This thread is to help you better understand the basics on your mustangs suspension, and what to look at when upgrading.
there is a lot you can do to improve your car's traction and handleing. there is an enduring flaw in the mustangs 4 link suspension
design that should be addressed. you can do a little or a lot, this thread is to help you understand what I think works well, and what doesn't, based on my experience.
What is the stock suspension?
Let me tell you from firsthand experience that the mustang's suspension is not a simple as you may think.
Good explanation of components and function LOOK HERE > http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm
Problems:
The stock mustang suffers from soft bushings, and poor rear control arm geometry. Wheel hop, axle deflection, body flex and a tall ride height.
Can you say mediocure handling?
Front Suspension Definition:
Rear Suspension Definition:
you can do a little or a lot to improve your car's ride and handling.
I've done and redone my car's entire suspension. and learned a lot along the way.
I currently have all MM parts because I found them to be well made and provide me with the performance and peace of mind that I want.
I have tried Steeda, Grannitelli and QA1.
Major differences on my ride vs the standard lowerd mustang is that I run coil-overs and 3-link rear (Torque arm) with a panhard rod.
The handling is so far superior to the car as it was. it's stable, predictable and corners so solid. launches are straight and rear traction is vastly improved. you have to feel it to believe it.
WHERE TO START!
Most mustang owners start with lowering their car, for appearance and handeling, and upgrade or replace their worn out LCA's.
You'd be surprised how much better your car feels lowered, with wider/better tires!!
Checking out parts:
I've seen a lot of threads and hype about parts over the years.
I'd offer this advice:
1 - there is a big difference between forum opinion or regurgitation of information and someone who has actually done the upgrade.
2 - just because someone has done a suspension upgrade and tells you "it's great" or "it's fine" doesn't necessarily mean that's
true, or mean that's the right part for your car. GET FEEDBACK. I learned the hard way on this one...
3 - I recommend you check with Maximum Motorsports or Griggs. they engineer, build and test their parts, and explain why it works better. I appreciate that.
MM has been super helpful on the phone with me, and their site has great info. They've even helped me with questions about other manufacturers parts!
4 - Cheaper parts, are just that, Cheap - poor quality, little or no design work, crappy assembly.
DON"T BELIEVE ALL THE SALES HYPE out there!!
Is your car an 4 x 4 in disguise?
Lowering springs!! Check our lowering spring picture database : http://www.sn95forums.com/forum/index.php?topic=7175.0
Caster Camber plates:
also look into caster camber plates because with a decent drop your camber will be out and the stock adjustments arn't enough.
I suggest Maximum Motorsports CC plates. If your running coilovers, all the front weight of the car is sitting on the plates! so they are my only choice for coil over applications!
Control Arms
you may need A arms, lower or upper rear control arms.
I highly suggest you find out why you do not want solid or adjustable upper control arms on your STREET driven car!
Torque box reinforcements? if you need to reinforce the torque box of your car, there's something wrong there....
Your suspension should not bind up and warp the floor pan of your car! Solid uppers are better suited for drag racing vehicles.
I offer this bit of information from Maximum Motorsports web site to explain why: - rear suspension - lower control arms.
What this says for me is: For street driven applications, it will bind up and restrict the movement of your supsension as defined above.
IMO it's rediculous if you want any serious kind of street or cornering performance, good corner exit, and predicitability while accerating on an uneven road...
Beyond that you may want to look at updating the cars rear suspension with a panhard rod, watts link, and Torque arm.
My torque arm is my second favorite of all the mods I've done to my car!! Hellion turbo being #1.
Update: There is more information for DRAG RACING suspension setup below in post 14, and more detail for further combinations below that! Thanks to TRUUBLE and R3dn3ck for their input!
The mustang suspension has been around for a long time - and can be seriously improved.
Good modding to all! :wav:
there is a lot you can do to improve your car's traction and handleing. there is an enduring flaw in the mustangs 4 link suspension
design that should be addressed. you can do a little or a lot, this thread is to help you understand what I think works well, and what doesn't, based on my experience.
What is the stock suspension?
Let me tell you from firsthand experience that the mustang's suspension is not a simple as you may think.
Good explanation of components and function LOOK HERE > http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm
Problems:
The stock mustang suffers from soft bushings, and poor rear control arm geometry. Wheel hop, axle deflection, body flex and a tall ride height.
Can you say mediocure handling?
Front Suspension Definition:
The 1979-2004 Mustang front suspension consists of modified MacPherson struts with lower control arms (A-arms).
This suspension is compact, cheap to build and easy to service, but it is often criticized because (a) its geometry produces camber changes during vertical suspension movement and body roll that adversely affect handling and (b) the strut towers prevent designers from lowering the car's profile. The performance of the front suspension can be improved by installing stiffer springs and struts and by replacing rubber bushings in several locations with less compliant urethane bushings.
