Crazyjoker77

So just picked up my new 12 stang v6 and would like to lower it. I've ran sportlines on my previous vehicle and love the way they perform and look so I'm looking into them.

On my other car a camber kit was required to correct. Is the factory equipment going to allow me to come close to factory camber/toe specs? I don't see anything available on American muscle so I'm assuming the spring is all I will need to lower my car?

Truckbutt

If you are doing about a 1 inch drop, most people will say that you don't need new caster/camber plates. Some will say that you do. I don't know about the 12's but lowering springs on the 11's require the GT500 strut mounts. In addition, if you are putting in lowering springs you should consider changing your factory struts/shocks. The lower stance results in less travel and will quickly wear out the factory struts/shocks.

scottybaccus

I put the sportlines on my '11 V6 a couple of weeks ago. Single best money I've spent on any car in recent history.

My car did not require any changes, though I do need to measure the camber to be sure. I also want to look at the panhard bar to see if there is any concern there. Driving wise, zero complaints.

Here is what it looks like:

scottybaccus

Not sure I agree with this. As far as I know, none of the upgraded shocks and struts permit any more or less travel than the stock dampers. Aside from trimming 5/8" off the rear bump stop, travel hasn't changed on my car. It just starts from a different place, and of course there is a lesser degree of travel on the firmer springs. Even the shorter bump stop in the rear doesn't approach the limits of the rear shocks and Ford even sells the same setup in the SVT line.

The real reason to change the dampers is better damping. The stockers are comfy on the street, but I can tell they would be soft for serious track use.

Sam Strano

Then you don't quite understand how dampers work in relation to the springs. Shocks are valved to control energy. When you put stiffer springs on a car and then compress them, they store more energy. Then shocks need travel to work, as they dissipate that energy by dragging a piston through oil. Shorter springs lower the car, shortening the effective range of motion of the dampers.

Now, consider that stock dampers are "meant" for stock springs... and aren't all that good to start with (see the folks that rave about the change after putting on a quality damper like a Koni vs. stock).

The stock shocks aren't all that comfy to me, in fact they tend to exhibit more impact harshness than high end performance dampers.

Crazyjoker77

So I can get away with ordering the springs and nothing else? I will get some struts later on down the road but would like to get some use out of the stock stuff before I bin them but the car HAS to be lower.

Scotty - you haven't gotten an alignment after the spring install? doeskin it mess with camber I come from the import world and really only have experience with wishbone/McPherson/multilink suspension setups and any time I've done spring install the alignment was way out after.

Norm Peterson

Lowering the car WILL affect the Mustang's front camber just like it does with any import. Scotty doesn't know where his cambers are, or where they were before the lowering.

How much depends on the amount lowered - figure on camber going about 0.6° to 0.7° more negative for every inch you lower the front end. If you measure it now, and know about how much the car will be lowered, you'll have some idea where the cambers will end up (no, you don't need a $$$$$ alignment rack to do this).


Norm

scottybaccus

Oh, I know how they work and there's no arguing your tech. In the world of daily driving, though, there is no standard enviroment. You may live on race track smooth suburban streets and I might live on poorly maintained county farm roads. How will we ever know if there wear prematurely?

In a lab enviroment under controlled circumstances, you win. In the first 30k miles on public roads, I doubt there is much difference.

I agree that the stockers aren't that great, but MUST be changed? No.

scottybaccus

Norm's correct. I didn't measure before or after, but may someday.

Here's what I do know. The 2011 strut is not camber adjustable out of the box. Caster/camber plates and/or camber bolts are needed to make any changes. I also know that Eibach expressly states that Sportline springs can run at stock settings, though they offer some recommendations.

MUST you change alignment settings? Generally, no. It depends on the car, springs, other mods, usage, etc. My car, public roads, it wasn't necessary. Could I benefit from specific changes? Maybe. It depends on usage.

When you get really particular about alignment, meaning more than that general window that pretty much every OE car operates in, you are tuning for a specific enviroment. Alignment settings for autocross will be much different from those used at Talledaga. For public roads (meaning highly variable, never known for certain) OE settings work OK. If I was Mr. Strano, I would probably want more.

Crazyjoker77

Theres no adjustment at all on the stock setup? Are camber (crash) bolts available I tried searching and can only find the top camber mounts for 300$+

So I can just order the sportlines springs by themselves, throw them in and not worry. I know when I put sportlines in my friends 2.5rs impreza the camber changed drastically and was going through tires insanely fast and was rubbing untill we got the camber corrected with crash bolts