3 Different Suspension Set-ups to go with...HELP!
5th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,497
From: Near Wash. DC Posts: 13,541
Adjustability is good, if you know what to adjust. That's hypocritical of me to say, because i know what to adjust with experience from years back in auto cross. with that said i don't run tokiko i run koni. there's a reason for my suspension setup though but i'll get into that later. tokikos adjust very unevenly in that they don't dial in linearly and just preform weird AND constantly adjust other paramiters besides dampening with every notch..
The BEST thing you could do with tokikos is improve how good the handeling feels, (not how good it is when compared to actual numbers over multiple corner types). Tokikos are great at improving handeling feel to buyers, but it's almost impossible to adjust them for actual better handeling without either having lots of ridiculous skill and being a professional tuner, or taking it to the track and timing it, they're just too all over the place and i don't like that.
Anyway speaking of adjustable shocks I run Konis but those have a good chance of runing your car if you do anything. The reason being is that even though they are the only proper adjustable shocks for the mustang, they're there not to improve suspension feel at all, but to actually be calibrated, and if you don't know how to do that and don't have skill adjusting cars, then you won't achieve either handling feel, or handling unless you get lucky or something, for this trouble konis come with a guide to teach you how to adjust cars safely, but that guide doesn't work and you really need experience.
Actually and this is an important theme i want to point out I've met countless people with aftermarket adjustable suspensions that handle worse than the performance models of their cars. For example modded Civics vs Civic Si especially. This goes on constantly.
The thing about the Saleen suspension is that it's not adjustable. However, there's NO reason you'd ever want to adjust it, because there's very little chance that you'll get better handling. Even the Ford Racing flagship mustang, which is actually used on tracks handles *only slightly* better than the Saleen, that car has slicks however, AND weight reduction.
Even so obviously that race car is set up better, but it's strangley close if you consider things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7EhpZ8d16o
Here's a video of the Ford Racing Mustang. Using my suspension setup actually I've gotten better handling compared to the Saleen, which proves it's not the best suspension, but that was when my car was dialed in heavily, which the Saleen isn't. On a track my car like that would handle better, but at that point it's barely drivalbe on the street.
(also to anyone with lots of suspension knowledge, i'm not using handling feel as a replacement for the term handling control, i actually mean what i say)
It's about 1.5 and like the FRPP springs but a tad lower (you wouldn't notice).
I don't know what you mean by specs, it's made of suspention parts like any other suspention... The the Saleen suspension is Epic, I could go into some stories about Steve Saleen's impression of the suspension and how most people think the Saleen suspension sucks (the handling actually feels terrible, and as a side note it's the worst suspension when it's wet for a stock car less the last 911 turbo if you know what i mean) but i don't think you'd get that. it's really great suspension.
It doesn't matter. but I'm not running Saleen suspention on my Saleen clone because like any aftermarket suspention like that it doesn't remotley handle in the rain and my car doesn't have enough HP to be aggressive enough to where it would be a dry only car (a little over 500hp currently, close though, i think its still really drivable daily though). This, the rain thing, is pretty much the only legitimate reason for not getting it, unless you are racing and have a team to tune your car, and need and can use an adjustable custom setup, but hey, yes, I think i have probably the best cornering car that can still be driven 24/7 in the north part of the USA. I'm running springs made fr the GT500 (which reduces understeer) with Koni dampers that are set for high dampening in the rear, and slightly firmer all around, then an adjustable UCA and LCAs. No aftermarket sway bars.
Actually the package was priced at $2000 just a few months ago as I recall. w/e
The BEST thing you could do with tokikos is improve how good the handeling feels, (not how good it is when compared to actual numbers over multiple corner types). Tokikos are great at improving handeling feel to buyers, but it's almost impossible to adjust them for actual better handeling without either having lots of ridiculous skill and being a professional tuner, or taking it to the track and timing it, they're just too all over the place and i don't like that.
