Ford Track Handling Package awful?

[GregO]

Roadway 5.0 has it right.
I’ll add this;
Step 1 - Continental DWS06
Step 2 - KellTrac BMR Street Performance alignment spec.
Step 3 - Enjoy

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[Norm Peterson]

Hey Guys,

Really looking for a recommendation here.
I have the Ford performance track handling package installed on my 2016 GT. I use this car as a daily driver and drive aggressively.
The handling on the car feels worse then the car was stock. Basically high speeds on the freeway don’t really feel stable and even turning feels like the car losing grip so easily.

A lot of this is to be expected when you run UHP summer tires at temperatures in the 20°s F.

I think the car just feels too stiff and it’s hurting the handling.

What inflation pressures are you running them at?

the tires setup is 255/35r/19 all around.

I'm not finding that size in MT street comps. Only 255/40-19 and 255/35-20.


Norm

 

[NightmareMoon]

I'm not finding that size in MT street comps. Only 255/40-19 and 255/35-20.

He said Nitto NT05 front and 555G2 rear, IIRC

 

[Norm Peterson]

He said Nitto NT05 front and 555G2 rear, IIRC

Alex specifically mentioned the Mickeys in 255/35-19.

the tires setup is 255/35r/19 all around.

and

I’ve got Mickey Thompson Street Comps.

Nitto tires was somebody else's setup.

I run 275/35/19 nitto nt05 on a 19x10 wheel for the fronts and I run 305/45/17 nitto nt555rII on a 17x10 wheel on the rear or a 305/35/19 nitto 555rII on a 19x11 rear wheel

Norm

 

[alexm050]

Sorry made a mistake. The tires are MT Street Comp 255/40/19

I’m aware of the handling disadvantages of using a summer tire in the winter and under 55 degrees. The issues I’ve been running into are present in good summer weather.

I want to put some more tire on the ground, but not overkill. I’d need bigger wheels obviously as well.

Thinking square setup for 275/40/R19

Disadvantages of going it the 275s over the 255s?

 

[Alponcho]

We almost settled on a square set-up...after a lot of research, 285 35 19 (19x10 40) seemed to be the sweet spot. 275 40 might be OK, but I think would be better in 18 rather than 19. Could go with 275 35 19, but no reason to.

 

[blind*guardian]

I run 19 x 10 wheels and 275/40R19 fits great and handles great, 285/35R19 will fit fine on 19x10 as well. There aren't many disadvantages that I can think of over 255. Only issue could be slightly increased fuel consumption.

 

[Brian@BMVK]

1) Get all suspension bushings reclocked (loosened and retorqued with the weight of the car on the tires)
2) Good alignment makes a world of difference
3) Get rid of the Mickeys and get a real summer tire

There are better packages than the FRPP Track done piecemeal, but that package is definitely very good.

 

[Grintch]

ditch the springs and get bmr sp083, steeda camber plates, j&m rear shock mounts and a good alignment by a performance shop.

Alignment would be my first suspect.

After I had the track pack installed, I did a track day where everything was great (except the recommended camber is way too low for actual track use, so yeah camber plates or at least good camber bolts are solely needed for serious use). But after a couple of months, the handling, and especially stability went to crap. Turns out the performance shop didn't check the recommended Mustang torque values when they did the alignment. And used common import style values which were less than half what the beefy Mustang needs. So the alignment started drifting out of spec. My toe values in particular were pretty wonky, unbalanced rear toe out is BAD for stability.

 

[alexm050]

Appreciate the input, I may start with getting the alignment redone. It’s been over a year so definitely could be out of wack.

Any recommendations for alignment specs?

It’s a daily driver and I don’t track the car. I prefer some highway rolls every now and then. It’ll see the drag strip 1-2 a year.

Just looking for stability and good/fun handling around corners out on the roads.

 

[1 old racer]

You really need to invest 200 buck in a bump steer correction kit(proper offset end links). If your properly alined lowered mustang feels squirrely it is because of this issue.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Appreciate the input, I may start with getting the alignment redone. It’s been over a year so definitely could be out of wack.

Any recommendations for alignment specs?

It’s a daily driver and I don’t track the car. I prefer some highway rolls every now and then. It’ll see the drag strip 1-2 a year.

Just looking for stability and good/fun handling around corners out on the roads.

Front: -1.2° to maybe -1.5° camber, 0.05° to 0.07° toe (toe in) per side, 0.10° to 0.15° total toe
Rear: -1.5° camber, -0.10° toe (toe in) per side, 0.20° total toe, 0.00° thrust angle


Norm

 

[Grintch]

Appreciate the input, I may start with getting the alignment redone. It’s been over a year so definitely could be out of wack.

Any recommendations for alignment specs?

It’s a daily driver and I don’t track the car. I prefer some highway rolls every now and then. It’ll see the drag strip 1-2 a year.

Just looking for stability and good/fun handling around corners out on the roads.

I think the Ford Racing Track Pack recommended (track settings?) is:
-1.55 F / -1.98 R camber
0 deg / 0.23 deg (in) toe

The front camber is fixed without camber bolts or plates, and -1.55 is pretty close to where it should end up. But you really need more (negative) camber on the front for performance use. For pure street use I would use bolts (I have heard the BMR ones are good) and push it to -2 or just a bit less. Some people like a bit less camber at the rear (something like -2 F/ -1.5 R), less rear camber probably works better at the drag strip. The toe is pretty much what you want on the street.

For track/performance use I run:
-2.7 F (max with my camber plates) / -1.9 R camber (max even) - front could still use more camber (outside edge still seeing significantly more wear than the rest of the tire)
-1/8" (out) F / 1/8" (in) R toe (bit more aggressive than stock)
Warning more toe (in or out) tends to cause more tire wear than more camber. I am thinking of backing off the front toe out to -1/16"

Bump steer doesn't make the rear feel weird. And unless you lowered the car quite a bit (1.5+ inches), which the track pack doesn't do, you probably don't NEED a bumpsteer kit.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I'm not reading Alex's overall driving to be up where -2° would be of much benefit. On the street, that much works up there in "I'd never drive through a corner at 2/10ths if I could drive through it at 6/10ths" territory.

I do think his car would feel slightly more nimble with closer to -1.5° / -1.5° rear camber than -1.5° / -2°, and nimbleness counts for more on the street.


Norm

 

[Alponcho]

We went with the Ford Performance performance alignment specs, rounded to -1.55, -2.0 and installed both stabilizer bars on the softer setting (outside holes). No weird handling characteristics. I’ve been thinking of trying the stiffer setting in front. Interested in how much more understeer I’ll get, and if it will compensate for not being able to dial in more camber in the front. As has been stated, -1.55 is about all you can get in the front without other mods.

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