FP Track Handling Pack

[bmrylnd5]

Everything has been installed and car is on the ground, just need to re-torque everything. Any tips on the best way to do that?

The car is too low to do it on the ground; I was thinking of putting it back up on jack stands and jacking up the LCA to the height I measured between the center hub to the fender. I don't have any ramps either so that's out.

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[bmrylnd5]

Finally got the car on the ground and test drove it around today, I'll post some thoughts about it after I drive it a bit and get an alignment (I need one bad). Here are my notes on the installation; hopefully it helps someone to avoid issues I had.

Overall:
I got the fastener kit https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-FR3-FASTENA, I'd recommend getting it and just replacing all your bolts. I like the peace of mind, and you'll have to throw some nuts/bolts out anyway, you might as well replace it all.

Overall, the install took alot longer than I anticipated, but mostly because I went slow and ate up alot of time using a shitty ball joint press from Autozone. It turns out the clamp was somehow bent and I didn't realize it for awhile. Ended up going to advanced auto to get a legit kit with a ton of different sized cups (I'll go into detail about that more).

Front End Installation
Brake Caliper Removal:
Caliper removal was also straightforward, I put it off to the side on the k-member, just be careful you don't knock it over when torquing stuff later.

My brake rotor actually wouldn't come off initially so I did everything else after with it on, which is doable, but for sure easier with it off.

The dreaded spline bolts...traditionally you're supposed to unscrew the nut and hammer out the spline. While you can do this, I found it MUCH easier to use your ball joint press to press the bolt out. This required much less effort and you'll have less of a chance of damaging your bolts.

I will say I did start the process with a traditional hammer and I got the bolt halfway out after 30mins before trying the press approach. If you're going to use a hammer, you'll have a much easier time with a hammer that has at least a 4lb head. At the end, with all that hammering, my rotor finally came off unintentionally .

Front Strut Removal:
Removal of everything was pretty straightforward, however the plastic clips that hold the brake line were a bitch to take off. I used a pry tool and still had trouble; I ended up pretty much wrecking the grooves, but not too much where I couldn't pop them back into the strut.

If you're doing this yourself, unscrew all but 1 bolt and just loosen it. Use one hand and grab the strut and make sure you're ready to catch it after loosening that last bolt.

Front Sway Bar Removal:
Make sure the airbox is out of the engine bay (removal is straightforward albeit some PITA plastic clips). You can easily reach 3 of the 4 sway bar bracket bolts if you have a long enough extension. The hard one is on the driver side next to the alternator...I highly recommend getting a wrench with a ratcheting end otherwise you'll end up like me and spend over an hour turning this stupid bolt out (helluva shoulder workout though). The alternator gets in your way, so while you can get a short enough socket in, it'll eventually get stuck under the alternator if you unscrew too much. Another tip is to remove the plastic panel that's in front of it; you just need to pry a couple of push pins out and it'll come off; much easier than trying to peel it back and work.

The actually bar removal wasn't bad either, I did it by myself. I started on the driver's side and slowly shimmy'd it out inch by inch while making sure the passenger side was clear and from the front of the car made sure the bar cleared the front end cables/wires. Take it slow and don't force anything; you'll have to manipulate the bar (and end links) in various angles, but it'll come out no problem.

Front Sway Bar Install:
Once you transfer over the end links and new bracket, putting it back in wasn't too bad either. I started on the passenger wheel well this time and slowly worked the bar in. I rotated between the passenger side, engine bay, and driver side. Again don't force anything and just take it slow.

The brackets on the passenger side were a bitch to get on though. There's not much room on the passenger wheel well to easily manipulate the bracket onto the rubber mount. I don't have much advice here except to maybe have small hands and patience :/.

Putting the bolts back in was a bit tricky since it's harder to get the bolt started and not have it fall on top of the bottom cover. If it does, I found it easy to just hit the cover in specific spots to 1. find it, and 2. bounce the bolt back to an opening (I'm doing this on jackstands so I didn't have room to search for it) so you have room to grab it.

