hotrod69boss

Thanks for the reply Norm. I will certainly look into the suggestions you brought up. Man the members in this forum are great.people and always ready with some good ideas. Being an old hot rodder from yesteryear I am having trouble wrapping my head around all this new technology. Thanks again --- Rod .

Norm Peterson

Even the relatively simple mechanical things such as (most) suspension stuff has changed so much over the years. Did we really have much else other than Gabriel Hi-Jackers back in the day? Not that anybody back then was into lowering their cars (except for the low-riders); seems just about everybody wanted 'higher' for "weight transfer" because the tires of the day needed all the help you could find.


Truth be told, I've really been more of a sports car guy except for not being the least bit satisfied with the 100 hp or so that was all that most of sports cars back in the day gave you to play with.


Norm

hotrod69boss

Gabriel Hi-Jackers! Dang Norm, you gave me a flashback. Yes, I did my share of drag racing , but after buying my first Boss 302, I realized a truly fast car would accelerate,corner,and brake very well. Back in the day law enforcement hardly ever cruised the back roads of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. After 11pm everyone had gone home for the night. Man what a playground. One can't get away with that now. So yes, I can dig your love of sports cars and I agree, we always need more horsepower.--Rod

Norm Peterson

Just to show you what only a 4.6L (stock-ish power) S197 can do with only a little suspension work . . . and a wheel & tire upgrade.




Norm

Rocket Ray

I love watching those videos. Every time I start thinking I need more, I just look at those and figure I have plenty already (07 GT, just a tune, upgraded tires, and Koni STR shocks). I also like to play with an on/off road bike and snowmobile. A week ago I was on a nice cruise with two others and had a ball joint failure at about 45mph on a straight stretch. Nobody behind, so my left ski folded up and I was ejected. I had just stuffed some foam into my helmet two days before to make fit very snugly (thank God!). Didn't hit anything, small closed fracture of my wrist and compression fractures in L1and L2. My riding partner found me out cold on the trail, but luckily an EMT team was out making a practice run about 5 minutes behind us, so I got immediate attention and a helicopter ride. Feeling much better now.
I was thinking of putting the smallest drop lowering springs in the rear, and I have read Norm's posts on the importance of loosening the upper and lower arm bolts to the rear axle and tightening them when the full weight of the car is on it. However, I have shelved that idea for now; don't think I will be crawling around on my back this spring.

Norm Peterson

My car was still on its OE springs in the NJMP/Thunderbolt video. Strano bars (the early 35/22 mm set), Koni yellows, and a rather uncommon name in rear LCAs round out the major suspension stuff.

In the Lightning video I had installed BMR's GT500 Handling springs (260/220 lb/in) strictly for the extra 20 lb/in over the "regular GT" Handling springs, figuring I'd deal with the lowering if I had to. The front only dropped about half an inch on my lighter GT, so I've left that alone. Out back, I DIY-shimmed the rear back from about 1" down up to about 5/8" lowering (I may still take it up another quarter inch). The BMR springs are more front-biased than the OE springs, so the spring mod ended up costing me a stiffer rear bar (Strano 25mm in place of the Strano 22mm I'd put there years before).


Norm