Hi folks,
I am a noob at modding my Mustang, and I have decided to do something about that.
So the first thing I want to do is improve the handling of it. My car is mainly used in the weekend, and take it on trips through the California country side. I won't be going to a drag strip. Maybe I will go on a track day at Laguna Seca, but if I do, it will be just for the fun, and not for real hard driving (is what I say now).

This week, I went to Borelli Motor Sports (very nice facility!), to see if they could modify my suspension for me. There was a very kind gentleman, who told me what he could do for me. He advised to just start by lowering the suspension, and using caster/camber plates. He said it would be what I would need, for what I had told him I was going to do with the car. He mentioned that because the car is fairly new (only 9K miles) the stock shock's could be re-used. He quoted $125/hour for labour. And he looked up on Summit Racing the parts that I would need: Eibach Sportline lowering springs. BBK Gripp Adjustable Caster/Camber plate kit. Installation: $625
Alignment would set me back another $125

Looking at the pricing of the parts: approx $550, and the labour of $750..... I'm thinking, why don't I give it a shot and try it myself? I youtube-d a number of instructions and I've gained a reasonable amount of confidence that I can do it myself, and save $750. Which could be a nice beginning of a new set of wheels and tires, or a nice axle back.

Anyway: long story short. I have a couple of questions:

1. I have the original strut tower brace on my GT. How can I keep using it with the BBK Caster/Camber plate? I looked at the BBK site, but was not able to locate the installation instructions. Does anyone have experience with that?

2. How do you adjust the camber with these plates? As said, I couldn't find the instruction manual on the site.

3. When you lower the car, do you have to adjust the headlights? I don't think I have read anything on that topic on this forum. Maybe it is so trivial.... I honestly don't know.

 

1. I have the original strut tower brace on my GT. How can I keep using it with the BBK Caster/Camber plate? I looked at the BBK site, but was not able to locate the installation instructions. Does anyone have experience with that?

2. How do you adjust the camber with these plates? As said, I couldn't find the instruction manual on the site.

3. When you lower the car, do you have to adjust the headlights? I don't think I have read anything on that topic on this forum. Maybe it is so trivial.... I honestly don't know.[/QUOTE]

1. I'm not familiar with those particular plates but I'm assuming all of the 11 my and above plates are the same. They mount below, on the under side of the car and don't interfere with the strut brace.

2. You don't adjust the plates. You just tell the tech that does the alignment that you have plates that will allow for adjustment. Also, Firestone does a lifetime alignment for 200. If you plan on keeping your car, it's a great deal.

3. For a mild drop, my lights were relatively unchanged. I just left it as is.

The labor rates seemed high to me. I could be wrong. I don't know where in California you live but gtr in so Cal was a good deal cheaper.

 

You can definitely do the install yourself, especially if you read up and watch a few videos. Myself and a buddy just put springs and struts on my car this past Tuesday night. We had nothing but hand tools, got the job done in about 3 hours, including two trips to the auto parts store.

You will need a strut spring compressor but auto stores rent them.

You should get in touch with Jay at Hypermotive, he's on the boards here and is very very knowledgeable with this stuff. Plus he can probably beat any other price you've found. His user name is Jay@Hypermotive.

 

So when you install the camber plates, isn't there any setting you have to do? Even before you get it aligned at the shop?

Yeah, I live smack in the middle of Silicon Valley. I guess the hour rates are a little higher than anywhere else.

 

My understanding is that American Muscle has discount codes for forum members. Is that also true for other vendors? How do I obtain a discount code?

 

Just a word of advise.
Save up some more money and do the shocks/struts at the same time.
The stock dampers will work initially but will fail much sooner because your asking them to do the same job with a higher rate spring in a shorter amount of space.
The reality is the stock dampers are marginal even for the stock spring rates.
Never underestimate what a quality set of performance shock/struts can do for any car.
BTW some vendors sell assembled strut packages (struts springs plates). This makes for a quick and easy bolt in.

 

I'm so excited...

I have ordered
Koni STR.T Orange struts and shocks
GT500 strut mounts
BMR PanHardBar
Eibach pro kit springs

now the waiting has begun.

