I have a 93 LX 5.0 Convertible and the 25 year old suspension needs some rejuvenation. I'm looking to replace the parts, should I go with the standard OEM replacements or upgrade the suspension for better handling at the same time. my end goal is to have a really nice riding car for cruising not so much for racing.
Suspension Overhaul
- Thread starter 64Rudster
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I went with a bunch of stuff from MM and glad I did. The car is a street car with no racing, but the MM components I bought give a really nice ride, nothing harsh. The best thing that I found was to contact the vendor you are buying from and ask a bunch of questions. I did with MM and I am really glad I did. They gave me their best opinion and the parts that I received lived up to what they claimed. Really happy with the ride these parts have given me on my '92 GT.
fredfifty
Well-Known Member
go after market, its probably better and cheaper. cant go wrong with those sve components from lmr. atleast go springs, shocks, and struts.
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
There is so much you can do. Maximum Motorsports is pricier, but for a reason, they sell really nice quality stuff.
I wouldnt necessarily recommend SVE stuff unless you want a level just above stock.
Things to get, go with safety first, either upgrade your brakes, or at least buy MM's brakes for a stock fox body.
Then get a set of subframe connectors. This will do wonders for how your car feels. They will tighten everything up.
New shocks, Bilstein, Koni, lots of choices out there. Lots of variations in prices.
New springs, lower your mustang an inch or so. It'll look better and handle better with a lower center of gravity. This will lead to needing to change your outer tie rod ends to level out your steering (avoiding bumpsteer).
New bushings would help a lot with immediate slop.
If you want to go hog wild you can replace your k-member and front control arms. You can get coilovers too. Caster/camber plates will help with alignments, especially if you lower your mustang.
There's lots you can do, you need to decide what you can spend.
I wouldnt necessarily recommend SVE stuff unless you want a level just above stock.
Things to get, go with safety first, either upgrade your brakes, or at least buy MM's brakes for a stock fox body.
Then get a set of subframe connectors. This will do wonders for how your car feels. They will tighten everything up.
New shocks, Bilstein, Koni, lots of choices out there. Lots of variations in prices.
New springs, lower your mustang an inch or so. It'll look better and handle better with a lower center of gravity. This will lead to needing to change your outer tie rod ends to level out your steering (avoiding bumpsteer).
New bushings would help a lot with immediate slop.
If you want to go hog wild you can replace your k-member and front control arms. You can get coilovers too. Caster/camber plates will help with alignments, especially if you lower your mustang.
There's lots you can do, you need to decide what you can spend.
Gunny87
Active Member
I don't recommend the SVE from LMR
After 6 months the bushings in the upper control arms were shot on mine
And yes i greased them with the appropriate grease
After 6 months the bushings in the upper control arms were shot on mine
And yes i greased them with the appropriate grease
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Sorry but no . The SVE suspension stuff is prob some of the cheapest made stuff you can buy .
UPR, Maximum Motorsports, Team z all make great stuff
What you'll find is that there is a fine line between where the parts you add to gain any handling benefit affect the ride, and add noise as a consequence.
SF connectors:
SF connectors stiffen the chassis. These cars have no frame...(they have "subframes"). The floor itself ties the front and rear subframes together, and that has proven to be a weak link as these cars age. The end result of not having those SF's tied together is excessive body twist, rattles, creaks and groans.
Adding SF connectors have no down side...they do not impact ride quality negatively, and they do not add any noise.
LCA/RCA's:
Your front and rear control arms will always be a topic of conversation here.
But they are the next area to focus on, as they are directly contributable to sloppy handling. All aftermarket brands use a different type of bushing other than the rubber versions that were stock on that car, and consequently the stiffness of those bushings is measured against stock as a reference. Replacements range from new rubber, to a stiffer rubber, to a polyurethane, eventually to aluminum as you progress through the options depending on what your goals are with this car.
