Hey Drew--

Good post but it's a little too involved to try and touch on every detail on by PM or e-mail. This is one of those times it's best to speak, person to person.

Both dampers and springs matter and have to work together happily but also be suited for what you are after as well. Frankly, the suspension design of the '97 wasn't good and they tend to ride poorly anyway, but the choice of springs wasn't ideal. B&G is another of those second tier spring companies as well. In those cases I feel the ride was more down to springs, and possibly shock settings a little.

Steeda Sports are my preference for street cars because they ride really, really well for lowering springs because they aren't super stiff, or super low. STR.T's are meant to be more entry level performance, for those not super demanding and require adjustment. The combination works great--though we can discuss other things too if you wish.

As for the control arms, etc... again best to talk that over as lowering the car tends to kill a lot, often all, the axle hop in and of itself. If not we can deal with it.

 

cool. Yeah I'll definitely give you a ring once the car is here so I can hopefully just knock everything out at once and get it done right the first time.

upper control arm looks to be no fun anyways but LCA's aren't that bad from what I recall years ago on my 97... would I notice a big difference with the UMI LCA's? I've read a few guys over on other forums saying they did but weren't specific in any particular way that their cars were improved.

 

Control arms help with wheelhop. Some cars and driving situations bring more hop. Some people never have the issue. Those that do have wheelhop find that just the change in geometry from lowering the car often cures hop. It might not, and if not we can explore control arm options.

We don't want to put the cart to far in front of the horse. I could do what most shops do and tell you the arms are junk and you have to upgrade immediately. Frankly that would be a more shrewd business move, but I don't believe it's the correct approach.

 

sounds good. I appreciate the honesty. I guess we'll see what happens with lowering it first and take it from there.

Neither of the 5.0's I drove had noticable wheel hop. Just traction control fighting for grip but then again, they were both producing stock power so I don't know what will happen once I do the intake and tune.

 

Well, I try and be straight with people. Most appreciate, some hate it.

A few details. If you kill the TC, hop might get worse (as it's somewhat trying to keep things in check). Hop isn't nearly as bad on the '11's as the older cars since the new car gets upgraded, if not perfect, control arms. When it's cold, hop will get worse as the tires are harder and less sticky... and the car is making even more power. As for the intake and tune, not likely to matter a lot it's not like a 5.0 is weak sauce already. Plenty of grunt to blow tires off.

 

I have the d-specs and I have then set to the softest setting and ride isn't bad. With drs they hook good. I originally set them really hard and cornering was amazing as in no body roll but the rear really wanted to jump hitting it hard coming out of the corner. I think I have found my happy medium. I like the adjustability factor and I guess I got lucky dialing them in right away. I have a new edge body tho. The new lcas helped too I think

 

The above is a perfect example of just how much shocks do to make you feel more confident in the car. Shocks do not cut body roll, they slow roll rate as the rebound damping increases. So, not how much--but how fast the body rolls. It makes some think the car is not rolling at all, or less, but the reality is the car rolls just as much if roll rate (springs or sway bars) where not made stiffer.

This slower roll (and pitch) rate is EXACTLY why you see folks who like to drive hard changing dampers. It means the car reacts faster, takes a set quicker. And to a point becomes easier to hustle. But there is the damping too. The car will feel more tied-down, "in" the road than with weaker shocks.

D-specs are an option, I sell those too. Some don't want the adjustment, some do. I never think it's a bad thing to have options, but it does cost more. And frankly I prefer the Koni Sports over the D-specs myself when we're talking adjustables. Again, I'd be happy to discuss the options.

 

Sam this is the wheel hop thread I was talking about.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forum...y-answers.html

feel free to weigh in on the discussion if you have the time.

 

This thread is going to need a new set of dampers soon for all the bumps it keeps getting

 

I'd love to, but I was arbitrarily banned from that site.... I guess because I tried to answer a question, but since I'm not an advertiser there they took offense? I don't know. I might re-register under another name, but that takes time that I rarely have.

 

Lots of good info in this thread. I'm going for the Steeda Sport springs but am still trying to decide between the STR.Ts or Sports. I'll probably pick up the Sports since they are adjustable.

 

Sam

I enjoyed reading through all of the posts on this thread. I have a 2011 GT base (with 3.31) and wondered what your impressions of this beast are for autocross vs a small and light car. I was activly involved in Autocross some 20 years ago in Miatas that were light, nimble and well, 4 cyls.

I have all winter to think about this car as I only drove it once so far, and my first impression was WOW with the engine but I sure feel the 3500+ pounds. Does it feel like you are steering a boat through the cones?

 

Boat!? I came to this car from a 4200 lb SRT8 Charger. Try throwing that around the corners! This car feels like a featherweight to me. Of course, I have no Miata experience to compare it to.

 

Yea i got a 2002 gt as my second car after giving my 05 accord (moms old csr) to my grandma because she needed a new one. I was shocked when i found that the accord sedan and the stang rode almost the same! Lik mushy through the corners with noticeable body roll. A tad more inthe sedan tho because it was heavier but not much difference. I ordered bilstein adjustable shocks with H&R springs (blue ones, forgot the name ) and i gotta say its a dramatic improvement. Lil body roll through some fast or tight corners but the stance looks natural instead of 4x4ish. Gets the job done, i even take it to road courses every now and then and its still holding very well. I got some corbeau seats up front with a three point harness set-up and my a** is planted firmly in one spot! I even tried donuts and drifting in an empty massive parking lot when it was dry and wet and barely any roll when changing directions. Even absorbs every bump with almost sublime smoothness. And thats just with shocks and springs! Love it

 

Well I just feel like I won an internet. I was at Koni USA's website and saw my company's (ITT) logo. I talked to my boss who's pretty big into cars and he was like "yeah we own Koni and we get employee discounts"

Long story short, whenever the backorder is over and the koni sports start shipping (she estimates mid march), A set will be on their way to my house.

 

Nice.

So March shipping... hmmm.

 

Great thread here.

Getting back to the BMW vs. Mustang test, does anyone know what tires they had on those cars? Whatever stock tires they came with?

Sam- thanks for all the great info. I'll get shocks on the list after a few other things I want to do first...

 

The stock tires. Summer P Zero's on the Mustang, Michelin Pilots on the M3 (which was a sport package car and so it had better Michelins than the standard cars as well). It was a pretty fair test, and later from one of the guys I know @ Ford I found out the diff in the 'Stang was pretty well smoked.

 

Thanks!

Okay then, trick question- do you think one of the other gear ratios in the rear diff. would be more durable? Just for track useage, not all the drifting, etc. they did.

I have the auto. trans. with the 3:15 rear. Do you think that would be okay for 1 or 2 track days per year? HPDE and SCCA PDX events, no drifting competitions!

(I have an older Miata that does the track duties.)

 

Ahhh, the limited slip unit is the same no matter what gear set you pick.... makes no difference, it was just used up. There are better differentials than the stock Trac-Lock but again the gear ratio has nothing to do with how long they last/how they work, a 3.15 auto comes with the same LSD as a 3.73 stick (unless you get the optional Torsen in the Boss, which isn't bad--but still not ideal for track rats).