GMANSTANG

I am going to a few track events this year and want to spend some money on suspension/handling upgrades. Not for sure what I can get the most bang for my buck, but I was thinking shocks and springs, maybe sway bars.. something that is going to get me through the corners faster, what do you guys think? and what are some good brands for these types of products.. thanks for your help

CMcNam

Don't take any of this personally but here are the first three things you should do:

1.) Use the search button. This same question's been asked hundreds of times and the answers are almost always the same.

2.) Do you have any track time? If not, get track time before you upgrade. I need more track time as well.

3.) You need to be specific in identifying what aspect of the handling you are trying to improve. What part of your car's handling is bothering you that you want to improve it? Once you identify that, use the search button again and you will probably find the answer to the question of what products you should buy to improve that aspect, but the answer is most likely going to be "seat time."

GMANSTANG

i have already done that and nothing much really helps.. ive only had maybe 30 hours of track time but i know my car really well.. i was just trying to get opinions on what is good out there and what is a joke or a waste of money and time, this is a forum right?? i just wanted to know what brands are good from which websites??

Norm Peterson

Bang for the buck in this activity comes from changing things that you want the car to do differently, not from opening up catalogs and throwing parts at it. That said, there is at least one readily available "not really a kit" combination of parts that you could easily do worse than.

Do not think even once of including "camber bolts" as part of any track day build. Especially for an early-year S197. Do replace the strut to knuckle fasteners with the upgraded fine-thread pieces.

At least at the autocross level, think "seat time, tires/wheels, everything else, in that order". Might be a good idea here as well.

So if you're happy with the seat time part, move on to the next item. Are you happy with your current tires and wheels? If not, why not? (turn-in response? ultimate grip? ability to take throttle on corner exit?) Are you getting everything you can out of them the way your car sits right now mechanically? (are your alignment specs appropriate for this activity, suspension bushings still in good shape? do you have the front lower tie-bar that was eventually made OE?)

Everything else is . . . everything else. Is there enough control over pitch and roll? (nose dive, acceleration squat, cornering roll) Does the car overshoot any of those motions at all? Are your shocks and struts OE or OE replacement? How old?

Are adjustable dampers and sta-bars within the scope of your parts search? Have you researched any of the geometric consequences of lowering? Are you aware that lowering by itself is slightly separate from reducing roll? That handling nuances can shift a bit?

Understand that as you change the car, it'll take at least a little seat time each time to realize any of the potential benefits. At the very least, expect to tweak anything that you bought as adjustable.

It's not at all guaranteed to be a "once through and done" process.


I'm sure that I've posted what's on my avatar car on this forum at least once.

And FWIW. I generally don't buy parts straight off a website shopping cart with plastic mindlessly in hand. I want to talk to a real live person first and maybe hear something important that hadn't occurred to me. Sometimes, better options exist.


Norm

SSKILLER5.0

Just as a suggestion whatever you do I would sware by steeda parts..great performance made in the usa and if you break it they buy it. Dramatically changed my car. Plus you can give them a ring and they are great at walking you through what you are trying to accomplish..

UPRSharad

Here's the setup I'm using on my '06 GT, and it works really well. I installed these parts a little at a time.

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...g-package.html