Stock, or a stiffer rubber bushings will yield "new,or better than new" handling character back to the car, w/o any added ride harshness and can be added to your existing factory pieces, but swapping out those rubber bushings in the stock arms is a arduous task. The old bushings need to be burned, or drilled out, and the new units beat, or pressed back in. Several opinions will tell you to completely replace the arms as units because of this,..but the entry level replacements are junk more often than not, are typically Chinese, and poorly made with extremely stiff polyurethane bushings. After that, the quality pieces (from MM, UPR, Griggs and several others ) will ultimately cost significantly more money.
Ball joints:....replace them.
Shocks/struts:
Yours will need replacing. This is another "name your poison" topic. As there will be many recommendations for brand preference here. Several guys have Bilstein, some Have KYB, some have Koni, which all have a performance benefit with regard to adjustability, or at least a more performance leveraged shock valving. Other than that, you have the din of stock replacements out there...IMO,..unless you have any intention of going after "significantly other than stock" handling, a stock replacement set of shocks/struts is all you need here.....Guys that street drive a set of Koni's get no benefit from that shock other than the warm and fuzzy they get from the knowledge that they have them. A set of dampers intended to increase handling performance, ALWAYS contribute to a stiffer ride.
Springs:
Lowering springs will ALWAYs have a negative consequence in ride quality. The car looks better w/ a lowered stance, but the consequence of a shorter spring that keeps the car properly suspended is additional stiffness. That stiffness is a desired quality when talking about handling, but sucks ass when driving over a rutted road. Lowering springs open the can of worms,......as that changes suspension geometry in the front end. The correction requires caster camber plates (not necessary if you didn't lower the car). A lowered car requires that the tie rod angle be dealt with, as "bump steer" becomes an issue. Bumpsteer occurs when the car hits a bump and because of the change in front suspension height, the intersect point geometry has changed, and now the tires "steer" as they travel through that arc radius. ( Again, not necessary if you didn't lower the car).
Low profile tires:
A 17" or 18" wheel will dramatically affect handling characteristics over the stock 15-16" wheels the car came with.
As the rim size increases in diameter, the tire sidewall decreases in height. The shorter the sidewall, the less impact absorption the tire is capable of dealing with. Again, just like a lowered stance, a larger wheel looks better on these cars, and there will be a handling benefit gained from adding a set. But again at a trade off.
These 6 things all need to be addressed if you want to return or improve the car's handling/ride quality.
SF connectors:
SF connectors stiffen the chassis. These cars have no frame...(they have "subframes"). The floor itself ties the front and rear subframes together, and that has proven to be a weak link as these cars age. The end result of not having those SF's tied together is excessive body twist, rattles, creaks and groans.
Adding SF connectors have no down side...they do not impact ride quality negatively, and they do not add any noise.
LCA/RCA's:
Your front and rear control arms will always be a topic of conversation here.
But they are the next area to focus on, as they are directly contributable to sloppy handling. All aftermarket brands use a different type of bushing other than the rubber versions that were stock on that car, and consequently the stiffness of those bushings is measured against stock as a reference. Replacements range from new rubber, to a stiffer rubber, to a polyurethane, eventually to aluminum as you progress through the options depending on what your goals are with this car.
Stock, or a stiffer rubber bushings will yield "new,or better than new" handling character back to the car, w/o any added ride harshness and can be added to your existing factory pieces, but swapping out those rubber bushings in the stock arms is a arduous task. The old bushings need to be burned, or drilled out, and the new units beat, or pressed back in. Several opinions will tell you to completely replace the arms as units because of this,..but the entry level replacements are junk more often than not, are typically Chinese, and poorly made with extremely stiff polyurethane bushings. After that, the quality pieces (from MM, UPR, Griggs and several others ) will ultimately cost significantly more money.
Ball joints:....replace them.
