Front Coil Over Suspension

[SnowMan]

Well I hope I fair better on this post that the last.... I had such good results after I installed Bruce's IRS kit on my car, I am determined to do a coil over set up on the front. I will probably go with Maximum Motorsport, I like their stuff and support. First question is #1 did anyone have trouble installing the strut/spring assemby up into the front shockmount? Ive been told that Ford really never intended for coilover shocks to be installed on the front of these cars, so sometimes it is a hassle to make room for the spring. #2 Also how difficult is it to assemble the shock/spring assembly itself? #3 Any really big problems to expect on a street car? I will be doing most of the work myself. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[SciFiHiFi]

My advice is to invest in a good jack. My car had to come on and off the ground quite a few times to get everything right and adjusted how I liked it. Nothing was particularly complicated and the directions were clear. As far as making room for the spring, the kit included spacers for getting the spring in the right location, if you get fed up with them like I did you can just get close and then pull out your favorite precision sledge hammer or grinder.

 

[SlowSVT]

Maximum motorsports coilover kit is an excellent choice. Everything I have seen of theirs is very will engineered. You should have no problem installing the hardware. You might want to rent a coil spring compressor but be very careful working with a compressed spring. Get in. compress it, get it out the car and remove the compressor tool. You will understand why as you crank down on the spring compressor. Some do it just using a jack under the A-arm removing the strut tower nut and lowering the jack but once you do that you are committed with a 600 lb/in compressed spring arching out of the spring pocket. If it goes "BOING!" while your working under there check and make sure your arm is still mounted in your shoulder socket. You will have no problems with the installation working with simple hand tools.

What you were told about the Ford Mustang (SN95 and fox chassis) not being designed for coilovers is the fact the shock towers were never intended to carry the weight of the car (the rest of it is fine). This topic was discussed in-depth on Corner Carvers a while ago. There are some pretty sharp guys on there. There was a lot of "back and forth" regarding any pitfalls with running coilovers on these cars with lots of calculations. One guy stated that his wife jumped a curb and the strut punched a hole right thru the shock tower. But in the end they came to the conclusion that coilovers are OK and the shock towers should not pose a big problem other then something extreme happening.

I would also invest in a set of MM 4 hole camber plates to help spread the load more evenly over the stock 3 hole plates. Good luck.

 

[03 DSG Snake]

Maximum motorsports coilover kit is an excellent choice. Everything I have seen of theirs is very will engineered. You should have no problem installing the hardware. You might want to rent a coil spring compressor but be very careful working with a compressed spring. Get in. compress it, get it out the car and remove the compressor tool. You will understand why as you crank down on the spring compressor. Some do it just using a jack under the A-arm removing the strut tower nut and lowering the jack but once you do that you are committed with a 600 lb/in compressed spring arching out of the spring pocket. If it goes "BOING!" while your working under there check and make sure your arm is still mounted in your shoulder socket. You will have no problems with the installation working with simple hand tools.

What you were told about the Ford Mustang (SN95 and fox chassis) not being designed for coilovers is the fact the shock towers were never intended to carry the weight of the car (the rest of it is fine). This topic was discussed in-depth on Corner Carvers a while ago. There are some pretty sharp guys on there. There was a lot of "back and forth" regarding any pitfalls with running coilovers on these cars with lots of calculations. One guy stated that his wife jumped a curb and the strut punched a hole right thru the shock tower. But in the end they came to the conclusion that coilovers are OK and the shock towers should not pose a big problem other then something extreme happening.

I would also invest in a set of MM 4 hole camber plates to help spread the load more evenly over the stock 3 hole plates. Good luck.

How would a Strut punch through a Strut Tower when it is mounted in the middle of the tower? Hood maybe.

I've been offroading before and have bent the Strut shaft before anything else has happened.



MM C/C plates are a must with coilovers. Assembly and install is pretty easy, especially once the stock gear is removed.

I would highly recommend doing the rear as well.

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

The coilovers work very well and is a huge improvement over stock and in my opinion considerably better than lowering springs (but cost much more). KW Variant3 coilover or Maximum Motorsports are two of the best setups available.

 

[SnowMan]

Thanks for the input. Its always nice to get info from people who have used the stuff. As always im down to the hardest part of the project; spending that money.........lol

 

[svt2ner]

What is the ride quality like with those on your vert fastlane. Is it a smooth ride? After 20mins in your car are you thinking that you cant wait to get out of it?

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

What is the ride quality like with those on your vert fastlane. Is it a smooth ride? After 20mins in your car are you thinking that you cant wait to get out of it?

Much better than stock and even better than when I had lowering springs. Its almost no comparison. I go around corners and through long sweeping curves with so much control and confidence that sometimes think this car should have the plates removed and restricted to track duty. Also on the road course with exotics (video coming soon) I have to say that my cobra performs very well.

