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3 Steps to Obliterate "Bounce"

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I've owned my 2016 GT PP for about 2.5 years now, and I am proud to report that the notorious rear "bounce" of the S550 has been completely obliterated in my car. Here are the steps I took and the relevance of each fix:

1) Springs/Dampers: It is nothing new to hear that the dampers in the 15-17GTPP were not paired well with the springs. In stock trim it would feel at times like my car was a high-school-kid-owned low-rider complete with blown shocks and heated-to-lower springs. This feeling was especially noticeable when driving over the odd pavement that resides in tunnels and on bridges at higher speeds. I installed Ultralite Springs and ProAction dampers and my car became glued to the road; the only remaining bounce I felt was slight, and was only present at very low speeds.

2) Shock Mounts: I added these a few months after dampers and springs and the resonance frequency of the remaining "bounce" changed, almost to a point of complete obliteration. These bits helped provide more of the "one and done" sensation.

3) Tires: This is actually a new serendipitous development (for me) in my quest to destroy the dreaded "bounce". I changed to my winter tires a month or so ago (from the OEM Pzeros) and was amazed that the ever-so-slight-bit of bounce I had left (only felt at 35mph or lower and on rare occasion) was gone. I thought it odd that a tire change could have this influence, and then I read the following article while searching for new summer tires:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=223

The Pirelli's ability to isolate the driver from small impacts was unparalleled in this test, but repetitive bumps created a resonance that continued after the initial impact, making it feel a little unsettled.
Low and behold, the remaining last bit of slow-speed bounce wasn't the suspension at all, but the tires. I seriously wouldn't have guessed. My compulsive psyche was pondering root causes from a general chassis design flaw to the no-spare-tire rear-axle weight differences in the PPGT. Alas, replacing the OEM tires was the final step to completely obliterate the "bounce" from reality.

So there you have it: 3 concise steps to bring your Mustang into the land of the refined ride. I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving and travel safe.

- Mike
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SteedaTech

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I've owned my 2016 GT PP for about 2.5 years now, and I am proud to report that the notorious rear "bounce" of the S550 has been completely obliterated in my car. Here are the steps I took and the relevance of each fix:
1) Springs/Dampers: It is nothing new to hear that the dampers in the 15-17GTPP were not paired well with the springs. In stock trim it would feel at times like my car was a high-school-kid-owned low-rider complete with blown shocks and heated-to-lower springs. This feeling was especially noticeable when driving over the odd pavement that resides in tunnels and on bridges at higher speeds. I installed Ultralite Springs and ProAction dampers and my car became glued to the road; the only remaining bounce I felt was slight, and was only present at very low speeds.

2) Shock Mounts: I added these a few months after dampers and springs and the resonance frequency of the remaining "bounce" changed, almost to a point of complete obliteration. These bits helped provide more of the "one and done" sensation.

3) Tires: This is actually a new serendipitous development (for me) in my quest to destroy the dreaded "bounce". I changed to my winter tires a month or so ago (from the OEM Pzeros) and was amazed that the ever-so-slight-bit of bounce I had left (only felt at 35mph or lower and on rare occasion) was gone. I thought it odd that a tire change could have this influence, and then I read the following article while searching for new summer tires:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=223



Low and behold, the remaining last bit of slow-speed bounce wasn't the suspension at all, but the tires. I seriously wouldn't have guessed. My compulsive psyche was pondering root causes from a general chassis design flaw to the no-spare-tire rear-axle weight differences in the PPGT. Alas, replacing the OEM tires was the final step to completely obliterate the "bounce" from reality.

So there you have it: 3 concise steps to bring your Mustang into the land of the refined ride. I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving and travel safe.

- Mike
Mike,excellent information! It’s obvious you are tuned to your S550! You are absolutely correct, tire constructions has a big effect on ride quality, especially sidewall construction.
Furthermore, the OE’s spend millions of dollars a year on evaluating different tire designs and ride quality! Steeda has been involved with the tire manufactures for the past 30 years providing feedback.

Team Steeda
 

tj@steeda

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Yes, what Steeda Tech said :)

 

NightmareMoon

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How to fix in 1) step - Install decent shocks. Done.

You certainly don't need springs. Properly dampened stock springs are fine.

Even the rear shocks mounts aren't "needed" to cure bounce, although for hard low speed bumps, the rear shock mounts certainly help. ... but wouldn't call that kind of jarring bump 'bounce', and when people talk about bounce (usually on the highway), that's not what they mean.
 

BmacIL

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How to fix in 1) step - Install decent shocks. Done.

You certainly don't need springs. Properly dampened stock springs are fine.

Even the rear shocks mounts aren't "needed" to cure bounce, although for hard low speed bumps, the rear shock mounts certainly help. ... but wouldn't call that kind of jarring bump 'bounce', and when people talk about bounce (usually on the highway), that's not what they mean.
The highway bounce from small, but higher frequency bumps (expansion joints for instance) is significantly reduced changing nothing but the shock mounts. I did that as a lone change in Mar 2017 and it was a dramatic change. Proper damping is needed though, and I completely agree that springs aren't needed to cure bounce. Trimming the rear bumpstops on stock springs about 1/4" or so also helps this, as the car is on them almost all the time.
 
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Strassejager
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It wasn’t my intent to suggest that springs needed to be changed to reduce bounce; just that the dampers need to pair well with the springs you have or will purchase.

The OEM PP setup didn’t match well in many aspects of ride quality; most of all bounce and vagueness.
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