i need to start buying new strurts and spings for the Cougar.
i want to go lower, about 1 /12 to 2 in on some ponies.
i need tnew struts soon and i dont want to dump money on something that i will replace with the new performance stuff.
is it worth me starting to save for the good stuff now and buy it part buy part till i have all of it?
if i go to lower springs and better struts what should spring rate be comepared to how low im droppin it and the strurts.
what else should i do to lower it without messing stuff up?
list as of now:
strurts
springs
camber plates
rear shocks
rear shock adapters ( if chuck is still making them)
Fox mustang control arms are a must if you drop it that far. I chewed up a set of tires in 6 months because of the way they say.
If you looked down the fron of the car the tires would sit like this / \ . No joke you could see how far out they were.
He already has the shorter front arms
DO I?
i dont know, i was thinking of trying and getting a job at Vally Ford and maybe get the discount on FRPP parts if they get one,
how low is you car Chuck?
I dunno how low my car is...it's been 10 years since it was a "stock" height :p
Yes, your '86 has the shorter arms.
You will need some CC plates to be able to get your camber back in line most likely.
Funny, I dropped my car a good 1.5-2" (by installing stock '87 TC springs) and when I put it on the alignment rack the camber was spot on(for what I wanted). In my head I had allowed in an extra degree or two of neg camber to help the car bite in turns (and to try to help stop this car from eating the outside edge of the tires), and when I racked it up, it was -1.5 degrees off factory spec on both sides, so I left it. The only thing I had to adjust was toe, perfectly normal considering I had replaced the rack and both tie rod ends :hick:
The car doesn't exhibit any bump steer (even on our tacular roads), doesn't rub a bit (that may change when the 16" rims are added) and goes through turns like it actually wants to. It does ride a good deal rougher, tho. I used stock replacement Monroe Sens-A-Trac struts, which seem to control the car fine. I sure wouldn't want it any stiffer, anyway, else it might shake the teeth out of my head :pbb:
stock tc spring lower it that much?
is the spring rate to low though?
stock replacment struts are as good as a performance strut if im not going to be road track racing? and i dont want to hit my head on the roof.
I believe the TC spring rate is actually higher than the V8 springs - the coils are thicker, that's for sure. You can see how much it brought the car down in the pic below (the rear is at stock height, the front was lowered with TC springs)
personally, id get the bullit or mach1 springs and shocks. look up "darkthunder". he had them on his car and they look perfect imho. you can get them pretty reasonably. i have them in my mustang and i love how well the car handles and rides. for your car your going to need the shock brackets for the rear, adjustable ride height rear arms and cc plates for the front to be ideal.
Preach on Preacherman, preach on! :D
adjustable ride height rear arms?
were, what can i get them from? price range? quality brands?
will 04 mach springs work i can get a set for 50, will all 4 work or just the back? are buillit better?
Actually that's what I am going to be using. Mach 1 springs. Instead of adjustable arms you could get rear spring spacers from Global West, which is what I am going to do as well to decrease my budget. I'll pick up a set later on. You can get them from CHE Performance (http://"http://www.cheperformance.com"). Or Maximum Motorsports if your ballin like that. :D
HA ballin, not me i dive around in a tri-tone cougar.
how much are rear spring spacers and what are the sizes or are there any?
as of now
CC plates $125
Mach springs $50
struts $???
rear spring spacers $???
shocks $??? what are some good brands?
shock adapters $??? Chuck?
Where did you find C/C Plates for $125? For struts/shocks I wouldn't go any lower than Bullitt/Mach 1 Tokicos, then Tokico Illuminas, then Bilstein or Koni.
As for the spacers you need something around a 1/2". I'm getting the 5/8" spacers. I'll let you know how it works out.
Global West (http://"http://globalwest.net")
http://globalwest.net/mustang%2079-98.htm
i was just guessing price i havent shopped in a while so in my mind things get cheaper as time goes on till i buy them
They have been $200 for as long as I can remember. MM isn't too keen on lowering their prices. But they are worth it. Oh and the spacers are $25 ea.
im sure they have i just cant remember cause i know i couldnt afford them last time i looked
FWIW, i have a bullit/mach1 suspension kit i had purchased for my tbird. (got it new from buyfordracing). PPI sells the springs shocks and swaybars sepperately at a fair price. i decided to keep it for use in the mustang as a replacement later on. it already has mach 1 suspension in it. the part numbers are the same between both sets for the springs and im sure the tokikos are the same. the only differance is the swaybars. the bullits are hollow while the machs are solid.
id make sure you at least got the matching shocks/struts.
so those mach springs will work? and they will lower the car right? is 50 a good deal or how much should i try and talk him down to?
Springs have the same part number? Cool! I do know that the Tokicos are different. Mach 1's got revalved dampeners for a firmer ride.
.... I will post my results and you can see for yourself. $50 is a good deal, they normally run around $100 for a set.
well, the bullit kit i got from BFR have the mach 1 part numbers. i suppose its possible they sent me the wrong stuff. the sway bars are deffinetly the bullit ones.
50 bucks is a great deal if they dont have a ton of miles on them. they realy shouldnt only being a few years old.
PPi has them new.
http://www.performancepartsinc.com/suspension.htm
BFR has them as well.
http://www.buyfordracing.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=458
ive seen them for sale on ebay, corral and the registry used, for realy cheep as well.