On the street with very little tweeking after installing the setup (just an alignment) it has an awesome ride. Not at all rough. Good on long trips, no kidney punching/back breaking rough ride. It has a stiff chassis but a properly working suspension that travels but has really no body roll and nose dive under hard braking is minimal. NO NOISE and its even quieter over bumps than when I had stock and lowering springs. Thats partly because the springs with a coilover setup are relocated from the control arms to a different location. Also without the springs being located in the control arms you dont feel all of the steering distortions while driving over bumpy roads. Get under your car next time its on a lift and take note on where the stock springs are and look at how the steering rack, K-member, control arms, and springs are attached to the car. No surprise why the coilover setup is quieter and performs better.

I will post up a few of the coil lover setup.

I also have Toyo R888 tires.

I will add more later. I have a video production with work this morning.

 

[SlowSVT]

How would a Strut punch through a Strut Tower when it is mounted in the middle of the tower? Hood maybe.

Go here and read post #20

Not convinced on coilovers - Corner-Carvers Forums

Great information and it gets you to thinking about the integrity of the shock towers.

 

[03 DSG Snake]

Go here and read post #20

Not convinced on coilovers - Corner-Carvers Forums

Great information and it gets you to thinking about the integrity of the shock towers.

You mean STRUT towers.

Btw did you read the whole post? It was flawed from the factory.



After trailering it home, I discovered the strut tower was missing one of its spot welds from the factory. There had been a crack forming in the strut tower for some time. Running over the curb was just the last straw.

Since I was enjoying all the attention I was getting from her (she felt guilty), I never told the wife about the missing spot weld. She was fetching me beers for about a month.

 

[SlowSVT]

You mean STRUT towers.

Btw did you read the whole post? It was flawed from the factory.



After trailering it home, I discovered the strut tower was missing one of its spot welds from the factory. There had been a crack forming in the strut tower for some time. Running over the curb was just the last straw.

Since I was enjoying all the attention I was getting from her (she felt guilty), I never told the wife about the missing spot weld. She was fetching me beers for about a month.

I guess one spot weld missing on the shock tower can do that.

I read that post years ago and just remember the wife thing punching thru the towers. I dug up the thread to sheds some light on this issue :-D The final verdict there was that it is "OK" to run coilovers. Not that they couldn't use some help. That thread provides some good insights.

If you carefully look at the spot welds throughout the car you will see flaws elsewhere. My RH A-pillar inside brace you can see where the robot missed the mark and placed 1 spot welds below the tab so there are (were) only 2 spot welds securing inside panel on my A-pillar. It can get pretty scary looking at this chassis in detail. The solution is not to look :nonono:

 

[ON D BIT]

Ground Control and Griggs are also good choices for coilovers.

Griggs has two setups that include koni adjustable coilovers. Their base with or without the k member, and their sla suspension.

 

[sunburned]

How would a Strut punch through a Strut Tower when it is mounted in the middle of the tower? Hood maybe.

I've been offroading before and have bent the Strut shaft before anything else has happened.



MM C/C plates are a must with coilovers. Assembly and install is pretty easy, especially once the stock gear is removed.

I would highly recommend doing the rear as well.

Before I got the MM 4 bolt C/C plates, I had the UPR 3-bolt shark shaped steel plates. When I lost control of my car once and jumped a small curb, the C/C plate bent to the point where I could put a few fingers in the gap between the plate and the strut tower. I had to use a sledge hammer to pound the tower back to it's original shape, then installed the MM plates ASAP.


That being said, I loved the coilovers on my 03 GT vert. I had MMR coilovers with 400# springs on Koni double adjustable shocks and it rode and handled awesome. I have Griggs coilovers w/350# springs on Tokico illuminas on the front of my 98 cobra and it feels a bit too soft for me.

 

[SlowSVT]

Before I got the MM 4 bolt C/C plates, I had the UPR 3-bolt shark shaped steel plates. When I lost control of my car once and jumped a small curb, the C/C plate bent to the point where I could put a few fingers in the gap between the plate and the strut tower. I had to use a sledge hammer to pound the tower back to it's original shape, then installed the MM plates ASAP.

Makes me happy I welded a doubler over the top of my shock tower.

 

[Jroc]

Most people say that front C/O's are better on pre-05 Mustangs than rear C/O's and many run front C/O's with regular springs in the rear, but my rear C/O's are better IMO than my front C/O's. Sometimes my front C/O's will get this binding feel to them. They will start pinging really loud when you hit a bump or with the wheels locked. MM swears its because the spring is hitting in my strut tower, but I have looked and looked and I can't see where its rubbing anything. I kind of aggroviates me that MM won't entertain the possibilty that the spring could just be binding, but I still think that MM makes a great produce and recommend them. This problem in not common unless it is the spring hitting something.

