What is the single best performance suspension mod you have done

[Volta]

Ok, thanks guys, I'll make a thread of my own with a little more detail. Thank you!

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[NGOT8R]

@derklink said it best when he said: “Once you start tinkering with the chassis/suspension, it can quickly get out of hand.”

This is very true. Here’s my list of suspension upgrades. NVH is very low (maybe a 2-3 out of 10). I just got back from a 500 mile trip and the car was very comfortable and performed flawlessly. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere.

With that being said, I can’t really say I have a best mod, but rather all mods compliment each other. Now I can tell you the worst thing about these mods and that is, combined, they were very expensive.

Steeda Parts

- Subframe braces
- Diff. bushing kit with through bolt kit (black bushings)
- Subframe bushing supports
- Hardcore diff. bracket
- Subframe alignment kit
- Adj. rear camber arms
- RLCA Spherical bearings
- Adj. toe links
- Billet vertical links (delrin bushings)
- Adj. motor mounts (set to drag race configuration)

Other suspension/drivetrain components

- KellTrac Ultra Spec Viking Inverted double adjustable rear shocks
- Ford Performance half shafts

 

[NightmareMoon]

#1 great tires, and a great wheel alignment
#2 good shocks
#3... springs, swaybars

That rear subframe bushing (and rear toe busing) was a really good pair of mod no doubt (and a huge pain in the arse to install) . Its just that its impact is felt a whole lot less often than tires and shocks.

If you want to say which mod was best, it helps to hear from people who have actually experimented with most of the mods. If you've only done some rear subframe mods, frankly, they barely even qualify as suspension mods IMHO. yeah I said it.

 

[Hack]

Ford Performance track handling kit. It does include much stiffer bushings for the LCA, but I think spring rates were more important to me than anything else. Yes, stiffer bushings/lockouts, etc. do help, but those are small changes compared to getting body motions under control.

 

[bnightstar]

If only one I have to say camber plates made the biggest difference. Easy to setup and they make my tires last a lot longer (this alone is worth it).

The next one was steeda IRS base kit: that dropped 0.5 sec out of my lap times on track that's a lot of time.

 

[Oakley]

If you want to say which mod was best, it helps to hear from people who have actually experimented with most of the mods. If you've only done some rear subframe mods, frankly, they barely even qualify as suspension mods IMHO. yeah I said it.

the biggest problem with the RSF is its movement. locking out the cradle is absolutely critical. do you not have any lockouts at all?

 

[shogun32]

To riff on Moon, fixate the IRS (inserts, dowels, bracing), now the car is consistent. Consistently bad perhaps but no more "WTF is going on back there?"

Now dampers even stock crap can actually do their thing. If still poorly. If you don't already have the PP1 bracing up front and across the struts, do that.

With good dampers you can drive the wheels off the skinny ass tires. If you want better, then it's wheel and tire time. And camber plates. No point trying to use traction when you can't get the tire working properly.

The lcr bearing and front lateral links with ginormous bearings are solidly in the nice to have category. Only serious people need apply. That said if hard launching or aggressive cornering is involved they are must do.

 

[Bman5150]

Interesting thread. Any downside/cons with installing Steeda’s IRS braces? How’s rust-resistance?

 

[NightmareMoon]

the biggest problem with the RSF is its movement. locking out the cradle is absolutely critical. do you not have any lockouts at all?

I have the IRS bushing and the toe bearing, cradle and diff and additional stiffening didnt seem necessary after those because the hop and sway were sufficiently fixed by that point. Anything more seemed like diminishing returns with those mods first.

Power sliding through corners wasnt quite as predictable before the LCRA and toe bearing and after those the car tracks with the alignment in a straight line and slides smoothly when I’m breaking traction with my right foot in a corner. I cant ask for much more control (except I would like 600hp please).

The movement at the rear contact patch is the sum of stacked tolerances. Your tire squirming on the wheel is huge, your toe bearing, the giant LCRA bushing, finally the subframe to the body. Emiminating all of those factors is awesome, but you really only need to fix enough so the toe stays true and the overall movement isnt too much in total. You could start with the subframe rubber bushings and braces and maybe get there from the other direction, but the bearing mods address the geometry pivot points where it negatively affects the alignment the most.

So yeah lots of good mods in this thread, but it helps to have a plan.

 

[Oakley]

I have the IRS bushing and the toe bearing, cradle and diff and additional stiffening didnt seem necessary after those because the hop and sway were sufficiently fixed by that point. Anything more seemed like diminishing returns with those mods first.

Power sliding through corners wasnt quite as predictable before the LCRA and toe bearing and after those the car tracks with the alignment in a straight line and slides smoothly when I’m breaking traction with my right foot in a corner. I cant ask for much more control (except I would like 600hp please).

The movement at the rear contact patch is the sum of stacked tolerances. Your tire squirming on the wheel is huge, your toe bearing, the giant LCRA bushing, finally the subframe to the body. Emiminating all of those factors is awesome, but you really only need to fix enough so the toe stays true and the overall movement isnt too much in total. You could start with the subframe rubber bushings and braces and maybe get there from the other direction, but the bearing mods address the geometry pivot points where it negatively affects the alignment the most.

So yeah lots of good mods in this thread, but it helps to have a plan.

that's cool and makes a lot of sense given how much movement the rubber lower control arm bushing allows. i've been trying to do as little as possible for these reasons. i only did the diff inserts cause i had a torn bushing (5000 miles on the car).

sounds like when i install the LCRA (in the mail), springs, and the front adjustable struts i got i should be GTG.

 

[NightmareMoon]

that's cool and makes a lot of sense given how much movement the rubber lower control arm bushing allows. i've been trying to do as little as possible for these reasons. i only did the diff inserts cause i had a torn bushing (5000 miles on the car).

sounds like when i install the LCRA (in the mail), springs, and the front adjustable struts i got i should be GTG.

Personally, I’d do the rear struts too (why skip those?) and if your car doesnt have it already, definitely do the Ford Performance rear toe bearing. Its small and a piece of cake ccompared to installing the LRCA bearing which requires disassembling all of the rear suspension anyway.

 

[PoCoBob]

I think I'm going to look into the Steeda subframe braces. My problem being in Canada is Steeda won't ship to Canada and Steeda Canada still has their covid supply chain bs notice up on their website. That pretty much leaves Amazon and they are expensive so I'm in shock as to what you pay for these versus what I'd have to pay.

 

[Oakley]

Personally, I’d do the rear struts too (why skip those?) and if your car doesnt have it already, definitely do the Ford Performance rear toe bearing. Its small and a piece of cake ccompared to installing the LRCA bearing which requires disassembling all of the rear suspension anyway.

i already swapped in the rear struts and toe bearing... its in the list i provided earlier.

 

[shogun32]

look into the Steeda subframe braces. My problem being in Canad

Befriend someone here near the border and have shipped stateside and then drive them across.

 

[WD Pro]

i already swapped in the rear struts and toe bearing... its in the list i provided earlier.

Did you do the toe bearing in situ ?

WD

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