Solid or keep IRS????Please help

Painter

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I was going to get the DSS lvl5 shafts but then thought for all that cash I could get a solid rear axle and never have to worry about wheel hop again. I am not going to make this car a dragster and want only a real fast street car. DO you think there is that much handeling difference between the 2. Thanks for all your comments
 

Vrrooom

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I would go Solid- wait I did! :)

Its so much better. Once you get control arms and springs you can hardly tell the difference. The car still rides great and has absolutely no wheel hop at all.

And for the money, like you said, you could get a solid, posi, axles and never worry about that rear or hop again. Thats what Im doing. I have the solid rear, upper and lower control arms, and tq boxes welded. Hopefully posi and axles and that rear should hold almost anything put at it.
 

Juiced46

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Go with the solid. Best mod i ever did. It saves a ton of weight. No wheel hop and handles just as good. Havent built it up yet. Probably will over the winter. Right now i just have springs and 3.73s. No wheel hop for me, it just paints em down :)

Dave
 

SVTADVISOR

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Those half shafts are not going to help the wheel hop anyways. Try some IRS brackets then decide if you want a live axle or not. If you're going to do alot of straight line stuff then go live axle. If you're going to play in the twisties then keep the IRS and build it up and it will do what you want it to do.
 

nugen

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If you don't want the IRS then don't buy a freekin' Cobra!!!
Take your car to any track (other then a drag strip) for a day and then decide. Don't sell your car short. There are plenty of people putting down great numbers at the track with STOCK IRS.
 

Juiced46

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Originally posted by nugen
If you don't want the IRS then don't buy a freekin' Cobra!!!
Take your car to any track (other then a drag strip) for a day and then decide. Don't sell your car short. There are plenty of people putting down great numbers at the track with STOCK IRS.

I bought my car planning on swapping the IRS out short after getting it. There is no other mustang that offers the performance the 03 does for the price, and the IRS wasnt going to stop me from buying the car. Id rather build a solid axle for the $$$ then build an IRS which would cost more
 
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Vrrooom

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Originally posted by Juiced46
I bought my car planning on swapping the IRS out short after getting it. There is no other mustang that offers the performance the 03 does for the price, and the IRS wasnt going to stop me from buying the car. Id rather build a solid axle for the $$$ then build an IRS which would cost more

Yep me too. I had a 99 Cobra which I swapped a solid into but it got totalled. And the first thing I did when I got the 03 was look for people interested in a swap and did it 3 months after owning the car.
 

CobraBob

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Originally posted by SVTADVISOR
Those half shafts are not going to help the wheel hop anyways. Try some IRS brackets then decide if you want a live axle or not. If you're going to do alot of straight line stuff then go live axle. If you're going to play in the twisties then keep the IRS and build it up and it will do what you want it to do.
Excellent point!

I was always an IRS supporter but with this particular car (especially modded to 450+ rwhp) a solid rear is a big advantage over the fragil IRS setup for strip/straight line use. Sure you can beef up the IRS system but it is going to cost a lot more money to do it. And we have seen enough here (including Juiced46 whom I personally know) do it to convince me there is a very small trade-off even on the street as far as ride quality. Small price to pay IMO for the peace of mind you gain.
 

Shadowgray03

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All you need is $400 in bushings to get rid of wheel hop. The DSS halfshafts just help reduce breakage if wheels do hop.
 

cdh027

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Yeah, dont be a loser. While you're at it, why dont you drop the 260HP GT motor in there too. :kaboom: :bash: :nonono: :burn: :rolleyes: :loser:














Just ***in' with ya Raybestos. Hey, you thinking about 3.90 gears ? I think I may be going that route.
 

