I just got an 86 TC need help... i plan on racing the car i cant find any after market company's for springs and only one i found for shocks is KYB if you no of anything that will fit let me no thanks....:birdsmily:
what kind of racing?
do a search thru this suspension board and you will find many interchanges for mustang parts that will work.
The guy before me installed H&R Springs, although I believe they might be for a 5.0 Mustang. She sits a little high.
Mustang shocks will fit the front with no mod but the mustangs for the rear need an extension and Chuck from here makes those. Maximum motorsports is one place to check. Ask for Jason he is their un-offical Turbo Thunderbird guy. Very knowlable. I had talked to 2 other guys and I knoew more about it then them and I don't know much at all.
+1 for Jason at MM. The others are clueless as a valley girl when it comes to TCs. Mustang struts will fit the TC but be aware there are "minor" differences.
You can use SN95 Mustang springs (preferably Bullitt or Mach 1) up front, which will lower the car about 2" (*EDIT* since yours is a 2.3t car and not a 5.0, thus lighter, you'll probably not see as much of a drop) and give you a stiffer ride. To use Mustang rear springs you'll need adjustable lower control arms because Mustangs springs are WAY too short otherwise. Cougar5.0 and myself have Mach 1 springs in our cars, and both of us have CHE adjustable lower control arms.
You may need to upgrade to 11" front brakes (87-88 Turbo Coupe, 87-93 5.0 Mustang) in order to use Mustang-spec struts. I know the 10" spindles and the 11" spindles have different thicknesses where the strut mounts but I forget which ones are which thickness. I believe the 11" ones are thinner, so if you get struts designed for the 11" spindles they may be too narrow where they bolt to the spindle to fit onto your 10" ones. I think. Once again, I forget :hick:
Even though we haven't heard from the OP what s/he wants to do, I feel compelled to add to Thunder Chicken's post.
The suspension geometry doesn't suffer too much lowering. Ford's recommendation was "less than 2 inches", IIRC.
Thanks for the help i am sure you will be hearing alot more from me new to the hole TC thing ...... but i love it better than the Chevy shiznit i have been building ...thanks again
i used a set of ford racing springs for a mustang in my tbird with 650lbs fronts and 200-300 progressive rears. its handles great on the dirt but im having a hellofatime getting forward bite she keeps breaking loose once she gos full throttle. as for the actual drop im not sure mine sits about the same height now with it being fully gutted and cage with a 302 and aod as it did with a v6,c4 and stock suspension and a few broken spring coils lol. dirt track is a bit differant though.