Steeda RLCA bearings & diff bushings on

[Bluemustang]

Not afraid...been there, done that already! :cheers:

I'm just a bit OCD about perfect fitment and alignment, wanted to avoid taking the subframe down for one mod only. I might get them the next time I have to lower it.

Frankly, as of right now, with the Steeda LCA, FR knuckle bearing, CB005 and my rigged up spring/damper combination, I feel the IRS is just about perfect for my driving style. Also added the BG diff/trans oil plus the Steeda spring...and I'm pretty satisfied with my modding results.

With the exception of the MGW, which I got locally for cheap but haven't installed, I find it hard to justify any further IRS and driveline mods since the car is behaving almost exactly as I envisioned. I do have a bunch of other mods installed, just that the biggest impact has been the 5 mods mentioned above.

Hey man what springs and shocks combo are you running? You like the ride quality? Just curious.

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[GTPP]

I'm curious too, I'm running the frpp track pack and the rear end has gotten a little bit bouncy on rough roads after the LCA bearing install.

 

[Rebellion]

Hey man what springs and shocks combo are you running? You like the ride quality? Just curious.

I got the FRPP track dampers on all 4's, GT350R front springs and BMR SP085 rear handling springs.

I liked it since I got it, but now the LCA and knuckle bearing really makes them shine. Handling is about perfect, but you do feel the road thou. Not a Cadillac type of ride, but I would say it's what a proper PP should feel like. It is a tad harsher than stock PP components (but not jarring or uncomfortable), but handles sooo much better.

Now that I have the bearings I think that I should have gone slightly softer on springs. The feeling I was looking for, I though I needed springs to get there...but no, it was the LCA.

 

[GTPP]

I'm going to drive on mine for a few weeks, see if I adjust to it. I may end up looking for a softer rear spring though.

 

[Rebellion]

I'm curious too, I'm running the frpp track pack and the rear end has gotten a little bit bouncy on rough roads after the LCA bearing install.

I did notice that on rough concrete (after the LCA), it will be felt more at low speeds. At higher speeds, it behaves the same as before.

It has never been bouncy (due to underdampening). With bigger bumps at speed it does pick up a few inches or airtime, but it dampens so feel at the transition that it's not uncomfortable.

What's your spring/damper setup?

According to Kelly, LCA makes your spring rate to be effective. Maybe your setup was slightly underdampened before and now it just became apparent. I know I always had a very slight understeer (after the springs was much improved from stock thou), but now with the LCA it became obvious.

 

[GTPP]

Frpp track pack, so unfortunately I don't know what the spring rates are. I haven't gotten to drive it much since the install but my first impressions are that it is bouncier. I notice it most on rough, slow roads. Not a huge deal, but the rear suspension is definitely busier than before.

Still feels amazing at higher speeds/smooth roads. So responsive and planted

 

[Bluemustang]

I'm going to drive on mine for a few weeks, see if I adjust to it. I may end up looking for a softer rear spring though.

Same here dude. See I think Ford did this for a reason. This is why they don't use bearings in some of these places. They know it will hurt the ride quality. So they design with sometimes extreme deflection at the benefit of better ride quality.

But as [MENTION=26233]Rebellion[/MENTION] said- it's only noticeable most time at slow speeds, rough roads. I'm sure aftermarket springs companies take this into account as well when they design their spring rates.

Now that the deflection is mostly out of the way, it's almost completely up to the springs and the shocks the support the car's weight. So maybe if you want make it work better for your setup, some rethinking about spring rates needs to take place because current aftermarket designs take into account the stock bushings.

 

[Bluemustang]

I'll tell you what though. I don't think its worth ripping it out for better ride quality. For what it does to the car- seems well worth it!

 

[GTPP]

Definitely. If there's one component that's staying installed, it's going to be the bearings haha

 

[Rebellion]

Frpp track pack, so unfortunately I don't know what the spring rates are. I haven't gotten to drive it much since the install but my first impressions are that it is bouncier. I notice it most on rough, slow roads. Not a huge deal, but the rear suspension is definitely busier than before.

Still feels amazing at higher speeds/smooth roads. So responsive and planted

I believe there isn't any workaround for the low speed business. From a few test I've done, it isn't underdampening more than usual, if any anything the shock is dampening a bit more effectively at low speed, responds just a tad quicker. This means it's more glued to the road making disturbances more obvious, not really floaty or bouncy. In your case, since you already have progressives, I think it should be even more comfortable than mine at low speed.

In my case, I could go to a softer spring, like the GT350, GT350R, or SP088 rear springs...but in theory it will not help.

