Eliminating compliance and flexing of the lower arm is of little benefit if the arm is not kept in proper alignment/ adjustment. These designs completely eliminate any excessive for-and-aft movement of the strut rod while greatly reducing friction and strength. The following is an installation overview of a Borgeson powersteering conversion. Again, there is better leaf stability due to more precise, consistent, and restrained motion. If you dont need that last bit of communication with the road this may be an acceptable option, though not necessarily an inexpensive or easily installed one. The Total Control Products (TCP) Econo Bolt-On Coil-Over spring and shock combination is a great way to upgrade the stock front suspension. The finished installation shows these coil-overs, which allow the usual adjustment to ride height and valving (via the adjustment knobs at the top of each coil-over). Electric-assist systems generally dont have the same direct feel as a hydraulic system. The upper and lower links can be installed in multiple positions and are also adjustable in length. Note the use of Del-A-Lum bushings (no rubber), the reinforced spring perch mounts, and the extra bar. This significantly reduces the amount of unwanted movement while providing some cushioning. Its also fine for a street/strip car that just drag races. No suspension system can work to its full potential unless its connected to a stable platform/vehicle. These units are lighter than stock parts, require minimal maintenance (just a grease fitting on top), and provide virtually the same adjustability as more-expensive systems with easier installation. These tubular lower control arms from Global West provide exceptional strength and performance for a stockstyle front suspension. The internal structure of these bushings is such that the spring eye can only rotate around the mounting bolt; it cannot cock sideways or move back and forth as is possible with a compressible bushing. This involves significant cost and complexity including some major modification of the basic vehicle. To avoid potential noise and squeaks over time Energy Suspension includes grease fittings to allow for additional lubrication as necessary. Theres little point in upgrading to a more expensive, adjustable shock in a daily driver unless you intend to stay with leaf springs for the foreseeable future. You simply have the rack and a means for mounting tie rods and U-joints plus a means for connecting to the steering column. The anti-sway bar bushing mounts are even radiused for stability and durability! If youre thinking of buying a complete replacement you probably should just save your money and upgrade to a better system instead. An elaborate (and costly) strut rod design is from TCP. You can replace the various bushings associated with the anti-sway bars (end links, mounts) with highquality polyurethane parts, such as those from Energy Suspension. In most cases, however, such systems can still outperform OEM leaf springs. More importantly, the integration of the power assist directly into the steering box greatly improves steering feel and response. It presented a challenge for packaging when you wanted to install headers. In extreme cases, enough cracks can lead to suspension failure, which obviously is dangerous. Side-to-side movement is almost completely eliminated through the use of Delrin thrust surfaces. A curved bar may be necessary to clear a larger distributor or other obstruction but these are not as strong unless they use thicker-wall tubes. A front bar with a different torsional stiffness is usually included in a sway-bar kit to better balance the front and rear roll stiffness. The best Monte Carlo bar designs use thick, straight tubing with thick brackets and adjustable rod ends with opposing threads to allow adjustment by simply rotating the bar (versus having to adjust each side separately). The upper links are adjustable in length to allow the proper setting to be reached but this may not be possible if the tabs are not located properly. This quickly makes the steering more vague and slow. They claim its not necessary due to their choice of springs, shocks, and geometry. When combined with a proper roll bar/roll cage structure you have as stable (and safe) a platform as possible (without a full tube chassis) when starting with an early Mustang body. You can copy and paste this link to share: https://www.diyford.com/mustang-suspension-steering-uprades/, The daily driver focuses on minor modifications with a limited budget based on the factory-style suspension. (For extreme/track use more radical modifications are needed.). Well-tuned shocks are able to dampen the springs and thus the loads placed on a coil-over suspension are easier to control and distribute and are more consistently dampened. The high-performance street car takes things up a notch by using upgraded components at the front and eliminating the leaf springs at the rear. Those with proper reinforcement, however, can actually help stiffen the lower control arm mounts and the frame rails in general, thus providing some handling benefit. Everything needs to be compatible to get the best result. This setup is absolutely the minimum that should be considered for any kind of performance driving and even for strip use if youre drag racing. Each shock tower should be fully welded along each seam to enhance their overall strength. They should both be used whenever possible. Such bars may be smaller or larger in diameter than the