For Those That Have Installed Their Own Springs/Suspension Components.

[Highvolts]

Love your posts man and I still appreciate you letting me borrow the exhaust cutter

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[RAVAGE88]

Love your posts man and I still appreciate you letting me borrow the exhaust cutter

Thanks Dude and anytime....glad it worked out so well to get two X-Pipes where they belong; on our cars.

MB

 

[RAVAGE88]

Well, it looks like Steeda threw up on my car....everywhere you look, Steeda, Steeda, Steeda. The Dual Rate Springs, ProAction Struts and Billet Shock Mounts arrived on Wednesday and I was able to complete all of the work in the front and one side in the rear. I finished the remaining side in the rear this morning. I also installed the bump steer kit and lower control arms to deal with the change in roll center. The stance of the car is awesome and it goes in for alignment early tomorrow morning.

Now, a few details that may help some of you wanting to do this yourself. The rear springs were a bigger b*tch than I thought. Getting the factory springs out was much more difficult than getting the new springs in, largely because the new springs are shorter. None of my springs compressors would fit, so I dug through my "junk drawer" and found the old clamps I used to affix my camper top to my old grey truck. I put four clamps on the springs to compress them and they popped out pretty easily. I didn't need them to install the new springs.

Outside of removing the rear springs, everything else was simple nuts and bolts, properly laying out tools depending on what needed to be done and paying close attention to detail.

Measurement for setting up the Aluminum Outer Tie Rod for Bump Steer.

Front Strut Assembly with Adjustable Camber Plate

Front Driver Side

Shock Assemgly

Driver Side Rear Installed

Shop hack to remove rear springs

After removed

Before Spring and Strut Install

After quite a lot of satisfying time to wrench on my car

Hope this helps....

MB

 

[galaxy]

Would ruuullly ruullyyyy appreciate your feedback on the ultimate dual rate springs. Always seems to be some feedback/opinions that the rears are waaayyyy tooo stiff. And while I'm sure the bumpsteer kit is nice and adds to the total package, the springs arent enough of a drop to necessitate it, to my understanding, correct? Just something you wanted to do?

 

[RAVAGE88]

Would ruuullly ruullyyyy appreciate your feedback on the ultimate dual rate springs. Always seems to be some feedback/opinions that the rears are waaayyyy tooo stiff. And while I'm sure the bumpsteer kit is nice and adds to the total package, the springs arent enough of a drop to necessitate it, to my understanding, correct? Just something you wanted to do?

Hey Dude, more than happy to provide feedback, but help me understand what is waaayyyy tooo stiff. Is this a subjective opinion or is there some level of qualifying criteria?

As for the bump steer kit, I replaced the lower control arm first and compared the angle of the control arm to the angle of the tie rod with the stock outer tie rod in place. Not surprisingly, they were quite different. Now, is there an acceptable range of deviation? I’m sure there is but will this deviation be ideal for all conditions? Likely not.

So, I changed out the outer tie rods with the components that make up the bump steer kit and matched the angle of the lower control arm….notice that I’ve not yet mentioned how much I’ve dropped my car (which is really close to an inch).

So, how much drop has to occur before one absolutely needs to go to the bump steer kit? Don’t know, but I would rather gauge what the suspension is doing under the varied road conditions and what the car is being used for.

Hope this helps….

MB

 

[Firsttexan]

Have the folks who have done the majority of these mods experienced any unforeseen or negative effects from the mods?

 

[RAVAGE88]

Have the folks who have done the majority of these mods experienced any unforeseen or negative effects from the mods?

Don't know.

MB

 

[galaxy]

Hey Dude, more than happy to provide feedback, but help me understand what is waaayyyy tooo stiff. Is this a subjective opinion or is there some level of qualifying criteria?

Oh, certainly subjective. Most, if not all the comments I've read on the rear springs being waaayyy too stiff has pretty much been based off published numbers; the rate of the spring. But then driving repors are the opposite. My concern is even though these are advertised for magneride car, it is a high rate and are the magneride shocks truly enough to control that much spring. IDK. I'm far from an expert.

So, I changed out the outer tie rods with the components that make up the bump steer kit and matched the angle of the lower control arm….notice that I’ve not yet mentioned how much I’ve dropped my car (which is really close to an inch).

You didn't need to, I know how much those springs (advertise) drop ;)

 

[RAVAGE88]

Oh, certainly subjective. Most, if not all the comments I've read on the rear springs being waaayyy too stiff has pretty much been based off published numbers; the rate of the spring. But then driving repors are the opposite. My concern is even though these are advertised for magneride car, it is a high rate and are the magneride shocks truly enough to control that much spring. IDK. I'm far from an expert.



You didn't need to, I know how much those springs (advertise) drop ;)

Gotcha, and thanks for that info. Come to find out, I don't have a Magneride car. When I bought it, the sales guy told me it was and I didn't validate it....didn't think I needed to. When I got it on stands and started the disassembly, there was no wiring harness going to the struts/shocks. Looked at my window sticker and whadayaknow, it's not a Magneride car.

