Magneride Front Knuckle Swap

[wangfuco]

During this weekend, I put on the Magneride Front Knuckle I've sourced from the Parts Farm. Some pics:
Before:

Comparison:

After:

I have developed clunks in my front wheel hub, so the first impression is: the clunk is finally gone. Besides that, I have the benefit of a stronger Shelby-spec wheel hub that takes more load and provides more front-end stiffness, both vertical over bumps and lateral in the corners. My dead center in the steering is also gone. I don't know if it's the good hub or the beefier front axle, but anyway.

Some remarks:

• The ABS sensors are different from the non-magneride mustang! If you don't have them, make sure you buy them off somewhere! I got mine from Rockauto. The good thing is that all mustang ABS sensor-hub combo has the same connection and sends out the same signal type. No need to program anything.
• These pieces are stupid expensive currently. I lucked out and caught them off the parts farm, but the new knuckles are around $400 per piece, and hubs are around $200, so $600 per side. Why, Ford, if I may ask??!! Anyway, the part number for the knuckle w/o the hub is JR3Z-3K186-A and JR3Z-3K185-A, and the one for either front hub is FR3Z-1104-F.
• The wheel hub can clunk while still feeling fine if you rotate them by hand. My faulty one spined fine, but the viscosity of the grease wasn't quite there compared with the new hubs. I guess it would only show symptoms while under load. So when your suspension starts making noise, if you can't tell anything by an examination, use some logic to help you navigate the faulty part. I live in Michigan and drive offroad every day, so bad wheel bearings are not a surprise. SMH
• New observation: these knuckles themselves seem to add around 0.6 degrees of negative camber. With 1 inch drop and without touching the camber plates, my front camber went from -2.6 to -3.2 degrees.

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[GT 550]

Hey Kevin great feedback. Apart from perceived benefit ie prior to fitting, what made you decide to go down this path? Beyond the dead centre have you noticed anything else?

 

[wangfuco]

Hey Kevin great feedback. Apart from perceived benefit ie prior to fitting, what made you decide to go down this path? Beyond the dead centre have you noticed anything else?

Thanks! I personally like to make the "backbone" of the car as strong as possible. Even though it might not do anything as significant as changing tires, it's still pleasing knowing it inside my head.

The benefit besides fixing my old broken hub is that I feel more front stiffness during cornering and over bumps. It feels like the car is more integral and more "premium". I'd say it's expected from the increased strength in the hub. Also, from the shelby track guys, the shelby/magneride gt front hubs are basically immortal, and compared with the non-magneride front hubs that go bad even faster than the rear ones, I'd say it's a drastic improvement in reliability.

 

[NightmareMoon]

OP, are you lowered at all (springs?)

 

[wangfuco]

OP, are you lowered at all (springs?)

Yeah, steeda ultralite linears with frpp track shocks.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Yeah, steeda ultralite linears with frpp track shocks.

yeah, so the manaride knuckle (IIRC) has a different geometry which is better for lowered cars, which may explain your steering feel differences. (I think that's right)

 

[wangfuco]

yeah, so the manaride knuckle (IIRC) has a different geometry which is better for lowered cars, which may explain your steering feel differences. (I think that's right)

That is INTERESTING. Could you provide the source of this info? I only know that my alignment hasn't quite changed after the swap.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Ya I could be wrong. I know the GT350R has different geometry... but maybe that's not true for all magnaride knuckles. If your alignment didn't change that sinks my theory.

 

[GT 550]

Just to clarify, the knuckles are from a GT350 or 18+ GT?

 

[wangfuco]

Ya I could be wrong. I know the GT350R has different geometry... but maybe that's not true for all magnaride knuckles. If your alignment didn't change that sinks my theory.

Gotcha. I guess let's then assume it doesn't bring a geometry change. Thanks for bringing it up though!

 

[TicTocTach]

Gotcha. I guess let's then assume it doesn't bring a geometry change. Thanks for bringing it up though!

The Shelby spindle is aluminum, but you're using the steel non-Shelby MR spindle, right? Here are a couple pics of the Shelby GT350R spindles & hubs I picked up a while ago for the long stud bearings:

GT350R_Hub_LH-12 by clair_davis, on Flickr

GT350R_Hub_LH-02 by clair_davis, on Flickr

I think the Shelby parts do require other special parts (tie rods, etc.) and some different geometry is built into the spindle. As best I could, I confirmed that the bearing itself is identical between the regular MR cars and the Shelby applications.

 

[wangfuco]

The Shelby spindle is aluminum, but you're using the steel non-Shelby MR spindle, right? Here are a couple pics of the Shelby GT350R spindles & hubs I picked up a while ago for the long stud bearings:

GT350R_Hub_LH-12 by clair_davis, on Flickr

GT350R_Hub_LH-02 by clair_davis, on Flickr

I think the Shelby parts do require other special parts (tie rods, etc.) and some different geometry is built into the spindle. As best I could, I confirmed that the bearing itself is identical between the regular MR cars and the Shelby applications.

Correct. The Shelby aluminum knuckle is too much of a commitment. I would end up needing new arms (different conical seating for the ball joint) and the Shelby brake…

 

[wangfuco]

Just to clarify, the knuckles are from a GT350 or 18+ GT?

18+ Magneride. One side is from a normal GT and the other is from a GT bullitt.

 

[wangfuco]

The Shelby spindle is aluminum, but you're using the steel non-Shelby MR spindle, right? Here are a couple pics of the Shelby GT350R spindles & hubs I picked up a while ago for the long stud bearings:

GT350R_Hub_LH-12 by clair_davis, on Flickr

GT350R_Hub_LH-02 by clair_davis, on Flickr

I think the Shelby parts do require other special parts (tie rods, etc.) and some different geometry is built into the spindle. As best I could, I confirmed that the bearing itself is identical between the regular MR cars and the Shelby applications.

Regarding your comment on the geometry change, I think you're right. I gained 0.6 degrees of negative camber just by changing the knuckle.

 

[wangfuco]

Ya I could be wrong. I know the GT350R has different geometry... but maybe that's not true for all magnaride knuckles. If your alignment didn't change that sinks my theory.

Hey I just found out I didn't reply to you. I gained quite some camber from these knuckles. Could I ask where you got the info regarding the geometry difference?

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