I know that this question has probably been asked 100 times before, but I've come back to the forum after being gone for a while. My question is this: I'm going to install Eibach Pro Kit Lowering Springs on my 2005 GT, are there any other parts that are REQUIRED or are they just recommended? New shocks/struts? Will the ride comfort really suffer that much? Camber bolts? Can the camber be checked using a level and/or angle finder and what is the proper amount of camber? Adjustable Pan Hard Bar? Easy enough install but what is the proper adjustment? More info, car is a daily driver (when this Iowa winter finally goes away) which is shared between with me and my wife. I'm not looking to go road racing, I just want to get rid of the 4x4 look. Any information/suggestions are greatly appreciated.
nuthin nope, nothing else is required as far as parts, but you will need an alignment. . bad! i have a set of those, the rears go in so easy you think you didn't put them in right and they ride great!
The rears are a lot easier if you drop the rear sway bar as well. The Axle literally just drops down and you don't have to do any prying or anything with the springs. You reach in, and just pull it out. The rears took me a grand total of 15 minutes for both sides. The fronts on the other hand...lets just say I have MAJOR issues with the front haha
I guess it depends on your definition of required? The poster above thinks not. Having just installed a set of K springs two days ago,, I think there are other REQUIRED parts to lower a S197 even the 1.5” the K springs did for mine. Adjustable Panhard bar..= As the rear is lowered the axle WILL move over to the left.. So unless your mustang came from the factory misaligned to the right,,,,, it will be off when you lower it. To me, this makes a adjustable panhard bar REQUIRED so you can properly align the axle. Camber correction= One method or another, but after lowering the front end, you will have negative camber. You can go free= Slot the strut mounts and adjust from there. Camber bolts- is a $19 option that IMHO is a better option than slotting the strut. Camber / Caster strut mount plates= $250 or so. http://www.hotpart.com/index.php?&PHPSESSID=4f0b58eb4c138cd8863d254bfb2136f5&keyword=camber%20plates&p=search&cat_id=27&manuf_id=&catcount=1&cat_id=27&sub_id=82&catcount= Mine is being aligned today, if the camber can not be brought into spec with the bolts, I'll pony up the $250 for the camber plates. And as stated before, an alignment is REQUIRED. Though not required, you sure will like the ride better with a new set of struts/shocks. No flame intended to those that disagree, and like the way there car is, without the above items... Some on here who are after the perfect launch, probable think adjustable upper control arms and stronger lower controls arms..are REQUIRED.... And they may be, for how they drive/race there car.
Some other questions on the lowering springs If my front tires (17x9 rims) are currently wearing more on the inner edge, I think that means there is already negative camber? Then if I lower it and that gives me even more negative camber, camber bolts are probably a requirement. Does anyone know what the proper camber adjustment is, how many degrees? How much adjustment does the panhard bar need, 1/4", 1/2", 1", more? Has anyone ever tried to modify to stock bar and add an adjustable tie-rod end? Of course this might depend on how the adjustable panhard bar works with a lowered vehicle. Do you have to extend or retract the total length of the bar? Just a quick thought I was having, if you have the tools, which I do. 1. Cut-off current end of stock panhard bar 2. Purchase adjustable tie-rod end and necessary hardware 3. Weld into/on end of stock bar 4. Paint 5. Install and hope that you welds don't break (just kidding) Any other thought out there?
Yes if you really wanted to modify the stock panhard bar, you could..IMHO, and coming from someone who just spent 2 hours making a panhard brace from scratch... I would not waste my time on a panhard bar,, They are tire cheap from BMR, On sale at stangsuspension. My rear axle was off 3/8" after being lowered.. So the Adj one had to be shortened a bit vs stock. If you wanted to make your own, it is not hard,, I was just out of the required parts,, and it would have taken me a wek or better to gather them up. 1.5" DOM 0.90 wall. two threaded weld in bungs, your choice of ROD ends , or Bushing ends available from the 4WD world (what I did before the Mustang) Steering links, tie rods, panhard bars, ect ect are very easy to fab as long as they are straight end to end with not extra attachment points in-between. Alignment specs from what I remember is camber is -0.75 +/- 0.5 negative with a +0.10 degree toe-in +/- 0.20 degree.
I have the same PHB ready to go on with my drop as well. Just barely over $100. And finished well with high quality hardware. I don't think making your own would be worth the effort. For what I make an hour, I know it wouldn't be for me.
Agree with everything said except the panhard bar. My car had eibach springs, rear was perfectly aligned. Got rid of the eibachs and went to roush springs and bars. Still the rear was arrow straight. So no need for an adjustable panhard bar. Do the mods, then see if your car is racked to the left or right. There is a write up on this site on what to do. Measure from the fender lip and see. If so, go buy the powder coated, pretty, adjustable panhard bar and install and adjust it to even the axle center up. If you are still aligned, do nothing and you just saved $100. So often people buy stuff they don't need. You need to balance what you want out of the car, is it a track car, a drag car, a strip/street car, a daily driver? then buy the parts from there. Lots of stuff "recommended" on these sites may work good on the track but either give a crappy. noisy ride on the street or are simply stuff you need 400+ HP to tell any difference, or worse yet, will show you little if any change on the street.
Did you just drop your car to the ground and measure, or did you ride around? The rear end needs to get seated before you can measure. Was the difference really less than 1/8"? If so, you are either measuring wrong, or your axle was not centered properly from the factory. As I stated in another post. When you lower your car, you change your suspension's geometry. If your axle was centered properly from the factory, it's not going to be centered when you lower it.
