What causes sloppy handling??

Cobain03 · Dec 16, 2007

My car has very sloppy handling and you have to really pay attention at 70 mph+. i was wanting to freshen everything up with a nice aftermarket setup but dont know where to begin.

i thought about one of these grab-a-track kits and that will lower it about an 1inch which would help at higher speeds as well.

http://www.mustangsplus.com/xcart/product.php?productid=1531&cat=2080&page=1

12sec67 · Dec 16, 2007

that kit will help quite bit, but you need to realize that if you throw that kit on it could still wander going down the freeway. you need to check the rest of the suspension and make sure that all parts are in good working order.

check the steering parts and even the stud rod bushings and upper and lower control arms.

enferno · Dec 16, 2007

another key factor is the alignment!

most tire shops set alignment to factory ford settings, which are for bias ply tires. no good now that we have radials. do a search and educate yourself in the field . .

my car was sloppy, and all i did was align it properly and no more bump steer or wandering at highway speeds.

i did +2* caster both sides
0 degrees camber both sides
and 1/8" toe in on each side (0.26 degrees each side)

mustang6tee8 · Dec 17, 2007

The real reason? Reeeeeeally old "technology" that, and the fact that the Mustang wasn't originally supposed to tear up the track like a newer GT/Cobra can.

D.Hearne · Dec 17, 2007

Sloppy handling is a result of sloppy steering and/or suspension. Back when I rebuilt the suspension on my big block Stang, afterwards, it handled almost as well as my 06 GT Stang. In the same highway curves, both were nearly equal in terms of how fast either could take the same curves.

Helmantel · Dec 17, 2007

mustang6tee8 said:
The real reason? Reeeeeeally old "technology" that, and the fact that the Mustang wasn't originally supposed to tear up the track like a newer GT/Cobra can.

Usually, the problem is worn components and a poor alignment, rather than the technology itself.

With everything (which means 100%, not 90%) tight, a new or rebuilt steering box, proper alignment and a good set of tires, these cars should drive straight and predictable. Handling won't be impressive with everything stock (but new/rebuilt), but it should not be a handful to keep on the road. I mean, Mustang buyers in the 60's may not have had high expectations, but I doubt if they would accept if they hardly could keep their brand new car on the road at a mere 75 MPH

Then there are of course a lot of things to improve the handling, but all the shocks, springs and sway bars in the world won't help if you still have, say, a worn steering box.

Cobain03 · Dec 17, 2007

so what all should i replace?

bnickel · Dec 17, 2007

Cobain03 said:
so what all should i replace?

nothing until you inspect the car and see what's causing the problem. throwing parts at the car until you finally get it fixed is not the way to do it.

Roddster67 · Dec 17, 2007

Unless, of course, you were planning a whole new suspension/steering replacement or rebuild in the near future anyway.

Hack · Dec 17, 2007

mustang6tee8 said:
The real reason? Reeeeeeally old "technology" that, and the fact that the Mustang wasn't originally supposed to tear up the track like a newer GT/Cobra can.

I disagree 100%.

If you have fresh parts in a '70 it will handle quite well. If you replace some rubber bushings with roller bearings (Opentracker!) it will handle even better. The newer Mustangs have front struts, which are actually INFERIOR to the original SLA suspension design in the original Mustangs. Struts are cheaper, though.

If you put in subframe connectors to stiffen the body and freshen up the suspension and steering you will be very happy with your Mustang's handling, in my opinion.

edit: the Shelby drop is not a bad idea, either.

ultrastang · Dec 17, 2007

In addition to replacing any worn steering/suspension parts, the car is still going to suffer due to the floppy nature of its unibody construction.

With no true frame underneath, the car will have more chassis flex compared to a vehicle that does have a true frame. The addition of an export brace, Monte Carlo bar, and sub frame connectors will help tremendously on controlling the unwanted body flex.

Cobain03 · Dec 17, 2007

hate to say this but can someone make a list for me? i'd love to put better things in there but wil go factory if you say i should.

pabear89 · Dec 17, 2007

Unless your going to do serious track time, A stock total refresh of a 40 yr plus front suspension would be first on the list.
The kit you have shown in your first post will only be as good as the steering parts.

A upper and lower arm set with new strut bushings.
roller spring perches and idler arm.
new tie rod ends and drag link ends.
any power assist components needed.