Shocks/struts:
Yours will need replacing. This is another "name your poison" topic. As there will be many recommendations for brand preference here. Several guys have Bilstein, some Have KYB, some have Koni, which all have a performance benefit with regard to adjustability, or at least a more performance leveraged shock valving. Other than that, you have the din of stock replacements out there...IMO,..unless you have any intention of going after "significantly other than stock" handling, a stock replacement set of shocks/struts is all you need here.....Guys that street drive a set of Koni's get no benefit from that shock other than the warm and fuzzy they get from the knowledge that they have them. A set of dampers intended to increase handling performance, ALWAYS contribute to a stiffer ride.
Springs:
Lowering springs will ALWAYs have a negative consequence in ride quality. The car looks better w/ a lowered stance, but the consequence of a shorter spring that keeps the car properly suspended is additional stiffness. That stiffness is a desired quality when talking about handling, but sucks ass when driving over a rutted road. Lowering springs open the can of worms,......as that changes suspension geometry in the front end. The correction requires caster camber plates (not necessary if you didn't lower the car). A lowered car requires that the tie rod angle be dealt with, as "bump steer" becomes an issue. Bumpsteer occurs when the car hits a bump and because of the change in front suspension height, the intersect point geometry has changed, and now the tires "steer" as they travel through that arc radius. ( Again, not necessary if you didn't lower the car).
Low profile tires:
A 17" or 18" wheel will dramatically affect handling characteristics over the stock 15-16" wheels the car came with.
As the rim size increases in diameter, the tire sidewall decreases in height. The shorter the sidewall, the less impact absorption the tire is capable of dealing with. Again, just like a lowered stance, a larger wheel looks better on these cars, and there will be a handling benefit gained from adding a set. But again at a trade off.
These 6 things all need to be addressed if you want to return or improve the car's handling/ride quality.
MadMike,
Thank you for all of the information. I have a 93 Convertible that I'm looking to improve ride quality more than performance. I have 16's on the car now and am happy with them. At 23 years old everything suspension wise is pretty much wore out and will need to be replaced is pretty much worn out and will need to be replaced eventually.
fredfifty
Well-Known Member
ahhhh ok, i dont know what your budget/quality preference is. i would not go sve myself.
89SportVert
Active Member
When I first bought mine, 89 5.0 LX Vert, I decided that I would build a strong foundation for any mods I were to make. I installed a Kenny Brown Extreme Matrix System (Frame Connectors, Matrix Brace and Jacking Rails). I also added a front lower subframe brace and an upper strut tower brace. Neither of these are for sale any longer but I believe other manufacturers now sell them. These chassis stiffening items made a huge difference in ride and handling of my vehicle. Would do it again in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose.
92Apocalypso
Well-Known Member
- Mar 7, 2017
- 217
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92Apocalypso
Well-Known Member
- Mar 7, 2017
- 217
- 62
- 58
my LX had bone stock suspension a couple of months ago. I ordered new Koni orange shocks and struts, moog front lower control arms, steeda lowering springs, bbk spring bushings, and even tho it was a big improvement, I still feel everything in the road man. everything. I'm sure lowering springs didn't help that lol. not sure exactly what else I can for a better ride at this point.
The obviously notable effect wil be found in cornering. The body will be more rigid and allow for a more precise feeling. The suspension will feel different as well since it isn't having to correct for body flex, of course if you haven't upgraded some basic things like shocks and bushings, you'll notice their deficiencies moreso.
Depends on what you mean by a better ride at this point. Do you mean more cushy were you don't feel the inconsistencies in the road so much.
Feeling everything in the road is exactly what some people are after. Feeling it and being in control of it.
A new suspension will deliver what it says it will, you just got to get the correct suspension for what your asking it to do.
92Apocalypso
Well-Known Member
- Mar 7, 2017
- 217
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my bad, by feeling everything in the road, I mean, I hit a small bump, or pothole, and BAM! feels like the dash is about to come out of the car. it hurts, it's loud, I clinch up hahaha. it got a lot better, but I was expecting more. I just wanted a street car. almost daily driven.....
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