GotMunchies?

Greetings and salutations. I am currently in the planning and resource gathering stage of a suspension overhaul on my '07 GT coupe. It currently resides on 18" wheels and has yet to be touched by wrench or ratchet. All that I hope is to change. My end goal for the car is to create a balanced street machine capable of track weekends with about 380-400hp N/A . I'm more worried about handling than power (as handling is the weak point of the 'Stang). My benchmark will be my father's Z06.

I'd like some criticism and advice as I plan the phased upgrades. Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated. If you see something missing or something that shouldn't be on this list, let me know and help turn my 'Stang into a corner carver.

Phase 1: (~$1300) the purpose of Phase 1 is to improve handling capability, settle the rear end during cornering, and achieve a drop of about 1.5" (maybe more if I can be swayed).
- BMR adjustable lower control arms and control arm relocation brackets and camber bolts
- Tokico D-Spec adj. struts and shocks.
- lowering springs - I'm not sure of what brand I want, but I am currently tempted towards BMR's variable damped springs. I believe progressive damping is a must have for any street performance car. Are there any alternatives to BMR's?
- BMR Adj. Panhard rod

Phase 2: The goal of pahse two is to balance the handling of the car and shore up weak spots in the chassis.
- Rear sway bar - reccomendations are welcome. Goal is to eliminate understeer and develop more neutral balance.
- Solid BMR UCA's.
- Strut braces and subframe connectors. Here is where I'm really iffy. I have experience with the old BMW E30, but the S197 chassis is a mystery to me. I hear the chassis is quite stiff as is, but I strive for high standards. Where are the weakpoints in the chassis and how do I cure them? Keeping weight down is of the utmost importance.

Phase 3: The goal of phase three is to improve the footprint of the car, replace brakes all around, and reduce unsprung weight. My hope is that by the time I'm ready for phase three, all of these will need replaced anyways.
- Three parameters for wheel and tire replacement: width of footprint, reduction of rotational inertia, and type of rubber.
+I'm looking for 9-9.5x18in. in the front with 9-10x18in. in the back. I would like to dip down to 17" rims for the track, but the wheel wells on the 'Stang demand 18's.
+Since size is set at 18", reduction of rotational mass is imperative. Lightweight is the order of the day. Do any rims absolutely excel in a performance role?
+My hope is to fit the wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 2's. Any other reccomendations for sticky weekend warrior rubber is welcome.
- StopTech: 14" at all four corners.


Bonus pictures of the Mustang and Z06 (linked for size):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Tedscar055.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Tedscar053.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/IMG_0658.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/IMG_0656.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/IMG_0657.jpg

PS. Whoever can guess where the 'Vette is gets a cookie. Hint: (SPECIAL DELIVERY LOL)

A_Sixer

That is actually a great plan...

I am assuming that "track" refers to a road track and not a drag strip.

I am "not" an expert in the field, but from my personal experience.........

Tokico's will do wonders for both compression and dampening, as it adjusts both. I would go with Eibach prokit for the springs, the combination of the D-specs and the Eibach's works really good for me (will be track tested this year), last year the springs alongand the hellwig sway got rid off my understeer, the car is very responsive to steering input and the sways keep therubber on the road surface.

Sway bars I would go with the hellwig adjustable ones, they are a good quality and are adjustable.

Why 18"? a smaller diameter will do nicer for handling I would keep it no taller than 17" even with a lightwheel, (but before downsizing consider the brake upgrade and the rim clearances with big brakes....)

Rubber, If you are serious about competing inroad type events, I would get "dedicated" rubber "Hankook Ventus R-S2 ", "Hoosier R-6, A-6" ...

The only other thing is to not install LCA's or UCA that have a hard bushing, you need the flexiblebushing for conforming to the twists requiered by hard cornering.

After lowering you might want to look into LCA relocation brackets to fix the change in their angle.

A side note is to learn the rules of whatever governing body regulates the competition (SCCA, NASA, etc) some rules prohibit some mods.

But the plan sounds really good, there is no substitution for gathering info prior topurchasing stuff.....as many of us learned the hard way.

As far as "street machine capable of track weekends with about 380-400hp N/A" I didn't see any power modifications listed, but to reach that level of "RWHP" you will need boost.... a turbo is highly recomended as it is softer on your engine, also an Oil cooler is a must ....

Good luck

GotMunchies?

Thanks for the advice. I had questions about the necessity of LCA relocation brackets, and further research has deemed them necessary. As far as the power goes, the focus of this topic is on the suspension set up. I put up those numbers so people could have a ballpark figure on what the suspension would have to deal with (also keep in mind those are generous and not anticipated at the wheels. Hoping for 350-370RWHP). But the engine and drivetrain mods are for another day.

CrazyAl

Your mod list looks great. I have a few comments/tweaks to add:

Regarding phase 1, I would add in the BMR panhard bar support (aka panhard bar brace). This really helps firm up the rear suspension and the installation is dead simple if you're already going to be installing the panhard bar.

For your spring choices, Eibach Pro-kit, Steeda Ultralite, and Roush are all good springs too. Don't forget when you do your drop you will need camber bolts (or camber plates) and an alignment. Sixer's comments on not getting hard bushings on your control arms is good. This is why I always recommend the "combo" type with the spherical rod end for proper articulation. This is especially critical on the UCA.


Regarding Phase 2, if you are going to use subframe connectors I suggest the BMR "boxed" type. I would also get a new UCA mount to go with your UCA...this is an excellent mod given the HP you plan on running as well as stiffening the chassis.

