Suspension Lowering Setups

wells1989

Active Member
Mar 2, 2015
63
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Indiana Pa
Ok guys I am a newer member to stang net and this is my first thread. I have a 1990 gt. The car has 55xxx miles and is pretty stock. I have 17x9 cobra rs running 245 45 r 17 and 275 40 r 17 out back. Currently all stock suspension except for front struts which are kyb. Still has quad shocks and are not flipped. I have no rubbing. I would like to get rid of my monster truck stance but not slam my car.

I want to know how to lower my car just enough and if there is a way to do it that will actually make it ride good, handle good and hook good. I do not want to sacrifice anything except for obviously a little ground clearance. I do not want to start eating up tires or rubbing fenders. If additional parts are needed to do this I will buy them like c/c plates. Also I don't think I want to cut springs or remove isolators I believe this would have negative effects.

  • So what springs do I need.
  • maybe I want coil overs?
  • can I run my current wheel and tire setup.
  • do I need additional parts.
Maybe I over think things but I don't want to take a car that has no issues and cause them. My car is a Sunday driver with the family that takes an occasional trip down the strip. I also enjoy my high speed exit from time to time when the family is not with me.

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The easiest and cheapest way for the rear is to cut a coil. Which you stated you don't want to do. This is the best alternative if you want straight line and handling performance imo. All the other rear springs have a slight compromise in one way or another. As far as aftermarket spring choices I have eibach pro's on mine with the exact same wheel tire package. I also had eibach struts/shocks,UPR bumpsteer kit(you will need one also),mm cc plates,rear lca and removed the quad shocks. If there is 2 adults in front seats and an extra rider in the rear seats every once in awhile their is a small rear tire rub with severe road dips. Only if there are extra people and a significant dip. Regular road surface or no extra people and no issues. I've checked the tires and haven't even seen where the rub happens. I just have heard it when it happened.

The necessary parts are cc plates,bumpsteer kit,and obviously springs. Keep the isolators. Also if you don't have them get some frame connectors. Lots of people like Steeda springs or HR springs. Eibachs are a little harsh and if going drag racing..they are to stiff. They do handle well though. I personally am swapping all my stuff out for a drag/street suspension with adj struts/shocks and front coilovers.
 
Do it once and do it right,place a call to the techs at MM.

1.A high quality damper,Bilstein HD, Koni(25% off sale at the moment),higher end Tokicos,MM Sports.

2.Adjustable height rear lower control arms,these will let you raise/lower the car and still use the stock springs and their "softer"rate if so desired.

3.Front coilovers(( a strut that can handle the forces put on it by the coilover spring is a must,see #1))),this will allow you to run your desired spring rate(converting to WR and matching the rear of course) and make adjustments to the ride height.Don't believe all the noise complaints you hear about with coilovers,just purchase quality pieces and install them properly.All I can say is I have no noise issues and an increase in NVH is just not there.

I started out on the roundy round with lowering springs,the ride suffered and the advertised drop was never what I expected,needless to say I got off that marry-go-round very quickly.Ya the initial investment is smaller purchasing lowering springs(or multiple sets to get the drop you desire),but I could have saved a lot of money in that year not removing new parts that I had just installed.

My '86 in my DD 7-8 months a year,for me the reason for the suspension changes was ALL about making the ride MORE compliant,much better handling was just a bonus************The ride may be stiffer than stock but now the suspension just eats up the bumps instead of crashing over them.************This is accomplished by removing all the bind(which adds WR) in the front/rear suspension which in turn increases the ride quality.
NOTE:Decreasing chassis flex will allow the suspension to work as intended and actually help increase the ride quality,enough can't be said about installing FLSC.
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Good luck
 

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Guys thanks for the feed back. Old man river your car has the exact stance I am looking for.

What size tire and wheels are you running?

Sorry for my ignorance what does WR stand for. Also NVH. I am familiar with cars just not the lingo.

Lastly I am torn between mm flsc and the stifflers which would give me options to someday do the whole fit system.
 
The first thing to do suspensiion wise on ANY fox body mustang is to weld in MM full length subframe connectors. It is a must.
The best way to do it is with front coilovers and MM adjustable rear control arms as Old Man said. That being said , I have used Steeda and H&R springs combined with Tokico and Bilsten shocks and MM rear control arms om a few Mustangs and have been happy with the results. You may or may not need caster camber plates. General riule of thumb is if you lower the car over 1". You may or may not need to keep the quad shocks.

