What next DS or suspension?

[Phil1098]

Ok, I have my cams in and tuned by Lito. I will say I never thought this 3V would respond to changes the way it did. For NA it runs well now.

Onto spending more $ and trying to justify it to the wife.

One piece aluminum drive shaft or the conversion from 4WD to a proper height? If I do the height change this will include springs, control arms, adjustable panhard bar, LCA relocation brackets. I already have Koni Str on the back but would need front struts too.

In the end I will do both, but what would you do first?

 

[BMR Tech 2]

I might be biased, but you'll notice a bigger difference with the suspension vs the DS. If it were my car, I'd start with suspension and do the DS later. No point in having a car that makes power if it can't hook!

 

[slackinoff]

I don't have an aftermarket driveshaft, but I do have suspension mods. They have been some of my favorite modifications. You can enjoy them driving normally or not even driving at all!

R.M.

 

[eighty6gt]

Suspension, drive shaft does nothing.

Lowering springs per your taste, I have had good luck with the steeda camber plates, suggest calling max motorsports as well.

I thought STR.T struts and shocks would be good - they are serviceable, wish I had just gone ahead with the bilsteins, will have to spend money twice.

Have fun! I really like how the car looks, rides, handles now. Just a little noisy up front from the STR's, stiff upper strut mounts, crappy mac strut design, horrible roads, moog sway bar end links???. Probably unavoidable.

Get Ford sway bar end links!!! Whatever the latest part number that will work. 2013-14 gt maybe.

 

[07 Boss]

Build from the ground up. Suspension first.

 

[808muscle]

I have all those mods. Do the suspension and get BMR everything. You don't have to change shocks, struts if not in the budget.

 

[Phil1098]

Suspension, drive shaft does nothing.

I have been wondering if this was closer to the truth. Some guys are hard pressed to say "I just spent $750 on a mod and I can't tell the difference, I wasted my money."

I have already prompted the wife and told her I am lowering the car, so I guess even on a subconscious level I was already leaning that way.

 

[swflastang05]

As stated above, do the suspension first, no question about it.

 

[06JET]

Have you considered the Air Lift Suspension? It was on my car when I bought it and it is awesome. Mine doesn't have relocation brackets for a lowered ride height. To be honest, I don't know if I need them or not. I would think I do. I will look into that. Any way, having the ability to lower it for a great stance or hard parking it at a show is nice. I can even jack it up leaving my driveway so I don't drag the front end then lower it back down before I get it straight in the road. Just something to think about.

 

[TGR96]

I have full suspension mods, as well as a one piece aluminum DS. No question, spend money on suspension. No noticeable performance gains from the DS, but since i do track days with the car, it might be safer than the stock two piece.

 

[travelers]

What they said Suspension First....

 

[Scott]

Philip I cast my vote for suspension first!

 

[Norm Peterson]

Suspension, and you don't have to do it all at once. Might even be better if you don't just blindly throw $ and parts at the car, but discover what it is that YOU want out of any changes first.

Springs, shocks/struts, and possibly camber plates together is probably the only collection of mods best done as a single mod (you'd only need one alignment check/adjustment). If you step up past the STR.t level with the struts, be prepared to eventually do the same with the rear shocks. Too much difference in front vs rear damping can end up giving you some unexpected handling behavior if you tend to drive much harder than average.

For LCAs, the UCA, an adjustable PHB, and relo brackets - basically the "everything else" here - you can take a "wait and see" attitude, as these can all be done separately from the actual lowering and each other. There is apt to be some benefit in stretching the total mod package out a little, sometimes the "wait and see" leaves you postponing one thing or another indefinitely, and sometimes you change your mind on which components in the meantime.

I know you didn't mention sta-bars, but since most "lowering springs" have the front springs stiffer than the rear while Ford's OE rear springs are stiffer than the fronts you may end up wanting to re-balance the handling back closer to what it used to feel like. There is a difference between getting better tire grip from the reduced roll your new springs give you, and the car's understeer/oversteer handling balance "feel". Tire grip and handling balance are related, but not as closely as you might want to think. Adjustable bars are your friend, and don't be afraid to change your first setting(s) after driving on it a little.


