GotMunchies?

Hey, I'm back and now that summer has hit, its time for the project to begin. The shopping list remains the same, and phase 1 is set for go as soon as I find the parts.

One question: Anyone know of any screaming deals or group buys I could take advantage of?

F1Fan

Hi gotMunchies?,

Before you go and jump off a cliff with your list of parts consider your goals. BMR is a drag racing focused suspension parts maker andIMO for a drag racing focused S197 Mustang BMRmakes the best drag strip suspension for street S197 Mustangs period. Combine a BMR chassis and suspension with a moderate boost supercharger and you can get into the 11's ina daily driver. But BMR doesnot offer a complete solution for a road course focused street car. BMR's suspension componentswhile great when compared to CHE and no-name internet knock offs and the likes ofGMS are in absolute terms only good when using racing standards of fabrication and materials.

IMOSteedahas designed and builtthe besthigh-performancestreet and roadcoursefocused suspension system by far. I will qualify this by saying that Steeda'sfocus is on real street cars capable of regular visits toroad course race tracks without embarrassment or breakdowns and 1,000 mile. Steeda doesnot make parts forrace cars on the street which are miserable beasts in my own personal experience. If you really feel the need to go the race car on the street route the Griggs GR40 suspension is the undisputed kingon the street and on the track. Butthe GR40 is not for the faint of heart or pocket book and the entrylevel street suspension will run$20K installed and that is just the beginning.

I've installedall of the Steeda suspension componentson various local SoCalMustang car club folk’s vehiclesalong with a ton of BMR, Eibach, Tokico, Bilstein,FRPP H&R, complete Saleen kits along witha smattering of CHE, GMS and Roush suspension components. For my personal S197GT I've installedalmost the entire Steeda suspension catalogunder my car out in my garage the few exceptions being the Eibach Pro-KitSport Springs (I'm installing the Steeda Competition springs I've had sittingout in my garage for the last several months next weekend), Eibach camber bolt kit, Tokico D-Spec dampers(which Steeda did the development work for), and a pair of BMR LCA relocation brackets (which Steeda did not offer a year and a half ago when I really neededa solution to the roll understeer and poor IC geometryproblems of a lowered S197).

So here are my thoughts on a high performance street suspension as previously posted in another thread.

Something I did not mentions is the huge roleproper alignment plays in the feel and handling of a car and how well a car tracks, brakes,turns in, exits and accelerates out ofa turn. Do NOT underestimate the power of a good and knowledgeable alignment technician with tools in good repair. Once you find a good one keep him happy and buy the shopa case of their favorite beerasa tip for a good job. Keep them on youChristmas list.

improvecontrol of body and suspension (body motion andtire contact patch with track surface)
Adjustable struts and rear dampers are a must, the non adjustable dampers cannotmatchthe differentsport springs available so adjustability is required for good performance and ride.I like the Tokico D-Spec kit but the Koni Sports will also be great once they ship but the Koni sportscannotbe as soft riding due to the lack of adjustment for compression damping. There are obviously other adjustable damper options available but they are all going to be racing oriented and require more work to make work well and then there is the cost of maintenance and regular rebuilds that a street oriented performance damper does not have to deal with.
improve spring rates for use or application (center of gravity,chassis handlingbalance, brake dive)
[i]For springs I really like the Eibach Pro-Kit springs I have on my car for the look they give the car. While Eibach Pro-Kit spring rates are excellent thedrop is really too much for a street car and marginal even on the race track due to limited rear axle travel.With this much drop in ride height the suspension geometry changes require correction for a good handling chassis. Steeda's Sport springprobably has the best compromise between ride height, suspension travel andspring rates for a daily driver street car. But for a performancespring the Steeda Competition springs are the way to go IMO as they arethe same rate as the Eibach Pro-Kit springs but with a slightly higher ride height. I also prefer Steeda's li