At the same time, check the other front end components like control arms, ball joints, rack bushings,, and you should replace the front sway bar bushings with poly ones, and replace the rear upper control arms with new OEM ones. Check your torque boxes for signs of damage and repair them if torn,
 
Guys thanks for the feed back. Old man river your car has the exact stance I am looking for.

What size tire and wheels are you running?

Sorry for my ignorance what does WR stand for. Also NVH. I am familiar with cars just not the lingo.

Lastly I am torn between mm flsc and the stifflers which would give me options to someday do the whole fit system.

In the pic my wheel tire size is 17x10 with 285/40 and 17x9 with 245/45.Currently I had to make the switch to a square setup with 17x9 out back due to the lower roll center produced by the Torque Arm.I had way too much rubbing on the inside wheel house when going up inclines,enough to almost stop the car when entering my driveway ect.A lot of this could be avoided by increasing the rear spring rate(already have MM T/A street springs installed 375#-440#)but I would be opening up a whole other can of worms,would need to increase the front spring rate to match which would make for a much more stiffer ride than I'm willing to put up with on a street car.In MY situation swapping to a narrower wheel was my only option to maintain good ride characteristics.

WR=Wheel rate.You should convert to WR when selecting your front/rear spring rates.There is a relationship between the two you will want to maintain.Coil-Over Suspension Frequently Asked Questions

NVH=noise,vibration,harmonics.While changing to Polyurethane or rodend heim joints will remove the dreaded bind in the suspension,an increase in NVH will be the result.IMO the small increase in NVH is a worthy trade off since bind adds to the WR which in turn increases ride harshness.Adding sound deadening to the interior made the small increase in NVH a moot point.

The Stifflers products look nice,but I'm not sold on the fact that they do anything better than the MM FLSC.Deciding between the two is purely a choice,I don't think you can go wrong with either of them.

There is a bunch of helpful information on the MM website,I would suggest reading all you can to make an informed decision.One place many go wrong is choosing spring rates,you need to be honest with yourself on what the desired end results are for your car and its purpose.
Choosing spring rates meant for the track and expecting it to work on the street is the most common mistake.That's when you hear "coilovers made my car ride like crap","my ride is way to harsh",and"coilovers aren't made for street cars" so on and so on.
Adding coilovers or even lowering springs on a car that has dampers that can not properly control those springs will result in a very poor ride.Stock replacement dampers like KYB,Monroe,ect. are just that,STOCK replacements.If you want to install any type of performance springs the dampers MUST be up to the task.Matching spring rates with dampersThere are plenty of places to save money and suspension improvements aren't one of them.

Good luck
 
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I have NEVER owned a Fox body anything that did not benefit from Caster camber plates. It might not NEED them, but even getting to specs on the 87 Cougar and 79 Mustang was not going to happen, and they were not lowered or molested. Make sure the ones you get have a poly upper bushing, not the solid one. I do not think you need the added NHV from a spherical bearing.

I am sure there are excellent suspension recommendations here. But they may be more radical and expensive than you really want or need. Subframe connectors, FRPP springs, top of the brand KYB or Monroe shocks/struts and new bushings seem like a better match to your family friendly, no problem, fun to drive idea. Stock like ride, but lower altitude and no kidney stone shaking is my idea here.
 
**The benefit of C/C plates is much more than alignment specs,it's about gaining back bump travel lost on a lowered car.**

The stock ride sucks,plain and simple.The stock like ride in a Fox has to be the worst I've ever experienced in any car I've ever driven,kidney shaking ride at its best.I can say this after first replacing ALL bushings with new stock rubber pieces,new Tokico Blues all around,and still riding on stock 15" Ten Holes with plenty of side wall. IMPROVING the ride quality NOT handling was the whole point in the upgrades.The addition of the T/A and Panhard Bar removed 95% of the bind in the rear suspension making for an almost pillow like ride quality(next best thing to an IRS),especially on the wagon trails we call roads up here.
I keep hearing about the added NVH from the solid bushings in C/C plates,I can honestly say I have not experienced it in the slightest,no odd noises/creaking AT ALL from the addition of C/C plates and coilovers.I'd say maybe I just got lucky with my install but I don't think that's the case.It comes down to proper part selection and the slightest bit of install skill.

Anyone who has their doubts is more than welcome to come take my '86 for a spin,all are welcome,seriously.
 
