My '05 is still bone stock and I love it. Not a single problem yet with 13K miles on it, and it's simply the best car overall I have ever owned. However, you always want more, right?

On the other hand, for some reason I can't really explain, I want to keep the car all FORD, so I'm not really interested in the tons of aftermarket options UNLESS they come from the Ford Accessories catalog, or the Ford Racing Parts catalog. So, I'm thinking about the FR3 Handling Pack in the Ford Racing Parts catalog.

The car is a daily driver. I don't intend to race it. I want the car to be tight, but also remain comfortable.

Had some questions about this setup:

1. Does it void the warranty in any way if not installed at a Ford dealer?

2. Are there detailed instructions included so that it will be installed correctly if done by someone not familiar with it?

3. Is any calibration needed after the installation? (I have the Extreme Mustang DVD of the Boy Racer FR-500C Grand Am car being built by Multimatics, and there was a lot of calibration involved there. So I wondered if Multimatics/Ford has done all the work and research, and this kit comes pre-calibrated for street use out of the box?)

4. Does it help the wheel hop at all?

5. Approximately how long would it take a shop to do the job?

6. Is this installation a complete handling solution, or do you still need to do more stuff?


Thanks!

 

i installed the kit myself in about 2 hours or so. it wasnt hard. detailed instructions is a no because it is so straightfoward a 5 year old can do it. the only instructions you get is for the swaybars.

Contrary to what people think the FRPP (Ford Racing Performance Parts) are not made by Ford. It will void your suspension warranty for sure unless you find a parts friedly dealer. most dealers, even seeing the FRPP name will consider it modified and void the particular warranty on the system modified, ie drivetrain, suspension, engine, ect. The shocks and struts are made by multimatics, same as the FR500 car. it says Multimatics right on the shocks and struts on a sticker.

you may very well need an adjustable panhard bar avalable from BMR or CHE. This will ensure your rear end stays centered after lowering the car. 95% of lowered cars, the rear shifts to either side and causes it to go out of alignment. the Adjustable panhard bar corrects this. for the other 5% their rears were already out of alignment from the factory and lowering actually centered the rear for them.

No it doesnt help with wheel hop. If you suffer from that problem you need Lower Control Arms from BMR or CHE. if you lower the car, you will also need the Lower Control arm Relocation kit to keep the Lower Control arms on the correct angle to combat wheel hop. if you still suffer from wheel hop, as some have after the LCa's you will need an Upper Control arm and then you will have 0 wheel hop.

It should only take a shop 2 hours or so and it is a complete handling kit. It is very stiff and very bumpy on uneven roads but it handles liek on rail. i love the kit!!!!!

 

Thanks for the info TBird!

Just curious though, if the adjustable panhard bar is required 95% of the time to re-center the rear end after lowering the car, why isn't it part of the kit? In statistics, 95% is considered a certainty.

Yeah actually I realized that parts of this kit aren't made by Ford, like the Multimatic dampers, and the Eibach springs. But the whole thing is sort of endorsed by Ford (in my book anyway) since it's in their Racing parts catalog. That's good enough for me. Actually, the new Shelby GT will come with a Hurst shifter, so in my book, that's also as good as being a Ford part, and I'll probably get one of those too.

 

skip the hurst and all of the problems associated with it. the vibration, notchiness, inability to shift at WOT at times are all bad things. everyone is buying hurst for the name but thats al lit is. if you want a good shifter get the pro 5.0 or the tri-ax. you can then buy just the Hurst shift stick so no1 will know except you that you have a shifter thats 20 lightyears ahead of the hurst

i think ford racing figured if your going to lower the car youve done other suspension mods or were planning to. they didnt think ahead too well here. anytime you lower 1.5" or more you need the bar. the frpp kit is 1.5" but after it settles, near 2"

 

but some of us like our hurst shifters.

 

some do. most dont haha. thats why i made a combo shifter called the Pro 5.0 Hurst. its the pro 5/0 shifter with the chrome hurst shift stick. no one would know its not a hurst.

 

lol, I hear you. I got it for the T-handle.

 

yes, I have read that some folks have vibration issues with the Hurst, but then I have also read from a LOT of satisfied folks. There are a lot of Hurst units out there. And in fact, the Shelby GT will have the Hurst unit. Being that the Shelby will be the flagship GT (for now, until a Bullitt or Mach 1 model is out), I think they may have at least found a fix for the vibration issues. Why put a part in the car that they know is going to cost them grief? Not trying to argue with you, but just looking at both sides.

Speaking of the Shelby GT, I wonder which panhard rod they will use with the FR3 handling package? The only panhard part I see in the FRPP catalog is the FR500C panhard bushing kit.