 

[zinc]

Im running the mm c/o up front with the four bolt cc from mm. Also had a issue with the curb jump and bent the mm plates. Replaced it all with new equipment and its fine now. I love my coilovers I feel like my car has no body roll. Im running stock springs in the rear for a raked stance

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

Most people say that front C/O's are better on pre-05 Mustangs than rear C/O's and many run front C/O's with regular springs in the rear, but my rear C/O's are better IMO than my front C/O's. Sometimes my front C/O's will get this binding feel to them. They will start pinging really loud when you hit a bump or with the wheels locked. MM swears its because the spring is hitting in my strut tower, but I have looked and looked and I can't see where its rubbing anything. I kind of aggroviates me that MM won't entertain the possibilty that the spring could just be binding, but I still think that MM makes a great produce and recommend them. This problem in not common unless it is the spring hitting something.

More than likely they are right. I can maybe help you isolate it. Two min fix or perhaps an alignment and its perfect now. Did you install your setup? Send me a PM.

 

[03 DSG Snake]

Most people say that front C/O's are better on pre-05 Mustangs than rear C/O's and many run front C/O's with regular springs in the rear, but my rear C/O's are better IMO than my front C/O's. Sometimes my front C/O's will get this binding feel to them. They will start pinging really loud when you hit a bump or with the wheels locked. MM swears its because the spring is hitting in my strut tower, but I have looked and looked and I can't see where its rubbing anything. I kind of aggroviates me that MM won't entertain the possibilty that the spring could just be binding, but I still think that MM makes a great produce and recommend them. This problem in not common unless it is the spring hitting something.

Jack up the front, take off the wheel where it is hitting and look at the spring. Rotate it around to see if any of the Powdercoat is scraped off.

Chances are it might be hitting just inside the stut tower. You can clearance it a little bit or change your spacer alignment to bring the Upper Spring Perch a little lower. You need a little clearance above the Upper Spring Perch, as there are 4 bolts on the underside of the C/C plate.

 

[Jroc]

^I've even had the strut assemble off the car a few weeks ago looking for the problem and the spring looked fine, the strut was not worn, and the C/C bearing was in great shape. I looked real good in the strut tower, and there was no recent wear marks that I could see.

When I first installed my C/O's 2 1/2 years ago one of them was grabbing on the botton lip of the strut tower. I fixed that problem by adding a little more Negative Camber. The feel of that was a little different. You could acting feel the spring grab the chassis. What I'm experiancing know feels more like the spring is wanting to twist, but it can't and then to gets so much pressure on it that it suddenly is forced to let go.

The thing that aggrovated me is I called MM and told them that I examined the spring very well off the car, and theres no wear marks on it other than what happened from two years ago, and they said that they were pretty sure that they were right that the spring is rubbing in the strut tower. I know the people at MM are much more knowledgable about this than me, but I can tell if the spring is rubbing or not by looking it over. I know that MM C/O's are a very high quality piece with alot of R&D in them, but they are also built like most other C/O systems that do have binding problem. There are even help springs and things to help prevent against binding. Its like lets just entertain the possibilty that the coil could be bind and not dismiss it as a impossibilty which is kind of what they did to me.

I might try and put some grease on the top and bottom of the spring to see if that helps. I checked the other spring on the car really good and it seems fine, but the pinging is coming from the drivers side.

Here are some pictures of where my spring was rubbing 2 1/2 years ago.

 

[02reaper]

^I've even had the strut assemble off the car a few weeks ago looking for the problem and the spring looked fine, the strut was not worn, and the C/C bearing was in great shape. I looked real good in the strut tower, and there was no recent wear marks that I could see.

When I first installed my C/O's 2 1/2 years ago one of them was grabbing on the botton lip of the strut tower. I fixed that problem by adding a little more Negative Camber. The feel of that was a little different. You could acting feel the spring grab the chassis. What I'm experiancing know feels more like the spring is wanting to twist, but it can't and then to gets so much pressure on it that it suddenly is forced to let go.

The thing that aggrovated me is I called MM and told them that I examined the spring very well off the car, and theres no wear marks on it other than what happened from two years ago, and they said that they were pretty sure that they were right that the spring is rubbing in the strut tower. I know the people at MM are much more knowledgable about this than me, but I can tell if the spring is rubbing or not by looking it over. I know that MM C/O's are a very high quality piece with alot of R&D in them, but they are also built like most other C/O systems that do have binding problem. There are even help springs and things to help prevent against binding. Its like lets just entertain the possibilty that the coil could be bind and not dismiss it as a impossibilty which is kind of what they did to me.

I might try and put some grease on the top and bottom of the spring to see if that helps. I checked the other spring on the car really good and it seems fine, but the pinging is coming from the drivers side.

Here are some pictures of where my spring was rubbing 2 1/2 years ago.

Have you got 12" springs or 14" springs on there? Also, from the picture showing the top op the spring in the strut tower, it looks really close to the top towards the cc plate. Maybe its hitting up there. MM told me over the phone that 14" springs were too long for these cars.