TEAM Z rear suspension install advice

[brands5.0]

I have a rear sus. kit from Team Z motorsports. The stuff looks killer.
My question it how do i go about installing the upper control arms with the lower i set them to the same length as the sotckers but the uppers are moved out some should i take a muserment with the cars stock sus. and after i install the upper unit try to get the same distince??? Also any instie on setting the pinion angle would help. last question is on the rear anti-roll bar i was going to try to find some one that has installed one befour but as of yet i have not found any one is there any where i can find instruction on the right set up??

 

[BlownStangGT]

if Im correct...you use the adjustable lenght on the upper arms to adjust the pinion angle. I dont know what andle you want, but I heard -2* is good? Rick will chime in soon and fill you in im sure

 

[Rick 91GT]

Your right the kit is killer

The length of the upper arm will depend on what you are trying to set the pinion angle at.

I would set the pinion angle at -1 to -2 since it is all solid bushings. If you call Dave he may be able to give you a good starting point as to what you need based on your tire height, etc...

The anti roll bar is fairly easy to install and set-up. It mounts between the frame rails and get welded in. You make the arms the correct length based on o preload.

SETTING PINION ANGLEYou will need a 360 degree angle finder, magnetic

Method #1- Driveshaft:

1. Place angle finder on bottom of driveshaft and write down the reading.
2. Remove driveshaft.
3. Rotate the pinion so that the ujoint caps on the yoke are pointing up and down.
4. Set the angle finder on the face of the yoke where the u-bolts go through. Sometimes the face of the yoke is not perfectly flat so I lay a socket lengthwise where the ujoint caps fit then put the angle finder on the socket.
5. Read the angle and write it down.
Determine the difference between these values then decide which way the pinion needs to be rotated to achieve the proper pinion angle.

Method #2- Crankshaft/Harmonic Balancer:

1. Remove driveshaft.
2. Rotate the yoke on the rearend so that the ujoint caps on the yoke are pointing up and down.
3. Set the angle finder on the face of the yoke where the small u-bolts go through. Sometimes the face of the yoke is not perfectly flat so I lay a socket lengthwise where the ujoint caps fit then put the angle finder against the socket.
4. Read the angle and write it down.
5. Next, hold the gauge against the front of the Harmonic Balancer. This is perpendicular to the Crankshaft so makes a great place to measure the angle from. Write down this number.
Determine the difference between these values then decide which way the pinion needs to be rotated to achieve the proper pinion angle.

2 Methods for
Zero Suspension Preload

*All measurements should be done in race trim with the driver sitting in the car and with the suspension loaded.
*The car should be blocked up with 4 stands under the Frame (front and rear) AND the Rear Control Arm Axle Mounts (this allows the axle housing to rotate freely). Removal of one upper control arm is necessary and if the car is not equipped with a track locator then the car body or axle housing may move sideways which can throw off the control arm lengths and induce Preload.


~Method 1~

1. Remove one bolt from Passenger side Upper control arm and let control arm hang loose. Make sure the car body or axle housing does not move sideways when bolt is removed.

2. Place angle finder on pinion yoke.

3. Loosen both jam nuts on Driver side Upper control arm and Shorten or lengthen until the desired pinion angle is achieved. Generally, Shortening the control arm INCREASES the pinion angle and Lengthening the control arm DECREASES the Pinion angle. Make sure the car body or rear end does not move sideways when the control arm is adjusted and verify that the rear end is still centered side to side in the fenders.

4. To eliminate Preload on a Race Car: While the driver is in the car, shorten or lengthen the Passenger Side control arm until the bolt lightly slides into the chassis hole then fully tighten all jam nuts. If the driver is sitting in the car when this is done then there will be zero pre-load on the rear suspension while sitting on the starting line. If a positive or negative pre-load is desired then the Passenger Upper Control Arm can be lengthened or shortened up to 1 full turn but no more. I do not recommend adding any pre-load at this time. If the car does not launch straight with Zero preload then pre-load can be changed if necessary.