Anyway speaking of adjustable shocks I run Konis but those have a good chance of runing your car if you do anything. The reason being is that even though they are the only proper adjustable shocks for the mustang, they're there not to improve suspension feel at all, but to actually be calibrated, and if you don't know how to do that and don't have skill adjusting cars, then you won't achieve either handling feel, or handling unless you get lucky or something, for this trouble konis come with a guide to teach you how to adjust cars safely, but that guide doesn't work and you really need experience.
Actually and this is an important theme i want to point out I've met countless people with aftermarket adjustable suspensions that handle worse than the performance models of their cars. For example modded Civics vs Civic Si especially. This goes on constantly.
The thing about the Saleen suspension is that it's not adjustable. However, there's NO reason you'd ever want to adjust it, because there's very little chance that you'll get better handling. Even the Ford Racing flagship mustang, which is actually used on tracks handles *only slightly* better than the Saleen, that car has slicks however, AND weight reduction.
Even so obviously that race car is set up better, but it's strangley close if you consider things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7EhpZ8d16o
Here's a video of the Ford Racing Mustang. Using my suspension setup actually I've gotten better handling compared to the Saleen, which proves it's not the best suspension, but that was when my car was dialed in heavily, which the Saleen isn't. On a track my car like that would handle better, but at that point it's barely drivalbe on the street.
(also to anyone with lots of suspension knowledge, i'm not using handling feel as a replacement for the term handling control, i actually mean what i say)
What is the drop of the saleen springs?
I know the Saleen suspension is a really nice package...BUT what are the specs on
and why don't many people run it?
I'm not saying you are wrong, but I just want to know everything about the setup before I go and spend $800 on it lol know what I mean?
Last edited by Legion5; Sep 6, 2008 at 06:16 PM.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 683
From: Northwest GA
Adjustability is good, if you know what to adjust. That's hypocritical of me to say, because i know what to adjust with experience from years back in auto cross. with that said i don't run tokiko i run koni. there's a reason for my suspension setup though but i'll get into that later. tokikos adjust very unevenly in that they don't dial in linearly and just preform weird AND constantly adjust other paramiters besides dampening with every notch..
The BEST thing you could do with tokikos is improve how good the handeling feels, (not how good it is when compared to actual numbers over multiple corner types). Tokikos are great at improving handeling feel to buyers, but it's almost impossible to adjust them for actual better handeling without either having lots of ridiculous skill and being a professional tuner, or taking it to the track and timing it, they're just too all over the place and i don't like that.
Anyway speaking of adjustable shocks I run Konis but those have a good chance of runing your car if you do anything. The reason being is that even though they are the only proper adjustable shocks for the mustang, they're there not to improve suspension feel at all, but to actually be calibrated, and if you don't know how to do that and don't have skill adjusting cars, then you won't achieve either handling feel, or handling unless you get lucky or something, for this trouble konis come with a guide to teach you how to adjust cars safely, but that guide doesn't work and you really need experience.
Actually and this is an important theme i want to point out I've met countless people with aftermarket adjustable suspensions that handle worse than the performance models of their cars. For example modded Civics vs Civic Si especially. This goes on constantly.
The thing about the Saleen suspension is that it's not adjustable. However, there's NO reason you'd ever want to adjust it, because there's very little chance that you'll get better handling. Even the Ford Racing flagship mustang, which is actually used on tracks handles *only slightly* better than the Saleen, that car has slicks however, AND weight reduction.
Even so obviously that race car is set up better, but it's strangley close if you consider things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7EhpZ8d16o
Here's a video of the Ford Racing Mustang. Using my suspension setup actually I've gotten better handling compared to the Saleen, which proves it's not the best suspension, but that was when my car was dialed in heavily, which the Saleen isn't. On a track my car like that would handle better, but at that point it's barely drivalbe on the street.
(also to anyone with lots of suspension knowledge, i'm not using handling feel as a replacement for the term handling control, i actually mean what i say)
It's about 1.5 and like the FRPP springs but a tad lower (you wouldn't notice).
