[IPalindromeI]

What up people…

Just purchased my 2006 legend lime green auto V6 Stang last month and love it. I am dying to begin the never ending uncontrollable downward spiral of mods! Being that this is my first Stang and is a different beast (pun intended) than other vehicles I have owned, where would be a good place to start… performance or handling? (opinions obviously)

I was thinking, as most people have stated, with tune and performance mods. But then I was thinking, the extra performance would just make the stock handling and suspension that much more of an annoyance. Maybe start with springs, strut bar and sway bars… then moving on to performance because the car could then handle the extra power that much better. Or am I over thinking this and I should just go with the performance? :yup:

Opinions completely open and I look forward to all the great answers.

 

[Immortal]

First Thing i would do, is checking if you got an rear Sway bar, if not. Get a used GT one or buy a Set. It changes the Bodyroll enormous.
Also a Tuner, with optional CAI is very recommended by most users, i´ve orderd mine and waiting for arrival.
And Upgrade those Brakes, at least get some better Pads, and maybe Rotors, the Stock Mustang Brakes are just.. like braking with the Feet down like the Flintstones.
Dual Exhaust is also very common, mostly for Sound, even though my Axleback Single Exhaust saved some weight

 

[babelfish]

Congrats on the purchase! I have a GT, but for my car, I decided I would upgrade the power with perforrmance bolt-ons first. I then will pry add some handling and suspension parts, and all the while, add a few exterior tweaks as well. I'm sure you will decide which is the best way to go for you and your new Mustang! Enjoy!

 

[Norm Peterson]

For handling . . . really basic stuff

How about just driving the car the way it sits and find/figure out how you'd like it to handle differently? There may be a few things it does do that you'd rather it not do or do differently, and there may be some things it doesn't do that you'd like. Experiment with tire pressures different from sticker (and front different from rear) just to get a hint.

I will stress that since this is an '06 and is possibly still on the OE struts and shocks - to do shocks, struts, and springs all at the same time if you're going to do springs at all. If the OE shocks and struts are still in and you don't want to do springs right away, do the struts and shocks anyway.

If you're after handling and not just chasing appearance, avoid lowering much more than maybe 1.25".

Put tires and wheels somewhere on your list, because everything you do to the suspension still has to work with however good the wheel & tire package is (or isn't).



Norm

 

[themangeraaad]

FWIW - your subject line says performance vs handling and you ask which to upgrade first. Handling is part of overall performance and I consider it (handling) to be one of the most (if not the most) important aspect of performance. But I suspect your question is with regard to handling vs power so with that said...

I drove my GT for about 3 months before I added any mods and from my experience with a V8 I'd say that suspension would be early on my upgrade list. For a V6? Probably the same... but in either case it really depends how you will use the car. If you just want to run a straight line you'd probably be better off with upgrading control arms (to eliminate wheel hop), maybe some new tires, and getting power adders. If you'd rather do well in the twisties over straight-line performance I'd go for suspension/wheel/tire upgrades first and then worry about power.

For me, after a few months I was getting annoyed by the throttle response/delay I was feeling so I got an intake/tune. After that I added a cat back exhaust (purely for sound) and 3.73 gears.

After those upgrades I decided that I should focus on suspension. I already had more than enough power to break the tires free and the wheel hop was pretty atrocious. I added [mostly] full suspension (springs, shocks, control arms, C/C plates, panhard bar, etc) and have a few more parts sitting on the shelf ready to go on (panhard bar brace, lower control arm relo brackets).

Up next is tuneup stuff (plugs, fuel filter, etc) followed by searching for wheels/tires and eventually a blower.

 

[IPalindromeI]

Awesome replies! Thanks for all the input. I really wanted to go GT but I have a bit of a drive to work so the V6 was what I settled on for gas purposes. However, the V6 has nice muscle power to spare.

The only thing I don't like about the V6 is the throttle lag which from the research I have done is solved by basic mods including: Tune, CAI, exhaust, etc… So I believe I will probably start there.

Handling has a bit of chassis roll to it around corners. Gripping the ground and staying level around corners would be nice. And yes Immortal, the breaks (for 4 wheel disc) are very harsh. I feel like opening the door and slowing down with my feet. My pads are newer so it is just a stock breaking feel.

Mainly I am asking, with the money I have, where would you start? In the future I will get to everything, but at the moment I do not know if I want to start with power (as themangeraaad stated) or handling…

 

[az.dsrt]

How much do you plan to spend? I'd start with a rear sway bar if it doesn't have one (most v6 don't), then a tune and possibly a CAI. Should be able to do all that youself for under $1,000..

 

[JBert]

. . . The only thing I don't like about the V6 is the throttle lag which from the research I have done is solved by basic mods including: Tune, CAI, exhaust, etc… So I believe I will probably start there.

Handling has a bit of chassis roll to it around corners. Gripping the ground and staying level around corners would be nice. . . .

Mainly I am asking, with the money I have, where would you start? In the future I will get to everything, but at the moment I do not know if I want to start with power (as themangeraaad stated) or handling…

so many mods, so little time and money . . . but the fun is looking at all the catalogs and deciding what's next . . .

Tuner and CAI are common first mods and should help with the throttle lag, though it will never be like a good old throttle cable.

You can probably pick up a set of GT take-off sway bars for cheap money, and that should help with the body roll. Then you need to start learning about lowering springs, shocks and struts, etc.

