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You may be able to get away without having to do C-C plates or camber bolts if your camber is not very far negative as it sits. If the lowering pushes camber much past -1.25° and you aren't autocrossing or driving the corners pretty hard most of the time, don't wait too long to fix it.
Not getting shocks/struts is false economy, because you'll be tearing the front suspension apart and aligning it twice. And that means three tightening cycles on any "one-time use" fasteners that you might get two uses out of.
Norm
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You may be able to get away without having to do C-C plates or camber bolts if your camber is not very far negative as it sits. If the lowering pushes camber much past -1.25° and you aren't autocrossing or driving the corners pretty hard most of the time, don't wait too long to fix it.
Not getting shocks/struts is false economy, because you'll be tearing the front suspension apart and aligning it twice. And that means three tightening cycles on any "one-time use" fasteners that you might get two uses out of.
Norm
I'm incredibly confused . What fasteners are we talking about again?
Also how will I measure if my camber gets too far negative?
If I will need shocks and struts no matter what, I will probably get the H&R super sports. I really want the low drop.
Will this be good?
Springs: H&R supersports Shocks: (2) Tokico HP Series Front Strut (05-09) Struts: (2) Tokico HP Series Rear Shock (05-09) C&C Plates: J&M Mustang 4-Bolt Caster Camber Plates (05-10)
At least some of the suspension fasteners are claimed to be "one-time use" in the Ford service literature, though it seems that you can usually re-use them once (with Locktite blue).
About camber - if you have a level place to set up on, you can measure camber accurately enough with either a digital angle finder ($40 at Harbor Freight IIRC) or with a level and a small scale (plus a little trigonometry).
Up to an inch or so of "drop", handling probably won't change enough for you to notice, though as you go past 1.5" or so there will be some sacrifices. What it comes down to is how important appearance is to you as opposed to performance as you approach the limits of tire grip, either in cornering or straightline acceleration.
At least some of the suspension fasteners are claimed to be "one-time use" in the Ford service literature, though it seems that you can usually re-use them once (with Locktite blue).
About camber - if you have a level place to set up on, you can measure camber accurately enough with either a digital angle finder ($40 at Harbor Freight IIRC) or with a level and a small scale (plus a little trigonometry).
Up to an inch or so of "drop", handling probably won't change enough for you to notice, though as you go past 1.5" or so there will be some sacrifices. What it comes down to is how important appearance is to you as opposed to performance as you approach the limits of tire grip, either in cornering or straightline acceleration.
Norm
I'm starting to understand what you mean. You're saying that right now my tires are at around zero camber so they look like this
||---||
But since i'm lowering the car, it will push the tires out (negative camber) and look like this
//----\\ (obviously exaggerated)
Which is bad. So I need CC plates to keep it near zero camber.
So I need to measure how much out (negative) they are already so that I will know if I need the extra correction offered by the CC plates?
Assuming that I'm right, I'm gonna go out in my garage now and measure the camber like you told me to.
You'll probably find that there is a little negative camber in it already. IIRC, the OE spec calls for -0.75°, with a range of at least ±0.50° from there. My car sits, stock, at a little more than -1°. Lowering will simply push whatever you have to slightly more negative.
A little negative camber is a good thing even in normal driving, since when you take corners the car rolls over and takes it away on the wheel that's then carrying most of the weight at that end. IOW, you end up cornering more toward the outer shoulders of the outside tires than equally across the entire treads.
About the only place where straight-up zero camber is best any more is at the dragstrip. And ideally that would be with the front end raised slightly as it would be under WOT acceleration in 2nd or perhaps 3rd gear.
In fact, if you meaure your REAR tire cambers, you may find out that they aren't exactly zero either.
You'll probably find that there is a little negative camber in it already. IIRC, the OE spec calls for -0.75°, with a range of at least ±0.50° from there. My car sits, stock, at a little more than -1°. Lowering will simply push whatever you have to slightly more negative.
A little negative camber is a good thing even in normal driving, since when you take corners the car rolls over and takes it away on the wheel that's then carrying most of the weight at that end. IOW, you end up cornering more toward the outer shoulders of the outside tires than equally across the entire treads.