stock bar depending on differences in materials, design (solid versus hollow), shape, and adjustability (extra holes, etc.). The Level 1 system comes with non-adjustable shocks and no front anti-sway bar. Some upgrades may also be required by sanctioning bodies and/ or event organizers before they let you run. The Level 3 system includes the front bar along with the best shocks (single adjustment for rebound with dual-stage high- and low-speed adjustments for compression, plus remote reservoirs) and is the preferred choice for this vehicle type. The majority of the front suspension loads are imposed on the shock towers yet theyre only partially welded from the factory. If you change the leaf springs and/ or the rear axle assembly make sure to use compatible parts that locate and retain the springs on the axle. For 1968 and later models with a collapsible column (shown) the column can simply be persuaded back into the firewall with a suitable mallet. You can upgrade the parts and make substantial improvements in performance. The lower links can be mounted in any of three locations to optimize the geometry for different purposes. The live-axle rear suspension with shocks and leaf springs also provided competent traction and damping duties, and certainly was much better than the single-leaf rear suspension on the Camaro, which had tramping and wheel-hop problems. A simple adjustment ring and set screw provide the ability to compensate for any excess wear by reducing the internal clearances. To achieve the ultimate in front-suspension performance while still retaining the factory shock towers a full coil-over conversion system is necessary. The steering box usually doesnt need much attention other than perhaps a slight adjustment of the worm gear clearance if its excessive. For a high-performance street car, you probably dont need adjustable anti-sway bars.You still must, how ever, ensure the bar(s) is matched to the rest of the suspension. These coil-overs easily replace the existing springs, perches, and shocks with simple, modular units that provide far greater tunability and adjustment potential. Those that remove the tubular factory crossmember and replace it with an unbraced/unreinforced rack can be problematic. The lower control arm with a strut rod has some pretty large (and soft) rubber bushings. TCPs g-link system is a canted four-link design. It was very strong too. Grease fittings for each Del-A-Lum bushing ensure they can stay properly lubricated throughout their very long life. You need to install tubular upper control arms as the first step in this upgrade. The track-day car utilizes a more-robust design at the front and rear plus more radical options when there are no budgetary or other constraints. Another modification is to supplement the existing subframe connectors with side rails that extend out to the sills to further stiffen the floorpan. The doublestamped control arm, coil springs, and shock suspension provided good road-holding and handling characteristics for its day, but it is certainly antiquated by todays standards and must be replaced to reach modern high-performance standards. Using direct-fit polyurethane bushings is okay if you want to keep costs to a minimum. Generally, when you make significant changes to the springs and/or shocks you also need to change, or at least readjust, the anti-sway bar(s). Filed Under: Ford Tech Tips, Mustang, Mustang Performance Upgrades, 2022 DiY Ford. This almost fully eliminates any compliance or friction while helping to reinforce the mounting box. The cost of most of the parts is relatively low plus their durability usually exceeds that of the OEM parts. Manual racks are sometimes preferable, however, where lightweight is a priority and high cornering (or parking) forces are rarely, if ever, encountered. The use of a hydraulic cylinder/ ram to provide power assist wasnt a very elegant solution; it introduced many more joints where excess wear and play could develop. The standard steering systems on early Mustangs left quite a bit to be desired. This greatly stabilizes the spring and produces much more accurate, consistent, and limited motion. A pure drag race suspension isnt well suited to street use so I briefly address it in the high-performance street and streetable track-day sections. They dont compress to any noticeable degree and they reduce friction and impact harshness. The main reason is their complexity. These cars tend to sag a bit due to a combination of metal fatigue, corrosion, rust, loose or missing fasteners, and broken welds. Even right off the showroom floor they were vague, void of any real communication from the road, and not very responsive to inputs. The real benefit, however, is the greatly improved stiffness and torsional bending. They were usable enough and safe enough for normal street use but, other than perhaps in drag racing, they were not really feasible for use during any type of highspeed high-performance driving. To take handling performance to the next level, be sure the subframe and the suspension are strong and sound. As with the front, the goal is the minimization of unwanted compliance/movement along with general spring and shock firming. They do, however, require periodic lubrication to prevent noise. A final feature of the g-link is its exceptional provision for ongoing maintenance. An adapter is added to the lower arm to accept the bottom mount of the coil-over unit. You cannot precisely tune spring rate for the best compromise between road