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Originally Posted by R3dF1r3 thump_rrr,
peeps don't seem to give props on a sw33t run anymore. That is a great time you did on a N/A motor. It is better than alot of guys who have a S/C, lol....I know you have discussed this before but, can you start another thread on your complete suspension mods and tell us how you feel they have helped you......: |
Ok R3dF1r3 here it goes.
Sit back and enjoy the novel. Just remember you asked for it.
First I would like to say that I am not affiliated with Steeda in any way nor am I sponsored by them in anyway. I pay for all my parts with my hard earned money and I’m not shy to criticize them wherever needed. The complete list of parts used including part numbers is on my cardomain site. The link is in my signature.
Steeda has a bunch of interesting tech articles on their website
Steeda . Since it is a site that uses flash you will need to click on the "news" link at the top of the page to get to the Tech. articles.
Urethane bushings will squeak like crazy if the proper grease is not used. Energy Suspensions has a grease with the consistency of glue which will never wash off Part No. 90.11104 It's the only grease I use.
The 05 is my first Mustang. I was born in the 60's and I am old enough to remember driving in my uncles' 68 notchback. Quite a few of my friends and neighbors own enough GT's and Cobras to start our own dealership. I nearly bought a white 88 GT with T-tops as my first new car but bought a Honda Crx-Si instead. That decision probably saved my life. Every car which I have ever owned has had only 2 doors and has had its suspension replaced. From my first CRX-Si to my Acura Legend Coupe back to my current Crx-Si winter beater.
As with all the cars I ever bought I never test drove the GT before I ordered it. I knew that the stock suspension wouldn't be up to my standards so the day I ordered the car I began ordering parts.
I came to the conclusion that Steeda was the right choice for me. They have won more class championships than anyone else and the feedback I received from other Steeda customers was positive.
The first mod was the swaybars with the rear end link kit. If you look at the stock rear Swaybar and end links you will find a set of end links the size of a drinking straw.
I picked up my car on a Thursday night and I must admit the ride was great compared to my bone jarring CRX-Si with autocross suspension but it understeered like a pig.
Front and Rear Swaybars
Saturday morning the Steeda swaybars were installed and the change was like night and day. It understeered much less than before and became a joy to drive. It still floated like a boat and looked like it was walking on its' tippy toes but it was a great improvement. The only negative comment is that in the rain the car is so neutral it is less forgiving for the non enthusiast and drop throttle oversteer on something such as a highway cloverleaf off ramp is possible.
Steeda has recently added 2 more holes to the front Swaybar to allow a little more or less over/under steer. The rear Swaybar now comes with steel end link caps making the billet caps an option. This is a good way for them to get another $90.00 out of your pockets.
I also added the Competition Adjustable End Link Kit to complete the front Swaybar setup. I have heard that people who use their cars for autocross have reportedly broken the factory end links but for street driving I would keep my money.
Chassis Stiffening
Once I replaced the Swaybars I felt a little more chassis stiffening wouldn't hurt. I ordered the Steeda Billet Strut Tower Brace for looks as much as for function. There is also a steel "economy" model for people who are less concerned about the way the brace looks. The G-Trac Brace which attaches between the front lower control arms keeps the flex down there to a minimum. Be sure to have a 12mm hex key or socket on hand or you will be running around trying to find one. I also installed the Steeda Rear Shock Tower Brace in the trunk for added rear stiffening. It stays low and out of the way which allows full use of all your trunk space. According to Steeda the ends of the brace should be welded to the rear shock towers for added rigidity. Mine is being held in place by the top mounts of the rear shocks for the time being. I will get it welded in when I do the Front Control Arm Relocation Kit (More on that later.)
Springs and Shocks
I won't spend much time on springs since everyone has their own opinion of how a car should sit. The Steeda Sport Spring drops the car approximately 1" all around. They're not too firm but feel just right. The front spring rates have been bumped up 30% while the rear ones have gone up only 10%. Although I haven't done it as of yet I will be trimming approximately 1" off of the rear bump stops. When traveling over repeating expansion joints such as on a long bridge the rear of the car begins to pogo at high speeds. This is due to the shocks weak rebounding characteristics. I have spoken to someone who has installed the 16 way adjustable Tokico D-Spec shocks in their 05 and has found a great improvement over the stock shocks. They are definitely on my Christmas wish list.
Rear Suspension
The rear suspension on the 05 consists of 2 lower control arms, a Panhard rod, a Panhard brace, and a third upper link.
When I dropped the rear suspension I replaced the Panhard brace with the stronger Steeda unit. I also installed the Steeda Adjustable Panhard Bar which allows the rear axle to be positioned properly. Because of the rear suspension being lowers the angle of the Panhard bar becomes more shallow requiring a shorter bar otherwise the rear axle moves ever so slightly to the left.
Since I go to the drag strip 2-3 times a week, once in a while I would get a little wheel hop so the first component to replace was the third upper link. The Steeda unit uses a urethane bushing in place of the factory hydra-bushing. It is also adjustable in length to allow changes in pinion angle and has a snubber for the front of the diff. From the moment I installed it I have never experienced another second of wheel hop.
I installed the Billet Lower Control Arms more for looks than anything else. I took the time to sand them down all the way to 2000 grit and polish them to a high luster. I have needed to replace the forward bushings in them already. Steeda sent a set of redesigned bushings free of charge in a matter of days. They were already aware of the problem. I can honestly say that I felt this mod did absolutely nothing for me in the performance department but when a real mustang fan notices them they really flip.
Front Suspension
The Mustang front suspension consists of a McPherson strut and coil spring, a lower control arm or A-arm, and a front sway bar and end link which we covered earlier.
Due to the front suspension design there are no adjustable camber and caster top plates available such as those which were available for the SN95 and Fox body.
The Steeda Camber kit consists of a couple of machined aluminum plates which accept hardened steel inserts. These inserts have offsets to give you anywhere from 0 to 3 degrees of negative camber in 0.5 degree increments. A set of 0.25 degree increment inserts are available by special order. The camber kit is placed on the lower end of the shock where it meets the hub carrier. The upper bolt hole on the shock is ovalized to allow the camber to be adjusted. I have mine set to 1.5 degrees of negative camber with
3/32 of toe-in for aggressive street driving. You will experience a little increased tire wear with this setup.
I still have not installed the Steeda Bumpsteer kit which is used to adjust the tie-rod angle on a lowered car to be parallel with the lower control arm. This kit reduces the cars' "steering" itself when a wheel hits a bump. I will be installing this kit at the same time I install the Control Arm Relocation Kit. This kit will raise the control arm location by 3/4 to lower your vehicles center of gravity and maintain the correct roll center. This kit requires re drilling of the K-Member and welding in some reinforcement tabs. It's a 6 hour job not to be performed by the faint of heart.
Wheels and Tires
The subject of wheels and tires is very subjective. I will not spend a lot of time on the subject other than to say this. The use of staggered tire sizes front and rear will tend to make the car under steer. To offset this either an adjustable sway bar and/or adjustment of front to rear tire pressure is required. The original 17" wheels and tires do not lend themselves to high performance driving although it is their high sidewall which contributes to the cars' excellent 60ft. times on the drag strip. I will be looking for an 18" setup with 9.5" wide rims all around such as the Steeda Ultra-Lite wheels.
Suspension Mods As Per R3dF1r3s' Request 2005 Mustang GT 
Nice write up.
