ZPounds07GT

So I'm looking to do my suspension by the end of the 2012 summer at the latest and I'm trying to figure out what I will be saving for exactly. For a while now I have been planing on the Steeda Sport Springs and Koni STR.T Shocks and Struts.

Now that I have seen this package I am wondering how these shocks and struts would be and how the actual ride is compared to stock with them.

The springs I have heard from many are good but I don't know if that is just from a performance stand point or ride or both.

My current plans are as follows:
Shocks and Struts - Koni STR.T
Springs - Steeda Sport
Sway Bars - Strano Adjustable Bars
Watts Link - Fayes2

Would my plans be better than what this kit would offer or no? I don't want to spend money on what I don't need or what will not suit me best as my car is a daily driver with a mixture of good and bad roads along with some spirited driving. No tracking as I don't have the money and insurance purposes. Ride is important as I have a girlfriend and parents that would not like being jarred and I personally don't want to put my baby through that either (the car that is). Lol.

Thanks for any and all info/advice!

UPRSharad

I've heard good feedback on the Eibach kit. Of course, the car will ride stiffer (but corner much better) with the Eibach parts.

One part that is notably missing from your parts list is a set of lower control arms. Sam doesn't recommend them, but they added traction on my car in a straight line and in the corners. People typically go for the blingy billet aluminum arms (which of course, we have available at UPR Products), but I'm running our tubular chrome-moly control arms with Energy Suspension bushings. They are the strongest LCAs available without going to spherical bearings.

http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-c...ushing-05.html

ZPounds07GT

Quick question.. When exactly would there be "wheel hop" and, although this may sound stupid, what is it exactly?

ryan1112

You are on the right track with you current plan. Don't go eibach. Your list is perfect for a daily driver as far as comfort, performance, and looks.

Wheel hop is when the back tires shutter (sometimes very hard) and you lose traction. You will know it when it happens. I didn't know what it felt like until I went to the drag strip. The first time it happened I thought the car was shaking apart. I got new control arms and relocation brackets and it fixed the problem. If you aren't racing then the koni dampers will help keep it under control on the street.

ZPounds07GT

Well I have had my tires spin when my car shifts gears at WOT but it hasn't spun from a launch yet. I'm guessing that's what you mean by shutter?

I'm glad to hear that I'm on the right track. I have heard multiple times that the Koni and Steeda combo was better than stock and that the Eibach's could be rather harsh but I didn't know if that was just the Sportlines or the Pros or both.

darksky1984

I just saw this kit on American muscle. http://www.americanmuscle.com/eibach...stem-1112.html Do you guys think that this is a good all around kit? I auto-x my car so I'm looking to upgrade the stock suspension. I too have been looking at the Koni and Steeda combo but this possibly looks like a good choice too.

Norm Peterson

With autocross specifically mentioned, I think I'd move up to Koni sports (aka yellows) assuming that they're available. They're worth the wait if they aren't. I'm assuming that you aren't planning to stay in F Stock, as some of the parts on your list are not Stock category-legal. In that case, I'd put the Steeda HD strut mounts ahead of anybody's Watts link, as they provide you with some camber adjustability.

I think the intended word was "shudder", and there's no mistaking it. The whole car shakes. It's related to wheelspin, but is not exactly the same thing.

If you aren't experiencing it, there's no hurry to fix it. If/when you do, the usual path for solving wheel hop involves LCAs with firmer bushings, followed by a UCA with stiffer bushings if the LCAs aren't enough.

There are other control arms that feature various types of spherical ends that can be more effective then poly-bushed arms, but which are apt to transmit more noise and harshness than it sounds like you want to deal with.


Norm

UPRSharad

Most manual trans S197s on factory suspension wheel hop when you launch with the traction control off. What happens is the torque tweaks the factory control arms and the axle just starts jumping up and down violently. It feels like it's going to rip the dashboard off of the firewall. You'd know it if your car has done it. Anyway, good quality control arms, shocks, and springs eliminate the slop and allow the suspension to work properly.

I don't necessarily think the Eibach suspension is harsh. I haven't used their Pro dampeners, but I have the UPR Pro Series springs on my car which are made by Eibach and spec out the same as Eibach's PRO KIT springs, and they aren't harsh at all. However, I'll probably end up running Koni Yellows on my car, so it's sort of a combination of the combos listed above. (with UPR control arms, of course)

The Eibach kit will dramatically improve your handling. At UPR Products, we carry everything in that kit except for the dampeners.

The unspoken truth about suspension mods is that you might be right to claim that a TA/Watts & SLA suspension setup with $10,000 dampeners is "the best" suspension system for an S197, but in reality, you could take the UPR setup, or any of these others, run it on r-compound tires, and you'd have a car that handles far better than most of us can handle. That is to say, very few of us mere mortals could push the car to its limits. And certainly wouldn't ever approach that limit on the street.

With the exception of dampeners that are ideal for HPDEs, you can build a very good suspension system (for cornering) using all UPR parts.

ryan1112

Wheel hop is different than the wheel spin when you shift gears. When you shift you just spin the tires a bit which is all in good fun. Wheel hop will shutter the car like hell. It feels like a nasty vibration.

I also recommend getting the Koni sports if you can afford them. I have str.t dampers. I didn't think I was going to be into autocrossing like I am now when I got them. Now I wish that I got the sports. Not that the str.t's are bad, they are great, I just want the adjustabiliy now.

ZPounds07GT

Well if I get into Auto Cross then it's going to be a long time from now. I don't have the money to go out and play and risk breaking something. Plus the money to actually participate. I only work one day a week because of school and just above minimum isn't that much. Lol. That also doesn't mention insurance in case of an accident during an event.

My car has an auto transmission so I guess that's part of the reason I don't have wheel hop. But I have never experienced anything like my car is going to fall apart. If I did I would probably cry, I can't have her fall apart on me. Haha.

Thanks for clearing all that up Norm. I think I'm going to stay away from the UCAs and LCAs until I start to experience it. I don't drive that hard very often so I really don't see it being needed any time soon.