Help with alignment on a 18 with magneride and lowering springs

Mazman · May 24, 2018

Hi guys

I have a 18 with the parts in my signature installed.
The dealer put the parts on and did state that they have loosened all bolts with rubber bushings and re-torquing them prior to doing the alignment. Not sure though how I can check this.

Now to my "problem"

The handling of the car is rather unsettled, during acceleration on the freeway it moves side to side, the same when braking not sure if it is the wider wheels and that the roads have groves or if it is the alignment or both...

I have not own a Mustang previously but the rear end even with the 295 Michelin PS4S, magneride and FP lower springs it is very loose, it looses traction really easy in normal mode....

Are there any guidelines for camber, caster and toe after lowering. I have attached the result from the dealer alignment.

MrWolf · May 24, 2018

[MENTION=31616]Mazman[/MENTION] if you want similar handling conditions as to before lowering with springs, make sure alignment was back to spec. One of your rears is way off. This may be giving you the imbalance.

As you know I’ve had the same springs fitted on mine. I haven’t had the alignment checked yet, but I certainly don’t get what you are descending. It does feel very slightly stiffer then the OEM springs but I think this is a good thing and overall feels more planted.

Get another shop to check and adjust your rear camber because that is certainly wrong

Mazman · May 24, 2018

Thanks for the input!

I am dropping it off at another shop on monday, however I am not sure how good they are on Mustangs, he was a bit uncertain of the adjustability on the rear on the Mustang.

I never drove the car with the standard springs so I cannot compare either....

So you think as close to stock as possible? Looking at the stock setup there was quite a bit of difference between L and R on the rear.

You know of any genereal recommendations of angles?

MrWolf said:
[MENTION=31616]Mazman[/MENTION] if you want similar handling conditions as to before lowering with springs, make sure alignment was back to spec. One of your rears is way off. This may be giving you the imbalance.

As you know I’ve had the same springs fitted on mine. I haven’t had the alignment checked yet, but I certainly don’t get what you are descending. It does feel very slightly stiffer then the OEM springs but I think this is a good thing and overall feels more planted.

Get another shop to check and adjust your rear camber because that is certainly wrong

MrWolf · May 24, 2018

Mazman said:
Thanks for the input!

I am dropping it off at another shop on monday, however I am not sure how good they are on Mustangs, he was a bit uncertain of the adjustability on the rear on the Mustang.

I never drove the car with the standard springs so I cannot compare either....

So you think as close to stock as possible? Looking at the stock setup there was quite a bit of difference between L and R on the rear.

You know of any genereal recommendations of angles?

As long as you don't get any poke, I would aim for -1.5 deg on the rears (same as stock).

The rears have quite a wide adjustment availability and is pretty simple.

The fronts don't have any method of adjustment. You will need camber bolts or plates. However, looking at your results, the front camber looks fine. Its the rears that need looking.

Maybe PM [MENTION=27078]Paul@PKAUTODESIGN[/MENTION] he will certainly be able to guide you

Southview · May 24, 2018

If I am reading your specs correctly. Your rear toe needs to go back into the negative, not positive. Positive toe in the rear makes it want to dance around. I would put the rear toe about -.10 each side to keep the rear end straight when under hard acceleration.
What I suggest. Get rear camber set somewhere to -1.1 - -1.5. Try to keep them as close side to side as possible. Rear toe between -.05 and -.10. Thrust should be 0.
Front camber is fine, but front toe I would like to be in the range of -.01 and -.05. If you like your steering more responsive stay closer to the -.02 side.

wildcatgoal · May 24, 2018

1/16 total toe IN front and rear. Even out camber on the rear.

MrWolf · May 24, 2018

[MENTION=31616]Mazman[/MENTION]
Show the following to whoever your getting to redo the alignment and you can’t go far wrong:-
Ford factory specification is:
Front camber: -1.03
Front total toe: 0.00
Rear camber: -1.50
Rear total toe: +0.23

Concrete GT · May 27, 2018

I wouldn't think 3/4 of an inch drop would even require any alignment adjustments. I did a 1" Eibach spring drop on my 15 GT and had a 275/10 front and 325/11 rear wheel and tire set up and never touched it....straight as an arrow until the day she was totaled.

My 18 has the MagnaRide and I plan on doing the FRPP 5300W springs also. I know the shop has to do a ride height calibration adjustment but was hoping that would be all that was required???

Does anyone know if the stock springs are linear? I see the 5300W is and was hoping not to change the ride to drastically?

