Suspension gurus, few questions

[Shaolin Crane]

So your saying I need much stiffer front springs? I spoke to the guy at mm today and now I'm getting contradicting info. He said my rear springs and shocks were good. Guess I will just go with what I purchase and adjust from there since everyone has such different advice.

well i dont know what rear springs and shocks you have, but the front springs at least have to go

 

[Shaolin Crane]

i am on street tires yes. i will be getting some soon or for next year.

im having a friend who works at a suspension shop help me set it up. its not here until friday, so i dont have everything laid out 100%. is there something your getting at with those questions?

im just trying to absorb some info here

Just follow the instructions and you cant go wrong, its definitely easier to install with 2 people, if i had to say something was the hardest, my guess would be drilling into the frame.

 

[281pony]

i spoke to MM today, i dont want to start any bs here. they told me my front springs are fine. he recommended me an h&r rear spring (blue) i have h&r reds. he said they would work fine, but they are borderline too stiff.

i am looking to do the panhard bar and relax with the suspension for a bit i think. so depending on the person, the torque arm will cost me 400 bucks up to 2000 by the time i replace everything not helping me make any decisions. i am not looking to sway the car 100% street or 100% track. i want a happy median, which doesnt seem to exist this far.

im also trying to work with the panhard install. the guy helping me said 2.5ish hours to install, where another says it wont be done right unless you take 6 hours.

 

[347HO]

is there something your getting at with those questions?

I only have a few years racing experience, but in those few years... I've gleaned some knowledge.

When it comes to setting up a car, it's the whole package, not just a single part.
My questions are solely so I don't assume too much about what you have and what you're trying to accomplish.

I do know the factory style 4-link will take you deep into the 10s in drag racing, and some of my friends lay down some 1.4 sec 60 foots on DOT drag radials.
I have gone 1.5x with a 4-link, so anyone saying 4-links are junk... they just don't know.

IMO, you're front spring rate and length is just fine. You will have to dial it in once you get your rearend figured out. Remember, it's all about the combo... not just one part.

If you can have someone take a movie clip of just your launches... at least 3 with the same rpm, same day, same everything, that would be very helpful and I may be able to see something which will help you with your setup.
It's best if the clips are good quality and aspect to your car.

 

[281pony]

i wish i had someone to film. i have tried a few times to just get footage of my car racing. maybe this friday if i go race ill get someone to film.

i am just going to do the panhard for the very near future, i can feel the car move where the panhard would correct. so i do know i will get some gains from it.

 

[Shaolin Crane]

i spoke to MM today, i dont want to start any bs here. they told me my front springs are fine. he recommended me an h&r rear spring (blue) i have h&r reds. he said they would work fine, but they are borderline too stiff.

i am looking to do the panhard bar and relax with the suspension for a bit i think. so depending on the person, the torque arm will cost me 400 bucks up to 2000 by the time i replace everything not helping me make any decisions. i am not looking to sway the car 100% street or 100% track. i want a happy median, which doesnt seem to exist this far.

im also trying to work with the panhard install. the guy helping me said 2.5ish hours to install, where another says it wont be done right unless you take 6 hours.

Only took me 2 hours to install the panhard, maybe another 10-15 minutes to adjust the bar.

As far as them saying your front rate are fine, well did you make certain to tell them ALL of your goals for the car? You can easily have a happy median with a TA setup.

 

[Shaolin Crane]

I only have a few years racing experience, but in those few years... I've gleaned some knowledge.

When it comes to setting up a car, it's the whole package, not just a single part.
My questions are solely so I don't assume too much about what you have and what you're trying to accomplish.

I do know the factory style 4-link will take you deep into the 10s in drag racing, and some of my friends lay down some 1.4 sec 60 foots on DOT drag radials.
I have gone 1.5x with a 4-link, so anyone saying 4-links are junk... they just don't know.

IMO, you're front spring rate and length is just fine. You will have to dial it in once you get your rearend figured out. Remember, it's all about the combo... not just one part.

If you can have someone take a movie clip of just your launches... at least 3 with the same rpm, same day, same everything, that would be very helpful and I may be able to see something which will help you with your setup.
It's best if the clips are good quality and aspect to your car.

If i came off as saying the 4link is crap, then i aplogize, i meant in this regard to handeling, the TA is clearly Superior and can easily be drag raced in the same day as road racing. But saying a TA or 3 link rear end is crap for drag racing at all or does you no good is not true as well, look at the S197 and the F-bodies both are factory 3 link cars that perform on the drag strip VERY well right from the factory.

 

[2000xp8]

i spoke to MM today, i dont want to start any bs here. they told me my front springs are fine. he recommended me an h&r rear spring (blue) i have h&r reds. he said they would work fine, but they are borderline too stiff.

Not sure what you told them you want to do, but 130lb springs are clearly drag springs. This is not an opinion, it's a fact.
They are incredibly soft.
So if you told them you want your car to handle, and they said those springs are fine, i'd be skeptical of what they are suggesting.

Simply do a search and you will see.
I'd expect 250lb and up for handling.

 

[347HO]

Not sure what you told them you want to do, but 130lb springs are clearly drag springs. This is not an opinion, it's a fact.
They are incredibly soft.
So if you told them you want your car to handle, and they said those springs are fine, i'd be skeptical of what they are suggesting.

Simply do a search and you will see.
I'd expect 250lb and up for handling.

I agree.
130# springs ARE drag racing springs.

The OP has posted his installed equipment, which makes his front side about 80# lighter than stock.

You cannot have both a super handling road car and a drag race car setup.

You will have to choose which platform you want more of and less of the other.