Note: Rubber bushings in the control arms may induce some preload and may take some time to get the desired pinion angle due to bushing flex.


~Method 2~

*This method does not remove all preload but it is minimized as long as the car is fully loaded in race trim.
*All measurements should be done in race trim with the driver sitting in the car and with the suspension loaded.
*The car should be blocked up with 4 stands under the Frame (front and rear) AND the Rear Control Arm Axle Mounts (this allows the axle housing to rotate freely).

1. Remove and adjust both upper control arms so they are the same length then re-install control arms.

2. Place angle finder on pinion yoke.

3. While both control arms are connected to the chassis and axle housing, loosen both jam nuts on BOTH control arms and Shorten or lengthen each control arm EQUALLY until the desired pinion angle is achieved. Tighten jam nuts when done.
*Equal turns on each bar must be done to minimze the possibilty of inducing more Preload.

I copied the above methods from Kevin @ Baseline Suspensions I use the same methods, and it was much easier then retyping it all..lol

You can always give Dave a call at the shop 734-789-9540 He will help you get it all set-up.

 

[Zmann]

Sounds like Rick covered it all!

Set the pinion angle to -2 to start and it should be good if your having trouble with the rear end moving side to side, while setting it with zero preload, get it centered with the car at race weight(driver weight included) and adjust both upper arms equally, call me if you have any questions!

 

[brands5.0]

When i am going to find the pinion angle do i do it with the stock sus. sitll on the car. I have never done this befour i want to see if its something i can do or if it would be beter to let a shop do it?

On the baseline page it looks easy. find the drive shaft angle and the pinion and the diffrence is the angle. right

I think i just talked my self through it. when i install the rear sus. i set the lowers to the same lenght as the stock lowers. when i install the uppers it doesnt matter because when i am all done ill check the angle of the drive shaft and the yoke then adjust the uppers at the same rate untill i get a -1 or -2 diffrence.. Am i on the right track?????????????????????

 

[Rick 91GT]

Right Track

 

[89MustangGX]

Pinion Angle Question:

When I set mine, I used a 360 degree magnetic base angle finder. I didn't measure the driveshaft, I took it off and put the finder on the face of the yoke -- as stated above. I don't remember exactly how it looked, but I think it was right at 92 degrees, so figuring 90 was straight up and down, I figured it was set at -2. This was after leveling the car on the trailer, BTW. It was actually that way setting the arms same as stock length.

Am I way off or did I just save a step?

 

[Rick 91GT]

Adam you need to measure the driveshaft and then subtract the numbers to be 100% correct.

 

[89MustangGX]

Adam you need to measure the driveshaft and then subtract the numbers to be 100% correct.

Thanks Rick -- any chance of getting an explanation? I assumed (apparently wrong) that I was just measuring the angle of the pinion there -- now I'm not sure what I really measured and if I'm even close or just way off. All this time I've been thinking I was all set. Not a big deal, and no extra work involved really, just didn't figure it was necessary and I could do it in one shot.

 

[Michael Yount]

Rick - your expertise is appreciated. I recently installed adjustable (and beefier) upper control arms in mine. My rear end set up is different from the Stang. It has a parallel upper/lower control arm (4-link) with Panhard rod for lateral location. Whoever did the original driveline set up did a pretty good job - I have almost a perfectly straight line from crank to driveshaft to pinion at stock ride height. Less than 1 degree difference anywhere.

I don't have any negative symptoms with the set up - it rides great, handles great, and has no wind up, wheel hop or driveline vibrations. Given that, and what seems to be a really good match on driveline angles, I simply measure the stock control arm length (eye to eye) and matched the length on the replacement arms. The install went well - just did one side at a time so that the line up of bolts would be a bit easier. Didn't have to do anything more than use a floor jack under the front of the rear end housing to very slightly lift the pinion to get bolt holes to line up. The whole thing only took about 30 minutes.

Results are that I can't tell that I changed anything - a good result I think. The stock arms are known to break under the v8 torque when abused. So the beefier ones seemed like a good idea.

Do you see any problems with any of that? Apologize in advance for the temporary thread hijack!