No love for coilovers kits?

[fatbillybob]

I would follow Flyhalf's advice. It is solid what he says. If I wasn't looking for 10th's I would just stop there. Also remember once you go CO's and playing with significantly lower ride heights then you have to do a front roll center correction and bump steer which lessens possible Camber without then effecting a scrub radius change. If that makes your head spin listen to Flyhalf!

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[ZPD]

I would follow Flyhalf's advice. It is solid what he says. If I wasn't looking for 10th's I would just stop there. Also remember once you go CO's and playing with significantly lower ride heights then you have to do a front roll center correction and bump steer which lessens possible Camber without then effecting a scrub radius change. If that makes your head spin listen to Flyhalf!

ya, I have already ruled out coilovers. I was mostly curious why they weren't popular with the Mustangs but I get it now.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Hey guys- thanks for the feedback. I have decided to go with Steeda's Pro-Action struts and dual rate springs with Vorshlag's CC plates. While I still think that the group 2's in my above list could be a good system for the money (several of the companies offer custom valving for the dampeners and spring rates all tested on a shock dyno) I do recognize that they are pulling from the same parts bin as is used on many other cars and then packaging it fit the S550. There has been very little (that I could find) users of those systems on the S550 and I didn't feel like being a guinea pig on it ;) I would probably be swapping springs in and out to find what would work on my car. Many people have used Steeda and swear by it. Steeda was designed for the mustang it so that is reassuring. And thanks @shogun32 for bringing up the Steeda Pro-action struts, I missed that in my research.


Yes most of the Coil-over kits retained the divorced setup; they were just coilovers up front.


6; I have been staying in the novice group until I got track tires. I will probably be going to intermediate this year.

Anyway- thanks all!

Ok I have some experience with this. I hope you’re talking about the adjustable pro actions?

I have the Steeda Dual Rate springs and Koni yellows which are a sibling of the Steeda adjustables, under some camber plates (steeda camber plates in my case).

Its a little bit bouncy around town coming from stock springs, because those spring rates are high for a street car and the pro actions are not monotube shocks. I’ve gotten used to the ride and don’t think about it any more but it was a big change and I didn’t like it for daily driving at first. I DO like it when driving hard.

When in it’s element on a track, twisty back road or autox course, and with the shocks turned up to stiff, the car /carves/. I think its the best handling you can get in the ~1200 price range. I’m a big fan of the springs.

The dampers are still kind of the weak link if you want to be critical, and a quality coilover with closer to a 500ftlb spring rate in the front will be slightly better at the track, but I really do love driving this setup and you can really push the car hard.

A good non-adjustable Bilstein or FRPP monotube shocks will give a better daily ride, but I do believe the koni/steeda pro actions will be better for ultimate handling when cranked up to stiffer rebound settings IMHO.

Don’t expect the shocks to live a very long lifetime when paired with the springs, but YMMV.

For comparison I have a few other bits which complete the package - geometry correcting steeda control arms, rear spherical LRCA bearings and toe bearing, and stiffer adjustable swaybars.

 

[ZPD]

Ok I have some experience with this. I hope you’re talking about the adjustable pro actions?

Yes I am talking about the adjustable pro-action. Glad to hear that you have a good experience with them (at least the Koni version). I currently have the Eibach pro which are progressive at 200/314 (front) and 800/914 (rear) on stock struts. The stock struts are wearing out and, along with needing Camber plates, is why I am going down this rabbit hole. The Steeda DR are at 220/350 (front) and 800/1200 (rear). I don't mind the "around the town ride" that I have now but when I have been on the track I have wished that it was stiffer which is why I am leaning towards the Steeda DR. If I find them too harsh then I can swap them back.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Yes I am talking about the adjustable pro-action. Glad to hear that you have a good experience with them (at least the Koni version). I currently have the Eibach pro which are progressive at 200/314 (front) and 800/914 (rear) on stock struts. The stock struts are wearing out and, along with needing Camber plates, is why I am going down this rabbit hole. The Steeda DR are at 220/350 (front) and 800/1200 (rear). I don't mind the "around the town ride" that I have now but when I have been on the track I have wished that it was stiffer which is why I am leaning towards the Steeda DR. If I find them too harsh then I can swap them back.

Good, I figure you should be happy with the new stuff then.

 

[shogun32]

The Steeda DR are at 220/350 (front) and 800/1200 (rear). I don't mind the "around the town ride" that I have now but when I have been on the track I have wished that it was stiffer which is why I am leaning towards the Steeda DR. If I find them too harsh then I can swap them back.

just be advised the higher rates come on almost 'immediately". There's like 1/4" of shock travel before you're into the higher rates. I personally think Steeda should change that to be at least 1/2" if not more like 5/8". It's an "acquired taste" for DD driving. Like NightmereMoon It doesn't bug me anymore and if you're tossing the car around it's just lovely. But I notice it big time when I switch to/from my Camaro. The SS/1LE feels like a magic carpet and yet it is totally composed. I ended up at 3/4 turn out from full hard on the Steeda dampers. Yes from full-hard. Full-soft is not a consistent or repeatable reference point.

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