Dr_Gonzo

I hope this isn't beating a dead horse but, I have some questions about tweaking the suspension on the 2011 V8 GT.

On my way home from work yesterday, I decided to take my 3-day old 2011 GT down one of my favorite back roads and noticed a few things.

First the Pros; the engine and transmission pairing with the 6-speed manual was great for getting in and out of the curves and the usable powerband of this engine is simply addictive. The torque down low in the RPMS was perfectly usable and allowed me to avoid keeping the motor too high-strung and twitchy. This car is an absolute blast!

Now, the cons; the suspension worked pretty well in the flat sections but, when the road began to have a lot of elevation changes, the car began to feel a little unsettled and less than confidence-inspiring.

Can you folks offer any suggestions to firm up the handling on these new V8 'stangs? This car will be my daily driver, in and out of Washington DC and so will see some pretty knarly road conditions. I am hoping to auto-x it a little in the future and perhaps a track day or too but, primarily I am looking for a real-world cayon carver/daily driver.

Thanks!

STANGmole

Are you familiar with driving solid rear axle cars?...much different than IRS.

crescent_wrench

It's your shock/struts and springs. Change them and you'll find magic. My car thinks it's a Miata in the twisties.

Dr_Gonzo

yeah, I'm familiar with the axle however, most of the 'lightness' felt like it was in the front where I needed traction the most.

I agree, strut/shocks & springs are big culprits here I'm just curious if anyone has found a good setup for these cars yet....

ShaneM

i beleive you have to go with 2010 style mounts to use shocks on teh market today, which isnt an issue. that said, the steeda sport springs and koni yellow shocks is a cant miss combo. if you dont need adjustment, the koni streets work well too.

Argonaut

Canyon Carving in Maryland?

I don't know what suspension changes Ford made for 2011 so can't offer much advice on specific parts, but based on your description sounds alot like shocks to me. The pro on this stuff is Sam Strano (www.stranoparts.com) - phone him up and I can guarantee you'll be glad you did.

Nice car by the way. My hobby is Track Days and I do a lot of them. In May I was at Summit Point, WV on the Shenandoah race track. In the advanced run group there was a 2011 GT. I was very impressed. My track car is heavily modified and pretty quick and I'm a decent driver. I couldn't shake him. Not sure what mods or tires he had. That 5.0 engine is strong.

When you get ready to do a few track days drop me a line. I'm very plugged into the mid-atlantic scene and can get you set up, answer questions, etc. (assuming you don't have prior track experience, if you do just ignore this)

nemosgt

x2. Springs seem to work okay. After-market struts, need to purchase 2010 upper front strut mounts. Using Steeda/MM camber plates, need rubber spring isolator from 2010 strut mounts. Sam can help you out.

Cheers.

Dr_Gonzo

Ok, maybe the wrong choice of words.... How about corner carver?

Thanks, I've already been to his website shopping around and will definitely call him up. I believe he also just picked up a 2011 GT so, maybe he can offer up some good advise.

You'll definitely be hearing from me, I can't wait to get on the track and give it a real go. It's something I've always wanted to do and just never had the right car for it. I think I've solved that little problem finally....

Thanks a lot!

Dr_Gonzo

Is there a difference in the ride and handling between the Koni Yellows and the Streets, or just the ability to adjust them? I really don't see myself going through all the effort to adjust them very often and there is a vast difference in price that would go a long way towards better brake pads and maybe some track tires

danzcool

It's really no effort to adjust them, maybe 10 seconds per corner.