Today was the second time I take the pony to the track (2006 GT stock, 5-speed) and I had a few issues with the performance. The first thing that I notice is the amount of body-roll and the understeer. The back-end also seems to loose grip very easily. The first time, the track was dry and it was sunny. I was getting out of a corner with 2nd and I accelerated hard, suddenly the back-end came loose and the car was all over the track. Luckily I was able to recover. Today (although it was raining) the same thing happened but at a lower speed and with 3rd gear. This time I could not control the back-end and I was spinning all over. It seems that when you accelerate hard (in 2nd or 3rd) the back-end looses grip. This also happens on the street. What suspension mods do I need to correct the issue? Also what do I need to reduce wheel hop? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Also if you can give specific products that will be great. I am going to start the mods now (the warranty is over ) and my goal is to make the car handle like a race care. I do not care about the smooth ride on the street. Actually I prefer a stiff ride.

Thanks for any input!

Cheers

 

Get some lower control arms and a lca relocation bracket at the least. I have heard of other pieces however this is the place to start. BMR is a very popular brand.

 

Proper tire selection is the key. All the right suspension parts mean nothing without a good set of tires.
If you're going to be on the track much, invest in some slicks. Or at least a really good set of rain tires, like Toyo RA1 or Kumho VictoRacer

 

Thanks for the input. I looked at the BMR and I am going with either one of these two:

TCA020 Adjustable Lower "Race" Control Arms w/rod ends
TCA021 Adjustable Lower "Street" Control Arms with poly bushing/rod-end combination

What is the difference between rod ends and poly bushing end? Anyone has any experience with these two? I will also be changing tires very soon.
The reason I am going with the adjustable lcs is due to future suspension mods.

Again thanks for the feedback guys!

 

rod ends will not flex at all. poly bushings will flex less than the stock rubber bushings.

 

Thanks downriverT, now I know what to get (rod ends). Will post an update once I have them installed.

 

Be carefull about what yopu choose for a street/track car. Stock rubber bushings are soft and cushy. Give a nice quiet ride and absorbs a lot of the bumps. They also allow a lot of movement in xtreme situations, like track use. They allow deflection, which causes a pogo effect in the suspension.

Rods are solid steel. They allow no deflection at all. They are also harsh, since they transmit all of the vibrations to the rest of the chassis, and then to you. They wear out quickly - you'll be repalcing them every couple of years or so. They are perfect for a track car. And they stink for a street car. A good quality steel rod end isn't cheap, either.

Poly bushings are juuuust right. Firm enough to control the suspension. But not harsh enough to prohibit daily driving. They're quieter, and last longer.

Every time I take my car to the track, I start thinking of ways to make it faster. "If I just do this......" (it's a sickness). But I have to step back and remind myself - Street Car! Street Car!. Everything you do is a trade off.

 

Thanks .boB for the detailed explanation. Good to know a little more detail about things. So wouldn't it work then if I just buy poly bushings for the stock lower control arms? Is paying the extra premium for the aftermarket lca worth it as opposed to just changing the bushings on the stock ones? Sorry for asking too many questions, but I am trying to understand how things work.

 

If you're going to be more active on the track, aftermarket control arms are very helpfull. They are lighter and stronger than stock. They'll reduce your unsprung weight, and distort, flex, and deflect a lot less than stock.

SOme of them will have a greater range of adjustment. This could be important if you go with a true slick tire. On an open track, you want less caster, and more camber. If you've lowered the car, you sometimes can't get the rangee of adjustments you'de like with the stock pieces. For example, on the street I run 3* caster and -0.25* camber. On the track I run 1.5* caster and -1.25* camber. I've never tried to adjust a Mustang suspension to those specs, though. It might be easy, or it might be impossible.

 

We are talking about road racing here...not drag strip, correct?

If so why are you guys so high on LCAs? For road racing the aftermarkect LCAs aren't going to make much difference. There are other parts that are much more important. In this order: driver mod, tires, dampers, springs, alignment. Then PHB/brace, UCA and Sways. I'd put LCAs at the bottom of the list. Of course, the OP did mention wheel hop and LCAs are the common solution for that. But lowering the car will probably take care of it anyway and wheel hop on road courses should never be an issue.

I prefer -2 degrees of Camber, stock Caster and zero toe for the track. For tires - the Falken Azenis are one heck of a street/track tire, especially for the price, but don't expect more than 10-12K miles out of them (depending on how many track days you do). If you want the best track tire you need R-Comps but they shouldn't be used on the street, thus you need two sets of rims.