130# springs can and have been driven on the street of America for at least twenty years now on a 3200# car.

 

[Shaolin Crane]

Not sure what you told them you want to do, but 130lb springs are clearly drag springs. This is not an opinion, it's a fact.
They are incredibly soft.
So if you told them you want your car to handle, and they said those springs are fine, i'd be skeptical of what they are suggesting.

Simply do a search and you will see.
I'd expect 250lb and up for handling.

I agree.
130# springs ARE drag racing springs.

The OP has posted his installed equipment, which makes his front side about 80# lighter than stock.

You cannot have both a super handling road car and a drag race car setup.

You will have to choose which platform you want more of and less of the other.

130# springs can and have been driven on the street of America for at least twenty years now on a 3200# car.

+1
Yeah you need to make sure that you give them ALL the information you can, god love the guys at MM but the 130# springs are not gonna handle great, i would go with a 325ish rate a spring to match for the TA

 

[281pony]

ok let me be real descriptive with you guys on here then.

i race the car alot, but the "new racing" feel has kinda worn off. i am still going to race, it just may be a little fewer and farther between. with that said, i still plan to do atleast 1 test and tune a month lets say. track here is only open like 5-6 months a year if that.

i drive the car ALOT. for example, this friday im racing it (1 hr each way), saturday im planning to drive 3 hours each way for a car show, sunday 1 hour each way for panhard install.

i put in alot of seat time. i'd like to keep comfort as somewhat of a priority, it rides pretty good now. i hear its even better with a torque arm? that is a big plus to it for me.

so to put this into percentage ratios. i'd say i want 70% drag oriented, 30% towards handling, because i wont ever autocross. i do however like to whip through round abouts, backroads, ect. so it is something i am after improving. my last factor for this is the nearly daily driver duty i put on the car.

so putting that paragraph above together, what FRONT springs do you recommend me?

the car has alot of weight off the front end, i saw someone guesstimate 80 lbs. i think its higher by a good margin. aluminum heads, ac is gone, smog is gone, march pulley/tensioner setup is worth some weight, fiberglass hood, battery is in the trunk, lighter electric fan. then the harness was hidden, so theres a good amount of little brackets/misc that were removed. that is all weight off the springs, so please consider that with your spring recommendation.

 

[Shaolin Crane]

ok let me be real descriptive with you guys on here then.

i race the car alot, but the "new racing" feel has kinda worn off. i am still going to race, it just may be a little fewer and farther between. with that said, i still plan to do atleast 1 test and tune a month lets say. track here is only open like 5-6 months a year if that.

i drive the car ALOT. for example, this friday im racing it (1 hr each way), saturday im planning to drive 3 hours each way for a car show, sunday 1 hour each way for panhard install.

i put in alot of seat time. i'd like to keep comfort as somewhat of a priority, it rides pretty good now. i hear its even better with a torque arm? that is a big plus to it for me.

so to put this into percentage ratios. i'd say i want 70% drag oriented, 30% towards handling, because i wont ever autocross. i do however like to whip through round abouts, backroads, ect. so it is something i am after improving. my last factor for this is the nearly daily driver duty i put on the car.

so putting that paragraph above together, what FRONT springs do you recommend me?

the car has alot of weight off the front end, i saw someone guesstimate 80 lbs. i think its higher by a good margin. aluminum heads, ac is gone, smog is gone, march pulley/tensioner setup is worth some weight, fiberglass hood, battery is in the trunk, lighter electric fan. then the harness was hidden, so theres a good amount of little brackets/misc that were removed. that is all weight off the springs, so please consider that with your spring recommendation.

300-350lb springs up front

 

[Blandnuts]

For what you're wanting to do, I wouldn't run that high of a spring. You can always have a few sets of springs for whatever driving style you want.

 

[2000xp8]

I'd say 250-300 on the springs.
They are decent blend of street driving, handling, and if you use adjustable shocks up front they aren't too bad at drag racing either (shocks on soft setting).

 

[281pony]

i will be swapping the springs this winter sometime on the front. for now, i think the rears are good. nobody has suggested that i swap for my requirements?

i just logged off MM's site, just got a smokin deal on the torque arm. they had a sale going last night, $180 bucks off the torque arm. so i ordered the heavy duty one.

found out i can make the reinforcements for my kenny brown subframe connectors at work too, so that saves another $50 off the cost. stoked to see how the car is gonna drive with this.

 

[Blandnuts]

Ignore my comment, it was without a TA.

*Good job on the TA.

 

[Shaolin Crane]

i will be swapping the springs this winter sometime on the front. for now, i think the rears are good. nobody has suggested that i swap for my requirements?

i just logged off MM's site, just got a smokin deal on the torque arm. they had a sale going last night, $180 bucks off the torque arm. so i ordered the heavy duty one.

found out i can make the reinforcements for my kenny brown subframe connectors at work too, so that saves another $50 off the cost. stoked to see how the car is gonna drive with this.

You'll want a spring stiffness thats within 100lbs +/- a little bit for "level ride"

 

[281pony]

man i tell you what. these ****ing cars really know how to push my buttons. spend all this money on suspension cause its "finally running good".

changed oil yesterday and the pan sealing washer isint working. so here i go to drain oil and repeat today. go to start it and nothing but click click. apparently starter solenoid is gone im guessing. now i get to pull off the wheel, pull out fender liner and replace it.

never seen a car so electronically unreliable as a ****ing mustang. maybe one day ill get a brain and not own one.

 

[Blandnuts]

You come on over buddy, I'll give you a hug

 

[281pony]

nah im good. installed the panhard tonight, its a good start.

torque arm this weekend hopefully.