holding and ride comfort. Even on a road course car a stiffer bar may not always be best if it throws the handling balance off, especially with lighter small-blocks. The shocks provide 71 2 inches of travel. These shocks provide a significant dampening improvement over the stock shocks and more consistent dampening at high speeds while providing decent levels of comfort. This further reduces flexing and adds strength by tying much of the rear of the car together to absorb the suspension loads. This chapter concentrates on street and highway (including high-speed events) use and covers some road course applications. A simple, inexpensive upgrade is to replace the OEM anti-sway bar bushings and links with polyurethane-based parts such as these from Energy Suspension. Click the button below and we will send you an exclusive deal on this book. The stock rear suspension is a model of simplicity but soft rubber bushings produce greater compliance. They greatly affect the stability of the car, especially under hard braking. mustang ifs boxing 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 plates 1970 ii ford The best designs have fully welded tubes and large, thick attachment brackets that contact the frame stubs on three sides. Remember, the suspension is a system, not just a combination of parts. Provisions are made for all the optional features TCP offers for these systems. The system weighed more and was prone to leaks. Various upper mounts are available to lower the front ride height as much as 2 inches even before the adjustability of the coil-over is considered. Kits are available for the 19641 21970 models whether they came with manual or power steering. This provides firm or soft roll control. Global West Suspension, Mustangs Plus, and others make upgraded upper arms that are stronger and have revised geometry to take advantage of a dropped location. This means converting to a rack-and-pinion steering system. To make things even stronger, you can weld the mounting plates wherever you can get to them. Non-adjustable and doubleadjustable versions plus other springs are available. The extra rails also can provide a more convenient jacking point for lowered cars. TCP offers this particular system in three types: polyurethane bushings, spherical bearings, and billet aluminum arms with spherical bearings. I discuss roll bars and cages in Chapter 12 but there are other modifications you can make to the basic body structure. Unfortunately, these bushings tend to allow too much unwanted movement and, over time, they fail. Straight four-link and some three-link designs are often low in cost and relatively easy to install. In some cases you may need to further trim the column housing. Early Mustangs were never known for having great torsional strength or chassis rigidity. It consisted of an upper control arm, a lower control arm, and a strut rod on each side combined with an anti-sway bar, springs, shocks, etc. Ensure the nuts on the U-bolts are evenly tightened and not overtightened to the point of warping the flanges. A rod end or spherical bearing is normally used in place of the rubber bushing, along with a much stronger and adjustable rod. The installation of the upper links is by far the most difficult aspect of installing this suspension. They accept all other OEM components and are a very good choice for drag race vehicles where the need for lighter weight is more important than the need to handle higher cornering. This is easily done by loosening the locknut on the steering box and adjusting the screw per factory instructions. (Photo Courtesy Global West Suspension). Even though you likely wont lose steering altogether youll probably end up someplace you dont want to, fast. In addition, the frame bushing is also replaced with a Del-A-Lum bushing to eliminate another source of unwanted compliance and instability. One way to help ensure proper handling balance for a given vehicle is to source all components from a single supplier as a matched kit for a particular type of driving. In its time the suspension of the first-generation Mustang was as advanced as any pony or muscle car suspension from Detroit. The front suspension design of first-generation Mustangs didnt change much. A Monte Carlo bar provides additional support by connecting to the shock towers across the engine bay to further reduce their movement relative to each other. It eliminates the OEM rubber bushing in favor of a spherical bearing. They have six settings covering a wider adjustment range than the OEM bolts. They reduce movement and provide more cushioning compared to their rubber counterparts but they can squeak if not greased. These arms offer additional strut rod mounting holes plus revised geometry for potentially better performance, especially when used as part of a complete negativeroll kit. They feature the same spherical bearings as the boxed OEM arms while providing far more strength and an extra mounting point for the strut rods. You can easily and smoothly move either one through its full arc with just your fingers after its been installed. They reduce the amount of body roll and improve the overall response of the suspension. These stronger square plates are held in place by the factory flanges and dont move out of adjustment under heavy loading as the OEM cam bolts often do. Spherical bearings replace the OEM rubber bushings, provide lower stiction, and virtually eliminate unwanted compliance. Mustangs Plus offers a chassis-strengthening kit that provides