Control Arm Question

[Edgemere]

Greetings,

I have a 2022 Mustang GT Premium. It did not come with the Ford Performance Pack. So far, I have upgraded my car with a BMR rear 25MM sway bar and a Steeda tower brace. My next upgrade in the Spring will be Steeda Pro Action non adjustable struts, Steeda Minimal Drop springs, and their rear shock mounts. I am going this way because I only want to drop the car .05" and other Ford Performance suspension kits drop the car to low for my liking. I am being told that adjustable Chamber plates will not work since I installed the Steeda tower brace.

My questions should I leave the factor control arms in place? Or should I upgrade those too? Also, what are your thoughts about rear toe links? This whole thing is is just getting a bit out of control and too expensive for me. Where do you draw the line without rebuilding the whole car? I am never going to track my car or take it to a drag strip. It is a daily Summer driver. I just want a car that is more fun driving on the winding roads in my area, and taking a clover leaf at higher speeds to freak my wife out a bit. Your thoughts, please.

Thanks, Edgemere

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[NightmareMoon]

Unless you personally can by driving the car that there's a specific issue which you want to fix, then don't buy the part. Save your money for problems you have personally experienced which are worth it to you to change.

You don't have to spend a dime on the car.

Skip the rear shock mounts. They're basically imperceptible. There's so much confirmation bias going on with small parts like this its ridiculous. Skip all the additional braces, bearings, and 'upgraded' parts unless there's a specific problem you've experienced that you know that part will improve.

IDK who's telling you that you can't do camber plates. That's not true, most camber plates will work fine with the strut tower brace. Still, skip those if you like, for a 100% street car with nearly no drop they're absolutely not needed. If you want more camber for those highway ramps, then sure you can add some. I don't really care, more camber helps handling, but if you want to keep the expenses down, you can absolutely skip them.

I'll step aside now and let everyone else tell you how a few braces in the rear suspension saved their marriage and put their grandkids through Harvard.

 

[Edgemere]

Thanks for your feedback. I was told by a reputable shop that the tower brace is in the way, as it is now connected to the top bolts where the chamber plate would need to be installed. I just want to improve the handling of my car so it is a bit more fun. I will never track this car. I was hoping to do this with just springs alone. The info I have received is advising me to redo the whole suspension system. I love my car, but I wish it would have come with the Ford Performance Package. My 2022 GT Premium is a great car, bought it with 503 miles on it so I was unable to pick some additional options. Trade offs.

Edgemere

 

[NightmareMoon]

A bunch of camber plates install *under* the shock tower, so theres not fitment issues possible with stuff that bolts onto the top side like the strut tower brace. Some have parts on top but I’d say thats less common. Moral of the story is it depends on the brand and it helps to talk specifics.

Mild springs and good shocks with your existing front swaybar is a good plan. If you want to spend om camber plates, you can do that but if they’re trying to put camber plates on to get back to stock camber, you dont need those, trust me.

 

[Edgemere]

Looking at negative one on the chamber.....

 

[kz]

Thanks for your feedback. I was told by a reputable shop that the tower brace is in the way, as it is now connected to the top bolts where the chamber plate would need to be installed.
Edgemere

There is nothing reputable about it as they have no idea what they're talking about. I would never go back there.

I second what Nightmaremoon have said - a lot of people replace parts to replace parts - which is fine, but it's also a good way to make car worse. They don't have specific issue they're trying to fix.

There is no reason to replace rear bar alone but most do it because it's much easier than front.

OEM toe links are just fine, aftermarket one only provide different way to adjust toe and literally _nothing_else.

My favorite term used by aftermarket part manufacturers is "better performance". Means exactly nothing.

You can install camber plates but for one degree of negative camber it is not worth it as you will not ever notice that difference and most alignment shops will decline to work if adjustments are anything different than what Ford manual calls for.

Springs are fine if they have higher rates than what you have - you will actually feel it but pair them with dampers that can handle higher rate.

 

[tosha]

I was told by a reputable shop that the tower brace is in the way, as it is now connected to the top bolts where the chamber plate would need to be installed.

Jeez, run away from them and don't look back. They just want to pump as much mone as they can from you.

I just want to improve the handling of my car so it is a bit more fun

What aspect of handling do you want to improve or not happy about? In general, if you want to go faster, better tires and brakes would have best ROI. Then this:

Mild springs and good shocks with your existing front swaybar is a good plan

I wish it would have come with the Ford Performance Package

PP1 doesn't bring good handling. For the price that they ask for it, it's not even funny, it's a complete BS. It used to have good value at some point, but not now.

 

[Edgemere]

Thanks for all of you great comments. I agree that just adding parts can make thing worse. I just wanted to do a few simple things to my base suspension to make it a bit more responsive without rebuilding the whole thing. It seems like it is all or nothing.

Edgemere

 

[Chicken hawk]

Throw some aftermarket rims and wider performance tires and some springs and you will be taking clover leafs on the highway like a Indy race car. Don’t go past 1.5” drop and a good alignment shop should get you in decent spec. Oh and try camber bolts for the front it definitely wouldn’t hurt.

 

[paulm1]

Greetings,

I have a 2022 Mustang GT Premium. It did not come with the Ford Performance Pack. So far, I have upgraded my car with a BMR rear 25MM sway bar and a Steeda tower brace. My next upgrade in the Spring will be Steeda Pro Action non adjustable struts, Steeda Minimal Drop springs, and their rear shock mounts. I am going this way because I only want to drop the car .05" and other Ford Performance suspension kits drop the car to low for my liking. I am being told that adjustable Chamber plates will not work since I installed the Steeda tower brace.

My questions should I leave the factor control arms in place? Or should I upgrade those too? Also, what are your thoughts about rear toe links? This whole thing is is just getting a bit out of control and too expensive for me. Where do you draw the line without rebuilding the whole car? I am never going to track my car or take it to a drag strip. It is a daily Summer driver. I just want a car that is more fun driving on the winding roads in my area, and taking a clover leaf at higher speeds to freak my wife out a bit. Your thoughts, please.

Thanks, Edgemere

Forget the springs susp components for now. Tires are your biggest bang for the buck to improve handling. Put some 305's on with whatever rims you want. Then get a performance alignment, camber bolts are a cheap effective way. To get to -2 degrees of camber up front.

 

[K4fxd]

Springs will stop brake dive. Better dampers will control them. Camber plates will allow more camber, I like -2 or slightly more. Caster bearing in front will give precise steering and better road feel. PP1 braces will firm up the chassis, better driver confidence.

Rear

IRS braces and bushing inserts will improve driver confidence, the rear cradle will be stationary. Control arm poly bushings or bearings will improve road feel and driver confidence due to predictable behavior. Same with vertical links.

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

This is one of those things where if you have the suspension apart anyways, you might as well spend the $300 on the PP control arms at least and replace them. Each part is going to take an incremental amount of slop out of the suspension, which out of the factory is VERY soft. These cars are so soft and isolated that you don't run a huge risk in going overboard and having a crazy harsh and loud ride.

 

[BlownGP]

You can stop whenever you hands you the divorce papers. hahaah

Like said. Wheels/tires and lowering springs will make the biggest improvement in handling.
The rest helps but won't be as noticeable unless you are on a track.

Other than handling, the BMR lock out kit made a drastic difference with how the car feels, especially from a dig. One of the best mods I've done.

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

Wheels and tires are always a huge upgrade of course, but exactly like you said you want to pair them with stiffer springs or it'll be even more body roll.

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