ok, so i know that i want to add suspension mods to my pony. but i have just one question, what do they really do for our rides?

i mean what in the hell are a pair of aftermarket control arms going to do while taking a turn? they perform the same as the factory ones do right?

 

Here is the answer you don't want....it depends.

It depends on which parts you are replacing and what for. New springs can lower the center of gravity for the car. Even 1 inch can be significant considering the weight of the car. But you also have to consider speed. The different will obviously not be felt at lower speeds so the faster the speed the more significant the difference. New shocks and struts can make a ride smoother or more firm. A firm stance will allow you to "feel" the road more and react faster when on a road course. Other parts, like anti-roll bars and lower control arms are made of better materials which again do not dampen the feel of the road allowing for better or quicker control. Will new suspension parts make a significant difference on a daily driver? Depends on how you drive and how you like the feel of your car.

 

Generally, aftermarket control arms come fitted with firmer bushings, which provide more accurate location of the wheels/axle and a more precise "feel". Understand that rear axle end motion is not purely up-and-down vertical. It also includes little fore/aft movements and some slight axle steering in most situations, and greater bushing compliance (think "squishi-ness") usually increases these effects. In a drag race launch, firmer bushings tend to suppress wheel hop. Up front, firmer bushings also translate into better camber control and better front grip (read: slightly higher cornering limits and a little less understeer when you're hustling it a bit through the turns).


Norm

 

Depending on what you use your car for (Track, Road Course, DD) there are different elements to look for in a suspension upgrade. If you're like me and you use your car for EVERYTHING, I'd go with a simple change of springs and some shocks/struts (I have Eibach's Pro-Kit with Tokico HPs) further down the road I'm gonna get some Hellwig Sway bars as well. The drop with the springs has definetly improved my cornering and the new shocks make for a smoother ride.

 

new springs and sway bars will make your car handle better and give it a better stance.

 

I just bought my mustang 4 weeks ago-ish, my previous car was a Focus ZX3 with a full eibach sportline suspension, the wheels were basically hiding under the fenders..

Coming from THAT suspension to the mustang suspension.. i literally feel like i'm steering a waterbed around the freeway. There's so much sway and roll in the stock suspension that there's a LOT of room for improvement. Stiffness, reduced nose dive during breaking, body roll during corners, they'll all improve with upgraded suspension components. Trust me, get in your car, go down the freeway around 85MPH then change lanes... then do the same thing immediately after putting new springs/dampers on the car and you'll feel like you're in a completely different vehicle.

 

I must say that after putting my Pro-Kit on that its definetly helped reduce some roll on my car, coupled with Tokico HP gas shocks, it handles much better. Just need some Sways and I'm pretty sure I'll be happy

 

The main reason to change over to an aftermarket suspension is not only are the parts stronger and better quality than the oem pieces but the addition of the urethane bushings increase your performance of the part as well. As others have stated it all depends on what you are expecting out of your car as to what mods you need to make. We have a very complete line of parts that can help you in all areas. Give us a call if you have any questions. We are in the office mon-fri 8:30am-6:00pm est.

 

Roush Rear Springs, 3/4" drop to level her out some,
20mm GT rear take-off sway bar,
to improve on the lack of Ford putting one on there OEM,
34mm GT front sway bar instead of the 31.5mm V6 sway bar with aftermarket
Prothane poly bushings all around
with Polys on the PanHard bar also.
BFGoodrich g-Force KDW2 255/45ZR18s instead of the 215/65-16s.
400% improvement without going too
aftermarket.