Suspension Guru's out there

[Nong]

I've done most of what I want to with my GT, the only thing remaining is to sort out the stock suspension that I think can be improved a fair bit from the rather vague disconnected feeling I get at times when spirited driving. I don't believe I will ever track the car so It's just for the street. I want something with a better feel that won't jarr my Gran's false teeth out. I was thinking about BMR's new CB762 kit instead of the CB005.
Also the new Koni FSD active dampers when they come out early next year with appropriate springs or high quality coilovers.

I know little about suspension so what do you guys and girls think. I only want to do this once so I'll gladly pay for the right product once and not eventually get there via various upgrades. Thanks in advance.

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[dirtysanchez]

I've done most of what I want to with my GT, the only thing remaining is to sort out the stock suspension that I think can be improved a fair bit from the rather vague disconnected feeling I get at times when spirited driving. I don't believe I will ever track the car so It's just for the street. I want something with a better feel that won't jarr my Gran's false teeth out. I was thinking about BMR's new CB762 kit instead of the CB005.
Also the new Koni FSD active dampers when they come out early next year with appropriate springs or high quality coilovers.

I know little about suspension so what do you guys and girls think. I only want to do this once so I'll gladly pay for the right product once and not eventually get there via various upgrades. Thanks in advance.

Mine has shockworks coilovers. All I needed to fix that feeling the stock car has. Adjustable for street or track. I find them excellent.

 

[Burkey]

I've done most of what I want to with my GT, the only thing remaining is to sort out the stock suspension that I think can be improved a fair bit from the rather vague disconnected feeling I get at times when spirited driving. I don't believe I will ever track the car so It's just for the street. I want something with a better feel that won't jarr my Gran's false teeth out. I was thinking about BMR's new CB762 kit instead of the CB005.
Also the new Koni FSD active dampers when they come out early next year with appropriate springs or high quality coilovers.

I know little about suspension so what do you guys and girls think. I only want to do this once so I'll gladly pay for the right product once and not eventually get there via various upgrades. Thanks in advance.

CB762 is a step in the right direction.
If you want less vagueness from the car, you’ll probably want to fit some sway bars.
Plenty to choose from. The increased steering feel from the sway bars is only part of the equation.
A good quality coilover paired up with some sways and the CB762 would be pretty handy IMO.
You can keep going and going of course but if you just want the car to feel “tighter”, you’re heading the right way.

 

[Chad11491]

I wouldn't claim to be an expert on suspension stuff, but I've had both the BMR CB005 and the Steeda starter "stop the hop" kit, and i greatly prefer the Steeda kit. I had creaks and groans no matter how (or who, as I thought it might just be me) it was installed. Other than the noises and harsher ride, i had zero complaints about the CB005. It did exactly what it was supposed to and is great bang for buck. Just have to decide which route to go. Either of those kits will firm up the rear end and get rid of the vague feeling.

I went with the Steeda pro action shocks and ultralite linear springs and really like how they ride, but since you mentioned the Koni Actives, it might be worth waiting for those. I'm really curious about swapping them onto mine too.

I also went with the GT350R sway bars. Bars, bushings, brackets, etc are about 180 shipped, so about $300 cheaper than aftermarket bars and they play really nice with the steeda springs and dampers.

 

[cipherzero]

I wouldn't claim to be an expert on suspension stuff, but I've had both the BMR CB005 and the Steeda starter "stop the hop" kit, and i greatly prefer the Steeda kit. I had creaks and groans no matter how (or who, as I thought it might just be me) it was installed. Other than the noises and harsher ride, i had zero complaints about the CB005. It did exactly what it was supposed to and is great bang for buck. Just have to decide which route to go. Either of those kits will firm up the rear end and get rid of the vague feeling.

I went with the Steeda pro action shocks and ultralite linear springs and really like how they ride, but since you mentioned the Koni Actives, it might be worth waiting for those. I'm really curious about swapping them onto mine too.

I also went with the GT350R sway bars. Bars, bushings, brackets, etc are about 180 shipped, so about $300 cheaper than aftermarket bars and they play really nice with the steeda springs and dampers.

Can you provide a link to the GT350R sway bars? Googling it seems to find sets that are way higher than "180 shipped".

 

[Chad11491]

Can you provide a link to the GT350R sway bars? Googling it seems to find sets that are way higher than "180 shipped".

not as a set, you have to add the parts individually on the ford parts site.
1x FR3Z-5482-J: GT350R Front Sway Bar
2x FR3Z-5484-C: GT350R Front Bushing
2x FR3Z-5486-A: GT350R Front Bracket
1x FR3Z-5A772-E: GT350R Rear Sway Bar
2x F2GZ-5493-C: GT350R Rear Bushing
2x DG9Z-5B484-A: GT350R Rear Bracket

i got the parts from Autonation Ford White Bear Lake for "185 shipped" to my door. it would be about 150 without shipping if your local dealer price matches.

 

[Nong]

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll start with the new Koni special active dampers and springs or a Shockworks coilover kit and go from there.
A work in progress.

 

[Hellman109]

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll start with the new Koni special active dampers and springs or a Shockworks coilover kit and go from there.

Dont go shocks + springs, go coilovers.