For Phase 3, the ultimate wheels for track use are probably Fikse, which are what Ford uses on the GT500 Can-Am car. You can get them in your choice of different sizes. They are extremely lightweight, however they are also very expensive at about $1200 per wheel.

Other ways to get rid of rotating weight would be a 1-piece aluminum driveshaft, aluminum flywheel, and if you get a Spec clutch you can get an aluminum pressure plate too for maximum weight savings.

As for the brakes, I would steer clear of the Wilwoods. Don't get me wrong, Wilwood makes great brakes. But there are a few issues with them: First off, they don't have boots on the pistons in the calipers. This means they are high-maintenance for street use. Expect to rebuild your calipers frequently. Also, the Wilwood kits do not play nice with the ABS system. In my opinion the best system you can get for brakes on these cars is the Stoptech system. This is the samekit that Roush sells (Stoptech makes the kit for Roush). Baer and Brembo make good kits too, but for actual track use, Stoptech has done the most research on our cars. They make a 14" kit and a 15" kit for our cars. The 14" is probably plenty unless you are very nearly pro-level in your driving skills, and it will help keep your rotating weight down.


Regarding your power requirements, it is going to be difficult to hit 380 or more without some serious and uncommon mods. You can hit about 350 with common bolt-ons, longtube headers, and either agressive cams or ported heads. You might get near 375-380 RWHPor so with both heads and cams and a really killer tune, but this hasn't been really proven yet (and it would cost more than $5000...which is supercharger territory). IMHO to get 380-400 reliably you will need either forced induction (SC or turbo) or you will need more displacement (bored and/or stroked engine).

A_Sixer

Awesome..

Keep us posted of your findings please, I / weare always striving to get abetter handling from our rides.

Oh, about the numbers, I only meant to say going FI if you do not change internals. Those numbers are achievable NAjust requiere someengine work, but that's anot important since you are aiming at 350 - 375 RWHP.

Good luck

GotMunchies?

Thanks for the support. Keep in mind this is a loooong term project so this will likely go dead for a while. As far as power goes, my plan for achieving the horsepower was for CAI and exhaust work, ECU tuning, UDP's, cams, and most importantly, lightening the drivetrain. Absolute power is not what's important to me, its throttle response. I have not put a much research into the powere requirements yet because I'm working on mastering the 300horses available to me before I get serious about wanting more. I also want to make sure the car has a rock solid platform for the extra power when it does eventually get it. Although the CAI and tune may come early because the OEM throttle response is ... beyond ****ty. Especially for a drive by wire. In fact, its inexcusable.


My goal for this car is to create an incredibly responsive and rapid ride.

Aesthetics goals are very minimal as well. My only plans are GT500 bumper swap (sans snake logo), decklid spoiler, and Xenon headlights. Basically, I want a really low key, sleek, and incredibly responsive ride.

vsop

Ultimate track wheel is a HRE Comp series, but they are some of the most $$$ rims and can bend easy.

I would throw in a K member to get the weight off the nose (plus it already has the stiffer engine mounts) and I see no mention of any Caster/Camber adjustment plates ( I see Al has pointed this out as well).

18" rims are what you want.. who ever tells you to run a 17 tell them to go away.
18" has one downside the racing rubber costs more. But you will be able to fit a bigger brake setup and that is critical.

GotMunchies?

Unfortunately, the area in which the car resides dictates sturdier wheels than track specific. As I think I about it, I'm not really going to be able to drop it more than 1.5" all around and track specific rims might be a little too hardcore (as well as too expensive) because of the condition of many roads in the Pacific Northwest.

I've made a few changes to the list thus far (relocation brackets, camber bolts, and StopTech brakes).

My next question is for phase 2, concerning the subframe reinforcements. Are these connectors worth the extra weight? What are the major weak points and are these connections really worth it?

CrazyAl

Regarding the chassis reenforcements:

I would skip on the strut tower brace. In my opinion and experience it makes no difference. However, the under-chassis weld-in units work quite well for improving the overall stiffness of the chassis. Find one that ties into the rear torque boxes (where the LCAs meet the body) and the frame rails. Again, I suggest the BMR Heavy-Duty "boxed" type. The added stiffness is immedietly evident!

Also, see what you can do to get rid of unneeded weight. We already discussed wheels/driveline, but there is a lot of free weight on the car you can consider getting rid of: Rear seat delete (the seat itself is not heavy, but the associated brackets and seatbelt assemplies will net you nearly 50# saved), ditch the spare tire & jack (useless with big brakes anyway...and you have roadside assistance, right?), there are various brackets and whatnot under the car....

RodeoFlyer

Here's some info to help -

Wheels - Tire Rack has Wedsport wheels on close-out at something like $400 a piece I think. SSR Comps are light also, but maybe not sturdy enough for you. I have a set of Enkei RPF-1's that weight 17lbs a piece that cost me $275 ea from wheelstores.com.

weight - moving the battery to the trunk is worth 30lbs off the nose. most claims on the k-members are B*LLSH*T! - they exaggerate on the weight loss. I f you want a k-member for road racing check out RossMustang.com. his k-member has altered pickup points for the control arms as well as better ground clearance. the factory seats also weigh a ton. a good pair of seats will knock 100lbs off the car. the leather ones are especially a pain when going thru the twisties lol.

tires - i've got the Falken Azenis RT-615's for street tires. they are very sticky and are reasonably priced. I haven't tried the Hankooks, but I know the Yok's are pricey