A suspension question that can't be answered through search

[snakestang03]

My 88 GT has some Monroe Nitro-charged shock absorbers, and the car has a fair amount of lean in it when going around corners (I believe the previous owner drag raced it, so this was the setup he needed) and I'd like to stiffen it up considerably (pretty much no lean around corners, I don't mind harsh ride) so my question is, am I looking at just replacing the springs? or both springs and struts...?

Also, what is a recommendation for a good spring for my needs?

Thanks

 

[90mustangGT]

So what you are saying is that what bothers the most is the sway into corners. Upgraded sway bars or maby just poly bushings on the sway bars would make a world of difference. Also chassis stiffining helps more than you might think. A strut tower brace, subframes, and maby even a K-member brace. This would make a big difference but not hurt ride quality much if any.

 

[Jkstang78]

well with not knowing what else is done to your car. I suggest strut tower brace, subframes, Lower G brace, you can get the 2 point but the 4 is better. Bigger anti sway bars. A set of lowering springs and new struts and shocks. I used the Tokics Non adjustable, They worked reall good.

Check out Maxium Motorsports. They have some good suspenison packages.
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/

 

[snakestang03]

I've got full length subframes welded in already.. fyi

 

[HISSIN50]

progressive springs. i would second the stiffening ideas - though you have SF's.

the springs (i think) are a good idea - since you have no idea what is in there. i have no idea what the dampners are - if they are suitable to corner carving or not (not familiar with that product line).

if you wanna do it right (new set up), Jason has a real nice set-up going now - and he knows all the options (what to do and not do).

good luck.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

My 88 GT has some Monroe Nitro-charged shock absorbers, and the car has a fair amount of lean in it when going around corners (I believe the previous owner drag raced it, so this was the setup he needed) and I'd like to stiffen it up considerably (pretty much no lean around corners, I don't mind harsh ride) so my question is, am I looking at just replacing the springs? or both springs and struts...?

Also, what is a recommendation for a good spring for my needs?

Thanks

Hearing that the previous owner used to drag race it tells me that there's a good chance that you don't even have the front sway bar under there anymore. Yanking the sway bar allows the front suspension to extend on launch for better weight transfer to the rear wheels. My guess is that it's either been pulled, or replaces with a smaller 4-cyl sway bar. I'd roll underneath and check that out before I started ordering springs and what not.

I've had stock springs and shocks and nothing but polyurethane bushings in my front end and my car had very little body roll at all. After adding sub frames and a strut tower brace, it was all but gone.

 

[Michael Yount]

Well -- all things are relative. While it may feel reasonably flat cornering compared to other vehicles you've driven, if you've ever seen a stock Fox body on a road or autocross course, then you know that even with high quality shocks when pressed hard in the corners they have body lean that matches that tower in Pizza.

There's much to misunderstand about how suspensions work. The shock damps the motion of the spring. Left to it's own devices the spring wants to continue to oscillate. The shock stops that. But even gas pressurized shocks do little to impact spring rate. You can get a much flatter cornering car by increasing spring rate, but you pay a huge price not just in ride quality, but in the hammering the structure takes - which introduces new rattles/vibrations. Body roll control without undue harsh ride is a function of sway bar selection - the sway bars transfer some of the cornering load from one side of the car to the other resulting in a flatter cornering car, and more equal load at all 4 contact patches.

To achieve what you're asking about, as others have suggested, I'd start out by leaving the springs stock (if indeed they are), and installing a high quality set of road-shocks (I use Bilsteins on my vehicles; you need to be sure you don't have drag race oriented shocks with little rebound damping/big compression damping on your car), and a good quality set of aftermarket sway-bars - preferably with some adjustability in the rear. This will give you some tunability. If you're still looking for more cornering power, I'd focus next on a light-weight set of wheels and very stick tires. The proper tire is the single most critical component in making any vehicle handle better. I'd try that before I started messing with springs. Chances are you can achieve what you're after with the stock springs. I've seen thousands of dollars spent on suspension components on cars with a very poor selection of wheels and tires - never can understand it.

 

[snakestang03]

Thanks y'all, I'll definantly be checking into all that, I hadn't thought about the sway bar being removed..