 

According to UPS, the package Hypermotive sent me, will arrive on Monday...darn, just after the weekend.

Thinking about the rest of the car, which apart from tinting, and the strut tower brace, is stock, and I want to mod a little further. I think I'm going with the GT500 axle back.
I am still struggling with the rims. I want a staggered setup with concave type wheels. The issue I have is wether to go for 18", 19" or 20".

I choose this spring setup, with Jay's advise, because I don't want to have a complete race car. I still want to be able to take my wife and son on road trips, driving on the California back roads. And the car still needs to be drivable on the crappy highways in Silicon Valley.

I need some advise: stay with 18", or go for 19" or 20" ?

 

Congrats on the build, should be a fantastic setup!

I'm still waiting on my Mustang but have done a lot of Google-Image-hunting and browsing around the forums, and IMO 19" seem to be the perfect size on the Mustang. 20's look like they don't have enough rubber (it is a muscle car after all). Mine is a Track Pack so it's got the factory 19's. I wish they sat out a little further but I like the style. When the time comes I'll likely look for another set of 19's but just wider for some more aggressive tire sizing.

I've got a GT500 axleback on the way already for my car. From all the youtubing I've done, it comes closest to the sound I want, but at half the price of other mufflers. I'll use em for the first summer and if I want a more aggressive sound I'll likely go Corsa Sport next year. But for the price, the GT500 mufflers give you a great upgrade in sound without any buyers remorse if you decide to go bigger down the road. It's going to be my first mustang, but been doing the modding thing for years, and minds always change at some point.

 

You picked up a nice set up. I think you'll enjoy how the car handles. As for the gt500 axel backs, I like the sound. They are quiet at low rpm and sound great when you give the car some gas. I love mine but I'm pretty conservative. Many folks here end up going to something more aggressive or remove the resonaters. As for rims, 18s will most likely give you the most tire choices and cost less. That said, I like the look of 19s. I know I'm no help.

 

Sounds like a stiff ride but you love it. Congrats!

 

Parts are arriving. But I still need to receive the GT500 strut mounts, and the pan hard bar, to get started.... (I don't want to start with the rear of the car, without knowing I have all the parts to finish the front. Hopefully everything is here before the weekend, so that my son and I can bolt everything on.

 

Let the modding begin !



notice the "Made in Denmark"....

 

Right on.....I've got almost the same set up boxed up in my closet. I'll have the time to start in on it next weekend. Let me know how it goes.....I've watched a couple install videos and am eager to get going on it.

 

19s look better and leave room for brake upgrades.

 

I just recently did the same thing to my GT, Except a little more heavy duty !!!

Koni Spotrs adjustable Struts And Shocks, Ford Racing Jounce bumbers, Steeda Sport Lowering Springs and Heavy Duty Strut Mounts w/ Camber adjustments, Stranoparts 1 3/8in adjustable hollow Front sway, Helwig 1in adjustable solid rear sway bar, Steeda sway bar mount kit, UMI subframe connectors, Steeda LCA relocation brackets, BMR Pan hard Rod, DOM, On-car Adjustable, Polyurethane Bushings (not the bar showing in pic)

 

How did you remove the rear shocks?
I am stuck with the locking nut on top of the shock. I was able to unbolt it nearly all the way. The last part my other wrench is in the way, and without it, the whole thing keeps rotating with the bolt.... stupid problem to have. Any suggestion is welcome.

 

I didn't want to use power tools, last night. This morning, first thing: air impact gun and deep wall socket 15mm => unbolted immediately.

 

You can also remove that nut with a vise grips to hold the top while you put a wrench on the nut.

There is a special socket that holds that little sucker on top, it'll spin as well when you try to torque the new ones in. Think it's Lisle 20400 for those with only hand tools.

 

I finished the rear shocks and springs.
The front and the pan hard bar will have to wait until the weekend.... back to my normal work

On the left the Eibach pro kit rear spring, and on the right the OEM rear spring.



Before:



After:


It dropped about an inch so far.