Cobra Mustang IRS Delrin/UHMW/Alum bushing kit w/adj. sway bar links & bumpsteer kit

[Jroc]

I just installed my Griggs Racing lower subframe connectors. What a difference in making the irs peform better and not make as much noise and shift so much. Make way for the FTBR bushing kit.

You install some in-floor SFC's in a Foxbody, and you will quickly gain an appretiation for just how crappy a chassis a Foxbody is. It's floorboards, and material between the subframes is about .040" thick.(probably 19 gauge sheetmetal) Even the front subframes are about .040" thick. I don't see how the chassis supports the weight of the car.

I didn't install Griggs SFC's, but I installed some in-floor SFC's that extend into the rear subframes(which are over .100" BTW) and tied them into some Steeda FLSFC's. I need to find a way to connect my cars cage with the SFC's, but the cage is installed wierd. It connects to the big hump where the rear seat is instead on to the actual floor of the car.

BTW if you like the IRS then you will really like it after Bruces bushings go on. Huge improvement.

 

[ac427cobra]

I just installed my Griggs Racing lower subframe connectors. What a difference in making the irs peform better and not make as much noise and shift so much. Make way for the FTBR bushing kit.

Anyone with any SN-95 vehicle should know by now, SFC's are the first mod any owner should make. Even before a CAI, tune or pulley.

You install some in-floor SFC's in a Foxbody, and you will quickly gain an appretiation for just how crappy a chassis a Foxbody is. It's floorboards, and material between the subframes is about .040" thick.(probably 19 gauge sheetmetal) Even the front subframes are about .040" thick. I don't see how the chassis supports the weight of the car.

I didn't install Griggs SFC's, but I installed some in-floor SFC's that extend into the rear subframes(which are over .100" BTW) and tied them into some Steeda FLSFC's. I need to find a way to connect my cars cage with the SFC's, but the cage is installed wierd. It connects to the big hump where the rear seat is instead on to the actual floor of the car.

BTW if you like the IRS then you will really like it after Bruces bushings go on. Huge improvement.

This is a true statement. The lightest car, the Fox Body, is the fastest but the weakest chassis. That's why so many people 'think' they are fast. Because they rattle your teeth out when you drop the go fast hammer.

The SN-95 cars are the next fastest chassis in the Mustang 'food chain'. People think they are fast as well. They are entitled to their opinion.

The S-197 chassis is the heaviest of all Mustangs ever. The motors in these cars deliver the most linear power of any Mustang previously produced. Therefore many people think these cars 'feel' slow. They only feel slow because they don't rattle your teeth out. Look at the numbers and these are the fastest Mustangs ever produced.

The Mustang has rarely gone backwards in performance.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[mr.magic]

Wanted to take a few seconds to thank you guys for saving my terminator quite litterly. As always the service you offer is second to none.

The story: A little more than a month ago I was involved in an accident and the driver rear was completely torn out from under my cobra. After receiving news my insurance company was going to attempt a repair I sent an email to FTBR asking if the bushings were removable. Not only are they but I also received detailed instructions on how to do so. Shortly there after I got a call from the shop stating I needed upper control arms and had to find a set as ford no longer makes them for 03 cobras or the car would be totaled. Looking feverishly for a day or so I found a set and asked Bruce what he thought of these as they were insanely priced. Trusting Bruce's answer which was NO, posted throughout SVTP with multiple explanations and examples why he had my soultion. After a couple more emails and dealings with the shop I was able to not only get UCA's from Bruce but a set of FTBR bushings with grease fittings installed by the man himself for and killer price. The biggest problem we had was getting the arms and parts in a manner insurance would accept. It took a few emails to straighten out the details and two different transactions but Bruce made it happen smoothly and I had the parts at my door in <4 days, right before Christmas to boot.

A huge thanks to the folks at Fulltiltboogieracing for saving my Terminator from the grave yard.

Forever grateful,
Eric

 

[mr.magic]

How would you compare your front differential bushings to Kenny Browns. Besides ease of installation with the concave design and let me say what a pain in the arse it was trying to stack big washer, little washer, big washer, little washer etc.etc..etc...then thread a bolt through it without any falling out. After a few hrs I was ready to order a set of the MM's till I found out they fall out lol. Other than that what marked improvements would you say there are?

 

[ac427cobra]

Wanted to take a few seconds to thank you guys for saving my terminator quite litterly. As always the service you offer is second to none.

The story: A little more than a month ago I was involved in an accident and the driver rear was completely torn out from under my cobra. After receiving news my insurance company was going to attempt a repair I sent an email to FTBR asking if the bushings were removable. Not only are they but I also received detailed instructions on how to do so. Shortly there after I got a call from the shop stating I needed upper control arms and had to find a set as ford no longer makes them for 03 cobras or the car would be totaled. Looking feverishly for a day or so I found a set and asked Bruce what he thought of these as they were insanely priced. Trusting Bruce's answer which was NO, posted throughout SVTP with multiple explanations and examples why he had my soultion. After a couple more emails and dealings with the shop I was able to not only get UCA's from Bruce but a set of FTBR bushings with grease fittings installed by the man himself for and killer price. The biggest problem we had was getting the arms and parts in a manner insurance would accept. It took a few emails to straighten out the details and two different transactions but Bruce made it happen smoothly and I had the parts at my door in <4 days, right before Christmas to boot.

