But if you can improve a straight axle, you can do the same with independent. Seems like a safety factor comes into play here. A straight axle can cause the rear to take flight when you hit a bump and you're all done at high speeds (say 140+) if the car jumps even slightly sideways. I think I'd much rather have IRS. Side note..The way I understand it, Ford dropped the IRS on the Mustang simply because it wasn't cost effective, no other reason.

 

Thanks guys I maybe calling you guys in the next few days.

Im not against lowering and actually probably would prefer it (if springs were necessary). I definately like the look of a lowered car, but I want to avoid the more signficiant drops where im going to be scraping speed bumps etc.

With my front end being swapped out with the california special lower valence it sticks out a little further than a stock gt lower facia, which going down entrance ramps from shopping centers could cause problems if the car is too low.

I always cringe in my 96GT with ford c-springs when going down ramps or driveways because the front end tends to scrape. [which btw im looking to swap those springs for something less stiff]. I have them paired with tokico adjustables

 

I have the same problem in my area with lowering my 07, already repainted the chin spoiler once at stock height. I'd lower the tire pressure a little and see if that helps.

 

I guess if that's how you want to see things, ok.

You can improve anything... but how much room for improvement is there??? And what are you starting with? What are you comparing too? What is the problem you seek to cure? All considerations.... Let me put this a different way. Let's say you have two people who want plastic surgery. One is pretty, one is more plain looking. Which will benefit more? Probably the more pedestrian looking person, no? Assuming of course they are fixing what's wrong. The analogy might be lame, but it's accurate here.... the simple device can benefit more from help--and still remain less complex.

The old IRS was a cobbled together piece, far from great. It was heavy, and had a lot of niggly issues like bushing deflection. Why did Ford kill it? I don't know if there was any one reason....

You are entitled to your opinion. I answered your question, didn't think it's was a debate.

IRS are more complex, harder to fix wheelhop with (should you have it) aren't as suited for big power and drag racing (and Mustangs are known from time to time to do those things).

I compete in solid axle cars. I run them on race tracks and on the roads here in western PA. I do a lot of Corvette work too, I own an older 325is BMW, so IRS isn't foreign to me.

Is a solid axle perfect? No, hell no. But there are a lot of sucky IRS's too. And I know what a well setup solid axle can do. Just see Sleeper's post, he's done things to help as have I. Trouble is you are comparing what you have knowledge of which is a 50% IRS to a 30% solid axle setup and not a 70% solid axle setup, let alone one even more dialed in 100% solid axle setup.

 

It's been a healthy debate Sam, enjoyed hearing everyones thoughts and I'm sure you guys know more than I. Can't learn if we don't talk about it.

 

You made a few statements that made me wonder it you were open to the possibility that a solid axle can be improved. Here's another example. There are companies that make SLA front suspensions because they think struts suck. Well, a lot of very good cars have struts, two examples being a BMW M3 and a Porsche 911 or Boxster...

Everything, and I mean everything in life has pro's and con's, this stuff is no different.

 

I agree and you've definitely enlightened me today. Found a link explaining that watts setup. http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm

 

You don't scrape because the springs are stiff; it's because they're too low. If anything, a stiffer spring tends to help avoid scraping.

There are two kinds of Tokico adjustables. D-specs, and Illuminas. I'm going to guess Illuminas, since my experience with Illuminas on a couple of other cars is that once you crank the damping up to where the springs are controlled the ride gets pretty harsh when going over short, sharp bumps. But people tend to blame the springs, especially when a spring swap was part of the same job.


Norm

 

sorry I wrote that poorly. I was really listing two separate ideas and kind of squished them together. What I meant to get across was that even with my 96GT on c springs, which only lower the car about an inch, I still have to be very cautious over bumps and ramps or I scrape. This was in case someone recommmended me a spring for the 2011 they would have an idea of the type of area im in (although im sure its not a perfect comparison as im guessing they aren't at the same height to begin with)

The second point I wanted to make was that on the 96GT the c-springs are pretty stiff so it's not a smooth ride either. I added tokico illuminas later on to try and help this but I dont think it did. I think I need to go to a softer spring with no more of a drop than what the c springs offer. those c springs are linier so I was thinking maybe a progressive eibach prokit or something similar

 

Blacknight, I'd be happy to help with the older car too. I don't list a lot of parts, but have everything available.

On thing to think about... that suspension will never ride all that well. However, before I could make a recommendation I'd be curious what the shocks did to help the ride (I'm sure they helped) and what settings work best. I don't know you have a spring issue only, C-springs aren't at all what I'd call unreasonably stiff. In fact the fronts aren't much stiffer than what a Mach 1 or '01 Bullitt had stock.