Question on Suspension Mods....

[Branomano08BlackBullitt]

Alright guys I have been wanting to Drag/AutoX my Bullitt and now I have the time to. I LOVE hitting corners hard and feeling the g's while keeping the car from loosing the back end. I know some suspension mods will help keep the car solid for longer correct? I am looking to do a little bit of everything and I figure the best advice I can get will be right here. I think the first thing I want to do is LCA's since they seem to be a great all around suspension mod for Drag/AutoX I was thinking the BMR Anti-Wheel Hop Package is that any good? I got bored yesterday and looked around and made a list of what I assume/seems to be some of the better mods. Let me know what you think... I am pretty noob when it comes to the more performance based mods other then S/C so any help is welcome.

1. Eibach Pro-Kit (Already Have REALLY helped with Body Roll)
2. BMR Anti-Wheel Hop Package
3. BMR Tubular Adjustable Panhard (Since I lowered the Car)
4. BMR Adj Camber Bolts (Since I lowered the Car)
5. BMR Tubular Upper Panhard Rod Support (Does this really help?)
6. BMR Front 1-3/8'' & Rear 7/8'' Swaybar
7. BMR Adjustable Upper Control Arm
8. Koni Yellow Shocks/Struts

 

[SoundGuyDave]

First off, a drag-oriented suspension setup is radically different from a corner-carving setup. What you do to help one will almost certainly hurt the other.

That said, a basic spring and shock package, with adjustable dampers, will certainly not hurt either, nor will a good set of rear LCAs. Beyond that, though, you start having to make tradeoffs. Eliminate your front swaybar to help squat the car quicker for hard launches, and it'll boat around the corners. Get nice fat tires on all four corners to balance grip for the twisties, and you'll hurt your launch due to excess unsprung weight and rolling resistance. Even the spring choices will be different. This is a case of needing to pick your target and then stick to the plan to hit it, or else you'll have a mess that does nothing well...

I would skip #5, #6 personally. I have the BMR sways, and may wind up going back to the stock, or even the V6 bars once I get the right spring rates (think VERY high!) under the car later this year.

Also, if you're going corner-carving, and don't have a ton of experience doing it, hold off on the mods, and spend the money on track time. Boris Said can kick your ass all over a road course in a stock V6 Mustang, even if you're in an FR500S. Until your "talent" exceeds the capability of the car, throwing parts at it is a waste.

Start off buying a set of GOOD brake pads (Carbotech XP10/XP8), some GOOD fluid (Motul RBF600), and a fresh set of rotors (newtakeoff.com), and then invest the rest in track time. After you have 20-30 hours on the track, you'll know what needs to be "fixed" and what doesn't. Oh, and you may wind up forgetting all about drag racing while you're out there! Welcome to the go-fast crack addiction.

 

[Branomano08BlackBullitt]

Alright bro sounds good thanks for the advice. I will have to talk to a friend of mine about where I can go and get some training. I believe Willow Springs does it sometimes right?

 

[danbev07]

If you're curious about open tracking at Willow, let me know. I go there every other month, except these summer months when it's too hot to post personal bests. Wouldn't mind going just for fun though. Larry is probably the friend you're talking about? He went with me to Willow on his first day.

Yes, I am also a member of your club, I don't think we've met. I'm danbevsv6rumbler on those forums.

SoundGuyDave has good advice, as do many others on this forum.

 

[Arkady001]

After much searching and research according to the sort of driving I do, I ended up with the mods listed below.
I drive hard/fast on narrow twisty mountain roads as well as putting in some track days at the Nurburgring in Germany...the set-up I have now means I can easily keep up with BMW 3-series cars driven by mad Teutons...
What I have listed in my sig should be a minimum suspension package if you're going to get serious, with more upgrades as and if you feel you need them...
People have asked me about after-market LCA's to prevent excessive wheel-hop, but with the parts I have installed, I honestly don't notice any appreciable wheel-hop even under very hard cornering over 'less than smooth' mountain roads...

 

[DusterRT]

Wheel hops seems to be more of a drag-racer issue, and the general consensus from them is the UCA is actually more beneficial than LCA's. With stock control arms I never had wheel hop issues unless I was accelerating from a stop. Others have claimed to have hop-free setups with all stock control arms, and that it's all in the shock/spring combination.

I replaced all of mine more out of just wanting to tighten up the rear end more than out of necessity (adjustable LCA's for alignments and pinion angles should I decide to go with a 1-pc driveshaft in the future). Overall I'd put the control arms on the low end of the priority list with the exception of an adjustable PHB.

 

[pcdrj2]

Griggs Racing ST