08LNOR

This is my virgin post so I'm going to try not to come off as a Nub. I need some of your guys' expertise. I am pretty mechanically inclined but don't have a lot of experience/knowledge of suspension. I am about to change out my stock suspension before I ship my car over to Germany. I have done a bunch of research and read a lot of the posts on here but don't have the experience to know what would be overkill for my particular situation/needs.

I'll start off by telling you guys what I would like to gain from the suspension change.

1. Eliminate brake dive with braking
2. Eliminate wheel well gap in the rear
3. Maintain comfortable ride that I have with the stock setup
4. Keep a DD ride height as my bumper already lowers the clearance in the front to 5 and half inches.

At first I was looking at coilovers but after reading a lot of the posts on here I think they would be overkill for my needs. I am currently looking at Koni shocks and struts and haven't decided on the springs because I'd like to get some of you to weigh in on what spring rate and springs would maintain my current ride quality. I am going to use this car on the Autobahn and the street so my big concern is changing lanes at extreme speed and high-speed braking. My last question is what other components should I buy? I want to spend the minimum amount of money to get a quality set-up. The extras I am planning on are the adj. panhard bar and CC plates. Thanks in advance for all the input!!!!

08LNOR

Ok, maybe I got too in depth with my first post for anyone to reply to. I'm new at this thing. Just a little update, I am about 95% sure I am going to go with Koni yellows, steeda sport springs, and steeda HD upper strut mounts, and a steeda adjustable pan hard bar for now and then come back later to install the front and rear sway bars.

Will my stock sway bars hold up for the next year or so with the new shock and spring setup and do I need to add anything else that I'm forgetting? Thanks!!

parchisi

Good choice on the setup, and your stock swaybars will be just fine!

08LNOR

Thanks for the comment. I am working with Sam Strano to order this stuff but the yellows look like they're on back order so hopefully I can get them in time to install them in June. He is pushing me towards the possibility of using the oranges and I'm not totally sold on the the ride quality of them yet. I want to keep a softer ride comparable to the stock ride.

Is anyone running Koni oranges with Steeda sport springs and can speak to the ride comfort? I'm not going to be rallying this thing so I don't need a really firm ride but I do want to get rid of the brake dive and eliminate the rear wheel gap.

wrxified

This is the exact setup I'm running. Just installed recently. Love it.

Your original post you indicated you want stock ride quality which is not great. The Koni STR.T's (Orange) ride better, not harsh though by any means. Think BMW and you'll have a good feel for what I'm saying. Harsh and stiff don't equate to better handling. The Koni STR.T's are a night and day difference over the stock struts/shocks. The Steeda sports are a great match for these.

If you're not going to be tracking your car often or at all, the Koni Sports are just going to cost you twice as much and not give you anything in return. Don't get me wrong, you can dial them in perfectly but it takes time and minor adjustments. I had them on my Acura and I was still tweaking them after a couple months. I think mainly because I knew I could. Some people know right away what feels best and can get it there right off the bat.

Same thing on the camber plates. If anything they'll just add noise and take away a little comfort. Your camber will not be too aggressive with the Steeda sports and the drop they give you. You will need to have your toe aligned most likely though. The GT500 upper mounts are better than the stock mounts and will hold up fine for daily driving on that setup.

Summary - Koni STR.T's, Steeda Sports, GT500 Upper Mounts will without a doubt correct the brake diving characteristics and eliminate the rear wheel gap while greatly improving your ride quality/handling.

08LNOR

Wrxified, thanks for the great advice. I have some thinking to do. I may end up going with the oranges after your advice. I don't have intentions of tracking this car right now but my whole principle on this car build has been not to put something on that will limit my options later so I may go with the yellows in the end. I like room for growth. I wouldn't equate a good ride to a stiff ride either but it seems that's what some others do often. I want an as close to Infiniti quality ride if that is possible in a Mustang. To be honest I am very pleased with the stock ride quality, just not the feel or brake dive. With that in mind which Koni do you think comes closest? Thanks again!!!

BlackBetty

I think the general opinion is that the Yellows on full soft are pretty similar to the STR.T's (orange). So if you have any desire for adjustability, go with the Yellows. If not, don't blow the extra money on them (and you also won't have to wait to get them).

08LNOR

Thanks BlackBetty. That's exactly what I was looking for. I think I'll get a hold of Sam Strano on Monday and change my order then.