When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just purchased this 65 fastback and, like most stock mustangs, it sits low in the rear. I need to lower the front at least an inch and a half, preferably. Just how should I approach this issue without spending great amounts of money (hopefully my wife says)?
for a few hundred dollars you can find lowering springs and a matching shock that will get you 1.5" lower no problem. You could then do the shelby drop that will get you another .5 inch perhaps a bit less and improve tire contact geometry. The shelby drop requires drilling new holes for the upper control arm to mount into. Its actually quite easy and drill guides are available to prevent any mistakes. These lowering springs are stiffer and can be found at a place like NDP or JC pony parts. I run a 650 pound spring which maybe more than you need you might want something like 600 or even a bit less a tech could likely recommend a spring rate of a specific 1.5" drop
IF this is going to be a car you are going to drive a lot and/or you want significant handling improvement for example you plan to run a UHP tire like a Pilot Sport 4s on 17" wheels then:
Switch to the global west upper control arms their "plus 3" control arms run caster built into them to keep the wheel centered in the fender well and still provide 3 deg of caster without adjustable strut rods. They also come with a drill guide and require a new mounting location very similar to the shelby drop but not exact so if you are going to do the shelby drop then you wont be able to run these control arms as intended they will still work with the shelby drop but it wont be as desirable. If these appeal to you at all then just go with them right away to avoid having to run them in an incorrect mounting hole from a previous shelby drop. Then run the Global west spring and shock recommend by the tech. This will probably get you close to 2" or a bit more.
This is how mine sits using the global west upper plus 3 control arms (also lower control arms and strut rods) a street bandit lowing spring from NPD at 650 rate and maier racing custom valved Bilstein shocks for 650 pound springs. Its running a lower spring in the rear too by 1" and 17" wheels with Pilot super sports upfront 235 45 17" and pilot super sports 245 45 17" in the back...handling is good and ride quality is quite acceptable for the amount of performance I get from it.
The car will be my nice day driver and occasional local car show entrant. It currently has 195/70/14's on all four corners mounted on Crager look-alike 6 or 7 inch rims. The front brakes are disc of unknown manufacturer, back brakes are stock drum. I'm unsure if the discs are of consequence when considering dropping the front.
Thank you for your detailed response. I will likely take the first scenario you describe rather than the more competition like approach. I'm a complete novice as far as early Mustangs are concerned, other than owning a 69 Sportsroof (fastback) when I returned from Vietnam in 69.
Yeah if you plan to stick with 14" wheels you wont be running any fancy tires so simply switching to a lowering spring with a matching shock will get you your drop in the front.
NPD (national parts depot) or CJ pony parts can recommend a spring and shock combo that will drop 1.5" no problem.
I daily drive mine all the suspension mods made okay improvements but it wasn't until I switched to the Pilots super sports in 17" (now pilot sport 4S) UHP tire that they really made an improvement. Once I had good rubber on the road all those suspension mods came to life and it was a huge improvement over the 14" wheels. I also daily drove mine for many years with 14" wheels and whatever crap tires I could scrounge up so it can be done but the improvements from a quality tire are so profound that I have to at least highly recommend you consider doing something about it at some point. A 17" wheel is the smallest wheel you can run that still supports UHP tires particularly Michelin PS4S
if you use the typical staight rate 600 or 610 1" lowering springs, you can actually use stock shocks because the suspension will still bottom out on the bottoming rubbers which prevent the shocks from bottoming and the spring will not fall out when the suspension is fully extended.
i would also use monroe matic shocks in your case so the ride does not get overly firm with the stiffer springs.
Last edited by barnett468; 10-14-2018 at 12:28 AM.
Hey, did those Global West +3 control arms bolt into the stock UCA holes or do you need to drill new ones? I had the Shelby Drop but when I changed to 17x8 wheels they rubbed on the front of my left fender. I un-did the Shelby drop and put in adjustable control arms and there's no more rub, but I don't really like the stance now (too high in the front).
Originally Posted by Gun Jam
how do you plan to drive the car and how often?
for a few hundred dollars you can find lowering springs and a matching shock that will get you 1.5" lower no problem. You could then do the shelby drop that will get you another .5 inch perhaps a bit less and improve tire contact geometry. The shelby drop requires drilling new holes for the upper control arm to mount into. Its actually quite easy and drill guides are available to prevent any mistakes. These lowering springs are stiffer and can be found at a place like NDP or JC pony parts. I run a 650 pound spring which maybe more than you need you might want something like 600 or even a bit less a tech could likely recommend a spring rate of a specific 1.5" drop
IF this is going to be a car you are going to drive a lot and/or you want significant handling improvement for example you plan to run a UHP tire like a Pilot Sport 4s on 17" wheels then:
Switch to the global west upper control arms their "plus 3" control arms run caster built into them to keep the wheel centered in the fender well and still provide 3 deg of caster without adjustable strut rods. They also come with a drill guide and require a new mounting location very similar to the shelby drop but not exact so if you are going to do the shelby drop then you wont be able to run these control arms as intended they will still work with the shelby drop but it wont be as desirable. If these appeal to you at all then just go with them right away to avoid having to run them in an incorrect mounting hole from a previous shelby drop. Then run the Global west spring and shock recommend by the tech. This will probably get you close to 2" or a bit more.
This is how mine sits using the global west upper plus 3 control arms (also lower control arms and strut rods) a street bandit lowing spring from NPD at 650 rate and maier racing custom valved Bilstein shocks for 650 pound springs. Its running a lower spring in the rear too by 1" and 17" wheels with Pilot super sports upfront 235 45 17" and pilot super sports 245 45 17" in the back...handling is good and ride quality is quite acceptable for the amount of performance I get from it.
The GW control arms are designed to fit below the stock holes. They come with a jig for drilling the new holes. Its pretty straight forward and takes about 20 min per side and pretty much fool proof.
Ive been daily driving them for years now and they are still awesome
GW says that you can use the Shelby drop location but its not ideal. You could weld fill and re drill.
10-09-2018, 09:47 PM
Lowering Front End of 65 Fastback
