What's a good budget suspension??

[pleasehelp]

I would like to get rid of my 4x4 stance and have great handling but still maintain a good ride quality on budget. I would like to change my shocks and struts as well. With that being said, what springs and shocks should I go and what are the other parts I'll need??(e.i. caster camber plates, bumpersteer kit, balljoints)??
This will be on my DD that'll hardly, if ever, will see the track. So I know for sure I don't need coilovers and (maybe) adjustable shocks(?).

What do you guys recommend?? Thanks.

 

[95Mustang302]

the kit that I'm getting from ford performance products, comes with springs, struts, shocks, and sway bars, all for 330 plus shipping!!!!

Lowers the car about an inch, but when I get it I may cut half a coil off to drop a little more...

Derek

 

[wytstang]

I am in the same boat you are in. Since I'm going with 15 rims I'm going with eibach pro-kit springs. Since you have 18 (if I remember correctly) the Steeda sport springs will give you a nice stance imo. As for shocks I'm between the strange 10way adjustable ($105 each at paracing.com) or the KYB agx 5 way adjustable from summit $119.95fronts & $89.95rear. CC plates will probably be Hotchkis. Good luck with yours.

 

[Venom351R]

oh god suspension. Thats the next thing I need to get to, along w/ a brake system upgrade. I want something thats adjustable but not to expensive, my bank account has been hit hard enough this yr as it is w/ what Ive been doing to it now.

 

[baglock1]

For a daily driver with virtually no planned track time, forget the adjustable shocks. 98% of your perceived ride quality is going to come from your decision on the shocks and struts. Don't cut corners here. Spend a little extra money now and I GUARANTEE you will not regret it. My damper of choice is Bilstein. You simply can not find a better off the shelf shock or strut for a performance daily driving.

As far as springs, you have a lot of options. If you're looking only to drop the stance of the car, then the decision becomes pretty easy. Just start searching the forums for pictures of lowered cars and use the springs that'll give you the look you want.

But human nature always makes us want the springs that give us the perfect drop and have the perfect ratio of performance to street manners. Thanks for my cake, where are the forks?

So what spring rate should we strive for? For a performance daily driver, I like the 550#-600# range up front and 250#-275# range in the back. Unfortunately, this slips right in between the popular (and cheap) Ford B and C springs. Don't get me wrong, the FMS springs are good, and if they offer the drop you want, then by all means go for them.

But since I'm making the recomendation, I suggest H&R Sport springs, based on the spring rates. The drop is about 1.5" with just a tad more than that in the front. They maintain decent street manners while offering a noticeable increase in street performance.

Now as far as pricing, the best I've seen on Bilstein struts has been from www.oemfordparts.com. I got my 2000 Cobra R struts (same as the 03 Cobra) from them for $275 for the pair. Hopefully that price hasn't gone up too much.

I then picked up my Bilstein sport shocks from www.shox.com for around $170 for the pair.

For the springs, www.maximummotorsports has them for somewhere around $220.

Yes, you can get cheaper shocks and struts... at the expense of ride quality, performance, and longevity. Yes, you can run aftermarket springs with the stock dampers... at the expense of ride quality, performance, and longevity (to the stock dampers).

I'll say it again: You will NOT regret spending a little extra money in this department.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

My suspension's relitively cheap, Especially the AGX's and Pro-kits were hella cheap, and it rides better than stock and handles awsome even with the big meats.

 

[pleasehelp]

Thanks for all your input guys. I greatly appreciated!
Hey baglock, what about CC plates and other stuff?

 

[baglock1]

I wouldn't worry about the CC plates unless you need them. But they definately won't hurt you and make getting a good alignment 10x easier.

If you feel like it, the X2 balljoints are a good idea but the bumpsteer kit really isn't needed at this point unless bumpsteer actually becomes a problem.

 

[pleasehelp]

Thank you!

 

[red94fiveo]

I'm with Baglock about the Bilsteins! I absolutely love them on my car. And especially if you're not going to ever see that track, you won't need the adjustable ones. Hell, I'd take my Bilsteins over a lot of adjustable dampers anyway....