Front Strut Install:
Definitely easier to have another person around to help with this part, but again it's doable alone. Make sure when installing, the notch on the end of the top hat is pointing towards the engine bay. The instructions were confusing as to which notch it was talking about; I was under the impression that the 2x notches near the middle of the top hat was what they were talking about. I was wrong. This is a picture just in case that wasn't clear:

Note: don't torque these down yet until you have the car on the ground.

Brake Caliper Install:
Pretty straightforward again..using the ball joint press to press back the spline bolts was easy. I added the BMR camber bolt to replace the top spline bolt here so I only needed to press one bolt back in.

Note: I didn't understand how camber bolts work before I installed it. That was a bad idea and I spent forever trying to get the bolt back out after realizing I put it in wrong. This video () helped me alot and after understanding how they worked I was able to get the bolt out and have everything installed correctly.

Rear End Install
I was too lazy to remove the exhaust so I didn't (for reference I have a Corsa Sport Catback).

Rear Shock Removal:
Pretty straightforward here just push the shock down a bit to get it to come off the car.

Rear Spring Removal:
I didn't bother taking the rear rotor assembly apart because I was lazy...although in hindsight it would've been an easier time to get the springs out.

I unbolted the 21mm blue IRS bolts (and brackets) on one side so it wouldn't get out of alignment; I've previously installed Steeda's IRS bushings and alignment sleeves (which help alot btw) so I wasn't too uncomfortable doing it again.

Contrary to what LMR and CJ's install videos say, after lowering the subframe, the springs were NOT easy to take out. You have to pry the frame lower to get enough room to squeeze the spring out. I had to remove the sway bar end links to get enough room to pull the bottom of the spring out and compress the top a bit. I highly suggest you have a long enough metal pole to use as a lever to pry the frame down enough. I had to use my lifting rack safety pin as a sturdy lever to push the frame down enough to get the springs out. I put one end on top of the subframe and the other end on top of the brake caliper.

Rear Spring Install:
Make sure the top and bottom inserts are positioned correctly; when taking the springs out, I left the bottom insert as is so you don't have to worry about the correct positioning. Just make sure the new spring is fully rotated into the insert (no gaps between end of spring and insert notch).

Use the same approach for prying the subframe to get the new springs in.

Toe Link Bearing Removal:
Yes it is as hard as people have described, at least initially...I took forever to get one bushing out, mostly due to renting a shitty ball joint press from Autozone. It was a very basic kit with maybe 2-3 cup sizes; I would recommend avoiding these kits.

I ended up renting one from Advanced auto here: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...u-joint-service-set-23-piece-648617/9150043-P

Another requirement is to get yourself a 1-3/8" socket (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XMYHOI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). The socket recommended by Ford Performance is incorrect and this socket fit perfectly.

Pro-tip: Make sure to use some anti-seize grease on the press screw otherwise you're in for a bad time. I did not use an impact to press the bearing, I used a regular ratchet with metal pipe at the end of it to give me additional leverage (I used my floor jack's handle).

This along with a few sprays of PB Blaster Catalyst, I was able to push the bearing out no problem (can't actually confirm if this helped or not, but whatever it didn't hurt).

Note: Once you hear some loud clunks you know you're doing well, that's just the bushing, don't be scared you're breaking something.

Once out, make sure to clean the knuckle with brake cleaner and wipe it down before inserting the new bearing.

Toe Link Bearing Install:
The hardest part about this is to get the bearing started straight. I had to assemble this monstrosity of a device because my clamp was a little too big to fit the socket/cups as it hit part of the LCA, so I couldn't start it with the press.

I went to home depot with my socket and got a 7" bolt with matching nut and washers so that I could make myself a smaller press to get it going.

Make sure to install rear to front with the ring (the term escapes me right now) on the bearing going in first. Once it got going, I added some red loctite and used the press to get it the rest of the way. You may have to re-assemble the press a couple times to get the bearing even on both sides.

