the front end really came up, but other times I just got all kinds of tire spin. Even when I got it to hook, it did too much spin from the line. I did not reinstall the spring isolators, so I can't get it down.

I think I might have to jack the front end back up until I can get the rear coil over kit and make things right.

 

PNY PWR

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Jul 23, 2004

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Wichita, KS

Aug 29, 2004

#11

• Aug 29, 2004

• #11

Mine has good ride height, I have the whole FRPP C spring kit. After I get the rear suspension and gears finished up it up to the front. While I'm replacing the struts I'd like to do something with the control arms. What are some good control arms? I thought about the FRPP HD units. Not a bad price to save all that work.

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

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Jan 15, 2002

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89

Dallas, GA

Aug 29, 2004

#12

• Aug 29, 2004

• #12

PNY PWR said:

Mine has good ride height, I have the whole FRPP C spring kit. After I get the rear suspension and gears finished up it up to the front. While I'm replacing the struts I'd like to do something with the control arms. What are some good control arms? I thought about the FRPP HD units. Not a bad price to save all that work.

Click to expand...

After all is said and done, those new stockers don't look too bad, if your talking about the front controll arms. If you are talking about the rear the FRPP UCA's are just stock with harder rubber bushings in them, I would pay a little extra and get something better.

 

Mavrick

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Aug 29, 2002

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Aug 29, 2004

#13

• Aug 29, 2004

• #13

But is there something better in terms of every day street use? Why does MM recommend using FRPP UD upper control arms with their lowers?

Makes you think...

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

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Dallas, GA

Aug 29, 2004

#14

• Aug 29, 2004

• #14

Mavrick said:

But is there something better in terms of every day street use? Why does MM recommend using FRPP UD upper control arms with their lowers?

Makes you think...

Click to expand...

MM is devoted to road racing, not drag racing, although they are starting to go that way. I think they are trying to say "UCA's are usless, you need to buy our Torque Arm System, and if I was into cornering, I would definatly go that direction.

 

PNY PWR

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Jul 23, 2004

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Wichita, KS

Aug 30, 2004

#15

• Aug 30, 2004

• #15

Already have the FRPP rear uca's. I was talking about the Ford fronts, for about $200 it doesn't seem like bad deal. I can't find an aftermarket fca that doesn't require a coil over conversion.

 

S

seijirou

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Aug 15, 2002

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DFW

Aug 30, 2004

#16

• Aug 30, 2004

• #16

you can buy a tubular fca from alot of different companies. All of which require a coil over conversion unless you have them add the "spring perch" option. Then you can run a stock setup. I don't think they're much more than $200 and waaaay better.