**The benefit of C/C plates is much more than alignment specs,it's about gaining back bump travel lost on a lowered car.**

The stock ride sucks,plain and simple.The stock like ride in a Fox has to be the worst I've ever experienced in any car I've ever driven,kidney shaking ride at its best.I can say this after first replacing ALL bushings with new stock rubber pieces,new Tokico Blues all around,and still riding on stock 15" Ten Holes with plenty of side wall. IMPROVING the ride quality NOT handling was the whole point in the upgrades.The addition of the T/A and Panhard Bar removed 95% of the bind in the rear suspension making for an almost pillow like ride quality(next best thing to an IRS),especially on the wagon trails we call roads up here.
I keep hearing about the added NVH from the solid bushings in C/C plates,I can honestly say I have not experienced it in the slightest,no odd noises/creaking AT ALL from the addition of C/C plates and coilovers.I'd say maybe I just got lucky with my install but I don't think that's the case.It comes down to proper part selection and the slightest bit of install skill.

Anyone who has their doubts is more than welcome to come take my '86 for a spin,all are welcome,seriously.
I'd take you up on that just to drive it. Lol and im only a couple hours away:D
 
  • How extreme are you trying to go as far as performance? If you're looking for a fun street car no need to go overboard.
  • Springs- I had a '90 lx that came w eibach sportlines and hated them. They rode like a chuckwagon and the exhaust would rub over every speed bump. I put ford racing's progressive B springs on my 95 ( going from stock springs) and I like them a lot. Subttle drop and they're stiff enough to aid in corners but they won't beat you to death. In my book for the money they're hard to beat.
  • Subframe connectors- A great addition to a vehicle that has a subframe. They're a preventative maintenance item as they will help prevent your car from sagging like an accordion and they're a "performance" item as they will stiffen things up which will aid in handeling. There's nothing wrong with standard length but full length are better due to having more area to weld. There's really no need to spend maximum motorsports money on them though. All they're are are boxed steel. I have the $60 standard length sve weld-in's. No regrets there, nite and day difference than before.
  • Rear end- This goes back to the how extreme are you trying to go, (i.e.: $ is no object or save a little here so I can spend a little more there) and how you are you gonna use the car. If you have the money to burn and are wanting to drive the sht outta it on a road course go w irs. If you are making a street/strip car get some aftermarket rear control arms.
Really it all boils down to your wallet. If you have the money and want the "best of the best" buy a Max Motor Grip Box and go to town. I have no experience w one but they seem to be all the rage. However, I'm pleased w my cheesy little budget friendly suspension setup. I still need to address the rear (my butt wags full throttle from a rolling start) but I'm running kyb shocks/struts, ford racing b springs, and sve sfc's. It feels nice and planted and will handle beyond the limits of what you can get away with on a twisty back road that has a long enough straightaway between the the twists to get up to about 100 mph and back down to about 60 ish without flying off the road.
 
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**The benefit of C/C plates is much more than alignment specs,it's about gaining back bump travel lost on a lowered car.**

The stock ride sucks,plain and simple.The stock like ride in a Fox has to be the worst I've ever experienced in any car I've ever driven,kidney shaking ride at its best.I can say this after first replacing ALL bushings with new stock rubber pieces,new Tokico Blues all around,and still riding on stock 15" Ten Holes with plenty of side wall. IMPROVING the ride quality NOT handling was the whole point in the upgrades.The addition of the T/A and Panhard Bar removed 95% of the bind in the rear suspension making for an almost pillow like ride quality(next best thing to an IRS),especially on the wagon trails we call roads up here.
I keep hearing about the added NVH from the solid bushings in C/C plates,I can honestly say I have not experienced it in the slightest,no odd noises/creaking AT ALL from the addition of C/C plates and coilovers.I'd say maybe I just got lucky with my install but I don't think that's the case.It comes down to proper part selection and the slightest bit of install skill.

Anyone who has their doubts is more than welcome to come take my '86 for a spin,all are welcome,seriously.
Say old man, if no one else minds can you school me on what a panhard bar is for? Also I got a kick out of when you said if you don't believe me come take er for a spin. I didn't read your post before I gave my long winded ramble but the other day I was thimkng the same about my setup, I wish yall could take er for a rip it's a fun ride. Leaps and bounds from when she was old and tired and nite and day from when it was new. New it had a mundane tame soft feel now its finally has enough response and grip to be labeled a "sports car." It's not gonna pull 1.0 g's on a skid pad but it's a far cry from what Ford gave in '95. Crap, I rambled again. Sorry fellas..
 
Old man river I would live to take her for a spin but we both live in areas where we won't be driving our cars for at least another month and not exactly a drive over the hill haha.