I called Rod at Steeda and ordered the non-Magneride version. I'll be doing the alignment at the local Ford Dealer (buddy is a tech there and I have various "privileges"), so drove it up there to drop it off and I believe the ride quality is better. Mind you, I didn't drive it hard with it out of alignment, but I could tell a difference just over bumps and such. I'll be at the dealer early tomorrow and anxious to dig into the alignment so I can really get a feel for the differences.

I believe my car dropped a wee bit more than advertised, which isn't surprising. I think every car will react a little differently. I'll report back when I have notable data and will be tracking the car at Lime Rock when I have it ready.

MB

 

[shogun32]

So, how much drop has to occur before one absolutely needs to go to the bump steer kit?

> 1 inch

I did hte bump-steer on the 0.75" drop as well and with roll-correcting lateral links to boot. highly recommend.

The rear rate isn't too stiff - it's just not damped well (enough, IMO) by most dampers. the lack of roll due to getting into the higher rate is pretty nice actually. I would personally prefer another 3/8" of spring travel (2x when measured at wheel) before it transitions, however.

If you want to quibble about too much spring it's at the front.

 

[shogun32]

Have the folks who have done the majority of these mods experienced any unforeseen or negative effects from the mods?

that would be me.

If you drive your car HARD, it's brilliant. If you're just driving it sane'ish on street the front's bounciness can be grating. The way the front is supported when plowing into 4-leaf clover is just delicious but can feel a bit ore vague than you might like. It still 'sticks' though so it's perhaps a more of adapting to the 'angst' and just trust it, blindly. I personally prefer the sensation of holding the front axle in my hands (motorcycle guy) and the Camaro SS/1LE gives me that (enough). The Mustang not even close.

The rear damper's aren't up to the task when you go deeper into the rear (G-out) travel. It needs more shims or a 2-stage stack. Soo you get one+ more oscillation than you should. If you crank on the needle it's then too slow under less stressful conditions.

If you want a track (feel) car, I recommend. If you want a street-friendly machine, I suggest a better class of damper - eg. Ohlins or assuming you know how to rebuild your shim stacks, something from Fortune Auto/Feal.

Right now I'm running a hibrid, 250 in/lb Fortune Auto front and Steeda DR rear and Steeda adjustable Pro-Action. I'm happy enough for the moment but there is more fine-tuning to be had.

 

[RAVAGE88]

> 1 inch

I did hte bump-steer on the 0.75" drop as well and with roll-correcting lateral links to boot. highly recommend.

The rear rate isn't too stiff - it's just not damped well (enough, IMO) by most dampers. the lack of roll due to getting into the higher rate is pretty nice actually. I would personally prefer another 3/8" of spring travel (2x when measured at wheel) before it transitions, however.

If you want to quibble about too much spring it's at the front.

Great info, thank you. I'll be right at an inch after a few miles and the suspension settles in. I approached it from a pure geometry perspective, so didn't gauge my approach strictly on the amount of drop.

No quibbling here at all. I know when I make changes from the squishy factory stuff there will be notable differences. I'm not one to talk about NVH or too stiff, etc. I'll be tracking my car and don't worry so much about the characteristics of such changes on the street.

MB

 

[RAVAGE88]

The alignment is complete and I'm hugely satisfied with the outcome of all this work. There's very little left of the factory suspension components and after working through the alignment process, I'm now very well armed with really good info.

For the time being, I'll keep the front lateral links but as I prepare to upgrade to 350R brakes, I'll acquire the Steeda Links with Spherical Bearings. Since I have to pull the factory knuckles in the rear, I'll also upgrade the rear camber arms.

After the alignment, I was able to get out on some back roads and romp through sweeping turns and curves and OMG, this thing is incredible. The alignment is set up as a good balance between street and track and I've been in far more expensive cars that don't handle like this. Steering feel and input is also vastly improved. I'll do a bit of fine tuning to ProAction Struts/Shocks, but they're really close with my initial settings.

Now, for those that want to go to the Steeda Bump Steer Kit and do the install yourself, do not follow the supplied instructions....They. Suck. Following the supplied instructions creates excessive toe due to the added length of the outer tie rod and the fact that one needs to build in useful adjustment as is intended by way of the kit. Not sure what Steeda was thinking when they wrote the instructions.

MB

 

[shogun32]

Now, for those that want to go to the Steeda Bump Steer Kit, do not follow the supplied instructions....They. Suck. Following the supplied instructions creates excessive toe due to the added length of the outer tie rod and the fact that one needs to build in useful adjustment as is intended by way of the kit. Not sure what Steeda was thinking when they wrote the instructions.

you got alternative language?

 

[RAVAGE88]

you got alternative language?

No, I did the installation mostly using the supplied instructions and, as a fortunate product of getting to be involved in the alignment process, found out the instructions are severely lacking. If the inner tie rod is left at the factory length and one adds an outer tie rod that's designed to be adjusted, the toe is pushed out severely.

The inner tie rod needs to be shortened by screwing it in. This will give one an ability to have enough room in each heim joint to turn the barrel of the outer tie rod and actually be able to adjust the toe. The instructions do not address this but instead, says to turn the inner nut on the tie rod out .1875" and further exacerbating the out-of-toe condition. I did a better job eyeballing the adjustments just so I could drive the car to the dealer.

MB

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