Recommendations for touring/roadrace type suspension?

[lamrith]

Hey all, got the notch home lastnight. Suspen seems good (stock), but long term I want ot set-up the car as a road course type racer. something to go play around in the twisties with. Right now it is just a bone stock 2.3L LX, I will probably go 2.3T on it also to up the power..

ANYWAY I thought most suspen parts in the magazines are more drag strip oriented so thought I would ask about "road racer" suspension stuff....

 

[Rootus]

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/giab2.asp

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

http://griggsracing.com/gr40autocrosssla.html here is another one

 

[SLIGHTLY_INSANE]

you will be hooked.....

 

[hicalibrbulit]

chassis, brakes, suspension

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

yes brakes even though your brakes are fine now cuz you have a stock 4 cly. as soon as you get more hp dont be like me and have a massive brake failure @120+ not fun your car should handle way better then mine the whole balance thing with the 4 banger up front

 

[lamrith]

SO maybe just do the "GT suspension" upgrade, geting all the V8 parts from somone parting out a car or upgrading? I have heard that the V8/GT stuff is stiffer than the 4cyl LX and the front brakes are bigger...

 

[MTMMAN]

http://www.bradscustomauto.com/
Only shop in the NW that the focus is open track and road race. Dealer for Maximum, Griggs and Kenny Brown.

A small sample of cars Brad's has been involed with.

 

[Darkness]

Look into Kenny Brown stuff, Maximum Motorsports or Griggs(sp?)

 

[ddonaca351]

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/giab2.asp

...what hairy dave said.....

(i like my MM stuff)
DD

 

[lamrith]

Yeah those are all nice cars, but $2k for just a front or rear is just a few exponential $$ out of my range...

WHat about the QA1, Steeda and other pieces I see around?? Tubular (NON RACE) k member, coil overs, adjustable uppers and lowers, panhard, caster/camber plates, lowering springs..

I guess my question is, what type of parts am I looking for to be able to tune the handling in. Most stuff I see seems more oriented for the strip, than road racing, but will they work for both due to thier ability to be adjusted??

 

[TheRedBlur]

I wouldn't suggest a non-race K-member for a track car.
just spend some cash bracing the car, like a lower K-brace, that made a big difference for me, strut tower braces front and rear. and go coil over in the rear, and yes, springs/struts, before doing that I'd suggest weighing in your car if you want to dampen your car proper.

 

[lamrith]

Well this is not a racecar. BUt I want it to handle well. This will be a daily driver.. Hence not wanting/willing to drop $2k on suspension stuff.. I just want to get her handling well for when I decide to take a drive on those twisty back roads..

 

[ddonaca351]

Ok there is no PC way to put this (imho) so Im just going to say it...

If you buy cheap crap, your car will run like it.

Yes you can run some "C" springs, with some KYB shocks and cheap cc plates, etc... but in the end you'll just be pissed that it rides like ass and doesnt live up to your expectations.

Save up and spend the 1500 on a good MM kit, and you'll have a well balanced set-up that is designed and built to work as a complete system.

If you cant afford it all at once, then buy the chassis brace kit and put it in. (subs, k brace, strut tower: a couple hundred)

Then save up and get the lower controll arms and maybe the cc plates. (another couple hundred)

Then save and get the springs and shocks/struts. (this one hurts, like the better part of a grand here)

(gee, this sounds like an excerp from my past... )

Then if its still not good enough, get the torque arm and panhard rod. (again about a grand, my next addition to the 90)

In the end youll still have a good SYSTEM, that works... instead of a bunch of discount parts all mish mashed together.

(here comes the hatemail from everybody running c springs and kybs...)

Just my .02

If you dont believe me, go get a ride with somebody who has a kit on their car and see how well they work. They still ride fine (at least mine does) and they handle so far above stock you cant even believe its the same 78 fairmont with new sheet-metal. (fox mustang)

Isnt MM's shop car still on the top 20 of all time for like road and track? Thats some pretty dang good company for a fox mustang to be in... now granted its probably got 5k worth of parts in the suspention (not including labor or wheels/tires) but still... youre talking 1g performance. And listed along side 100,000+ dollar cars for cornering.

