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Harsh Ride

GT0132

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Hi all, looking for some help.

Car is a 2017 Mustang GT Fastback. I'm trying to improve the ride quality.

Suspension is stock except for

- Lowered springs all round . Vogtland which drops the car about 25 millimetres (1 inch)

- Whiteline thicker adjustable sway bars front and rear

Driving on an uneven surface the car rocks around like a boat at sea and is harsh . Sometimes you feel like your teeth are gonna fall out. It is very sensitive to changes in road surface and going over speed humps you know about it

I'm not sure whether it's because the lower springs don't match the factory shocks, but I don't want to go to the expense of changing them if it's not gonna fix the problem. I'm also not sure if the sway bar has contributed to the issue at all, but can't see why it would

Thanks for your help

Pete
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Torched10

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Hi all, looking for some help.

Car is a 2017 Mustang GT Fastback. I'm trying to improve the ride quality.

Suspension is stock except for

- Lowered springs all round . Vogtland which drops the car about 25 millimetres (1 inch)

- Whiteline thicker adjustable sway bars front and rear

Driving on an uneven surface the car rocks around like a boat at sea and is harsh . Sometimes you feel like your teeth are gonna fall out. It is very sensitive to changes in road surface and going over speed humps you know about it

I'm not sure whether it's because the lower springs don't match the factory shocks, but I don't want to go to the expense of changing them if it's not gonna fix the problem. I'm also not sure if the sway bar has contributed to the issue at all, but can't see why it would

Thanks for your help

Pete
Did you try lowering pressure in tires and adjusting,ride to comfort.or your tread is getting low get new tires.
 

offroadkarter

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lowering springs on factory struts/shocks is doing you exactly zero favors. You need a good set of dampers.
 

jd_cobra

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https://www.steeda.com/steeda-s550-mustang-comfort-suspension-package-15-17-555-2422

This is a pretty good kit for daily driving. You can always sell your existing springs to recoup some money.

Adding springs to struts/shocks that are older or aren’t setup for the spring rates will cause you issues. Your issue likely the former so replace with OEM mounts if you’re wanting a more comfortable/smooth ride.
 

GT 550

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The uprated springs - too much IMHO for street use - are totally dominating the dampers particularly the rear which is why it handles poorly. The harsh ride is also primarily the springs.

IMHO at the least the shocks need to be uprated to match those springs but it prob won't do much for the ride.
 

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Jackson1320

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You need to adjust your sway bars. This is why they are adjustable. You are probably on the first whole. Move to the second or third
 

KingKona

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Since we're all guessing, I'll tossing in my $.02

1. Tires are shot.
2. Those springs are stupid, and ruin the ride, and the shocks & struts probably got ruined because they weren't engineered to work with those springs.
3. All mustangs have crap IRS cradle issues. A Steeda Stop The Hop Starter kit, and their vertical links, is a must to settle the rear of the car down.

So, this is all about getting better springs, shocks & struts, maybe tires, and the IRS sorted.

If we know more about your car, we might be able to offer better advice.
 

shogun32

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The uprated springs - too much IMHO for street use
not necessarily.
185 front rate 1275 front rate 2800880
isn't crazy. The Ford dampers absolutely need to get thrown away - they aren't fit for anything except as a club.

Your primary problem is the Ford garbage bump stops that you/PO didn't cut. Replace with Eibach and cut 1" off the fronts and 3/4" off the rears. You have to take the dampers off the car anyway so change to FP *Racing* (not the street garbage) dampers or Steeda etc while you're in there.

The various IRS fixes (I recommend the Whiteline inserts) and bracing attach the IRS to the car so it'll stay put.

Lowering by 1" means you really should get roll-center correcting lateral links (Steeda) and bump-steer kit (various). Otherwise go back to 'min drop' springs of about 1/2" drop.
 

GT 550

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not necessarily.
185 front rate 1275 front rate 2800880
isn't crazy. The Ford dampers absolutely need to get thrown away - they aren't fit for anything except as a club.

Your primary problem is the Ford garbage bump stops that you/PO didn't cut. Replace with Eibach

The various IRS fixes (I recommend the Whiteline inserts) and bracing attach the IRS to the car so it'll stay put.
Agree, not crazy but if the OP wants a good 'ride' then IMHO springs are the place to be really careful with an upgrade. Even what appears to be a very modest increase in spring rate can make the street ride unpleasant.

Forgot to mention bump stops :facepalm:. OP if you buy a package like the Steeda one you'll get bump stops included although the Eibach ones that @shogun32 mentions are very good.

OP also why did you fit springs in the first place? Looks? Handling?
 

BimmerDriver

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...if the OP wants a good 'ride' then IMHO springs are the place to be...
We can (and do) all sit here and bash Ford for some of the marketing/engineering decisions/compromises that they make, but the reality is that they set up these cars pretty good for a compromise of decent handling and a comfortable ride for 95% of owners. For those who want more, there are the PP cars.

You really need to have a better understanding of how suspensions work before you start throwing parts at it. Yes Pete, stiffer sway bars will worsen the ride quality. They reduce the lean and help to keep the car flat through turns, but that also means that they reduce the effectiveness of the independent suspension to some extent.

If you bought the car used and are just trying to fix what the PO did, I suggest returning it to stock.
 

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If you want a very good ride with some upgraded handling return to the stock springs and add Bilstein B6 shocks and struts. Bilstein designed the dampers around the stock spring rates. If you like twin tubes call Mike D at Steeda.

The stock dampers are not enough to control the stock springs much less stiffer.
 

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Thanks for your help

Pete
As others have said a good set of dampers will go a looong way, even with a stiff spring. You can find the "spring rates all in one thread" thread to compare what you have to other setups, If comfort is your main concern, you may find a used set of performance package springs and shocks (some say even pp1 shocks are worth replacing) at a bargain. This forum has lots of good information from folks that have tried almost everything. Best of luck.
 

tj@steeda

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Hi Pete,

Send me an email with your contact info & set-up ... I'll get Rodney or Mike D. to help square you away.

Send to [email protected]

TJ
 
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GT0132

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Thanks everyone. I bought the car (2017 GT) new and had the lower Vogtland springs installed not long after taking delivery (in Australia June 2018) . They came recommended and "apparently" can be used with the standard factory shocks/dampers, but now have my doubts whether this is true. The sway bars were installed a year or so later and I'm sure the ride became an issue not long after that. Everything else is stock standard. Tyres are standard Michelen and will be due to be replaced soon , especially the rears (car travelled 22,000 kms). Thanks TJ, I;ll send an email
 
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GT0132

GT0132

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Agree, not crazy but if the OP wants a good 'ride' then IMHO springs are the place to be really careful with an upgrade. Even what appears to be a very modest increase in spring rate can make the street ride unpleasant.

Forgot to mention bump stops :facepalm:. OP if you buy a package like the Steeda one you'll get bump stops included although the Eibach ones that @shogun32 mentions are very good.

OP also why did you fit springs in the first place? Looks? Handling?
Both really. I do like the lower look and the Vogtland speings are marketed that they have been engineered and tested to work perfectly with stock dampers

https://www.americanspeed.com.au/vogtland-springs-suits-mustang-s550-v8-lowering-25
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