Add your kit for springs and bars with subframe connectors.

And your handling will greatly improve.

PB

bnickel · Dec 18, 2007

nobody's saying you have to put stock parts back in it but you should first determine the problem areas and replace or upgrade those parts first. there may not be anything wrong with the front end at all, you may just need an alignment, that's all we're trying to say. it won't hurt to rebuild the entire suspension for piece of mind but it may not be absolutely necessary. in other words you may find that you only need one or two parts replaced and and that might leave you more money to upgrade other things. see what i'm saying?

i would definitely recommend talking to Opentracker when you get ready to buy anything, he can set you up with anything you need from any of his roller line to plain old stock stuff, depending on your needs and budget.

Cobain03 · Dec 18, 2007

well i have excellent tire wear, so i think my alignment is fine.

bnickel · Dec 18, 2007

Cobain03 said:
well i have excellent tire wear, so i think my alignment is fine.

not necessarilly, you could have uneven caster and the tires will wear just fine, also if your tire wear is too good you probably don't have any negative camber which could help stabilize the car some at speed, for a street car probably 1/2-1 degree of negative camber will help a lot. for example my car wanders a bit right now with a completely rebuilt front and rear suspension with roller perches, 1" sway bar, 5 leaf rear and 750lb front coils because the caster is way uneven. i need to do some shock tower spreading to get the caster numbers back where they need to be. i guess the car sat too long with the shock tower braces off and sitting on the suspension while i restored it (10+years).

this is just my example and your results may vary but the point is don't automatically think that you have to rebuild the entire suspension without checking it over first, you may find it's something really simple that needs to be fixed or worse you could spend a lot of money on rebuilding everything and find you still have the problem. there's absolutely nothing wrong with upgrading and/or totally rebuilding a suspension but make sure you're doing it for the right reason and not throwing away a bunch of money because you may be disappointed in the results

Opentracker · Dec 18, 2007

Here is a list for you to check out. A kit like this one will give the car a one inch drop from stock, a nice ride with great handling.

1/4" Poly coil spring insulators
480 1" drop coil springs
Street Upper arms
Street Lower arms
Roller spring perches
Steering kit with roller idler arm
Strut rod bushings
KYB Front shocks
Grab-A-Track rear shocks
1 1/8" front sway bar kit
4.5 Mid eye 1" drop leaf springs with new U-Bolt, front eye bolt and rear shackle kit
Sub frames

I have a kit like this on my daily driver and it's a blast to drive.

John

viperx6x9x · Jan 11, 2008

anybody know where i can find suspension parts that fit a 69 fairlane. I'm having the same issues but all i ever see on websites is "fits such and such mustang" never anything saying it fits a fairlane.

We're starting with alignment and new tires first off since treadwear is obvious and they were used tires anyway just to get some rubber on the new 17"s. (used to run 14"s) but it was sloppy before the wheel/tire change. Steering box probly has a lot to do with my problems. Also sitting on level ground it always looked like the front driver side sits low like the shock or spring is just done for. Could that make a big difference in how it handles? either way it looks like crap and not much point in upgrading suspension on one corner of the car and leaving the other 3 factory original.

i've also heard of bolt in kits for a rack and pinnion setup. Is this worth messing with or is the regular setup going to handle better. Not necessarily trying to make a track car, but i want to be able to make a corner going faster than 5 mph (exaggerated but body roll is rediculous on this thing) of course sway bars and x braces and the like are going to be added as well. just want to make it handle a little sportier for lack of a better term.

Opentracker · Jan 11, 2008

We can get you anything you want. Send me an email - opentracker@sbcglobal.net

viperx6x9x · Jan 11, 2008

i need help figuring out what i need first. lol. Suspension and steering i have very little if any experience with. At the moment i'm building a rear end and i gotta get this project out of the way first. Sucks working on a car that's in texas when you're in virginia. i hate being in the military some times. i miss my baby. But i will e-mail you anyway so we can keep in touch on that. maybe you can help me get some ideas what direction to go with this stuff cuz suspension/steering is next on the list. im Hoping to have this thing complete or at least have all the parts waiting on me when i finally get to go back home in a few years.

What causes sloppy handling??

Cobain03

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12sec67

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enferno

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mustang6tee8

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D.Hearne

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Helmantel

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Cobain03

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