Toe Link Removal/Install:
Technically you don't need to re-install this if you have a GT since it already comes with it, but I did it anyways since I was already down there.

I marked the cam wheels and transferred the markings onto the new wheel and re-installed. I didn't torque these until I was at ride height.

Rear Shock Install:
Straightforward, just do the reverse of the removal.

Rear Sway Bar Removal/Install:
Straightforward here as well, much easier to remove/install than the front sway bar.

Torqueing:
Since I was doing this on jackstands, I didn't have a good way to torque everything down while the car was on the ground. I ended up putting the wheels back on and measured the center hub to the middle of the fender and jacked up the rear rotor until the height matched to simulate ride height. Not ideal of course, but that was the best I could do. I may ask the alignment shop to see if they can clock my bushings again to make sure.

Wrap-up:
Hopefully I covered everything I went through while it's still fresh in my head. Again this install isn't bad in hindsight especially if you have the right tools and know-how. This is my first time doing any suspension work so it took me much longer than estimated (a week), but I learned alot during the process.

I still need to get an alignment after everything gets settled, but so far the car feels much more planted than before and I don't hear any clunking in the rear like I usually do. I also happened to install the power pack 2 and that's been great so far (will post about it later).

My dumbass didn't measure the stock ride height to compare before I started, but I ended up with 15" from center hub in the rear and 14.75" in the front. For reference, I have stock GT/CS 19" wheels with stock Pirellis. The car looks much better lowered, although my K-member brace I think hits my driveway curb now .

Let me know if anyone needs clarification or if I did something wrong please. Hopefully this helps someone out.

Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone that provided advice!

Update: I built some wheel cribs and re-clocked my bushings (all except 1) and now my ride height is 14.75" all around

 

[CJJon]

Great write up! I will be doing this soon myself.

One tip, wood cribbing under the wheels will allow clocking and compression of the system. Done right it will be stronger and safer than any jack stand. You can get the car perfectly level too and this will help dial in the alignment or at least get it close to limp to the alignment shop.

 

[bmrylnd5]

Great write up! I will be doing this soon myself.

One tip, wood cribbing under the wheels will allow clocking and compression of the system. Done right it will be stronger and safer than any jack stand. You can get the car perfectly level too and this will help dial in the alignment or at least get it close to limp to the alignment shop.

Thanks!

Funny you mentioned that, I literally built these today - Going to reclock everything soon.

 

[Roadway 5.0]

Great intel on the strut mount notch, and awesome write-up. Enjoy the new suspension .

 

[SVO MkII]

Anyone have any specs on the FP Track Handling components compared to either the PP2 components, or the GT350 components? Spring rates, sway bar diameters, damping rates, etc.

 

[Alponcho]

My wife and I gave my son a FP Track Handling Pack for Christmas. He and I installed it on his '19 GT over the next two days. Your write up (brmyind5) was a big help, thank you! We would have missed orienting the notch on the f strut hats had I not seen this thread--we must have stared at the strut for an hour trying to understand how the hats' orientation makes a difference. Not removing the rear brakes and exhaust system was a real time saver. It was a fun father and son project. We took it in for an alignment today and asked for the Ford Performance spec. We didn't bother installing the new toe links or replacing the toe link bushings with the bearings. We'll do those things just before we take it back for the alignment check in 6 months. Overall, very noticeable handling upgrade and the lowered stance looks great. The ride is stiffer, but no rubbing, clunks, or other odd noises, and no significant penalties with respect to road noise or driving comfort.

 

[bmrylnd5]

My wife and I gave my son a FP Track Handling Pack for Christmas. He and I installed it on his '19 GT over the next two days. Your write up (brmyind5) was a big help, thank you! We would have missed orienting the notch on the f strut hats had I not seen this thread--we must have stared at the strut for an hour trying to understand how the hats' orientation makes a difference. Not removing the rear brakes and exhaust system was a real time saver. It was a fun father and son project. We took it in for an alignment today and asked for the Ford Performance spec. We didn't bother installing the new toe links or replacing the toe link bushings with the bearings. We'll do those things just before we take it back for the alignment check in 6 months. Overall, very noticeable handling upgrade and the lowered stance looks great. The ride is stiffer, but no rubbing, clunks, or other odd noises, and no significant penalties with respect to road noise or driving comfort.

