hpwrestler220

I was browsing around a couple forums the other day and i noticed that the guy TREVOR with the hitech stage 2 cammed mustang that ran like 12.1's is parting out his car...

Here is the thread.
http://www.3.8mustang.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256059

ANYWAY, i absolutely LOVE the stance of his car and ever since i bought my car, i have wanted it to be slammed. I don't care about the roads here. I will make it by 90% of them with my driving habits...

I found out by reading that thread that i think he is running cut cobra springs up from and H&R supersport springs out back. What is the advantage of running the cut cobra springs up front rather than cut GT springs or something? I am seriously considering buying some stock springs for cheaper and cutting them and throwing them on my car...

Will ride quality severely suffer? I have tokico HP shocks/struts. Will they be able to handle the excessive lowering that i will be doing? I plan on lowering the car like his. Wheels inside the wheel well SLIGHTLY... I am just a little worried that my handling is going to be worse or my ride is going to be REALLY HARSH. Will handling suffer when going from tokico springs to stock springs that are cut? Or will i still have the same handling characteristics?

Just post and talk it out with me lol. This seems like a nice cheap way to get my car's ride height to where i want it. I hope the struts/shocks can handle being lowered another inch or so...

And what are the cobra spring rates as opposed to the GT? Idk why he would get the cobra springs over the GT's unless they have different rates.

teej281

Cobras are designed for handling and they are heavier so they will have higher spring rates so the rates are higher. And i dont know how the shocks and struts will handle the extra lowering. Im going to say that youre going to need fox body shocks and struts in order to not bottom them out though...and having the springs cut that much will help with weight transfer but bottoming out the struts will probably have adverse effects on the handling of the car. Now guys run cut springs on their cars all the time with the stock bilsteins but they are valved to accept coilover rate in the front up to 375lb springs, so those would be better off than the HP's considering that they are not really coilover compatible. Just throwing some stuff out there.

hpwrestler220

Well as my car sits, i still have a GREAT ride... Much better than most mustangs i have ridden in. I may just try to find some cobra stock springs and take it from there.. There really isnt much of a way to figure out at what lowering point the struts/shocks will be bottomed out is there? I would imagine that bottomed out shocks/struts hurt when you hit bumps? Damnit i need some stock bilsteins from a cobra lol. Then of course an alignment.

I didn't know that the cobra springs are designed for handling. So that works for me.. And they are linear right i assume since trevor cut them?

2k1gt

My ride is a little more rough than stock with my cut c-springs, but nothing I didn't get used to.

teej281

Yea, cobras are built to be awesome handling street machines because i dont think that ford would have put the IRS in the cobra for drag racing. And with your shocks and struts in the bottom of their operating range, it will ride worse and then when the shocks and struts bottom out, its like running without dampers really. No give at all. Your ride will really change with that much lowering. And no real way to see how much longer you have til the dampers bottom out either.

hpwrestler220

What did you do? Cut the dead coil?

What shocks/struts are you using?

I really think i might attempt to drop my car with 03/04 cobra stock springs... It will be cheap... I just don't want to mess up my current shocks/struts as they ride very nicely. But slamming my car has been my dream so i might just have to fork over the money for some tokico D specs if i kill these tokico blues...

Is there anyway to find out if i have foxbody struts/shocks as opposed to ones specific for my car without having them side by side?

There is no mustang sexier than a slammed mustang IMO

2k1gt

I bought the springs already cut so I have no idea how much was actually cut. At the time I didn't have money for shocks/struts and I never got back around to it so they are still stock. Haha. I'm sure they are toast but I'm still looking for the perfect opportunity to get rid of my stang so I refuse to put any more money into it.

teej281

There are better choices than D-specs for dampers out there. I think youre best bet would be get some stock 03 cobra front struts and buy coilovers. Adjustable ride height and the car will still ride good. Just my .02 though.

hpwrestler220

Teej i am trying to do this the cheap way

I thought the d specs were adjustable and the bilsteins were non-adjustable?

Thanks 2k1 but i think you should keep your car. It's sexy. Can you do me a favor and post up a nice side view shot and side view from the front shot of your car?

teej281

Just because they are adjustable doesnt make them a better choice or not. I have strange 10 ways and i dont think that they are that great to be honest. Thats why im not keeping them. Bilsteins are not adjustable, but adjustability is not something to consider when saying one damper is better than another. Sure the adjustability is nice, but i think that its better when you have one setting. Plus its a lot less hassle than the adjustable ones. Plus you can find cobra front bilsteins for right around $100 if you look around. I almost had a couple sets for right around that, but then they got sold. But keep in mind you have to get the coupe version, the convertible version will not work with coilovers if you go that route. If youre all about adjustability though, go with Koni Yellow's. Koni is running a sale on them til June for 1/4 off. So front struts right now are only running $312 i think for the pair of them...which is in fact cheaper than the Tokico D-Specs(which would cost you about $340 from MM) and they are preferred for handling anyways. Just throwing things out there again.