A huge thanks to the folks at Fulltiltboogieracing for saving my Terminator from the grave yard.

Forever grateful,
Eric

Eric:

We are glad we were able to help you 'save' your beloved Terminator! :-D

How would you compare your front differential bushings to Kenny Browns. Besides ease of installation with the concave design and let me say what a pain in the arse it was trying to stack big washer, little washer, big washer, little washer etc.etc..etc...then thread a bolt through it without any falling out. After a few hrs I was ready to order a set of the MM's till I found out they fall out lol. Other than that what marked improvements would you say there are?

The very first time I made an attempt at installing Kenny Brown's front differential support, I had the exact same experience you had. I packed them back up and sent them back for credit. The worst design I've seen in my life. Not to mention, impossible to install.

The main differences between our front diff bushings and MM are two fold. First is our parts are not horseshoe shaped and they cannot fall out if the bolts come loose. Secondly our bushings have a stepped shoulder on them that lock into the front mounting eyes on the differential housing retaining the front of the differential much more securely. We recently reshot the video comparing the two parts:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ2nAaA_t7g&feature=player_embedded"]Front Differential Mount Comparison - YouTube[/nomedia]




Hope that answers the question for you.



:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[mr.magic]

One more question and I'm done promise.;-)

I(a buddy of mine did actually lol) had to order a set of your front differential mounts as i went to the shop and saw my KB bushings/shims they were almost completely destroyed. The small shims more so than the large ones but both looked like they were beaten to death and the insides/ boar to the bolt were almost completely ground out. The differential has always been tight and secured with medium thread locker so it shouldn't be a play issue. Any idea what could have cause this? They were barely 2 yrs old and i don't want this to happen to your set.

 

[ac427cobra]

One more question and I'm done promise.;-)

I(a buddy of mine did actually lol) had to order a set of your front differential mounts as i went to the shop and saw my KB bushings/shims they were almost completely destroyed. The small shims more so than the large ones but both looked like they were beaten to death and the insides/ boar to the bolt were almost completely ground out. The differential has always been tight and secured with medium thread locker so it shouldn't be a play issue. Any idea what could have cause this? They were barely 2 yrs old and i don't want this to happen to your set.

There simply is not enough surface area with the KB design. Those small washers are just too tiny to take the punishment the front diff mounts need to take.

Simply install our set with blue removable Loc-Tite thread locker on the bolts and nuts, torque to specs and forget about it. You may want to check the torque on them after 500 or 1,000 miles but that's not really necessary.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[Skitzerman]

I installed the kit last year. Wished I would have done it sooner. It made the car much more enjoyable to drive.

Completed FTBR install and IRS detail.

 

[Bruha]

Man, IRS just looks good compared to a plain ol stick axle. I would keep it just because it is sexier

 

[wolpert1983]

catching up to this thread a little late and i've definitely skipped some pages. dont know if anyone has asked this but will all these bushings you offer work with aftermarket control arms? say the kenny brown aftermarket stuff? Reducing the unsprung weight and using your bushings sound like a pretty killer combination to me...

 

[Rusty67]

The KB arms use different size bushings compaired to the stock arms so these bushings wont fit.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[ac427cobra]

catching up to this thread a little late and i've definitely skipped some pages. dont know if anyone has asked this but will all these bushings you offer work with aftermarket control arms? say the kenny brown aftermarket stuff? Reducing the unsprung weight and using your bushings sound like a pretty killer combination to me...

Sorry it's taken so long to reply to this. I've been on a Caribbean Cruise for the last week. :-D

The Kenny Brown control arms take a completely different bushing set and a few additional things to do to make everything work because of some of the inherent problems with the KB arms.

I do make a Delrin bushing set for the KB control arms. You can find information regarding them here:

http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...trol-arm-delrin-bushing-sets-another-run.html

The KB arms use different size bushings compaired to the stock arms so these bushings wont fit.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

You are correct. The Ford IRS bushing set and the KB bushing sets are two completely different animals.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[SPEEDRACER88]

I'm about to order a kit for my car and have a few questions...

What is the purpose of lowering the diff? ( FT 5001 kit )

If i use the Ford Racing rear cover is it strong enough to run without a brace?

My installer avoids every question about bump steer I ask, they seem to think that an alignment is enough.I guess I'll do it myself once it's done.

 

[ac427cobra]

I'm about to order a kit for my car and have a few questions...

