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462 Posts
First of all, let me say that my goals for suspension and braking upgrades are simply to achieve better handling and stopping in my daily driving and better response on curvy backroads. I plan to do only mild HP upgrades and my eventual hp goals are to be in the stock range of the 05/06 GTs, although I realize HP is addictive and I may eventually want to do more. For the most part, hp upgrades will be put on the back burner until after I make handling and braking improvements. The only thing I have on my list to do before handling/braking is to put in a short throw shifter (leaning toward Hurst, but B&M or Steeda Tri-Ax are in the running). In other words, I want to make regular (and some 'fun') driving in my Mustang just a little more pleasurable - and safe. I will probably make it to a dragway at some point, but mostly out of curiosity. My 1/4 mile times are not my biggest concern and I don't need a monster handler that will run road courses (I am not even sure if there are any road courses in this area). Also, I want the least amount of drop possible while improving handling. One thing I like about my Mustang is that, unlike many sporty cars, I don't feel like I have to climb up out of it. Also, I don't want to fool with bumpsteer kits or c/c plates. I realize there is a chance of giving up some smoothness in the ride quality in order to achieve better handling, but as Tennessee spends more money on roads than on schools, or just about anything else (not necessarily something to be proud of), even secondary and backroads are fairly smooth, so I can deal with a bit more 'harshness' if I have to. I don't have a lot of extra cash to spend on mods, so cost is a pretty big factor.
First, my brake questions. If I keep the stock brakes for now and go with Hawk brake pads all around, will my braking show much improvement? I am planning an eventual brake upgrade, but that is probably a little way off right now. I really want to get a suspension package in place first.
When the time comes, there are two major brake upgrade kits I am considering. One would be to simply upgrade the front brakes to a 13 inch Cobra brake setup and keep the stock GT rears with good pads (thanks to Meatball for that suggestion). The other would be to go with a Bullitt brake kit which apparently upgrades the fronts to 13in and the rears to 12in. Again, I am looking for a good brake package to improve safety in daily driving and complement a suspension upgrade. I would like to keep my stock Bullitt rims for now, so would like brake kits that are compatible. Any thoughts?
Now for suspension kits. From the research I have done so far, I keep coming back to the same three or four kits. I am wondering if anyone has experience with any of these and what opinions/impressions people have. Here are the choices so far:
Bullitt suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford for a Mustang GT special edition so should work very well with my GT. No c/c plates or bumpsteer required and only drops .75 of an inch. Have read that handling is markedly improved over a regular GT suspension. Have seen the full kit advertised for around $399 - $450 and kit includes better sway bars. Cons: Have read that it makes the ride a bit 'harsh', although some don't agree. Could deal with some harshness if it improves the handling without being too bad.
Mach 1 suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford for a Mustang which is built on pretty much the same platform as my GT, so should be a good fit. Also requires no c/c plates or bumpsteer and only drops about .75 of an inch. At Stangsuspension.com, the kit is even cheaper than the Bullitt kit. Cons: Unlike Bullitt kits, Mach 1 kits I have seen advertised do not include sway bars. I have read that the Mach 1 kit is better for dragracing and 1/4 mile times but that the Bullitt kit actually improves street handling more (although I don't see how this is possible as the tables I have seen give the same spring rates for both - unless it is all in the sway bars). Unknowns: Haven't found anything about the harshness of Mach 1s compared to GTs.
Ford Racing Performance Parts 1994-04 Mustang handling suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford specifically to improve SN95 Mustang handling. Like the previous two, only drops .75 of an inch and should not require bumpsteer or c/c plates. Cons: I suspect this is pretty much the same as the Bullitt kit which I can get for $50 to $100 cheaper.
MRT Street Suspension Kit. Pros: Claims not to require bumpsteer or c/c plates. Possibly better handling and/or ride quality than other kits mentioned. Cons: Drops 1.25 inches, which is more than I really want to drop. Costs more than other kits. Haven't heard/read much about this kit or if it really works well without c/c plates.
Whichever kit I end up going with, would it still be a good idea to eventually put on subframe connectors? Feedback is appreciated.
First, my brake questions. If I keep the stock brakes for now and go with Hawk brake pads all around, will my braking show much improvement? I am planning an eventual brake upgrade, but that is probably a little way off right now. I really want to get a suspension package in place first.
When the time comes, there are two major brake upgrade kits I am considering. One would be to simply upgrade the front brakes to a 13 inch Cobra brake setup and keep the stock GT rears with good pads (thanks to Meatball for that suggestion). The other would be to go with a Bullitt brake kit which apparently upgrades the fronts to 13in and the rears to 12in. Again, I am looking for a good brake package to improve safety in daily driving and complement a suspension upgrade. I would like to keep my stock Bullitt rims for now, so would like brake kits that are compatible. Any thoughts?
Now for suspension kits. From the research I have done so far, I keep coming back to the same three or four kits. I am wondering if anyone has experience with any of these and what opinions/impressions people have. Here are the choices so far:
Bullitt suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford for a Mustang GT special edition so should work very well with my GT. No c/c plates or bumpsteer required and only drops .75 of an inch. Have read that handling is markedly improved over a regular GT suspension. Have seen the full kit advertised for around $399 - $450 and kit includes better sway bars. Cons: Have read that it makes the ride a bit 'harsh', although some don't agree. Could deal with some harshness if it improves the handling without being too bad.
Mach 1 suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford for a Mustang which is built on pretty much the same platform as my GT, so should be a good fit. Also requires no c/c plates or bumpsteer and only drops about .75 of an inch. At Stangsuspension.com, the kit is even cheaper than the Bullitt kit. Cons: Unlike Bullitt kits, Mach 1 kits I have seen advertised do not include sway bars. I have read that the Mach 1 kit is better for dragracing and 1/4 mile times but that the Bullitt kit actually improves street handling more (although I don't see how this is possible as the tables I have seen give the same spring rates for both - unless it is all in the sway bars). Unknowns: Haven't found anything about the harshness of Mach 1s compared to GTs.
Ford Racing Performance Parts 1994-04 Mustang handling suspension kit. Pros: Made by Ford specifically to improve SN95 Mustang handling. Like the previous two, only drops .75 of an inch and should not require bumpsteer or c/c plates. Cons: I suspect this is pretty much the same as the Bullitt kit which I can get for $50 to $100 cheaper.
MRT Street Suspension Kit. Pros: Claims not to require bumpsteer or c/c plates. Possibly better handling and/or ride quality than other kits mentioned. Cons: Drops 1.25 inches, which is more than I really want to drop. Costs more than other kits. Haven't heard/read much about this kit or if it really works well without c/c plates.
Whichever kit I end up going with, would it still be a good idea to eventually put on subframe connectors? Feedback is appreciated.