weld-on reinforcement panels primarily for the floorpan area. The Level 2 coil-over system is the same except for the shocks (single adjustable for rebound) and the inclusion of the optional MUSCLEbar with PosiLinks front antisway bar. If your old/OEM system needs any significant amount of investment for your daily driver or high-performance street car this Borgeson setup is the better way to go. . The location of the true pivot point is held stable and constant (it moves around with rubber), thus minimizing random variations in the caster change throughout the full arc of movement. For a daily driver the factory leaf spring-style suspension is usually retained. The springs cannot move sideways to any degree, thus enhancing stability while allowing for slightly more effective tire clearance and/or wider tires. In addition to locating the lower control arm front-to-back, strut rods are responsible for absorbing the majority of the braking forces transferred to the suspension. Further front anti-sway bar modifications may not be needed if you already did some. Koni offers a line of classic shocks that are an excellent choice for a simple, non-adjustable shock likely to be used in a daily driver. Air springs are able to change damping characteristics on demand for increased ground clearance and performance at various speeds and applications. This degrades performance and destabilizes the car under hard cornering and braking. These OEM-style arms feature slightly revised mounting nuts and cross shafts to reduce play via more precise threads. There are many more sophisticated and expensive options, which may be adjustable, but they are not really needed at this level of modification or its cost criteria. By using adjustablelength rods with rod ends that index to the frame (to ensure proper alignment) these strut rods also provide additional adjustment capability for a more precise alignment. It almost always weighs less than a regular system when you consider all the links, joints, and so forth it doesnt have. The strut rods are an often overlooked component in the front suspension. The ride can be a bit harsher. Once the tabs have been welded on and painted, the fixtures can be removed and replaced by the upper links. The front and rear suspensions are tied together so the chassis and suspension system respond as a single unit. An export brace bolts between the firewall and the shock towers to brace them under hard cornering. These can be used with stock or aftermarket upper control arms, though the latter is really best. A harsher ride is one of them plus things like spring wrap-up also come into play. (Photo Courtesy Global West Suspension). Theyre usually bolt-in designs, which may be fine on the street but often are not suited to more extreme use. Ridetech provides these fixtures to help ensure the axle tabs are welded in the right place. The most common example is that the shock towers tend to bend inward toward the engine. These can be adapted to work with most engine swaps such as this 5.0L EFI engine. These are also where the most improvement is possible, mainly because they play such a major role under hard braking. The spring shackles are also reinforced. Otherwise, wait to upgrade it. A Mustangs cornering ability is improved while body roll is limited. For a daily driver that sees mostly street use and a minimal modification budget its only practical to minimally repair the stock system to the extent its necessary. The spring and shock capably handle the suspension loads but its not optimal because most of the load is placed on the upper control arm. Because there are far fewer of these bushings their effect is less. When combined with the better arms, bushings, shocks, etc., they very noticeably improve the dynamics of the vehicle. Air springs add weight and take up space. The springs can be replaced with others having a different spring rate and revised construction, which can alter the vehicle height. The problem with these systems is usually the hydraulic ram/cylinder and/or the associated control valve. Its a question of achieving the proper balance. A prime example of this is the integral power steering conversion kit from Borgeson Universal. Be sure to paint all welds. Panhard rods can be advantageous in some situations where most of the turns on a track are in the same direction. The cradle may interfere with large exhausts. When going to a higher spring rate its also advisable to replace the OEM rubber spring isolators with polyurethane components from Energy Suspension or a similar manufacturer. However, you can install four-bolt ball joints and not drill new mounting holes 1 inch lower in the shock towers for a Shelby mod. The ease of replacement makes it feasible to have extra springs to swap as needed for different uses. There may be clearance issues if youre using the factory Z-bar on a manual transmission car; you may need to change to a cable or hydraulic clutch release system to make things work. When the additional loads of high-performance driving are to be the norm, additional strengthening measures are needed for the body structure. Whether you go with no rear anti-sway bar, a sliding-link solid bar, or a splined tubular bar it bolts right up to the g-link system whether youre using the OEM axle or one of TCPs FAB9 axle housings. In addition the OEM spring perch uses a relatively compliant rubber bushing, which isnt the best for performance or durability. The upper arms are modified to allow the coilover to pass