I know someone who went koni shocks + springs and had a really really terrible ride as a result, plus coilovers cost basically the same.

I have XYZ coillovers and love them, only heard good stuff about Shockworks too

 

[Bagration]

For those who are feeling more adventurous than I was have a look at MCA Australia for suspension. Had a long talk with the owner and did some research. Seems very solid and there is at least one mustang getting around that was prepped by these guys that looks the goods. Very approachable and helpful. very big into Japanese vehicles and his father does race car prep/has association with motorsport here. Prices I think are comparable to shockworks

https://mcasuspension.com/suspension

 

[GT 550]

I've had one experience with MCA on a GTR and was very, very happy. However, having spoken to them as an initial choice for upgrade on the Mustang they told me they haven't road tested their Mustang setup and have no plans to do so. This isn't necessarily as bad as it sounds as they are smart enough to calculate what's needed in theory based on wheel ratios, travel etc. But when I asked straight out what they felt the issues were with the stock suspension they said they didn't know, and admitted they couldn't guarantee that their product would necessarily be better than stock. Bottom line is their kit is just what they think will work based on good engineering principles, it's not road proven.

Also adjustable suspension isn't a panacea and doesn't address other aspects of the Mustang's suspension that should probably be attended to before the dampers and springs. Then there's the question of how confident the owner of adjustables feels adjusting them, as if you don't know the difference between over/understeer induced by sway bar and springs you'll have little luck getting the right balance (MCA's approach is really good here as they say to leave the sway bars alone) and would that be compression or rebound damping you want to fix...? There's more than one owner out there who leaves front and back on settings at full soft because the ride is too compromised for the street on any thing else, so why pay for adjustables that are typically performance oriented as you end up running around on full soft anyway. Whiteline used to say if you want a car to immediately feel better just do a mild sway bar upgrade it'll corner flatter and feel faster. I've put in Steeda shock mounts and cradle lock, RLCA and FRPP Knuckle bearings and it's much better, remember that for road driving you want compliance and grip. I'm also running FF 10" and FR 11" wheels which fill out the wheel gap much better so the urge to lower via springs or adj ride height isn't as great.

FWIW Nong I'm with you, and will wait for the adaptive Konis.

 

[Bagration]

I've had one experience with MCA on a GTR and was very, very happy. However, having spoken to them as an initial choice for upgrade on the Mustang they told me they haven't road tested their Mustang setup and have no plans to do so. This isn't necessarily as bad as it sounds as they are smart enough to calculate what's needed in theory based on wheel ratios, travel etc. But when I asked straight out what they felt the issues were with the stock suspension they said they didn't know, and admitted they couldn't guarantee that their product would necessarily be better than stock. Bottom line is their kit is just what they think will work based on good engineering principles, it's not road proven.

Also adjustable suspension isn't a panacea and doesn't address other aspects of the Mustang's suspension that should probably be attended to before the dampers and springs. Then there's the question of how confident the owner of adjustables feels adjusting them, as if you don't know the difference between over/understeer induced by sway bar and springs you'll have little luck getting the right balance (MCA's approach is really good here as they say to leave the sway bars alone) and would that be compression or rebound damping you want to fix...? There's more than one owner out there who leaves front and back on settings at full soft because the ride is too compromised for the street on any thing else, so why pay for adjustables that are typically performance oriented as you end up running around on full soft anyway. Whiteline used to say if you want a car to immediately feel better just do a mild sway bar upgrade it'll corner flatter and feel faster. I've put in Steeda shock mounts and cradle lock, RLCA and FRPP Knuckle bearings and it's much better, remember that for road driving you want compliance and grip. I'm also running FF 10" and FR 11" wheels which fill out the wheel gap much better so the urge to lower via springs or adj ride height isn't as great.

FWIW Nong I'm with you, and will wait for the adaptive Konis.

Agree with you 100% regarding MCA. In the end I wasn't that brave (they were talking to me regarding the re-positioning of the rear shock and spring) It made sense (I think) from the engineering but it was not the direction I wanted to go. I have ended up going with the vogtland height adjustable coilover kit, whiteline sway bars, BMR cradle lock out kit, vertical links, spherical bearing kit, adjustable toe links and the FPR knuckle kit. For reference I found the video of the mustang being thrown around on the Car Mods Australia site. If I remember correctly it was being driven by Steve Johnson.

 

[GT 550]

Hi Paul not sure if you were talking to Josh, he might have been referring to the fact that their rear set up is a coilover rather than separate spring and damper. There is one distinct advantage with MCA in that they have a reworked rear upper shock mount thus saving the cost of the Steeda units.

Yours sounds like a good set up, nice to have things working well

 

[Bagration]

Hi Paul not sure if you were talking to Josh, he might have been referring to the fact that their rear set up is a coilover rather than separate spring and damper. There is one distinct advantage with MCA in that they have a reworked rear upper shock mount thus saving the cost of the Steeda units.

Yours sounds like a good set up, nice to have things working well

Sorry yes - was talking to Josh - great guy and very happy to share his time with me. You are exactly right he was talking about a coilover for the rear. As for my set-up - well it was due to the good folk here on the forum. Car is much more stable and corners and handles the way 'it should have come' from the factory. Next up (next year) headers and a tune.....

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