The benefits of the LCA are so obvious, it's not worth switching back to stock. Now that I can have the car drive "light" as a proper sports car, there ain't no way I'm going back to the mushy Crown Victoria ride...this must be the reason why Ford chose to put rubber there.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I found after installing the Steeda shock mounts that a notable amount of the "not smoothness" that occurs after installing the LCA bearing seems to have lessened. No idea why - I can't make sense of it, but it did. Having aftermarket adjustable shocks helps, too. Either case, you will get used to how the car rides, and start passing limits you weren't able to get to (comfortably or at all) and eventually any downsides will be overtaken by how awesome you are.

 

[Bluemustang]

I found after installing the Steeda shock mounts that a notable amount of the "not smoothness" that occurs after installing the LCA bearing seems to have lessened. No idea why - I can't make sense of it, but it did. Having aftermarket adjustable shocks helps, too. Either case, you will get used to how the car rides, and start passing limits you weren't able to get to (comfortably or at all) and eventually any downsides will be overtaken by how awesome you are.

This is a good point. Once you realize or can actually have the opportunity to see what the car can do, any downsides don't matter.

I just took my first business trip in the car since the LCA + diff bushings install. In heavy traffic for the first time it was a little to be desired. Some of the slow speed wigglyness comes into effect, also with the diff bushings, some of situations where I'm coasting and on/off throttle and the engine loads and unloads with the drive by wire settings and the Lund tune mapping, it's a little less comfortable. But driving in automatic D it is smoother and once you learn kindve what the car is doing and when to shift it gets easier to drive smoothly in and out of heavy traffic.

On the highway, more can felt in the rear end especially over highway expansion joints. But the car is completely composed and tires stick on the road. Furthermore, some of the quick dips in the road make it fun because you're communicating completely with the road and the feedback is transferred. The spring rate is more effective as has been said previously by [MENTION=26233]Rebellion[/MENTION]. He is exactly right on this bc I can feel it.

When I got off at my exit, I found myself taking the curve faster then normal. Normally I don't take it at faster than 40 MPH before the car "feels" like it's losing its edge. Today I hit it at 45 MPH with confidence and could've gone faster.

So in my opinion it actually does help me to corner at greater speed. You always hear people say they want to carve the canyons and such. Well it carves. There's no vagueness or extra roll when you hit the apex. The car stays connected in, through, and out of the corner - on throttle and off.

The clunk noise from the diff still continues at certain times when the engine is loading and unloading. I will ask Steeda if they have encountered this before. It is slightly annoying but it's not killing me. Other than that issue I am pretty pleased with the car. It took some of the rough roads without too much ill effects as well.

 

[Rebellion]

This is a good point. Once you realize or can actually have the opportunity to see what the car can do, any downsides don't matter.

I just took my first business trip in the car since the LCA + diff bushings install. In heavy traffic for the first time it was a little to be desired. Some of the slow speed wigglyness comes into effect, also with the diff bushings, some of situations where I'm coasting and on/off throttle and the engine loads and unloads with the drive by wire settings and the Lund tune mapping, it's a little less comfortable. But driving in automatic D it is smoother and once you learn kindve what the car is doing and when to shift it gets easier to drive smoothly in and out of heavy traffic.

On the highway, more can felt in the rear end especially over highway expansion joints. But the car is completely composed and tires stick on the road. Furthermore, some of the quick dips in the road make it fun because you're communicating completely with the road and the feedback is transferred. The spring rate is more effective as has been said previously by [MENTION=26233]Rebellion[/MENTION]. He is exactly right on this bc I can feel it.

When I got off at my exit, I found myself taking the curve faster then normal. Normally I don't take it at faster than 40 MPH before the car "feels" like it's losing its edge. Today I hit it at 45 MPH with confidence and could've gone faster.

So in my opinion it actually does help me to corner at greater speed. You always hear people say they want to carve the canyons and such. Well it carves. There's no vagueness or extra roll when you hit the apex. The car stays connected in, through, and out of the corner - on throttle and off.

The clunk noise from the diff still continues at certain times when the engine is loading and unloading. I will ask Steeda if they have encountered this before. It is slightly annoying but it's not killing me. Other than that issue I am pretty pleased with the car. It took some of the rough roads without too much ill effects as well.

One thing I've noticed, apart from the "light car" feel and holding the alignment consistently, is that the inside wheel hop has been improved a lot!

Vertical links do help in preventing the inside wheel hop, but there was still some and the car didn't quite feel under control when it happened. With the LCA you get like twice the improvement and it feels totally planted on tight cornering at low speeds.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I have also noticed the same benefit.

Go to a drag strip and launch control the car at your RPM of choice. You'll notice the car doesn't but out left or right as easily and the car feels "straighter" through 2nd gear.

 

[Rustang]

I installed mine today but it will likely be a week or so before I get around to driving and able to give my impressions. I will say this, install is a pain, not difficult but tedious. I pressed mine out and in will a ball joint press rented from Autozone too, ugh. I used an impact on it though so it actually just pressed them right out and back in.

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