I don't know what you mean by specs, it's made of suspention parts like any other suspention... The the Saleen suspension is Epic, I could go into some stories about Steve Saleen's impression of the suspension and how most people think the Saleen suspension sucks (the handling actually feels terrible, and as a side note it's the worst suspension when it's wet for a stock car less the last 911 turbo if you know what i mean) but i don't think you'd get that. it's really great suspension.
It doesn't matter. but I'm not running Saleen suspention on my Saleen clone because like any aftermarket suspention like that it doesn't remotley handle in the rain and my car doesn't have enough HP to be aggressive enough to where it would be a dry only car (a little over 500hp currently, close though, i think its still really drivable daily though). This, the rain thing, is pretty much the only legitimate reason for not getting it, unless you are racing and have a team to tune your car, but hey, yes, I think i have probably the best cornering car that can still be driven 24/7 in the north part of the USA. I'm running springs made fr the GT500 (which reduces understeer) with Koni dampers that are set for high dampening in the rear, and slightly firmer all around, then an adjustable UCA and LCAs. No aftermarket sway bars.
Actually the package was priced at $2000 just a few months ago as I recall. w/e
The BEST thing you could do with tokikos is improve how good the handeling feels, (not how good it is when compared to actual numbers over multiple corner types). Tokikos are great at improving handeling feel to buyers, but it's almost impossible to adjust them for actual better handeling without either having lots of ridiculous skill and being a professional tuner, or taking it to the track and timing it, they're just too all over the place and i don't like that.
Anyway speaking of adjustable shocks I run Konis but those have a good chance of runing your car if you do anything. The reason being is that even though they are the only proper adjustable shocks for the mustang, they're there not to improve suspension feel at all, but to actually be calibrated, and if you don't know how to do that and don't have skill adjusting cars, then you won't achieve either handling feel, or handling unless you get lucky or something, for this trouble konis come with a guide to teach you how to adjust cars safely, but that guide doesn't work and you really need experience.
Actually and this is an important theme i want to point out I've met countless people with aftermarket adjustable suspensions that handle worse than the performance models of their cars. For example modded Civics vs Civic Si especially. This goes on constantly.
The thing about the Saleen suspension is that it's not adjustable. However, there's NO reason you'd ever want to adjust it, because there's very little chance that you'll get better handling. Even the Ford Racing flagship mustang, which is actually used on tracks handles *only slightly* better than the Saleen, that car has slicks however, AND weight reduction.
Even so obviously that race car is set up better, but it's strangley close if you consider things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7EhpZ8d16o
Here's a video of the Ford Racing Mustang. Using my suspension setup actually I've gotten better handling compared to the Saleen, which proves it's not the best suspension, but that was when my car was dialed in heavily, which the Saleen isn't. On a track my car like that would handle better, but at that point it's barely drivalbe on the street.
(also to anyone with lots of suspension knowledge, i'm not using handling feel as a replacement for the term handling control, i actually mean what i say)
It's about 1.5 and like the FRPP springs but a tad lower (you wouldn't notice).
I don't know what you mean by specs, it's made of suspention parts like any other suspention... The the Saleen suspension is Epic, I could go into some stories about Steve Saleen's impression of the suspension and how most people think the Saleen suspension sucks (the handling actually feels terrible, and as a side note it's the worst suspension when it's wet for a stock car less the last 911 turbo if you know what i mean) but i don't think you'd get that. it's really great suspension.
It doesn't matter. but I'm not running Saleen suspention on my Saleen clone because like any aftermarket suspention like that it doesn't remotley handle in the rain and my car doesn't have enough HP to be aggressive enough to where it would be a dry only car (a little over 500hp currently, close though, i think its still really drivable daily though). This, the rain thing, is pretty much the only legitimate reason for not getting it, unless you are racing and have a team to tune your car, but hey, yes, I think i have probably the best cornering car that can still be driven 24/7 in the north part of the USA. I'm running springs made fr the GT500 (which reduces understeer) with Koni dampers that are set for high dampening in the rear, and slightly firmer all around, then an adjustable UCA and LCAs. No aftermarket sway bars.
