m4a1mustang

With Sam Strano's guidance I picked out a suspension setup for my 2011 Brembo equipped 5.0 coupe. I've always been a handling guy (traded my 370Z in on the 5.0 and have an S2000 as a second car) so it was very important to me to work out the kinks of the stock suspension and get it to where I wanted it. I ended up choosing the following setup:

Koni Yellows
Steeda Sport springs
Steeda HD strut mounts (w/ GT500 isolators)
Fays2 Watts Link
Michelin Pilot Super Sports 275/35 all around on the OEM Brembo pack wheels

I have had most of these parts for a while now and finally got around to tackling the install last weekend. I started with the rear end. Obviously the spring and shock change was a breeze. The Fays2 turned out to be more of a PITA than I planned. I was on ramps and couldn't get everything aligned properly before I ran out of light and warmth. So I did the best I could and dropped the car off at Excessive Motorsports where they finished everything up for me and re-did the Fays2.

I am a major proponent of DIY but I know when I'm beat and need to hand it over to a pro. Plus I wouldn't have had a free weekend to work on the car again until May, so it needed to be done as soon as possible.

Now that everything is on the car here are some driving thoughts:

Michelins
The Pilot Super Sports are amazing tires. They are categorized as "Max Performance" by TireRack but they definitely creep up into the "Extreme" category as far as dry grip and feel goes. They are very grippy with fantastic feedback and ride comfort. Worlds better than the PZeros. And with the 275s up front and -1.5 degrees of camber I have nearly an endless amount of front grip. Recaros are going to be the next purchase for the 5.0.

I am so happy with these that I am getting them for my S2000.

Konis & Steeda Sports
The biggest weakness of the stock Brembo suspension is the shocks. For its weight the car is underdamped and at speed the dampers really feel like they are overworked. There's some slop in the rear end that I think most of you guys notice, especially in transition and under braking. The Konis eliminate this entirely. The car is extremely tight, the dampers do a great job, and while stiffer than stock they are very complaint over bumps and rough surfaces. If I could do only one mod to the car it would be a set of Koni Yellows (or STR.Ts if I didn't want the adjustability).

As it is right now I am running +1 turn in the front and +1 in the rear. For my area (Northern Virginia) and the rough roads here I think this is about the maximum I'd comfortably run for any daily driving. It's firm but not harsh. When I go down to the Dragon for ZDayZ in May I think I will be able to run the fronts at +2 and the rears around +1.5 or so.

For a long trip the car is very comfortable at full soft. I love the on-car adjustability.

Fays2 Watts Link
This is a great addition to the car. Modshack (former 5.0 owner) mentioned he could feel the difference immediately as he backed out of his driveway. This is 100% spot on as the rear axle articulates quite a bit differently than it does with the panhard bar setup. Gone is the arcing in compression and the asymmetric roll center. There is no more side-to-side shift of the body over the axle.

The car is so much more well behaved now in transition. A lot of this is the better dampers but there is no doubt the Watts Link helps. The rear end of the car is very composed over mid corner bumps, even under power. Coming out of a tight corner I can put the throttle down near WOT in 2nd gear and maintain traction whereas previously I'd be feathering the throttle trying to balance wheelspin to keep the rear in check.

At $650 the Fays2 is a steal. I'm very particular about how my cars handle and feel like even if this unit cost $1000 I'd still have bought it.

Overall
Overall the car drives tremendously better than before. In OEM configuration the Brembo car is a winner albeit with some draw backs, just like any other car out there. With my new suspension system the car goes, turns, and stops better. It's very tight and responsive. Controllable and confidence inspiring. The great balance of the car is still there and I can rotate freely through a corner. No understeer or excessive oversteer. Very good street manners with the ability to turn things up for the track or spirited back road drives.

Without a doubt this is the best handling car I've owned. It's not a real fair comparison, modded vs. stock, but in this configuration my 5.0 blows my S2000 and previous 370Z out of the water in regards to handling. It's a true joy to drive and I am in love with the car all over again. I am VERY happy!

Recommendations
I would recommend this setup to anyone. There's something in it for everybody thanks to the adjustability of the Konis. I'd say for most people the Watts Link isn't going to be necessary, but if you really want the best then I highly recommend it as it's worth every penny. At the very least, if you value handling, I suggest to replace your springs and dampers as this is the single best thing you can do to improve the car.

Some pics...







The Steeda Sports drop the car noticeably but they don't slam it. There's a healthy wheel gap with good working travel... just the way I like it.

LEwis26

Watt's Link is next on my list for suspension mods.

Ivan 5.0

Thanks for the write-up and congrats on your purchase! Where in NoVA are you - I live in Alexandria?

m4a1mustang

Thanks! I live in Fairfax.

TheLeech

Thanks for the write-up. The car looks great. I think I might have the Steeda Sports and Koni Yellows waiting for my '13 when it shows up.

wproctor411

Nice write-up. Thanks for sharing.

Secondhandloser

Ugh...more money I'm going to have to spend.

m4a1mustang

Do it Dan!

MARZ

Yeah, I feel your pain. Hey, it's only money, right?

m4a1mustang

Funny how it works. One thing always leads to another. With tires this whole setup probably ran $3k or more. I get everything finished and think, "OK, now I should be done with the car."

The first hard turn I make I slam into the door panel. I guess I'm not done! Recaros next.

m4a1mustang

Oh, forgot about my brake pads too. :|

5PTOHH

Do you run the watts with the panhard bar or does it eliminate the need for one?

Ivan 5.0

It replaces the PHB

m4a1mustang

^^ This.

Lots of pics of one installed on an S197 here: http://www.mkeeler.com/mustang/fays2/

5PTOHH

So how do you adjust the rear after a drop? Sorry this is my first ride where I want to be spot on with the suspension.

m4a1mustang

For the shocks you open the trunk and pull back the side carpet liners (really easy) and use the supplied **** key.

For the Fays2 you can adjust the position of the propeller (there are about 7 different positions) to adjust roll steer.

5PTOHH

Is that the same as adjusting the rear axle to be back on center after installing springs?

m4a1mustang

No, you have to ensure that the axle is centered when you first install the watts link.

This allows you to adjust the roll center height, which will dial in (or dial out) underster/oversteer depending on which way you go.

5PTOHH

Sorry I am bad at wording my questions correctly lol. I guess what I was trying to get at is how do you center your axle before the watts? If you use an adjustable pan hard bar wouldn't the axle just shift again as soon as you took it off to install the watts?

m4a1mustang

Well, I can't tell you for sure since my shop ended up setting it up for me, but if you look at how it's installed it should center the axle pretty well. The frame places the propeller dead center on the body, and the two arms coming off of the propeller must be installed such that they are equal in length and at exactly 0 degrees when the suspension is at static load and the propeller is placed in the center position. When installing this should center the mid point of the axle with the propeller pivot, which is mounted dead center relative to the body.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand it.