About the only place where straight-up zero camber is best any more is at the dragstrip. And ideally that would be with the front end raised slightly as it would be under WOT acceleration in 2nd or perhaps 3rd gear.
In fact, if you meaure your REAR tire cambers, you may find out that they aren't exactly zero either.
Norm
its been really rainy here so haven't gotten to measuring the camber yet, but all I know is that I just gotta get rid of that hideous wheel gap and I want the handling to be better than before, not worse. here on AM im looking at spending something like 8 hundred bucks for that between springs, shocks and struts, and CC plates plus any installation and alignment fees
I just read your thread, I'm having the same problem as you here. I started off thinking that I just needed springs and I'd be good (250ish). But reading more and finding out about CC plates and shocks & struts the price to lower my car has gone up pretty damn high. Let me know what you plan on doing.
I just read your thread, I'm having the same problem as you here. I started off thinking that I just needed springs and I'd be good (250ish). But reading more and finding out about CC plates and shocks & struts the price to lower my car has gone up pretty damn high. Let me know what you plan on doing.
$967 what's so messed up about that is it's half the price of my exhaust and won't give me any hp and torque haha.
I can totally feel your pain. With the whole hp and torque thing though, I think that if done right, it will help free up and better apply that hp and torque off the line and around corners so it's still a good performance mod. But of course, we were thinking that we were doing the right thing getting new springs as apposed to doing the rice thing and cutting, and now we find out that it's gonna be another arm and a leg for the rest of it.
While complaining about it won't make it any cheaper, I'm just pointing it out haha
Anyways, I do think it will all be worth it when you walk out and you see that vanished wheel gap and how awesome your car looks with its new stance. Thats what I'm looking forward to anyway. Plus you don't have to worry about it every time you go out on the road since you know you did it right.
I'm thinking more and more that if I really want to do this right, I will need to buy the parts and hand it over to a mechanic. Knowing next to nothing about suspension, I could only do harm.
Gosh life would be so much simpler if we could just put springs in and be done haha
About a year ago I had steeda sport springs installed... and kept the stock shocks. Very noticeable improvement in handling (and about a 1 inch drop). My car has a negative camber, and wears the inside of the front tires a little more than before. I rotate my tires every 10,000 miles and haven't any significant wear problems.. although I do think I will have to change them out sooner because of this.
A few months ago I installed non-adjustable Tokico HP shocks in the rear only... I plan on doing the fronts when I get the time.. but I have had no ill effects so far with this set-up so far. In fact, this is the best handling car I have ever owned do to these changes.
The more you drop it, the more stress other components will take, thus shortening their lifespan and making you replace them sooner. I dropped mine with the pro-kit and d-specs. While arguably not the greatest set-up, it more then does the trick for my daily driver. I spent around $1000 for the springs, shocks/struts, install and allignment. I bought camber bolts but did not land up needing them, and I did not get a panhard bar. While the panhard bar is generally a good idea, you will only notice your axle-shift with fatter tires; but since you are on 245's that shouldnt be too big an issue. I would reccomend shocks/ struts because ride you are on 35 profile tires. With just the spirngs it will probably be a bit stiff. Caster/camber plates and relocation brackets you can probably get away with if you go for a more mild drop but they tent to be almost necessary with a more agressive drop which I got the idea you were aiming for, OP.
Check out this thread (if you havent already) before you purchase any thing. You will probably learn a thing or two. http://www.mustangforums.com/forum/s...tang-gt-2.html
Also, keep an eye out for two members 'legion' and 'sam strano'; they both are a fountain of information with regards to suspension modifications.
__________________ 2005 Sonic Blue V6
Steeda CAI, Xcal II, FRPP GTBs, Black 18x9 DD Bullitts, SHR Honeycomb Panel, Carbon Fiber Interior, Blacked Out Lights, Sequential Tails, Eibach Pro-kit, Tokico D-specs and a thumpin stereo system.
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. What fasteners are we talking about again? 
