Clearance issue with magnaride and ajustable swaybar links.

[smokescreens]

2018 gt with pp1/magnaride. Steeda swaybars and endlinks. Steeda says the clear other than the end holes but the end links appear to me like they will get hung in the wires to me.

Did i not do something i was supposed to or what?

Also sitting on steeda ultimate track springs and extended ball joints

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[AvalancheSVT]

i'd be real iffy about making changes like this to a magneride car in any case.
does anybody have a 100% lock on how the brain works out what the shocks should be set to?

 

[cmxPPL219]

A while back, some other members who installed the Steeda adj. front endlinks and front sway bars had the same issue - try removing the bar-end of the endlink and re-mounting it so that the the threaded bolt/nut is facing outward, instead of inward, how you have it now (i.e., reverse the orientation)

Note: I also have the Steeda front endlinks installed, though on stock PP2 front bars, and obviously also have Magenride, so I don't have the same issue as you, paired with the Steeda front bar)

Also - not sure if your pics were in-progress, but noticed your jam nuts on the end links are not tightened to the sway bar main body/shaft - should be fully tight or you can get knocking sounds.

 

[cmxPPL219]

i'd be real iffy about making changes like this to a magneride car in any case.
does anybody have a 100% lock on how the brain works out what the shocks should be set to?

It's a valid question, but it's perfectly safe. More reputable aftermarket companies like Steeda, and then also Ford Performance themselves, all have suspension upgrades for the Magneride cars, like lowering springs, sway bars, etc., and there's no ill-effects of upgrading. I don't know the full technical details, but what I do know is Magneride is programmed in such a way that there are certain "boundaries" that it operates within and can accept, being paired with physical suspension hardware specs; any specs out of those, and things won't work right or be ideal (unless the Magneride calibration is custom reprogrammed to certain non-magneride compatible parts, but not many I've seen have done something like this), but again, the aftermarket companies who know their stuff won't make it so there are issues. For example, that Steeda front adj. sway bar OP installed - Steeda states to not use the softest setting for Magneride cars - this is because they designed it around knowledge of knowing what limitations Magneride can function within, with changed physical hardware.

 

[AvalancheSVT]

It's a valid question, but it's perfectly safe. More reputable aftermarket companies like Steeda, and then also Ford Performance themselves, all have suspension upgrades for the Magneride cars, like lowering springs, sway bars, etc., and there's no ill-effects of upgrading. I don't know the full technical details, but what I do know is Magneride is programmed in such a way that there are certain "boundaries" that it operates within and can accept, being paired with physical suspension hardware specs; any specs out of those, and things won't work right or be ideal (unless the Magneride calibration is custom reprogrammed to certain non-magneride compatible parts, but not many I've seen have done something like this), but again, the aftermarket companies who know their stuff won't make it so there are issues. For example, that Steeda front adj. sway bar OP installed - Steeda states to not use the softest setting for Magneride cars - this is because they designed it around knowledge of knowing what limitations Magneride can function within, with changed physical hardware.

ford racing includes a little computer to reflash the tune for the magneride when you change out those parts in their kit, though.

 

[cmxPPL219]

ford racing includes a little computer to reflash the tune for the magneride when you change out those parts in their kit, though.

Depends on what FP stuff you get. For example, I installed the M-5300-W FP Magneride lowering springs - springs only. These were made to be compatible with OEM Magneride GT Mustangs, including PP1, PP2 and also GT350, but it does not require re-calibrating. The ride height drop and spring rate changes are such that the factory Magneride calibration can accept the hardware change.

Now, some other FP kits you do mention, you're right, do include the recalibration tool for Magneride, because whatever the hardware spec changes are, and what application FP is saying they're compatible with, do require the re-cal for the Magneride to function optimally.

Edit:
The FP M-9602-M includes the Magneride (aka VDM) re-calibration tool - it uses the same standalone M-5300-W Magneride springs I got, but also includes front and rear away bars. So in this case, the springs, coupled with the more aggressive bars as a set, FP says you need to re-cal so things work right, depending on the Mustang version.
This is an installation note from FP for this kit M-9602-M:
"Customers with a Performance Pack 2 equipped or GT350 Mustang can upgrade by installing only the M-5300-W Spring Kit and M-5490-G Sway Bar Kit. The VDM Software is NOT to be used with a Performance Pack 2 equipped or GT350 Shelby Mustang."