Actually the package was priced at $2000 just a few months ago as I recall. w/e
Thanks for your help though with the Saleen suspension...i think?...and for saying all that about the Tokico's...I'm not sure what to do now after reading that lol but I'd like to hear about your suspension if it's truly the best 
4th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,155
From: Georgia
you want BMR with tokico HP since that is what I'm taking off my car this weekend to have the H&R coilovers I just bought installed PM me for a killer deal if interested. You would like this setup very smooth until you start cornering hard and then it hunkers down and rips
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 683
From: Northwest GA
you want BMR with tokico HP since that is what I'm taking off my car this weekend to have the H&R coilovers I just bought installed PM me for a killer deal if interested. You would like this setup very smooth until you start cornering hard and then it hunkers down and rips
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,126
From: Douglasville, GA
Reading your original post it sounds like you are trying to decide on just springs. I have everything in Setup #3 plus a little more and could not be happier. IMO because you have a chin spoiler I would go with setup #2 in order to keep from possibly scraping the spoiler from time to time. I don't have a chin spoiler so it is not a issue for me. If it is not a big issue with speed bumps/ grade changes then I would say #3, just be very careful when maneuvering.
Last edited by degeze; Sep 7, 2008 at 05:47 PM.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 683
From: Northwest GA
Reading your original post it sounds like you are trying to decide on just springs. I have everything in Setup #3 plus a little more and could not be happier. IMO because you have a chin spoiler I would go with setup #2 in order to keep from possibly scraping the spoiler from time to time. I don't have a chin spoiler so it is not a issue for me. If it is not a big issue with speed bumps/ grade changes then I would say #3, just be very careful when maneuvering.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,126
From: Douglasville, GA
.Springs - 229.95
Adjustable Panhard Bar (Poly./Poly.) - 134.95
Relocation Brackets - 134.95
Front Camber Bolts - 39.95
Upper Strut Mounts - 54.95
TOTAL= $594.75 ($24.25 difference)
IMO if this is the case, it doesn't matter if you buy the BMR complete package. So you just need to decide on a spring that provides the drop amount you want and buy all the other suspension parts piece by piece. So below is the approx. drop amount of your three options...
FRPP Springs - 1.5"F / 1.5"R
BMR Springs - 1.25"F / 1.75"R
H&R Super Sport Springs - 1.7"F / 1.9"R
Last edited by degeze; Sep 8, 2008 at 12:11 PM.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 683
From: Northwest GA
I just searched the BMR site and it seems less expensive to buy all the parts in the lowering package individually unless I am reading something incorrect. The package sells for $619, but piece by piece the price is $594.75 .
Springs - 229.95
Adjustable Panhard Bar (Poly./Poly.) - 134.95
Relocation Brackets - 134.95
Front Camber Bolts - 39.95
Upper Strut Mounts - 54.95
TOTAL= $594.75 ($24.25 difference)
IMO if this is the case, it doesn't matter if you buy the BMR complete package. So you just need to decide on a spring that provides the drop amount you want and buy all the other suspension parts piece by piece. So below is the approx. drop amount of your three options...
FRPP Springs - 1.5"F / 1.5"R
BMR Springs - 1.25"F / 1.75"R
H&R Super Sport Springs - 1.7"F / 1.9"R
.Springs - 229.95
Adjustable Panhard Bar (Poly./Poly.) - 134.95
Relocation Brackets - 134.95
Front Camber Bolts - 39.95
Upper Strut Mounts - 54.95
TOTAL= $594.75 ($24.25 difference)
IMO if this is the case, it doesn't matter if you buy the BMR complete package. So you just need to decide on a spring that provides the drop amount you want and buy all the other suspension parts piece by piece. So below is the approx. drop amount of your three options...
FRPP Springs - 1.5"F / 1.5"R
BMR Springs - 1.25"F / 1.75"R
H&R Super Sport Springs - 1.7"F / 1.9"R