An easy way to see what's been done to my suspension..
04-10-2013, 10:14 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: California
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An easy way to see what's been done to my suspension..
So, I bought this beauty after the original owner had it modified by a custom shop back in '06 when she was new. I want to do some suspension mods-- shocks and struts, maybe sway bars-- I know it has something eibach done to it, but I think it's just the lowering springs 1.5". Without putting it on a lift, what's the best way to see what I'm working with.. ?
04-11-2013, 05:48 AM
#2
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Ramps and a large sheet of cardboard to slide around on? Pull the wheels?
Take pictures if you're not sure what might still be OE or what it is if it isn't OE. Maybe somebody will recognize it.
Work safe.
Do not be under a car that's supported up in the air by only the jack.
Do not set the car on cinder blocks or even concrete blocks either. Do not use the cheapie sheet metal ramps.
Norm
Take pictures if you're not sure what might still be OE or what it is if it isn't OE. Maybe somebody will recognize it.
Work safe.
Do not be under a car that's supported up in the air by only the jack.
Do not set the car on cinder blocks or even concrete blocks either. Do not use the cheapie sheet metal ramps.
Norm
04-11-2013, 07:07 AM
#3
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Location: Gainesville, FL
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Take some pics. Someone here can tell you what you have. You can buy a set of rhino ramps and drive the back up on them. The front you'd need to drive up on some 2x8's before trying to drive up the ramps. I did not drive up on the ramps in this picture. I usually jack the car up under the axle and slide the ramps under.
Last edited by moosestang; 04-11-2013 at 07:09 AM.
04-13-2013, 12:33 PM
#4
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Last edited by 157dB; 04-13-2013 at 12:37 PM.
04-13-2013, 11:02 PM
#6
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Thanks guys- I needed to clean the wheels today so I took a look. It appears to be all stock. I didn't even realize there are stock away bars on the GT. The original receipt from the first owners custom work shows an "eibach pro kit"-- but I don't know what all that entails. Maybe just the lowering springs?
04-14-2013, 07:50 AM
#7
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The OE Mustang suspension on even the earlier years of this chassis isn't exactly horrible and the handling is at least "capable". Road & Track measured a 2005 GT at 0.84g lateral and nearly 65 mph in the slalom on only the OE 17" tires and 8" wide wheels. That's somewhere near twice the numbers that the average driver ever sees intentionally unless he's autocrossing or out on a road course.
Maybe somebody who is more of a Mustang historian than I will know how far back you have to go before you find a GT-level model that didn't have front and rear bars as original equipment. But they'll probably have to go back before the 1980's Fox chassis to find it. Sixxer models typically have a front bar only, except if it's a Pony Package car in which case it has both.
Eibach's pro kit is springs only. Only if you see the word 'system' or 'plus' is anything else included.
Norm
Maybe somebody who is more of a Mustang historian than I will know how far back you have to go before you find a GT-level model that didn't have front and rear bars as original equipment. But they'll probably have to go back before the 1980's Fox chassis to find it. Sixxer models typically have a front bar only, except if it's a Pony Package car in which case it has both.
Eibach's pro kit is springs only. Only if you see the word 'system' or 'plus' is anything else included.
Norm
04-14-2013, 09:43 AM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: California
Posts: 56
The OE Mustang suspension on even the earlier years of this chassis isn't exactly horrible and the handling is at least "capable". Road & Track measured a 2005 GT at 0.84g lateral and nearly 65 mph in the slalom on only the OE 17" tires and 8" wide wheels. That's somewhere near twice the numbers that the average driver ever sees intentionally unless he's autocrossing or out on a road course.
Maybe somebody who is more of a Mustang historian than I will know how far back you have to go before you find a GT-level model that didn't have front and rear bars as original equipment. But they'll probably have to go back before the 1980's Fox chassis to find it. Sixxer models typically have a front bar only, except if it's a Pony Package car in which case it has both.
Eibach's pro kit is springs only. Only if you see the word 'system' or 'plus' is anything else included.
Norm
Maybe somebody who is more of a Mustang historian than I will know how far back you have to go before you find a GT-level model that didn't have front and rear bars as original equipment. But they'll probably have to go back before the 1980's Fox chassis to find it. Sixxer models typically have a front bar only, except if it's a Pony Package car in which case it has both.
Eibach's pro kit is springs only. Only if you see the word 'system' or 'plus' is anything else included.
Norm
Thanx, Norm!
04-15-2013, 02:26 PM
#9
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So I jacked the GT and took a look under both front and rear ends. The original owner told me that the shop that did his custom work at the time of purchase did something more with the front end- like sway bar. How can I tell if the front sway is OE or not?
04-15-2013, 03:23 PM
#10
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It's quite possible that the shop used "camber bolts" to bring the front alignment back closer to Ford's preferred setting of -0.75°.
I'm not at all sure what to tell you to look for, won't use the things myself.
Norm
I'm not at all sure what to tell you to look for, won't use the things myself.
Norm