What is the purpose of lowering the diff? ( FT 5001 kit )

That is a popular question which is answered in the FAQ on our site:

FTBR Frequently Asked Questions

Q: "I see that you offer a Delrin isolated lowering rear differential mount FT 1401. How's that different from your FT 1300 Delrin rear diff support?"



A: The FT 1300 Delrin rear diff support bushing set replaces the rubber bushing in the OEM mounting bracket. Used in conjunction with our front diff mounting bushing set FT 1200, you will be able to improve your driveline angle as it came from the factory but you will not be able to completely optimize it. In order to be able to completely optimize the driveline angle you'd need the lowering rear diff mount. If you currently have a driveline vibe I would highly recommend the lowering rear mount. If not, you most likely don't need it. The FT 1401 comes complete with the Delrin bushing installed in it. The FT 1401 is modified to work with the Ford Racing rear diff cover we now offer. However, if you're using the FT 1401 combined with the Ford Racing diff cover you will run into some clearance issues with the inner toe link mounting brackets on the subframe. We now offer a machined Ford Racing cover FT 1350M which is specifically milled to install in the subframe without any clearance issues.

If i use the Ford Racing rear cover is it strong enough to run without a brace?

A rear cover brace will not fit the new upgraded Ford Racing cover nor is it needed.

My installer avoids every question about bump steer I ask, they seem to think that an alignment is enough.I guess I'll do it myself once it's done.

Don't expect a lot of people outside of a good performance shop or race shop to know anything about bumpsteer.

My suggestion to you would be to get yourself a bumpsteer gauge from someone like Longacre Racing and do some research on bumpsteer and do the job yourself. You'll have a much greater appreciation for your car afterwards. Then, after your suspension is bumpsteered you can turn it over to your alignment guy for an alignment. The alignment should always be done last.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[Rusty67]

I had heard there were issues with the KB arms and now after reading your other thread I'm so happy I didn't buy them.

I didn't realize there were issues with the way the Ford arms were setup that caused the tires to scrub on the outside like that. Can this be fixed by properl alignment and your bushing kit or are we doomed no matter what ?

I have always wanted to replace the upper arm because the stock unit is so heavy it seems like a tubular unit would save a lot of weight. The lower cast aluminum arm seems like there is no need to replace it as I didn't see much gain being realized as it is already reasonably light. What do you think Bruce ?

 

[SPEEDRACER88]

Don't expect a lot of people outside of a good performance shop or race shop to know anything about bumpsteer.

My suggestion to you would be to get yourself a bumpsteer gauge from someone like Longacre Racing and do some research on bumpsteer and do the job yourself. You'll have a much greater appreciation for your car afterwards. Then, after your suspension is bumpsteered you can turn it over to your alignment guy for an alignment. The alignment should always be done last.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

I've watched your video's and I'm sure I can set it... There are 2 shops in the Pittsburgh area that sell your bushings but only have drag racing on their brains, neither one seemed to understand why you would want to use a steering wheel lol

 

[ac427cobra]

I had heard there were issues with the KB arms and now after reading your other thread I'm so happy I didn't buy them.

I didn't realize there were issues with the way the Ford arms were setup that caused the tires to scrub on the outside like that. Can this be fixed by properl alignment and your bushing kit or are we doomed no matter what ?

I have always wanted to replace the upper arm because the stock unit is so heavy it seems like a tubular unit would save a lot of weight. The lower cast aluminum arm seems like there is no need to replace it as I didn't see much gain being realized as it is already reasonably light. What do you think Bruce ?

The issue with the Ford geometry is when you get to be a quite accomplished driver or racer and you push your car very hard through the corners on slicks or even r-compound tires you will wear the outer edges of your left rear tire prematurely because of a slight camber gain. The knuckle actually looses camber but because of the side load of the tire it's not nearly sufficient to compensate for the load. The KB arms solved that problem for me. I put a lot of work and time into the KB control arms to get them to work properly but I still don't think the arms are worth the price they command.

You can force the top of the rear tire inward during an alignment to gain a bit of extra rear camber which will help somewhat.

I've watched your video's and I'm sure I can set it... There are 2 shops in the Pittsburgh area that sell your bushings but only have drag racing on their brains, neither one seemed to understand why you would want to use a steering wheel lol

Drag racers only use the steering wheel to turn the car around at the end of the 1,320'. I used to do a bit of drag racing back in the day and it was fun for a while. But 12 second doses of adrenalin aren't nearly as exciting as 30 minute or 45 minute doses that you get on a road course using all of the vehicle's controls.

 

[Rusty67]

Do you feel like there is a market for a good control arm ?

 

[ac427cobra]

Do you feel like there is a market for a good control arm ?

Not really. My thinking on that is because the cars are a decade old or more already. The people that need or want to go fast have now moved on to more technologically advanced equipment. The other reason is the majority of the people that own these cars are younger owners that either can't afford those types of upgrades or don't understand why they should spend money on something like a control arm that just goes up and down.

But..........having said that you never know until you venture into something like that.

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[SilverNotch]

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