Glad the guide helped!

 

[Alponcho]

Forgot to mention one thing. We broke a couple of the clips that hold the ABS line to the front strut. I was able to make retainers using zip ties and rubber vacuum line caps, but not the ideal solution. Are these clips available anywhere or will fixing this require buying and installing new lines?

 

[UglyMutt]

About camber bolts... I see the hardware kit says it includes rear camber bolts but does it include front camber bolts? I don't think the stock hardware has a camber bolt that is reused, does it? If not it sounds like it would be a good time to get some MMR or other camber bolts. What did you guys do for alignment?

https://lmr.com/item/MFR3FASTENA/15-17-mustang-ford-performance-handling-pack-fasteners

https://lmr.com/item/BMR-FC003/2015-2016-mustang-bmr-camber-adjustment-bolts

 

[Alponcho]

We went with the Ford Performance Spec, -1.55 front, -2.00 rear. I believe that's as far as we could go without camber bolts or other changes. I thought about it, but not a ton of clearance with tires (305 30 20, 285 30 20) and didn't want to have to worry about spacers. I figured if we didn't like the FP spec we could just change it, but it actually works well for how we use the car, so will leave it alone.

 

[SVO MkII]

About camber bolts... I see the hardware kit says it includes rear camber bolts but does it include front camber bolts? I don't think the stock hardware has a camber bolt that is reused, does it? If not it sounds like it would be a good time to get some MMR or other camber bolts. What did you guys do for alignment?

https://lmr.com/item/MFR3FASTENA/15-17-mustang-ford-performance-handling-pack-fasteners

https://lmr.com/item/BMR-FC003/2015-2016-mustang-bmr-camber-adjustment-bolts

The Ford hardware kit does not include camber bolts, like the BMR ones. Without camber bolts, -1.5 deg is about all you can expect with stock bolts. With the camber bolt, you can get -2.5 deg. With camber plates, much more than that. I have the BMR camber bolts and -2.5 deg. It is pretty aggressive for street driving, and obviously causes the inside edge of the tires to wear more. But it is great on track.

 

[UglyMutt]

The Ford hardware kit does not include camber bolts, like the BMR ones. Without camber bolts, -1.5 deg is about all you can expect with stock bolts. With the camber bolt, you can get -2.5 deg. With camber plates, much more than that. I have the BMR camber bolts and -2.5 deg. It is pretty aggressive for street driving, and obviously causes the inside edge of the tires to wear more. But it is great on track.

Thanks! I think I'll be fine with -1.5° as that is close to the track pack spec -1.03° +/- 0.75° and I don't want to burn through the PS4S michelins faster than I need to. It would have been nice if ford included caster camber plates in this kit knowing its a little borderline and they are pre assembled. Thanks again.

 

[MRGTX]

If we're upgrading a base model car, is there anything not included with this kit that we need to add or should add while the suspension is apart??

I am getting the BMR cradle lockout pieces....wasn't sure if there was anything else.

Thanks!

 

[UglyMutt]

If we're upgrading a base model car, is there anything not included with this kit that we need to add or should add while the suspension is apart??

I am getting the BMR cradle lockout pieces....wasn't sure if there was anything else.

Thanks!

I'm planning on doing steeda stop the hop kit with dif bushings while I'm at it. Similar to the BMR bits you were planning. I just want to do all the parts that I want for suspension at once to have one alignment and be done with it. I'm sure others would say you should do vertical links or bump stop kit or whatever else but it just depends on what you want the car to do. I'm still waiting for the Steeda parts that are on backorder for over 2 weeks now before I take the car apart.

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