through plus there is a special mounting scheme for the coilover to the shock tower. Finally, because this design has such inherently low internal friction there is a reduction in impact harshness and an improved ability for the spring to move through the desired range of motion. About | Contact | Terms | Privacy, FORD MUSTANG 1964 1/2 1973: HOW TO BUILD & MODIFY. This front suspension uses reinforced stock-type control arms and strut rods and upgraded bushings. Designs that allow the rack to be loaded in other ways can be prone to premature wear, sticking, resistance while moving, and even the risk of failure. Global West offers normal, reverse-eye, and mid-eye springs, which can drop the rear of the vehicle up to 112 to 2 inches below stock while preserving the correct spring shape/arc (some others alter the spring shape). A better solution is to use DelA-Lum bushings from Global West. (Photo Courtesy Total Control Products). Friction and wear are greatly reduced so they last longer. Tie rod ends, ball joints, and so forth arent especially expensive and should be the first things to get replaced if theyre worn or damaged with excessive play. Weight and the number of potential leaks are also reduced plus additional header clearance is provided. They can even improve the ride due to less initial impact friction (stiction). Written by Frank Bohanan and Posted with Permission of CarTechBooks. Harder bushings help minimize slight fore and aft movement. The simple design of leaf springs doesnt offer many possibilities for change but they provide very dramatic results. When an axle assembly with a recessed locating hole is used special metal inserts such as these from Global West are likely to be needed. The OEM rubber bushing has been replaced with a spherical bearing. If the strut rods are improperly adjusted the wheel alignment may be off and there can be a high possibility of the car pulling to one side under braking or acceleration. These Global West arms are the stronger four-bolt variety plus they utilize a revised bushing design with harder durometer rubber to reduce excessive and unwanted movement of the arm. A worn/failing bushing usually causes the car to pull to one side when trying to drive straight. The long torque arm mounted directly to the front of the axle housing (and also to the body near the transmission) uses the axle forces generated to help plant the tires under acceleration and greatly reduce dive under braking. All have the same basic geometry and installation. Ridetech offers three levels of coil-over, or ShockWave/air-spring, configurations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE:Please feel free to share this article on Facebook, in Forums, or with any Clubs you participate in. The system is simpler, and there are a lot fewer joints. These panels box off the bottom of the car while better tying together and reinforcing the major structures. The design of these components is critical if they are to provide any noticeable benefit and not have ground-clearance issues. Similarly, ride height can be changed by adjusting the collars on the shocks or by moving the upper shock mount to a different hole in the cradle. If the cradle and axle tabs are properly placed the length of the upper links should be nearly identical. The polyurethane version has a little more compliance than the others but may require a bit more maintenance in terms of lubrication but its also less costly. This is mainly due to the inherent friction between the leaves of each spring along with the more-random motion of each spring (and thus the axle and tires) due to bushing compliance, spring wrap up, etc. A simple but critical upgrade is to fully weld the shock towers. They are usually installed under the dash, either with a new steering column or through modifications to the existing steering column. For the daily driver you can reinforce the basic body structure to provide a more stable foundation for the suspension. In extreme cases and/or where the box is leaking or otherwise damaged you can have it rebuilt or buy one that already has been rebuilt. They simply drop in but can also be epoxied. This relocates the mounting point of the coil-over assembly to the lower control arm to better distribute forces. The guidelines for the front apply to shock absorbers: Stick with a premium brand such as Koni (Classic line) for simple and nonadjustable versions. Because power is useless without control you need to understand how the suspension helps the force at the tires be transformed into motion while the steering (for the most part) determines what direction the motion is in. Early Mustangs benefit greatly from a Monte Carlo bar (the straight, adjustable bar between the shock towers) and an export brace (the fixed bars running between the firewall and the shock towers). A sudden suspension jolt or impact can cause the strut rod to bend (or even break off) at the base of the threads. The caster is adjusted on the strut rods that have jam nuts. They provide at least as much tunability with superior geometry plus theyre still far less costly than a full Mustang II subframe system. They simply bolt onto the existing factory or aftermarket (preferred) upper arms and require only minimal adaptation on top of the shock towers. In some cases the joint could actually fail under extreme use. For earlier cars you need to cut the column and use the included shorter, solid shaft. It is not a step-by-step guide because there are too many differences among cars.