What can I do to stiffin this thing up. Man like everyone elses my 87 sways like a Tarta bus and when you drive a R/T that near feels like it rides on rails daily it makes the ride in the coug extremely noticeable slash almost scary. Any ideas deeply appreciated, I can get my hands on a strut tower brace for 25 bucks, will that help out alot? Thanks
strut brace is good...........subframe connectors help lots!!!!.....replacing worn suspension bushings is good..........if you want to keep going you can replace the front control arms with some FRPP ones and the rears with CHE stuff.
Subframe connectors first, strut tower next. :)
Yes, as pro-five-oh mentions...SFCs are almost a much on these cars....esp before you do any suspension mods.
On my 84 XR-7 I didn't heed my own advice....well I did heed it, but just not in order :p....and waited a few days to get the SFCs welding in (time thing and all).
Well, I had the suspension done (springs/struts/shock/bars).. and while driving the car, I went tooling through an angled intersection. Halfway through I felt the car twist (almost made my stomach turn....it was that bad and then heard a "POP!". Didn't notice anything until the next morning when I got in the car to go to work I noticed that the pop was my windshield cracking. 4" crack in the upper driver's corner.
THe STB will help, but really not do as much until you get the body itself stiffened up a bit with the SFCs
We'll If you are having the swaying problem make sure that the sway bar endlinks are actually bolted in on both sides. I've got 3 fox's and all of them when I got them had the endlinks but the bottom nut had come off and thus making them lean extra bad. Also I 2nd,3rd,& 4th all those suspension mods. I've done everything but the SFC and My bird handles like it's on rails down here in all these hills and corners of the ozarks. SFC are next on my list. Since I put in those energy suspension bushing kit I have the feel of a road race car.
Thanks again. Ill check out the sway bar end link and make sure everything is in order in a few minutes. Also IPSD, where did you get the energy suspension bushing kit and about what did it run you?
Really appreciate it everyone, Ill look into the SFC but I think for now I will go ahead and get the STB. Atleast so I have it, especially for 25 bucks I think thats a pretty good deal.
I got that bushing kit trought Oreilly auto parts cost met about $200. had evergthing but the sway bar frame mounts. I also put on moog ball joints, inner/outer tie rod ends. Along with monroe matic plus struts, shocks, axel damper's I also install some Moog stock replacment springs as my fronts were borke and I got the set of them for about $150. I'm sure you can find a bushing kit though just about any good parts retailer or online.
(http://www.piranha-fury.com/photopost/data/500/5147Netcar.jpg)
I didn't realize subframe connectors were that necessary, my car seems pretty stiff to me :dunno:
Heard a few horror stories like that on Mustang messageboards, hence why I got the Kenny Brown SFCs as soon as possible. :)
t-tops stangs are exspecially bad for that i had an 86 gt that had subframes installed after the winsheild adhesive let loose and you could push the glass out from the twisting.
my bird will recive a set before it see's it's first n2o pass at the track!
If you want ot go crazy with it install a 6 point cage with the sub frame connecters. Although this will make the back seat almost useless.
So.....I guess I went crazy :crazy:
so then...how are the MM subframe connectors? as far as i know kenny brown doesnt have them available anymore? also, they have full length connectors listed for the mark vii but not the tbird :( would the fegular sub frame connectors make a huge differance?
now, on the the roll bar...chuck, do you have any pics? i always assumed id go with a 6 point, with either detachabledoor thingies or a low bend and the rear tubes cut through the rear deck.
whats generally required for most events?
hows a 4 point? good stuff or a halfassed 6 point?
i realy dont want to twist my car into a noodle...its 85% gonna be a street car so i dont want to go too nutz either...
I've replied to this post 3 times and the f^$#ing thing keeping locking up....so you get the abbreviated version now.
Call KB about the SFC's, they were on the shelf last week...
No pics of the cage, will be taking some as it goes back into the car....
I'm headed that direction. I just can't find anyone in the area that will make me one because of liability reasons.
Will a mustang cage fit?
Nope....Mine was custom as well. I started with a Mustang main hoop...but modded that and did up my own support bars.
well, are the KB SFC better than the MM ones? if so why? id like to get them soon....
I'm not sure I would say they were "better". When I got them to actually make them a few years back, we were limited by of all things...the racks the SFCs went to the platers in...so they're only 4' long. I have the protype set on my '83 and a production set on the 84 XR-7. They do make a difference though, but could stand to be a touch longer.
I think when it comes down to strength, the MM stuff is going to be stronger, but at the time I got the KB stuff for free ;)..or close to it. The '80's (XR-7 and Z7) will be getting more substantial chassis stiffening as well....I'll build it myself though.
thank you for your honesty chuck. i just got off the phone with them and they have 20 something sets on the shelf. they quoted me 139 plus shipping wich is plenty reasonable. i can get the mm ones (MMSF-5B) pretty cheeply though (less than the 89 dollars they list them for). i realy dont want to do the wrong thing and the last thing i want is an inferior product...i may get the mm ones but i hope they are decent. thanks again chuck..your the best...john
edit...
unless you wanna make something up fir me ;) :rolleyes:
:giggle: Well, I tried that already...and folks thought $65 was too much for SFCs w/ crossbars for Tbirds/Cougars...so I directed my energies elsewhere.
Those MM ones for the Tbird are actually of the same material as what I used when I did mine, but I had a crossbar ;). If you get those and want to add a crossbar, let me know, I have a couple sets left of the batch I had done up when I was doing mine.
well, do you mean you can modify mine if i buy some mm ones or you can sell me some complete. id just buy some from you if i could instead of buying mm. you cap yours off on the ends at an angle as well dont you? where is the cross bar located. my plans are for a modular 4.6 dohc with a 6 speed and im not sure about clearances yet...
I mean I can sell you a cross bar that the MM ones do not come with. I'm not making up any more SFCs to sell...too much of a pain in my butt to deal with. The MM ones are bare and you can weld the crossbars where they need to be (at the seat studs). It really doesn't matter what engine/trans you are planning on since the SFCs have nothing to do with engine/trans clearances.
alright, i was thinking they crossed over into each other for some reason. pm me, email, post or whatever and let me know how much you would want for em...i realy appreciate that chuck. now, would it be okay to mock them up together, weld them together and then get them powder coated....? MM said that they dont powdercoat because of gasses etc...?
You can powder coat them, but then you'd still have to leave the ends bare and paint them after you welded them in as you'll burn the powder coat up where they get welded in, but yes, you could weld the crossbars onto the maintubes and then have them coated.
The standing price on the SFC crossbars and new seat stud hardware is $25/shipped in the US.
Email me (cwarren@indy.net) if you want a set.
pissah...thank you again...email sent...