I installed a new set of Mach 1 shocks & struts today, and while I was at it I decided to finally install my Maximum Motorsports camber/caster plates (they've only been sitting in a box in my garage for a few years -- I bought them for my 98 Cobra, which was two Mustangs ago 
).
The C/C plate install is fairly straightforward. I did the driver side first, and it took me about two hours altogether. It was a bit of a tight fit, the strut tower really isn't well suited for the fourth hole. The passenger side was a breeze, of course (ain't it always that way -- after you do it once, the next time is trivial), took me about half an hour altogether. The shock install was about 15 minutes per side.
Things I made note of during the install process:
1. Skip the Chilton's or Haynes instructions, they're way overkill. They want you to remove the brake caliper before removing the strut -- that is completely unecessary. I didn't have to remove anything at all other than the strut itself.
2. All of the instructions I've read indicate that you should release the load on the suspension to let the strut down out of the tower. This requires chaining the spring, because if you let it down too far it might come loose. I didn't find this step necessary -- even brand new struts can be compressed by hand and removed without lowering the control arm.
3. The Mach 1 struts are around 3/4" shorter than the factory stock ones. Not a big deal, but I noticed -- had to jack up the control arm to get the strut far enough up to bolt in.
4. I've heard people suggest using an impact wrench for the top bolt of the shock, not sure how they accomplish that, there wasn't anywhere near enough room to fit an impact wrench in there. I just used a 15mm open end wrench for the nut and a pair of vise grips to hold the shock from spinning (it has flat spots on the tip of the shock to grip on).
5. Definitely use an impact wrench for everything else you can. Especially the strut bolts -- they are tight, and you must use an impact wrench for the tower bolt. Personally I wouldn't bother trying this project without an impact wrench, but I suppose you could eventually do it with regular hand tools.
6. The Mach 1 shocks came with some extra hardware. No instructions, of course, but I just reassembled everything exactly as it was setup stock
. The struts had a lot of extra hardware too, mostly because very little of it gets used with the MM C/C plates.
Now, my impressions of how it drives with the new shocks/struts: About like I would expect a new stock suspension to feel, but stiffer since I have the Eibach springs. Not exactly a night and day difference, but it does feel a little tighter than my 103k mile stock shocks did. I expected a bigger difference, but I'm not disappointed, for the price I paid it seems worth it. I haven't had a chance to drive it hard, though, because it's raining like hell outside and I've got a "redneck alignment" right now. Probably -1* of camber, +5* (or more) of caster. I notice that it takes noticably more effort to steer around corners, which probably means I have a buttload of caster right now. On Friday I'll get a real alignment, and then whenever it dries out (probably a few months 
) I'll see how it really feels.
Dave
).The C/C plate install is fairly straightforward. I did the driver side first, and it took me about two hours altogether. It was a bit of a tight fit, the strut tower really isn't well suited for the fourth hole. The passenger side was a breeze, of course (ain't it always that way -- after you do it once, the next time is trivial), took me about half an hour altogether. The shock install was about 15 minutes per side.
Things I made note of during the install process:
1. Skip the Chilton's or Haynes instructions, they're way overkill. They want you to remove the brake caliper before removing the strut -- that is completely unecessary. I didn't have to remove anything at all other than the strut itself.
2. All of the instructions I've read indicate that you should release the load on the suspension to let the strut down out of the tower. This requires chaining the spring, because if you let it down too far it might come loose. I didn't find this step necessary -- even brand new struts can be compressed by hand and removed without lowering the control arm.
3. The Mach 1 struts are around 3/4" shorter than the factory stock ones. Not a big deal, but I noticed -- had to jack up the control arm to get the strut far enough up to bolt in.
4. I've heard people suggest using an impact wrench for the top bolt of the shock, not sure how they accomplish that, there wasn't anywhere near enough room to fit an impact wrench in there. I just used a 15mm open end wrench for the nut and a pair of vise grips to hold the shock from spinning (it has flat spots on the tip of the shock to grip on).
5. Definitely use an impact wrench for everything else you can. Especially the strut bolts -- they are tight, and you must use an impact wrench for the tower bolt. Personally I wouldn't bother trying this project without an impact wrench, but I suppose you could eventually do it with regular hand tools.
6. The Mach 1 shocks came with some extra hardware. No instructions, of course, but I just reassembled everything exactly as it was setup stock
. The struts had a lot of extra hardware too, mostly because very little of it gets used with the MM C/C plates.Now, my impressions of how it drives with the new shocks/struts: About like I would expect a new stock suspension to feel, but stiffer since I have the Eibach springs. Not exactly a night and day difference, but it does feel a little tighter than my 103k mile stock shocks did. I expected a bigger difference, but I'm not disappointed, for the price I paid it seems worth it. I haven't had a chance to drive it hard, though, because it's raining like hell outside and I've got a "redneck alignment" right now. Probably -1* of camber, +5* (or more) of caster
. I notice that it takes noticably more effort to steer around corners, which probably means I have a buttload of caster right now. On Friday I'll get a real alignment, and then whenever it dries out (probably a few months ) I'll see how it really feels.Dave