NightmareMoon · May 27, 2018

It sounds like the dealership was saying they tried to clock the bushings by tightening things down after the install and before the alighnment, but who knows if they missed something. The alignment sheet doesn't look like it should be misbehaving much.

if its unsettled and moving side to side, is that because the rear tires are slipping? or it just does that when the tires are planted. MY'18 cars have a ton of torque and MP4S tires are good, but they're not magic. They're going to slip/powerslide in low gears on standard or crappy pavement.

If the tires are slipping, then you're just hammering it too hard and the rears are spinning. It should gently go side to side and self-center as the tires re-grip.

If its going side to side when the rear is pretty well planted, then something might be loose. Get the bolts checked for proper torque and realigned someplace good. No point in trying to get the dealership to fix it if they can't be trusted to do it right in the first place. If you do go get it checked someplace, definitely have them adjust the rear toe to be more even. The rear is adjustable if they know where to do it, but its not obvious (at least that was the case on the 15-18s)

Stiffer springs aren't going to improve traction on a hard launch, and will probably make it a little harder to find grip.

Mazman · May 27, 2018

Not sure if they did or not. The car feels spungy in the rear ...

It is on highway pulls where the car moves side to side, no traction issue at those speeds. I have tried a couple of launches on the street no wheels spin. But as son as I am in a corner and give it some it looses traction rather easy even in normal mode. Not sure how much slip the electronics allow in normal mode.

Also during braking the car moves slot. Again not sure if the roads, combination of the wider track the alignment, or combination of all three.

I have an appointment tomorrow at a shop will ask them to put the rear toe and camber as close as possible to stock?

Not sure what can be done on the front. Camber is not possible but toe?

NightmareMoon said:
It sounds like the dealership was saying they tried to clock the bushings by tightening things down after the install and before the alighnment, but who knows if they missed something. The alignment sheet doesn't look like it should be misbehaving much.

if its unsettled and moving side to side, is that because the rear tires are slipping? or it just does that when the tires are planted. MY'18 cars have a ton of torque and MP4S tires are good, but they're not magic. They're going to slip/powerslide in low gears on standard or crappy pavement.

If the tires are slipping, then you're just hammering it too hard and the rears are spinning. It should gently go side to side and self-center as the tires re-grip.

If its going side to side when the rear is pretty well planted, then something might be loose. Get the bolts checked for proper torque and realigned someplace good. No point in trying to get the dealership to fix it if they can't be trusted to do it right in the first place. If you do go get it checked someplace, definitely have them adjust the rear toe to be more even. The rear is adjustable if they know where to do it, but its not obvious (at least that was the case on the 15-18s)

Stiffer springs aren't going to improve traction on a hard launch, and will probably make it a little harder to find grip.

Mazman · May 28, 2018

They where not able to adjust the camber.....
The bolt was loosened but without any luck.

Maybe I should just buy adjustable arms.

Mazman · Jun 1, 2018

Did a new alignment today at another shop.

It looks somewhat better right?

Guess there is not much more to do without camber bolts/plats on the front and camber arms for the rear?

Also the before nr looks really strange with regards to the camber, or maybe they are correct and thats is why the cars swirling around on the road?
I have not been able to test yet

//Maz

w3rkn · Jun 8, 2018

Is it better now... ?

Mazman · Jun 9, 2018

w3rkn said:
Is it better now... ?

I did the alignment on the Friday and on the Monday I left the car at a Ford dealer for other issues. The car is still there. It felt better but I need more miles.

I will be doing the clocking of bushings and do a new alignment. Don't feel confident that this was done initially. The right rear wheel don't sit the same as the left one with my eyemeasure.

Also the car is really unstable during hard braking. I did break hard and let's say if my hands would have not been on the wheel I would have been in the ditch it is that bad, I have to really countersteer.

Again not sure if it is the roads the studded winter tires have created a lot of grooves and that in conjunction with the wider tires is a bad combo. I have to find a really flat surface and try the same to rule out that my breaks are uneven in the bias.

Roadway 5.0 · Jun 9, 2018

Mazman said:
Did a new alignment today at another shop.

It looks somewhat better right?

Guess there is not much more to do without camber bolts/plats on the front and camber arms for the rear?

Also the before nr looks really strange with regards to the camber, or maybe they are correct and thats is why the cars swirling around on the road?
I have not been able to test yet

//Maz

That’s about as good as it can get with your setup. It’s very symmetrical. I do personally prefer a bit of toe-in on the fronts, but you’ll be fine at 0.00.

Help with alignment on a 18 with magneride and lowering springs

Mazman

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MrWolf

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Mazman

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MrWolf

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Southview

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wildcatgoal

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MrWolf

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Concrete GT

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NightmareMoon

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Mazman

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Mazman

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Mazman

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w3rkn

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Mazman

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Roadway 5.0

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