s197 suspension
04-03-2007, 05:09 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 41
s197 suspension
is the suspension really THAT bad on these cars?? or is it greatly exaggerated.... so far im planning on getting an exhaust setup, louvers, cai, tune, maybe 4.10 or 3.73 gears and "hockey stick stripe". with that said, do i really need to upgrade the suspension or is the stock suspension good enough?
04-03-2007, 09:10 AM
#4
RE: s197 suspension
I was fine with stock suspension for about a year. Then when I started puttng more power mods on I was pushing the car more and noticed weakness. Wheel hop was horrible and with the new springs, I was not transferring near the HP I should be. So upgrading it became very necessary.
04-03-2007, 11:38 AM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 2,544
RE: s197 suspension
In my opinion the design of the suspension on these cars is not bad at all. The system is very good considering the price range of the car and in comparison to other cars in its class.
I think the problem is that the suspension is cheaply implemented with inexpensive and flimsy stamped-steel parts. The other problem is Ford's use of soft rubber bushings--which is a very common "issue" with 99% of cars out there--they are designed for a quiet and smooth ride, and not the firm suspension you'd expect out of a race car. With the stock bushings the suspension can deform under load and bind up, which is not good at all! Furthermore it reduces the driver's road feel which will also hurt your handling.
Keep in mind that many very good race cars have had live axle suspensions. The legendary Lotus 7 was live axle and would handlebetter thanjust about everything on the track.
The key to upgrading the suspension effectivlely is that you want to address the known factory weaknesses, such as the lower control arms, and you should also consider the application of your car. Many mods are trade-offs that you may not want to make.
I think the problem is that the suspension is cheaply implemented with inexpensive and flimsy stamped-steel parts. The other problem is Ford's use of soft rubber bushings--which is a very common "issue" with 99% of cars out there--they are designed for a quiet and smooth ride, and not the firm suspension you'd expect out of a race car. With the stock bushings the suspension can deform under load and bind up, which is not good at all! Furthermore it reduces the driver's road feel which will also hurt your handling.
Keep in mind that many very good race cars have had live axle suspensions. The legendary Lotus 7 was live axle and would handlebetter thanjust about everything on the track.
The key to upgrading the suspension effectivlely is that you want to address the known factory weaknesses, such as the lower control arms, and you should also consider the application of your car. Many mods are trade-offs that you may not want to make.
04-03-2007, 01:36 PM
#9
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 2,544
RE: s197 suspension
ORIGINAL: hotairgypsy
so if you were to pick the order in which you want to replace parts for the suspension what would it be? at what point in the modding of the suspension are you sacrificing your ride?
so if you were to pick the order in which you want to replace parts for the suspension what would it be? at what point in the modding of the suspension are you sacrificing your ride?
#2: Stiffer rear sway bar
#3: Stiffer panhard bar & panhard bar brace
Beyond this depends a bit on your goals and various questions that need answering. For example, do you want to lower the car? Are you setting up for general performance or drag racing or roadcourse/Auto-X?
Here are some threads to read with all the nitty-gritty details:
https://mustangforums.com/m_1696246/tm.htm
https://mustangforums.com/m_2184423/tm.htm