 

[smokescreens]

A while back, some other members who installed the Steeda adj. front endlinks and front sway bars had the same issue - try removing the bar-end of the endlink and re-mounting it so that the the threaded bolt/nut is facing outward, instead of inward, how you have it now (i.e., reverse the orientation)

Note: I also have the Steeda front endlinks installed, though on stock PP2 front bars, and obviously also have Magenride, so I don't have the same issue as you, paired with the Steeda front bar)

Also - not sure if your pics were in-progress, but noticed your jam nuts on the end links are not tightened to the sway bar main body/shaft - should be fully tight or you can get knocking sounds.

Thank you. Im working with steeda as well currently. Sent over the pictures and im waiting on a reply. Install is in progress and that is the reason the jamb nuts are backed off. But thank you for noticing and saying something.

 

[TeeLew]

i'd be real iffy about making changes like this to a magneride car in any case.
does anybody have a 100% lock on how the brain works out what the shocks should be set to?

Yes, and he's fine.

 

[TeeLew]

If it's just the cabling making contact, see if you can re-route them. If it's a hard point contact, you essentially can't use that position of the FARB. Possibly Steeda has a work-around.

 

[tj@steeda]

Running this by our tech team - I'll will message you with feedback.

Thank you,

TJ

 

[RAVAGE88]

Have you put weight on the wheels and checked clearance? I have the Steeda Bar and Adjustable End Links as well with Magneride. With the front suspension in a sag, there was less clearance, but when I put weight on the wheels and turned lock to lock, gobs of room.

With the hole you’re using on the bar, did you move the top of the link to the forward hole on the strut?

MB

 

[smokescreens]

Have you put weight on the wheels and checked clearance? I have the Steeda Bar and Adjustable End Links as well with Magneride. With the front suspension in a sag, there was less clearance, but when I put weight on the wheels and turned lock to lock, gobs of room.

With the hole you’re using on the bar, did you move the top of the link to the forward hole on the strut?

MB

Top position is in the same hole they came out of. I have not put weight on the car yet.

 

[RAVAGE88]

Top position is in the same hole they came out of. I have not put weight on the car yet.

Ok, I had to use the front end link mount hole in the strut (also a note in Steeda’s instructions about this, but more geometry related than clearance). I had a slight squeak using the rear strut hole and after changing the geometry a bit, slight squeak disappeared, but I also made some adjustments in the length of my end links.

For clearance, weight on the suspension made a big difference. Best I can tell though, there appears to be a few differences in your setup as I don’t have a PP car.

MB

 

[bankyf]

Depends on what FP stuff you get. For example, I installed the M-5300-W FP Magneride lowering springs - springs only. These were made to be compatible with OEM Magneride GT Mustangs, including PP1, PP2 and also GT350, but it does not require re-calibrating. The ride height drop and spring rate changes are such that the factory Magneride calibration can accept the hardware change.

Now, some other FP kits you do mention, you're right, do include the recalibration tool for Magneride, because whatever the hardware spec changes are, and what application FP is saying they're compatible with, do require the re-cal for the Magneride to function optimally.

Edit:
The FP M-9602-M includes the Magneride (aka VDM) re-calibration tool - it uses the same standalone M-5300-W Magneride springs I got, but also includes front and rear away bars. So in this case, the springs, coupled with the more aggressive bars as a set, FP says you need to re-cal so things work right, depending on the Mustang version.
This is an installation note from FP for this kit M-9602-M:
"Customers with a Performance Pack 2 equipped or GT350 Mustang can upgrade by installing only the M-5300-W Spring Kit and M-5490-G Sway Bar Kit. The VDM Software is NOT to be used with a Performance Pack 2 equipped or GT350 Shelby Mustang."

I believe the re-cal is actually just the PP2/GT350 suspension tuning. It is certainly not required, as I ran the kit for a while without flashing the calibration and had no issues at all.

 

[smokescreens]

Ok. Finally had a day off. I flipped the lower end to the back side of the sway bar. I need to wait for my wife so she can turn the wheel back and forth but it seams unless i have enough room for adjustment the blue center section is hitting the sway bar at full lock turns with the suspension at full extension. As well as the ends dont really seam to articulate the range in degrees that is needed. Again i will be able to double check everything when i have help to turn the wheel.

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