Norm

 

[Phil1098]

Suspension, and you don't have to do it all at once. Might even be better if you don't just blindly throw $ and parts at the car, but discover what it is that YOU want out of any changes first.

Springs, shocks/struts, and possibly camber plates together is probably the only collection of mods best done as a single mod (you'd only need one alignment check/adjustment). If you step up past the STR.t level with the struts, be prepared to eventually do the same with the rear shocks. Too much difference in front vs rear damping can end up giving you some unexpected handling behavior if you tend to drive much harder than average.

For LCAs, the UCA, an adjustable PHB, and relo brackets - basically the "everything else" here - you can take a "wait and see" attitude, as these can all be done separately from the actual lowering and each other.

Norm

I just want to do things right and if I put on lowering springs the LCAs are at the wrong angle and the rear end isn't centered with the stock panhard bar. I don't just throw $ at something without a fair amount of research first. With all the pooled ignorance on the internet that can be a challenge, but with enough data the truth usually makes its way out. I agree, I won't put something like Bilstein struts on and leave the Str. Koni shocks on the back, those would go into the classified section. i would only put a matched set of struts and shocks on.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I'd still wait to see if the axle ended up off-center, as it may not be centered now and might actually correct itself a little. And assuming that you can re-clock the PHB bushings when you do lower the car, the movement may not be all that much. Basically, both this and the need for LCA inclination "correction" can be purchased and done after you find out that you need to do them, without disturbing any of the actual lowering effort. It's fine to plan for these possibilities, but it is not necessary to blindly acquire and do them before finding out that you actually need to.


Norm

 

[RED09GT]

Do the suspension, the driveshaft will be easier to justify at a later date.
I did Steeda sport springs, chromemoly LCA's, and tokico d-specs to start and the difference was huge on the street. After so-so dragstrip performance on sticky tires, I did a BMR UCA and mount, and relocation brackets. Then to fit my 325/50 drag radials I did a steeda panhard bar and brace. I was happy until my car started going to the right on launch, then replaced the torn diff bushing with steeda's spherical bushing. I will add to it as my needs change and I never had to spend more than a few hundred at a time.
I need to do the driveshaft now that my center bearing is howling like mad, pretty easy to justify to the wife as a "safety" concern once that happens.

 

[07TR]

Suspension is worth every dime because what's the point in having power without being able to put it down and enjoy it

 

[07 Boss]

Suspension, drive shaft does nothing.

I have been wondering if this was closer to the truth. Some guys are hard pressed to say "I just spent $750 on a mod and I can't tell the difference, I wasted my money."

I will disagree. It's a weight reduction thing, specifically a reduction in rotating mass. Any reduction in rotating mass will multiply it's actual reduction in weight. You probably won't ever actually feel it but it will show up on your time slips. It's like pulling 100 lbs. out of your car, you won't feel it but it will show up in your ET's.

 

[Norm Peterson]

You'll gain by more than just the amount of dead weight, but I seriously doubt it's anywhere near comparable to 100 lbs - the radius to the rotating mass of a driveshaft just isn't that big. Maybe I'll run some comparative number to see what it is, instead of using a rule of thumb that was probably developed for flywheels.


Norm

 

[07 Boss]

You'll gain by more than just the amount of dead weight, but I seriously doubt it's anywhere near comparable to 100 lbs - the radius to the rotating mass of a driveshaft just isn't that big. Maybe I'll run some comparative number to see what it is, instead of using a rule of thumb that was probably developed for flywheels.


Norm

I just pulled that 100 lbs out of the air to demonstrate that you won't feel the difference but it will make a difference in ET's. I don't know the actual weight savings or what the reduction in rotational mass equates to, but I do know it will make a difference.