fostereast

Hello,

I have a 67 convertible. It's in good overall shape for a 40 yr old, however it's a little tired in the handling and steering department.

I would like the car to handle great and still be pleasant to drive (I want it all). At this point I can either refresh the existing suspension or change some things. I live back east so ideally I'd like to drive the car several thousand miles per year. I'm averaging several hundred or so a year so far over the last five years.

I am curious if anyone has ever compared a refreshed and tuned original suspension and worm & sector steering setup with any of the popular new suspension and steering kits.

Upgrading is a pricey undertaking and the only comparison data I have seen is with forty year old, used stuff against the new trick kits.

Also, when I do something, whether it's refreshing the old or getting new, I'd probably start with a subframe connector kit, then steering, then rear suspension, then front, and brakes somewhere along the way. (It currently has factory front power discs, but the braking also leaves a lot to be desired)

Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.

andrewmp6

Look around on http://www.opentrackerracingproducts.com/products/

fostereast

Thanks for the link. I'm familiar with these products from a research standpoint, no actual experience.

I'm hoping to get someone has links to some before and after type comments or articles where the "before" is a well re-freshed original suspension.

2+2GT

Start by lowering the upper control arms 1", and add a 1" front sway bar. Make sure your springs are up to par, replace them with GT spec items if they are not. Add a set of Traction Master bars at the rear, not the cheap imitations.

If you are finding the factory power front discs inadequate, something is wrong with them. Unless you plan some racing during your drives…

Jonk67

Here's a good starter article to give you an idea on suspension of our Mustangs:
http://home.bresnan.net/~dazed/suspension101
He's got some other really good reading there too.

I, like you plan a lot of miles on my car and refreshed all the steering first - tie rods, joints, reblt. PS, then suspension with some limited affordable upgrades - stock type UCA/LCA with roller perches, 1" Shelby/Arning drop, 560 1" lowering springs and new 4 1/2 mideye leafs with poly bushings in the rear. KYB GR-2's on all 4's. Ride and driving is greatly improved.

Only more expensive upgrades are heim joint strut rods from the DIY article on Daze site (~$200 when I was done experimenting but they're ~$300+ as a kit) and roller perches. I may step up to better shocks (Bilstein, Koni, etc.) later but the GR-2's are good for now and give a nice ride without being stiff.

The 1" Shelby drop put my tires flatter to the ground and really improved steering confidence and wasn't an expensive mod, just time and bit consuming from all the drilling. Having my PS parts rebuilt and repacking/adjusting my gearbox made a big improvement from ~2" of steering wheel play down to 1/2" of play.

I feel I have the best of both worlds and probably spent ~25% more than if I'd just stayed stock on everything. I think if I had upgraded to a custom system (R&P, coilovers, etc.) I would have spent 3X as much $.
Jon

htwheelz67

thats good advise, I too have a 67 vert, on a budget replace all the front end components, add roller perches, do the shelby drop, 1 1/8 front sway bar and if you can afford them koni shocks, 620 front springs are not harsh at all at least in my car. I do have a 408 previosuly a 351w but it doesn't weigh much more than an iron headed 289.

Right now I run global west UCA's, roller perches, 620 front springs with about 1 1/3 coil cut off, konis and 1 1/8 front sway bar and the shelby drop. The car still has the orig rear leafs but I have 17x8 with 245 45 17's front and 17x9.5 and 275 40 17 rear and the car handles very good and rides smoothly, not as smooth as stock but firm controlled smoothness not bumpy at all. Prior to that I ran stock UCA's,perches 620's with 2/3 coil cut, shelby drop same everything else and 225 60 15's all the way around and it still handled very nice. I have the real NOS ford UCA's/perches I took off with about 15k at most on them they still have the ford tags on them for a good price.

Here is the other thing, when you change your lower control arms buy 68 ones and get 68 strut rods and install them, 67's had unique LCA's and strut rods and most aftermarket sway bars rub on the strut rods especially if you lower the car. If you cant afford konis then next best are bilstiens, next are edelbrock IAS, if you go KYB gas adjust shocks then go stock/BB or no more than 560 springs and it will still be bumpy. As far as steering, yes r&p is great but most kits reduce turning radius, borgeson and ABS both have power steering box conversions that get rid of the ram and control valve. In my case my car is orig 166,000 mile car and for some reason my P/S is slightly high effort. There is tricks to get the stock system to work nicely, I had an old cougar years ago which had way over boosted P/S, I installed a needle valve between two tees installed on the high pressure and return lines on the P/S so I was able to bleed off some of the power assist to the return line, I also took some poly shock bushings and installed them in place of the rubber bushings on the ram and it made a big difference. 4 leaf HD american made leafs is all you need, if you are keeping stock rear leafs then add an addco 3/4" boss 302 style rear sway bar, the one that bolts to the frame and end links to the rear end not the one that bolts to the rear end and end links on the frame.

My 67 vert http://htwheelz.smugmug.com