anvrsy red vert

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All these posts suggest that solid rear axle calls don't wheel hop. BSh-t!!!!! For those people who have been around 60's/early 70's cars you still had to have traction bars etc. to control wheel hop. The suspension geometry with weight transfer and tire loading still is a science with ANY solid axle rear car. I get a kick out of reading these posts suggesting converting to a solid axle will end all wheel hop. LOL There are definete advantages when set up properly with less breakage etc. with larger spline axles and choice of differentials but if the car is not strictly for the 1/4 mile I would stay with the IRS. If occasionaly the car is bracket raced just be consistent with slipping the clutch off the line to be easy on parts. That will win just as well as leaving at 5-6k with a solid axle rear, unless you have a 600 rwh car that you are trying to get as low an ET as possible; but then again its probably a drag race car only. Just my 2 cnts
 

Juiced46

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Originally posted by anvrsy red vert
All these posts suggest that solid rear axle calls don't wheel hop. BSh-t!!!!! For those people who have been around 60's/early 70's cars you still had to have traction bars etc. to control wheel hop. The suspension geometry with weight transfer and tire loading still is a science with ANY solid axle rear car. I get a kick out of reading these posts suggesting converting to a solid axle will end all wheel hop. LOL There are definete advantages when set up properly with less breakage etc. with larger spline axles and choice of differentials but if the car is not strictly for the 1/4 mile I would stay with the IRS. If occasionaly the car is bracket raced just be consistent with slipping the clutch off the line to be easy on parts. That will win just as well as leaving at 5-6k with a solid axle rear, unless you have a 600 rwh car that you are trying to get as low an ET as possible; but then again its probably a drag race car only. Just my 2 cnts

Somewhat true, but we arent driving grandmas 80s Monte Carlo. Even handling wise, the solid axle when setup correctly will handle just as good if not better then the IRS.

My opinion is. If you are looking to launch hard, swap the IRS with someone that has a GT or MACH1. its going to cost the same no matter which way you go, except you lose ALOT of weight going with the solid.
 
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anvrsy red vert

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Hey Juiced46:I can offer my experiences with my 10.50 '71 Mach 1, 351C, C6 auto w/8"ATI convertor, 5:43 gears w/9" rear 35 spline axles w/ spool etc etc etc and over the years I played with this car before I got the suspension set up properly I could get wheel hop in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear !!! Now way this car can even compare with the cobra on the street around corners or top speed or handling!!! As a 1/4 mile car, you can't beat the solid axle set up but I don't race my cobra vert. I can't judge as to the difference in handling between a solid axle vs IRS cobra but I'll take my cobra any day on street driving over my Mach 1. LOL Leaded race gas @ ~8 mpg isn't fun along with turning 3800 rpm at ~45mph!!!! Cobra for the street and Mach 1 for the track. Best of both worlds.
 

03forme

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When everyone thinks about a solid axle in a cobra, the first thing most think about is wheelhop and being worried it's gonna break. My wife even likes the solid axle because the ever popular clunk is gone.
 

postban

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Well, been there done that. Started with an IRS vert which hopped uncontrollably bad even after nittos and IRS subframe bushings. It needed the built solid I put in it. I still got some hop at the strip with it but none on the street.
I built it right, nothing extravagant and it was $3k, details in sig.

The ride was nothing like it had with the IRS, but the hop was much better, total weight difference was about 125lbs.

I just sold that car and bought a used stock 03 coupe. It is staying IRS. Funny thing, I can't seem to make it hop, only been trying for two days though. I was always telling you guys verts hopped worse, had to prove it for myself the hard way:loser:

Gonna go with DSS lvl5's and Billetflow Brace along with mm bushings for subframe and LCA's. Have a member in our club, Vector who is in the 10's on IRS, thats my goal too.
 

Steel City

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i went solid and would do it all over again, even if i wasn't dragracing. the irs is an overrated pos imo. if it was nice like the corvettes i wouldn't change it for a street car but still would take it out for dragging

solid > irs
 

jasil

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Sorda seems like a waste to me, but if your into drag racing a solid is better.

If your gonna drop 3k for a solid rear (Not doing the labor yourself), built auto, and upgrade the blower. It's much cheaper to start with a GT or V6 stang.

I'll be doing level 5 shafts, bushing, MJ's brace personally.
 

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