I'm about to have the suspension upgraded on my 08 mustang using a bunch of parts thats I've been collecting over the years. This is a daily driver, street car. No track use anytime in the foreseeable future.

Regarding the front suspension, I was wondering how much I should adjust via Steeda camber plates based on a combination of Tokico D-specs, Steeda Sport Springs and the 18x8.5" factory wheel. Other parts that muight be relevant to determining this are the bump steer and x5 ball joint kits I also have.

I'm guessing that the modest lowering of the car as a result of the Steeda Springs will require some adjustment but with a 255/45/18 tire probably not as much as a wider wheel/tire combo.

Thanks in advance!

 

I've actually lowered that year with the FRP suspension including sway bars and had no trouble with the stock adjustment settings or bump steer. Depends on how low you go obviously. IMO the camber plates would be mostly useful for increasing camber for track use and are otherwise a waste of money.

 

Thanks for the reply proeagles. I bought these parts years ago when I had other plans for the car so it's money long since wasted. The Steeda Sport springs will lower the car 1" in the front and 1.25" out back.

 

Use the plates to set your cambers where you want them. Depending on your driving, that doesn't have to be Ford's "preferred" setting of -0.75°. Nor does it have to be what you first end up with after lowering the car.

I would measure what the cambers are before you lower the car (there are a number of ways you can do this yourself, so there's little need for throwing away the expense of a professional alignment that you're going to be throwing away almost as soon as you get it. Plan on cambers shifting about 0.6° per inch of actual lowering, with some tolerance on that based on bolt to hole clearances.

Do you have an idea about how hard you take corners, not counting turns at intersections as corners? Or how hard you might want to once you've got these parts installed? I'm looking for some sort of overall average, somewhere between the way you drive around town and the way you drive on a curvy road out in the country when there isn't any other traffic . . . or through a highway on-ramp when you've got a clear shot. Or is most of your driving on Interstates and similar highways? When you see the kind of yellow road sign that has either a curved or a squiggly arrow on it, does your first thought read more like "gotta slow down now" or "this could be a fun stretch of road"?

With camber plates, if you don't like any particular camber setting you can easily change it yourself. You may have to reset toe, but that's not too difficult to measure and adjust either.

Norm

 

Good to know, thanks. I just had an alignment performed when I had new tires installed about two months ago.

I live in Los Angeles where most of my driving is done on hilly, curvy roads...even a mundane run to the local grocery store involves me driving on a hilly, curvy road. I look for fun in conservative ways, always mindful that it's not a closed course. Also, these roads quickly challenge the limits of the stock suspension so there's that. In the more remote canyon roads I push it a bit more but again the stock suspension makes what would be a 4/10 scenario feel more like 7/10 scenario...and in some ways it is.

Cool, good to know. I'll look into how that is done. Thanks again for your help!

 

Sounds like you'd be OK with at least -1.25°, maybe as much as -1.5° (which it the max-negative end of Ford's range). My car measured out at -1.7° when it was brand new.


Somewhere I have a write-up. Once you know how to make the measurements (and what might affect them), the rest is just wrench work.


Norm

 

Thanks again, for your help with this. Really excited to get my car dialed in...finally.

 

Found the most recent write-up. It's about a 9MB Word document (pictures). PM me with an email address if you'd like a copy.


Norm