Again just my .02
Dave-

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

well on the kyb thing i have the adjustable struts with coil over kit up front and like them alot but i went kyb gas a just in the rear and strongly dislike but cars still managable. i got some new rear control arms in and they helped, full length subframes helped a bunch, strut tower brace a must if you go coil over in front and if i just got some sport srings and some qa1s for the rear with bigger sway bars i dont think i would want anything more for back road driving cuz of brakes over heat way to fast when not on the track and its not like you need more the 200 whp to get way over your head on the back roads. BTW i laped faster in my mustang at PIR then i did in a full racing bmw.

 

[TheRedBlur]

hey lamrith, I do have some wortht suggestions. holdon a sec.. buy SN95 spindles, buy a set of camber plates, some urethane bushings, or if you wanna be crazy, derlin.
then you must get some bumpsteer tierods, highly importatnt if you wanna keep the alignment settings etc.

most importantly though, get some late model (96+) spindles and brakes. that can be the biggest upgrade you may do for the money, when circuit racing is concerned. also a solid steering shaft will help, as well as some aluminum rack bushings, they all will help in steer in response as well as mid turn and follow through action, due to the lack of deflection that solid materials offer. after which, we can talk about camber sweep/gain and other points, etc.

anyways to wrap up, low deflection/friction materials at the critical pivot points are highly important. then chassis rigigity as well as saety, then unsptrung weight control/damnpening forces, etc,.

 

[lamrith]

WTF are "C" springs???

I appreciate the info from everyone, I really do, but I am NOT racing this car. This is a $350 (after towing) car. It's 1st priority is to be a economical daily drive for work..

The only time it may see the track is Pony trails track day. I just want it to handle better than they do stock and be more back-road oriented than drag oriented. Most stangs I see are set-up for the strip or just to look good, which is why I asked what you corner carver types do for set-up...

I fully appreciate the info on not going cheap and I can appreciate it. I was also thinking about the SN95 upgrade, but that will have to wait as the engine is possibly fried so my $$ has to go into that. I has hoping there was more of a entry level/daily driver set-up you guys knew of. I was seeing the QA1 stuff. Found a kit with arms, k-member, coils for right around $500. That seemed to me a great deal and balance between buying stock items and going full tilt... I want this to be the type of car you look at and don't even notice because it is so plain jane in apprecence, but then you get in and hit a backroad and it just goes...

 

[FORCED2DV8]

go with good springs, eibach pro kit, some good struts and shocks, urethane bushings, sub frame connectors, strut tower brace, and you will have a decent handling car.

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

well since you want this to be your car like most of us. get the car runnin like you want to then go for a drive on some roads you know youll frequent and see how it does then get the up grades you notice you need. like if there too much body roll. or chasie flex or body sway (thats a fun one) invest in parts that will help the short comings you notice. no need to get what you cant use if your not driving it hard enough

 

[TheRedBlur]

lol, I was so hammered last night when I made them post.

k-member brace is like $110,
solid rack bushings are like $35.
sub frame connectors are usually around 95 bux, but cost more to weld in.
ford racing rear upper control arms are about $65, but go with rubber bushings for those because of the angle of them, when the axle rotates, the control arms have to sort of grow longer and shorter, so it'd be good to have some play in them.
I'm sure there is someone on stangnet thats willing to let go of a used set of camber plates for roughly 100 bux.
btw, the stock upper strut mounts are camber adjustable, you just have to drill out a rivet, or as I did, use a screw driver and a hammer.
and if you really wanted to dig deep, you could somehow find out what year mustang had the quick ratio steering rack, that'll help out with steering response because your hands won't be dancing all over the wheel when making sharp changes in direction.

as for Q-a1, they are more drag oriented and their K-member package is more for weight savings I htink, I'm not sure how much time they spent on engineering the steering geometry. lemme see if I can dig up a thread that had pictures comparing K members.

my plans are to go MM all the way and race it in american iron. 9lb/hp I just lack the funds. garnished wages don't help either