[smedin]

Hard to argue with you, sir, it sounds like you know what's up. Mine are sport springs. Stock shocks being adequate was quoted by a Steeda employee in a magazine article about Steeda products for the new Mustang GT...

OK, I'll redo the shock mounts, and if the axle is off, I'll get an adjustable panhard. I do want to get some bigger wheels/tires, and I DO drive the car. I suppose the need for shocks would have become self-evident.

Thanks kindly for the invite to your place, but I'm in Minnesota, so, I'll just have to figure it out on my own...

Thanks for the advice! I'll post more as I do more.

ORIGINAL: F1Fan



Hi smedin,

Based on the images you posted I'd say you need to loosen and retorque the lower shock bolts to release the bushing preload. Yes, you should raise the car and loosen the bottom shock bolts so they are free enough to let the shocks move freely. Then lower the car and give it a several big bounces to release any stiction in the suspension, then get you air wrench or socket wrench on the lower bolts and retorque. If you tightened the lower shock bolts with the car in the air and the axle at full droop and don't redo the lower shock bolts you'll have left some preload on the lower shock bushings forcing the car's rear end up and making the bushing bind in their normal level position. Once you redo the lower shock bolts carefully re-measure on a level poured slab or level shop floor using fishing line and a plumb bob to take your measurements, take your time. It's very unlikely that the axle is only shifted left 1/8" if your car is straight and you are measuring correctly (after the lower bolt redo), on a flat level surface. Check the floor with a 6 foot level or use a leveled computer alignment rack to take your measurements (this is how I centered my own axle), or a muffler shop drive on lift. The car needs to be settled and a few miles on the new springs to set them on their seats, also have at least a half tank of gas when you do this measurement and adjustment. I think you'll find that the shift is larger than you found the first time. If you hope to get larger, wider wheels and tires an 1/8" can make the difference between tire or fender damage and a perfect fit.

All of the current Steeda catalog springs lower the '05 GT's about the same amount, about 1" in front and about 1.2" at the rear of the chassis. Trust me, it just seems like more drop than they say. If you measured before and after you would see that you did not get the car all the way down on the springs, you still have more to go. Did you buy Steeda Sport springs or Steeda's Competition springs? Steeda's Sport springs are not as high a rate spring as the Steeda Competition springs or Eibach's or H&R's Sport spring kits do. If you got Steeda Sport springs you may be able to get away with the stock struts and rear dampers until they loosen up at 8-10K, then they will start too feel too soft and the car will oscillate or bounce too much on the highway and in the turns where you are working the springs more.

Steeda's Competition springs are too stiff for the stock GT valve rates and you will be pogoing down the road just like Eibach's and H&R's Sport springs do on the stock GT struts and rear shocks. I had the Eibach Sport-Kit springs on my car for a few months when it was brand new and the shocks were O.K. but the valving was off, too much compression dampening and not enough rebound dampening. But after a couple of thousand miles the dampers softened up and the car was all over the place when I pushed the car at all. This is on top of the rear wheel-hop problem that arose once the stock shocks had broken-in when launching hard from a dig. Trust me on this, if you DRIVE the car you will need the adjustable struts and rear dampers. The Tokico Spec-D struts and dampers are only $600 for all four corners and the difference is truly amazing. If the guy you talked to a Steeda said that the stock struts and dampers are stiff enough as is, he has NOT driven a new GT with broken in stock struts and dampers sitting on sport springs. The other possibility is that he needed the sale and felt you were not going to pony up for the Tokico's up front. If you get the Tokico Spec-D's and are located in SoCal come on over to my house and I'll help you install them. I have shop air in my garage and a special fridge in the garage full of beer. It only takes an hour or two depending on how much bench racing we do while installing the dampers.

Cheers