Shelby A-arm Relocation and Lowering Questions

bad68coupe

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Jul 18, 2006
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Richardson, TX
I have just purchased 620 rate Coil springs from Mustang plus, which will lower my front end 1". Now i have also hear of a Shelby A-arm Relocation which involves drilling two holes on each side, lowering the car an additional 1". i would like to do both but i have hear that it is not good to lower your stang more than 1 1/2". Is that just a rumor, or should i really not do it?:SNSign:
 
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the Shelby drop will only bind if you drop the A arm more than the 1" the spring will have no affect on this as the bump stop will come into play before the ball joint is in a bind. You will need the neg wedge kit if and only if you lower the A arm more than the 1”. You can also move the A arm more than 1” if you use the Global west upper arm as it has the neg wedge built into it and the length has changed. For me that was the better more cost effective method.
 
bad68coupe said:
why did you direct me to that website, i don't understand what the problem with my camber will be?:shrug:
is the kit used in conjunction with the shelby lowering?
The wedge kit changes the ball joint angle to keep it from binding. The Shelby drop is designed to change the camber curve that is its purpose. It is not used for lowering the car thought it makes fitting bigger tires easer because it allows you to tilt the top of the tire in to miss the fender.
 
IMO don't bother with the negative wedge kit.
It does allow the upper arm to be lowered a full 1.75" but is that something you really want to do with a stock upper arm? If you're going for maximum traction with the extra drop personally I want a stronger upper arm.

I run opentracker's track upper arms which allow the full 1.75" drop but they are also reenforced for additional strength. When you figure the cost of the negative wedge kit, you're already halfway there to a better set of control arms.

For the average user, the shelby drop provides more than enough negative camber on the street and the price of free is hard to beat :flag:
 
so just summing up everything, if i do the springs and the relocation, than i will have lowered the car 1 1/4" and i will have better handling as well as room for better tire fitment, do you think i could fit 17x9's in the front with these mods?
 
2bav8 said:
How are you going to fit 9" rims up front?
8" rims can fit with the proper backspacing...

I was just wondering if they would fit, i know they dont stock, but i figures with the camber and all that stuff that they just might, cause the rims i like don;t come in a 17x8 so i have to trim the 17x9's
 
I hate to sidetrack the thread, but does anyone use 16x8's on a '67-'68 with the shelby drop and lowered springs? I want to buy a set of the Vintage Wheel 5 spokes but I really don't see how they can NOT rub. My current '67 Shelby ten spokes are 15x7's and with 225/50 tires are extremely close to the ball joint and the fender lip, so where's the extra inch of wheel going to fit? Anyone got pics?
 
zoo - they have 17" 5 and 10 spokes with the correct backspacing.

It's been my experience that just the 1" s drop can cause a bind as well. So be careful with the process.

Dodge's wheel chart shows someone ran a 17x9 with a 5.5 bs in the front on a 67-68. That put's the offset in the same spot on as a 17x8 with a 4.5. Personally I would think you might run into problems with the UCA and/or the outer tie rod.
http://www.dodgestang.com/Tire Fitment Guide 67-8.pdf

Just found out 20's work...
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Thanks, Jay. I know lots of people run 17's, but I'd rather have the 16's. I think they fit the proportions of the '67-'68 better. My car is also a lot lower than the one in your pic and the tires don't rub now, even though it's close. I was just curious as to how close it would be with 16x8's before I spent the money for them.
 
I have a 68. I did the Shelby drop and 620 springs. I had 16x8x245 all around. I also did rear springs 5 leaf mideye for a one inch drop. The front dropped 1-3/4" . I also did the balance of the front end, all new. the drop was too much. The tires hit big time, and I have rolled fenders. The back of the wheel was also hitting the upper control arm on a hard turn.
I purchased 1" spacers for the springs and changed front tire size to 225. Now the car sits about 1/2" higher in the back. Aligned to shelby specs, and the car looks and handles great. I have talked to a lot of people and read a lot on the mustang suspension and all I have really come up with is they all respond a little different.
Make sure you beef up your front sway bar and add a rear sway bar.
Read as much as you can before you jump in. Good luck. Joe