I was glad to see someone else point out the fox stock suspension suck. I live in rural pa and our roads are some what rough. I only drive her on the nicest roads I can find.

This is my main reason for wanting to do it right and coming to you guys for advice. I can't imagine making my car ride rougher. When people post I installed xxxx springs and it destroyed my ride I think crapy didn't know it was possible.

Also I have the money to do it right but not enough to do it over and over again. I am not thinking I can make it a caddy but so many times I walk past my car and get in another vehicle because I think I don't want to ride in that kidney shaking squeak box.

my car is very solid and never abused. I am not saying it doesn't get the dust blown off once and a while though. Again I am looking for a fun Sunday driver to take to car shows or other summer events. I don't drag race but want a car that will hook going down a track. I don't do auto x or anything but want a car that is fun in the twisties.

By the way I do believe in overkill bit not wasting money.
 
For a Sunday driver with a 1" lowered stance my recommendation would be:
Bilstein HD all around(SN95 shocks out back for the increased bump travel)
* Koni's are 25% off at the moment so better pricing can be had,go with whatever is cheaper since both are good.Just remember not all Koni's should be used with coilovers.

MM adj. lower control arms(leaving the stock springs in place) with new rubber bushings in the stock uppers.Running the stock uppers is VERY important for the quadrabind suspension to operate properly.

MM Bilstein coilover conversion up front w/12" 225# spring.This rate would be a good starting point,coilover springs can be had used for $50 so it doesn't cost much to experiment here.

MM C/C plates to regain lost bump travel,with pos. caster maxed out and at least -1.5 deg. camber(improper toe setting destroys tires more than camber)these cars benefit greatly from increased camber.DON'T FEAR NEGATIVE CAMBER

Bump steer kit,lowering the car doesn't necetate the kit,it's the added caster that angles the front of the spindle upwards raising the angle of the tierod which alters bump steer.I believe in actually measuring the change in toe over the entire travel,but getting it close by eyeballing may be good enough for some.

Stifflers or MM full length SFC.Also a strut tower brace that mounts at the factory pinch welds can't hurt.

*A quality set(NOT CAST) of 1/4" spacers up front "may" be needed to clear the coilover spring,there is nothing wrong with running spacers when the wheel is properly step torqued to spec.

If you keep an eye out much of this can be had slightly used.I purchased ALL the MM parts on their "Deal of the Day" over the course of 2-3 years,saved me hundreds on these purchases.The downside is their sale only runs from Oct. to the end of Dec.
Another great option is JD's Performance,they offer great prices on MM parts(and others) along with free shipping,this is the route I would take since their pricing can't be beat.I believe they are an authorized distributor.

It's real easy spending someone else's money,the parts bought new will run about $1500.Good quality dampers don't come cheap but are the foundation of a good riding vehicle.
 
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The aftermarket uppers are more for drag racing/straightline performance. Having an adj arm allows to change pinion angle etc. There also is some side to side twist of the axle housing that a good uca helps with.
 
Ok guys I am ready to order parts and wanted to pass onto everyone what parts list I have come up with. A lot of it is very similar to advice i got on here. I put in aN email to mm and after ex changing a few I got a call from them. The guy was extremely helpful and made sure to dumb everything down until I understood. Once I understood he did several calculations coming up with what he thinks is best for my needs

All parts are mm
  • frame connectors, strut tower support, k member support MMCBP-7 package.
  • Panhard bar. MMPBA.
  • If worn upper control arms M-5500.
  • c/c plates. MMCC9093.
  • MMST-7 steering rack bushings.
  • Bilstein dampers BIL-7
  • mm adjustable lca Heavy duty
  • h&r rear springs 51650.88
  • polyurethane spring isolators.
  • Front coilover springs 175lbs/in x 14" x 2.50" UHt
  • remove bumble stops on frame rails.
 
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Not sure you really need the strut tower and k brace. I'd forgo those parts and instead of bilsteins i'd use adjustable shocks and struts.

175lb springs also seem to be a little soft, i'm no spring expert, but I run a 275lb spring in the front.
MM's drag kit comes with 150's so i'd guess 175's would likely handle almost as bad. I'd look into something more well rounded since it's not a race car and your plan calls for bilsteins not drag shocks.

Edit: So I looked at the bisteins you want, are they $660? I have nothing against bilstein (I've had them) but no way in hell i'd pay that price for a non adjustable strut and shock setup.
 
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What?! 600$ no way. Look into strange engineering adj or Koni and if you want handling instead of a weight transfer/straightline spring go with stiffer coilovers. I would think somewhere around 225# rating would be better.