Lowering your 05/06 Mustang GT

[RPM]

ORIGINAL: sphillips23 Car looks great! I was planning on getting the Eibach Pro Kit and seeing your car made up my mind. What kind of shocks and struts did you use? Do you need to get an alignment or adjust the camber? I am using the stock shocks & struts. Ride is fine. Handling is also very good, better than before. Alignment was needed but the rear stayed centered so no adjustable panhard rod was required. Ron

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[RICVA05]

ORIGINAL: colnago

Here's a question for the experts: Should I get the dealer to replace the springs and bring it back to factory settings or replace the shocks? The car does look better lowered, no question.

I installed my springs last April before Tokico came out with the D-Specs Shocks and Struts. I drove around for several months the cars ride got worse. Soon as the Tokicos came I installed them. I can tell you without a doubt the handling characteristics is far superior than stocked although the ride is still a little stiffer.

[sptlckr]

So are Tokico shocks with Steeda springs better than going with Eibach's complete set like this one?

I'm not going to be doing any racing or anything I just want it lowered and to handle a little better, it's already the best handling car I've ever had, which really isn't saying much....

I'm thinking hard about it. Ford Racing also came out with a kit too. Anyone try those yet or have any opinions?

Thanks!

[smedin]

ORIGINAL: sptlckr

So are Tokico shocks with Steeda springs better than going with Eibach's complete set like this one?

Any matched suspension set should work great.

[gcotton]

I used the tein s-tech springs. It dropped 1.9 in the front and 2.2 in the rear. Im on 20s and I have no fitment issues. The front wheels were alined and turned slighted inward. But theres no rubbing. Ride quality isnt bad(Im already on 20s, cant get mush worse).

[fast freddy]

2005 gt convert lowered using eibach pro kit . own install following exact instuctions and did install camber bolts.
not driven yet or gone for alignment cold and stll snow.

my concern is it dropped more than i thought it would but looks very nice. measuring from back fender lip centre of wheel
measures 27 1/4 and 27 1/2. front is 27 inches. rocker panel towards front is little less than 4 inches clearance to
garage floor.

with stock wheels is this normal drop. magazine mustang 5.0 shows tech artical on same application with before
and after pictures and i look lower,

anybody have any comments concernig this?

fast freedy

[F1Fan]

Hi colnago,

Are you a driver who likes to corner hard or more of a cruiser. You can easily tell which kind of driver you are, read on.

If you are a hard driver you like to keep your car totaly empty, devoid of anything that might move becasue all the stuff flies around the car when you drive. If you are a cruiser you like your stuff easily at hand and your Starbucks coffee never spills as you drive through town.

Who are you?

For a speeder who loves to hit the corners hard and doesn't have to drive in the snow dump the mytery springs now in the car and install a set of Eibach Pro-Kit sport springs and a set of Tokico adjustable Spec-D struts and rear dampers. The Eibach Pro-Kit sport springs are the stiffest of the sport springs available for the S197 GT chassis there but don't worry, they are progressive rate springs and ride very well especially if you add the right struts and rear dampers. This will set your car level with an even amount of space showing around the stock height 27" high tires. Set the adjustable struts and dampers to full stiff and then back off 2 1/2-3 turns from full stiff front and rear for a better than stock ride with MUCH MORE body and roll control. For this spring choice I highly recommend installing an adjustable Panhard bar to center the rear axle correctly so the car will feel the same when turning left or right.

For the cruiser Or for the unfortunates who choose to live where snow is an issue I'd recommend the Steeda sportsprings combined with the same Tokico Spec-D adjustable struts and rear dampers. The Steeda springs lower the car no more than an inch and have a less agressive spring rate. The main advantage here is the ride height is less an issue in the snow and those pesky curbs will have a harder time finding your front valance. Set the dampening rate to 3-4 turns out from full hard front and rear for an amazingly comfortable with still better than stock handling and body control.

Hope this helps!


Cheers

ORIGINAL: colnago

Here's a question for the experts: I bought an 05 GT convertible last month. I didn't realize it at the time (the car came with Snoop Dogg-style 20" chrome rims which I replaced) but it's been lowered - about 1" in front and 2" in back. The dealer's got the car now and tells me it has aftermarket springs - brand unknown. I do know that the car is caught out by dips and humps on the freeway (I found that out last week at about 100 mph on the way to Las Vegas)...it feels as though the suspension is bottoming out and when it does- hang on! Otherwise the ride is fine, so my guess is its still on factory shocks. Should I get the dealer to replace the springs and bring it back to factory settings or replace the shocks? The car does look better lowered, no question.

[rcaponong]

I had the Eibach Pro-Kit installed on my '05 V8 along with BF Goodrich KDW 245/40/18 and 275/35/18. At the same time I had the Eibach Anti-roll bars installed. Shocks, struts and all other parts remain stock. I understand and I can live with the stiffer ride quality, but what has become a pain is the consistent bounce that the car experiences even on smooth surfaces. I called the guys at Eibach and they told me the Pro-Kit should have come with dust boots because the factory boots house metals cups which restricts the compression causing the bumpy ride. I have yet to install the boots. I don't seem to hear others complain about a bumpy ride. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[F1Fan]

Hi rcaponong,

Eibach is using cheap single tube shocks in their kit. This is the only real problem with the full suspeion kit they are offering. The rest of the Eibach kit is absolutely top tier on the street for the S197 GT.

To solve this problem go buy a set of Tokico's low pressure adjustable Spec-D struts and rear dampers and get your dampening rates to match the springs and you will be very happy with the ride.

With the Eibach Pro-Kit springs on my car when I want to drive in comfort mode but still retain full body control I set the front Spec-D damping to 2 3/4 turns out from full hard and the rear dampers I set to 3 turns out from full hard. This dampening setting differential makes all the difference in the world eliminating any hobby horse motions.

My normal settings are 2-2 1/4 up front and 2 1/4-2 1/2 out back. Most people think this makes the car ride hard but I like the posative control it gives me.

Trust me, the Tokico Spec-D damper kit is the answer to your ride and handling problems!


Cheers

ORIGINAL: rcaponong

I had the Eibach Pro-Kit installed on my '05 V8 along with BF Goodrich KDW 245/40/18 and 275/35/18. At the same time I had the Eibach Anti-roll bars installed. Shocks, struts and all other parts remain stock. I understand and I can live with the stiffer ride quality, but what has become a pain is the consistent bounce that the car experiences even on smooth surfaces. I called the guys at Eibach and they told me the Pro-Kit should have come with dust boots because the factory boots house metals cups which restricts the compression causing the bumpy ride. I have yet to install the boots. I don't seem to hear others complain about a bumpy ride. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[rcaponong]

Trust me, the Tokico Spec-D damper kit is the answer to your ride and handling problems!


Thank you F1Fan,


I will let you know the results.