Rear Suspension Definition:
[IRS equipped cobras are obviously different]the 1979-2004 Mustang's 4-link rear suspension consists of a live rear axle held in position by upper and lower control arms, coil springs, and gas-filled shock absorbers. It includes an 8.8" traction lock rear, quad shocks (shocks & dampers), and a rear sway bar.
When the car leans (rolls) in a turn, one side of the chassis moves upward relative to the rear axle, the other side moves downward, and these non-parallel control arms must twist and change length axially to allow the axle to articulate. This causes the control arm bushings to bind. If this bind becomes excessive, it can raise the rear wheel rate and produce sudden, undesireable changes in handling
Ford minimizes this suspension bind by using compliant rubber bushings in both the upper and lower control arms. These relatively "soft" bushings acommodate the necessary motion of the control arms during body roll. However, they also permit wheel hop on hard launches and horizontal axle deflection in aggressive turns.
you can do a little or a lot to improve your car's ride and handling.
I've done and redone my car's entire suspension. and learned a lot along the way.
I currently have all MM parts because I found them to be well made and provide me with the performance and peace of mind that I want.
I have tried Steeda, Grannitelli and QA1.
Major differences on my ride vs the standard lowerd mustang is that I run coil-overs and 3-link rear (Torque arm) with a panhard rod.
The handling is so far superior to the car as it was. it's stable, predictable and corners so solid. launches are straight and rear traction is vastly improved. you have to feel it to believe it.
WHERE TO START!
Most mustang owners start with lowering their car, for appearance and handeling, and upgrade or replace their worn out LCA's.
You'd be surprised how much better your car feels lowered, with wider/better tires!!
Checking out parts:
I've seen a lot of threads and hype about parts over the years.
I'd offer this advice:
1 - there is a big difference between forum opinion or regurgitation of information and someone who has actually done the upgrade.
2 - just because someone has done a suspension upgrade and tells you "it's great" or "it's fine" doesn't necessarily mean that's
true, or mean that's the right part for your car. GET FEEDBACK. I learned the hard way on this one...
3 - I recommend you check with Maximum Motorsports or Griggs. they engineer, build and test their parts, and explain why it works better. I appreciate that.
MM has been super helpful on the phone with me, and their site has great info. They've even helped me with questions about other manufacturers parts!
4 - Cheaper parts, are just that, Cheap - poor quality, little or no design work, crappy assembly.
DON"T BELIEVE ALL THE SALES HYPE out there!!
Is your car an 4 x 4 in disguise?
Lowering springs!! Check our lowering spring picture database : http://www.sn95forums.com/forum/index.php?topic=7175.0
Caster Camber plates:
also look into caster camber plates because with a decent drop your camber will be out and the stock adjustments arn't enough.
I suggest Maximum Motorsports CC plates. If your running coilovers, all the front weight of the car is sitting on the plates! so they are my only choice for coil over applications!
Control Arms
you may need A arms, lower or upper rear control arms.
I highly suggest you find out why you do not want solid or adjustable upper control arms on your STREET driven car!
Torque box reinforcements? if you need to reinforce the torque box of your car, there's something wrong there....
Your suspension should not bind up and warp the floor pan of your car! Solid uppers are better suited for drag racing vehicles.
I offer this bit of information from Maximum Motorsports web site to explain why: - rear suspension - lower control arms.
Most aftermarket rear control arms use hard 2-piece urethane bushings, Delrin bushings, or steel bushings. Those types of bushings do not allow the angularity needed for the Mustang̢۪s suspension to articulate freely. The resulting suspension bind causes the rear tires to break loose very easily. Suspension bind not only causes poor handling and poor traction, but it also causes damage to the torque-boxes. As the attachment points on the chassis for the rear control arms, the torque-boxes can suffer greatly from the abuse of poorly designed control arm bushings. After all, the torque boxes are only made of folded sheet metal.....
AND
....In the Mustangs rear suspension design, whether it is still the stock 4-link suspension design, or has been modified to a Torque-arm or three-link design, the control arms do not simply pivot. The arms also move sideways, with an angular motion (relative to the pivot axis). If that angular motion is restricted because of a poor bushing design, the suspension will bind. While some aftermarket control arms may seem to improve performance because of reduced bushing compliance, it is only improved to a level slightly higher than the stock control arms. Once the car is pushed past that level, the increased wheel rate from the suspension bind will cause unpredictable handling– not to mention damage to the torque boxes.
What this says for me is: For street driven applications, it will bind up and restrict the movement of your supsension as defined above.
IMO it's rediculous if you want any serious kind of street or cornering performance, good corner exit, and predicitability while accerating on an uneven road...
Beyond that you may want to look at updating the cars rear suspension with a panhard rod, watts link, and Torque arm.
My torque arm is my second favorite of all the mods I've done to my car!! Hellion turbo being #1.
Update: There is more information for DRAG RACING suspension setup below in post 14, and more detail for further combinations below that! Thanks to TRUUBLE and R3dn3ck for their input!
The mustang suspension has been around for a long time - and can be seriously improved.
Good modding to all! :wav: