97 Cobra - optimizing suspension at stock height

[Makobra]

ride quality has nothing to do with ride height and everything to do with spring rate vs dampening assuming all the suspension geometry is fine.

 

[xblitzkriegx]

I agree with you but add that, at stock height, there is more suspension travel available to soak up big hits.

Also, stock ride height is atrocious.

 

[40th GT]

The K would be fantastic too I'm sure but trust me, it's about a $4k investment when it's all said and done with parts and labor.

Can you explain what you mean by this? Does an aftermarket K require new control arms and steering components? Stock stuff won't transfer over?

 

[40th GT]

Wanted to ask here instead of starting a new thread. Will the panhard bar alleviate some of the mid-corner understeer these cars have?
These cars are front heavy and I'm looking for ways to get rid of some understeer.

 

[98 svt]

Can you explain what you mean by this? Does an aftermarket K require new control arms and steering components? Stock stuff won't transfer over?

Some aftermarket Ks allow for stock arms, but a lot do not, including the MM.
Plus you'll want to go with coilovers up front etc.

 

[98 svt]

Wanted to ask here instead of starting a new thread. Will the panhard bar alleviate some of the mid-corner understeer these cars have?
These cars are front heavy and I'm looking for ways to get rid of some understeer.

It will certainly help, but so will a beefier rear swaybar, as well as a higher spring rate out back. Or maybe a less substantial swaybar up front.

 

[Tillerman77]

Okay - progress report. I had communicated several times with Jack at MM this winter regarding my suspension questions. For what I wanted to do with the car, he recommended using FRPP B springs with the Bilsteins, to give me a modest drop with similar to stock spring rate. I was a little surprised he would recommend something that they do not carry, but he did. This April, I was able to get the following installed:

• FRPP B springs (M-5300B)
• Bilstein HD front struts
• MM C/C plates
• Prothane ISOs front and rear
• MM solid steering rack bushings
• MM pinion snubber

This joins the rear Bilstein shocks and quad shocks, and other items mentioned earlier in this thread.

Happy with the modest lowering and the ride quality for my driving interests, i.e. spirited cruising on mixed quality rural roads.

 

[dkblue98gt]

Sounds like a good setup. Any pics?

 

[Tillerman77]

Sounds like a good setup. Any pics?

Indeed.

 

[Tillerman77]

 

[me32]

Comming along nicely i see

 

[dkblue98gt]

Looks good. I really like the Cobra wheels but would like them in 17x9 and 10.5 wide.

My old ones went on my Tacoma...

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[98 svt]

Looks good. I really like the Cobra wheels but would like them in 17x9 and 10.5 wide.

My old ones went on my Tacoma...View attachment 1701971

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They look great on foxbodies too

 

[Tillerman77]

They look great on foxbodies too

And SN95s!

 

[SpittingCobra]

.

 

[SpittingCobra]

This IS stock ride height basically. The cars were basically "idiot proofed" by Ford and sent out with extra clearance because someone in some marketing department where they decide how much higher than corvettes their product needs to be in order to hit their target market.. I get why they did it but if anyone thinks that the engineers wanted it that way is living in their own retarded fantasy.

 

[Tillerman77]

Well, however the OEM ride height was determined, I will say that this combination of the FRPP B springs, Bilsteins, Prothane ISOs, MM C/C plates and the 255/45/17 Continentals works really well as an all around cruiser for a mix of road conditions.
I plan to post before and after ride height measurements in a couple of more weeks. By then, I will assume whatever settling that is going to occur will have.
Here is a just washed photo with center caps on.

 

[9397SVTs]

Looks good. I really like the Cobra wheels but would like them in 17x9 and 10.5 wide.

My old ones went on my Tacoma...View attachment 1701971

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.

Send them to Weldcraft Wheels.

 

[dkblue98gt]

Looks really good with the centercaps installed.

I know about Weldcraft, if they could do a deep dish in the rear I would do it...

 

[Tillerman77]

So one last suspension mod - a Steeda adjustable rear sway bar 006-1STA. I was able to track down the last one that will clear the TA differential cover (potential future purchase) that NPD had this summer. This item has been out of production for a couple of years, so they require some searching to track down. I learned of the value of this second rear sway bar at Warhorse Racing's YouTube channel, specifically this video. Now that this is installed, I have been able to reduce the understeer by changing the tightness of the new adjusting nuts (equally). Car is a lot more responsive to steering inputs now and definitely has less understeer. Very happy.