GT take-off wheels and tires could be another real good buy. I am not 100% positive about the V6, but pretty sure you can use any S197 wheels, all the way up to 2013. (might need a different steering stop for 18" wheels?) 18 x 9.5" GT-500 wheels with Goodyear F1 tires can be had for about $1,000 for the set if you watch craig's list and the like.

One of the great things about these cars is that there is a huge aftermarket, and people are constantly taking off old parts and putting on new ones, so if their old parts fit your needs you can pick them up real cheap.

. . . If you're after handling and not just chasing appearance, avoid lowering much more than maybe 1.25".

Norm, why no more than 1.25"? Throws off the geometry? Steeda Sports are good, right?

 

[IPalindromeI]

Update…

With this pony I am going to take a different angle than normal. After careful consideration and research I feel the best place to start upgrading my ride is with the differential. I am going to install an LSD differential with 3.73 gears. This will give me a great starting point when moving on to power upgrades. Whats the point of adding power if it does not translate into traction power. Changing the diff and gears will allow for better traction, off the line power, and overall greater efficiency.

 

[Immortal]

Do some research on the LSD, especially for the 7.5 Rear Diff, as one of the best, as most people say (Ford racing) is not manufactured anymore. Some say the Auburn Unit is not that great, i can´t talk with my own experience.
8.8 Rear Axle assemblies are also very common, and they take more Power and Abuse than the 7.5 But without FI I don´t think you´ll rip it apart, as long as you don´t use drag Radials. (Heard a story on this forum )
17 or 18 Inch GT wheels would help traction also.:winks

For the Sway bar, Factory only Pony Package V6 get a rear Sway Bar. And yes, the V6 should take all wheels the 2013 can take, maybe you need a Steering Stop.

 

[Sharad]

What up people…

Just purchased my 2006 legend lime green auto V6 Stang last month and love it. I am dying to begin the never ending uncontrollable downward spiral of mods! Being that this is my first Stang and is a different beast (pun intended) than other vehicles I have owned, where would be a good place to start… performance or handling? (opinions obviously)

I was thinking, as most people have stated, with tune and performance mods. But then I was thinking, the extra performance would just make the stock handling and suspension that much more of an annoyance. Maybe start with springs, strut bar and sway bars… then moving on to performance because the car could then handle the extra power that much better. Or am I over thinking this and I should just go with the performance? :yup:

Opinions completely open and I look forward to all the great answers.

I'm a huge fan of tire & suspension upgrades. They improve the driving experience whether it's cornering, braking, acceleration... you name it. Here's what I did to my car, and it is a joy to drive:

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/upr-products/359130-uprs-s197-handling-package.html

 

[Norm Peterson]

Norm, why no more than 1.25"? Throws off the geometry?

Yes.

As you lower the rear, axle roll steer gets more understeerish from the get-go and hits almost 10% at -1.25" uncorrected lowering. Although that's not quite to the point where slalom-type maneuvers become unacceptable (including street driving swerves to miss stuff), it is past the point where if handling is a priority you should consider correcting it - unless you're competing in an autocross class that does not allow you to relocate the LCA pivots.

It's even a good place to stop (without relo brackets) from the perspective of anti-squat. Starting from OE ride height, the amount of antisquat (which isn't all that much to begin with) drops slightly. By -1.25" with an average weight driver aboard it is starting to increase again. Getting past where the A-S drops at least means that the further the rear squats the more strongly it geometrically resists doing so.

Steeda Sports are good, right?

Get the linear rate ones for handling. Not sure what Steeda's part number is - the Steeda page comes up with 8216 at the top of the screen but the pricing and options section on that page says 8215 ???



Norm

 

[JBert]

. . .
Get the linear rate ones for handling. Not sure what Steeda's part number is - the Steeda page comes up with 8216 at the top of the screen but the pricing and options section on that page says 8215 ???

Thanks Norm -- yeah the Steeda linear rate spring part number is kind of a mystery, seems they keep it that way for some reason . . . Sam Strano is supposed to have it figured out, he sells the linear ones . . . I actually have a set in a box, that I bought second hand, from a guy who said he got them from Sam, so hopefully I got the right ones . . . though it is strange that they don't have any part numbers on the springs, just on the box, and I believe it is 8215.

Anyway thanks for the help, and OP sorry for the minor hijack, John

 

[themangeraaad]

You be able to tell if they are linear rate or not just by looking at them...

And I have linear rate Steeda Ultralites and like them quite a bit paired with Tokiko D-specs. Granted I don't mind a stiff ride but I don't find the car to be unbearable even our ****** MA roads.

 

[Guest]

555-8215 should be the linear version of Steeda Sports. That's what Sam sells.

 

[s197inthe208]

I like the LSD and gears idea. The gears and the tune were my two top mods IMO. You'll like those. Everyone says you can't find LSDs for the 7.5 anymore... I don't really understand that. I see them on Craigs all the time.

 

[Guest]

I like the LSD and gears idea. The gears and the tune were my two top mods IMO. You'll like those. Everyone says you can't find LSDs for the 7.5 anymore... I don't really understand that. I see them on Craigs all the time.

The 7.5? Our cars have 8.8.


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[PW_Pony]

The 7.5? Our cars have 8.8.


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Not the 05-09 v6.

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[Norm Peterson]

OP's car is a 2006 sixxer . . . which you'd be better off building up even more as a "momentum car".


Norm

 

[Guest]

My bad.........


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