I think I'm going to go with Team Z for a front K-member, control arms and coil overs. Have anybody had any experience with this company?
http://www.teamzmotorsports.net/front_suspension.html#k_members
I like the fact that they are competive in price and american made. My main concern is the max spring rate this list is 200 and I wonder if this is enough for a T-bird with a Cadillac 500?
I wrote them an e-mail and if I get the kit I will post pictures of the install.
TED
I have received great products and service from Dave at Team Z. He is an excellent resource for proper suspension set up for drag racing.
He did Badbird's cage and suspension too.
Good to hear, this was Dave's reply to my email;
Ted the 200 lb spring will be enough, I would recomend a bump steer kit with the front end weight you have, the caster and camber plate and bump steer kit will definatly help the car steer with all the front end weight you have.
we havent done the t bird swap our selfs here but have sold a few K members to people who have, I'm not sure if they used spacers I know of one that it bolted right in!
David Zimmerman
Team Z Motorsports
(734)789-9540
I think it will be good to do business with a local company and made in America.
TED
I made my decision and it is all paid for. I will let everyone know how it fits.
TED
If you ever feel like checking out SBFtech.com, there a really cool group of guys running really good times. They know more then anything I have ever heard on every mustang board put together on suspensions. Team z is a sponsor for there site. They make fun of people with 1.5 second 60' times.
I got most of my stuff but they sent the incorrect k-member. I ordered one without the motor mounts but they sent it with. So I had to send it back for exchange.
Just an update. I'm going to the track next week-end and this should be the last trip for the year. So then I can move on to rollcage and front suspension.
TED
Well I finally got the Team Z crossmember and parts mostly installed. Things are starting to look pretty nice.
Like all the crossmember for the Mustang the lower and upper bolts are a different height. This one was off by about 3/8 inch. Instead of making a plate all the way across the upper bolts I just put a thick washer under the back upper bolt and mounted the font one up tight. This seemed to do the trick.
The kit moves the Rack and Pinion down about an inch so I also installed a bumpsteer kit. I made a plywood tool to check the toe in for the suspension travel (with no springs installed). If I used the stock tie rod ends I would had about 3/4 inch of toe out moving form down to up! I had to put all the spacers in the kit on the right side and even add three more on the driver's side to get it right.
Anytime you bolt on one of these kits it is very important to check the bump steer before you go down the road.
Also made custom made headers out of 460 ford van headers. And I have brand new slicks.
A lot of work that I hope will pay off in better times.
TED
Some more pictures. The first one shows the passenger's side without a crossmember, since the Cadillac 500 engine hangs on the sway bar mounts you don't have ot worrying about supporting the engine. Teh second picture is the Driver's side with Crossmember.
TED
I got the Flowtech exhaust welded up today and I think it came out pretty good. This is a 3 inch kit with Xpipes and Cutouts I got from Jegs. The lers are Thrush Welded and they were only $30 each, I think a heck of a deal.
http://www.jegs.com/i/Flowtech/387/53631/10002/-1
http://www.jegs.com/i/Dynomax/289/17657/10002/-1
Makes the old 2 1/2 inch exhaust look small.
This should be a big improvement over the old cast iron manifolds and 2 1/2 inch system I had. Ran 12.2 before and I hope to be in the 11's now, we will see in the spring.
Still need to install the swing out bars on the roll cage, reinstall the interior, put in the new Cheetah shifter, and bend some new brake lines.
Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
TED
Your car is way too cool! :bowdown:
Can't wait for those times now :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:
Here's some pictures of the installed exhaust.
TED
That should wake up your 500!
How is access to the plugs for the cut outs? Is it as close to the subframe connector as it appear in the pictures? From what I can see, it looks like it may be tough to pull them out?
The price point on the exhaust kit is cheap! Thanks for posting the link.
I've found the Team Z stuff to be great!
Looks like a ton of weight off the nose with the K-member and swaping out the manifolds.
I'll be watching for your time slips!
Mark
Thanks Mark,
The cutouts just barely clear the sub-frame so it is not bad. Will have to crawl under to get to the bolts. I plan to make some extensions that I can bolt on when they are pulled to direct the exhaust out and away from the rear tires.
TED
Here's a clip of the closed exhaust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3WPXSjwsu4
Also got to drive it today becasue we had a very short break in the weather. It handled very well and did not pull or drift at all. I guess I still need a front end check but it almost hard to justify.
Very responsive and fast feeling. I think the first chance I will have to go to the track is 4/23, I hope the weather shapes up by then.
TED
Here's one more with the plugs removed from the exhaust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zppu1Wv-Wnk
TED
"the neighbors are fully mad now" LOL. Ted, That's just what I was thinking when you were romping on it!
It doesn't sound bad with in the clip with the lers, but I suspect it will still set off car alarms.
Throttle response sound great!
Hope the weather is good for you the day you are able to take to the strip. April is a shoot.
Nice price and even better... the work on the fab. That 500 has a unique sound. I bet the sound clips dont do it justice like hearing it live :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:
I have been driving the car around some and also took it to the track for the first time. I also weigh all the parts but I forgot to post them before.
Old New
Shock and springs both sides (includes cc plates) 58.0 37.2
K-Member 38.8 16.2
A-Arms both sides 28.4 10.4
Total 125.2 63.8
So I saved 61.4 pounds.
I would recommend the Team Z front end. It handles great on the street and to me feels no different than the stock front end. I have not even got a front end alignment yet and I feel completely at ease driving it around. I steers perfectly straight and true.
At the strip I'm a bit disappointed but it was so busy I only got in two runs and could not fine tune it. I thought I would be in the low 1.6 60' but it ran a 1.79. This could be due to a number of factors and I bet I can do a lot better next week-end. The front end lift is much greater and I feel there is potential there.
But I did run a 11.909 @ 106.5mph and this is about .4 faster and 7 mph faster than last year.
Anyway a big thumbs up for Team Z!
TED