[Mr.Bergner]

I've finally saved enough to finish getting all components for my suspension. Here's my list.

What I have now:
-KYB AGX struts
-Vogtland Springs (1.6" drop)
-SPC Rear Camber Kit

What I want to order:
-Front & Rear Strut tower brace (Focussport)
-Front & Rear Anti-Sway bar (Eibach)
-Front & Rear Control Arm Bushings (Energy Suspension & Prothane)
-Rear Coil Spring Isolators (Energy Suspension)
-Rear Trailing Arm Bushings (Energy Suspension)
-Front & Rear Sway Bar End Links (Brand?, Where to get?, certain length?)
-SVT Rear Lower Control Arms (Or re-enforced stockers?, Where to get?)

With all the upgrades on the suspension, does anyone have any suggestions of other components I may need, have any suggestions at all like different brands or websites they prefer? Is there anything I'm leaving out?
**Anything is appreciated**

 

[v8FociDreams]

only thing i can think of off the top of my head would be a good 4 wheel alignment once its all done - then again ive never done any suspension work...trying to figure out some things for myself as we speak

 

[greentengu]

Wow, I keep tracking one behind V8. Just getting ready for that Barbecue, you know!

Question: are you going to be using this car solely for the track? It sounds like an extremely stable, incredibly stiff setup. If you look at my mods, I have the Vogtlands, SVT shocks/struts, Eibachs, and 16" wheels with g-force sports. I also have Polyurethane coil spring isolators, and over Pennsylvania bumps, potholes, and frost ripples (and harsh crappy local town/city streets with construction "patchwork quilt" macadem) the ride is fairly harsh in the rear.

That's why I never took my new-in-box BAT front control arms with the bolts and rubber bushings and swapped out the rubber for my (also new-in-package) Prothane Front Control Arm Bushing Set and my still-in-package, untouched Rear Trailing Arm Kit: I didn't want my ride to be too terribly harsh. Sometimes it skips around in the rear, which reminds me, oh sheesh, I have to talk to someone here about a rear sway bar swap and totally forgot about contacting him! Oops!

But anyway, you might want to consider what your roads are like, and your purpose behind having such a possibly stiff suspension with limited road compliance. Then again, maybe you like your ride like I like my sandpaper: rough!

--Scott

 

[Mr.Bergner]

Thanks for the helpful info.
I would like my suspension as stiff as possible, but maybe I’m taking it to the extreme. That is what I’m trying to find out. What if I left out the front & rear control arm bushings? How do you think the ride would be then?
My car is a daily driver with the intent of auto-crossing, but I'm afraid the season will be over by the time my suspension is done. The Missouri side of Kansas City is rated among the top 10 of having the worst roads in America so pot holes are an issue when venturing to that side….lol

 

[ZX3autoxtasy]

That all seems a little much.




I would skip the stress bars. They do nothing. But they do look cool.

You could also get away with just the rear swaybar. I don't like a really stiff car, and I like the tail end a little happy too. I run the stock from and h and r rear bar.

As for the suspension bushings...won't those make your car ride alot rougher? I heard they did.

 

[Mr.Bergner]

Awesome, more excellent info. I did get a little happy with suspension list so I may trim it down a notch. Espcially if I'm not auto-xing till next year. I've also heard the bushings make the ride more rough but I can live with that, plus I heard they basically make it a different car.

 

[greentengu]

Hm, interesting route. You'd kind of go the opposite way I've gone, doing what I thought of doing, if you do the bushings instead.

Oddly, for potholed, frost-rippled, crappy PA roads, I find that it's the rear sway bar I wished I'd left stock. My rear end, with the 16" wheels on it, hops and skips around on these irregular bumps the same way my old '89 Jeep Cherokee used to, only without the benefit of four-wheel drive. That's why I didn't put the bushings in the rear--the ride is stiff enough for daily driving. Add wet roads or light snow in the twisty Pocono Mountains, and it's just a nightmare of bouncing, skipping, and hopping around next to enraged tractor-trailer drivers, psychopathic soccer moms, and daft teenagers blithely yakking away on their cell phones while texting friends and changing their XM channels. Not my cup of tea.

If you decided to do the bushings, but skipped the anti-roll bars, it may make things really "tight" without the super-harsh ride, and your steering response may change. One consideration would be to (forgive me folks for not knowing the Official Names of things) put poly bushings in the outer bushing of the front control arms (closer to the wheel), but leaving the big rubber inner bushings [that seems like it'd absorb closer-to-the-body up and down motion/vibrations] intact. That way the NVH might not be transmitted quite as much, and a bit more bump-soaking compliance might be felt.

Note: I could be COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT THE ABOVE, as I'm not educated enough in the vagaries of suspension mods to actually confirm that my idea would help in ANY way, shape, or form.

Cheers,

Scott

 

[hoodpin1]

I like your setup, if you do replace the front sway bar end links, stick with the ones from ford, the adjustable ones dont do anything.

I would skip the stress bars. They do nothing. But they do look cool.

i disagree, they do stiffen up the chassis, but i agree they do look cool:thumbup:

 

[gizmo88]

Get rid of the SPC camber plates. Mine are aweful

 

[SVTADAM]

I have all the bushings done. I dont think the ride is more rough, cause most of the ford bushings are rather stiff already. I would say that the steering and handling feels more precise.

FYI, bushings are a bit of a bitch. You will curse, Ford, the heavens when you encounter "the frozen bolts". Be ready with a saws-all. The front control arms and rear trailing arms are the bushings that have the most play. They are easy to do...but they need to be burnt out. The others for the rear suspension are not really necessary. I did them, but that is cause I got the prothane total kit and wanted to use them. I didnt get the energy suspension, their kit is not complete. If you want to go the total bushing route, get the prothane kit.

Your sway bar choice seems fine...

The stress bars really do nothing but look good and provide you with a place to hold onto.

There is a rear sway bar endlink kit that many sponsors carry. Call and tell them what sway bar you are going to run, and they will get you the right one. The sway bars should come with bushings for the front and rear mounts.

Reinforced control arms....if you have access to a welder...do it yourself as long as your stockers are not cracked. If you see any signs of wear, replace with the SVT rears.

As for the front end links do a search on this forum for Moog. I did my front suspension over. Take into consideration...depending on how many miles your car has, no matter what you do, wear or bad hard parts wont make for a better suspension. Check your ball joints and tie rod ends. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Reinforced control arms....if you have access to a welder...do it yourself as long as your stockers are not cracked. If you see any signs of wear, replace with the SVT rears.

Remember to use an ample amount of grease, and make sure you hit everything with a nice coat of paint before reinstall. Especially the parts that get to play in the fire.

Good luck...

 

[Mr.Bergner]

Man, thanks for all the very helpfull info. I'll let you know once I get all the parts in and do the install. I may have more questions then. You guys rock! (a lot more useful responses on this site than others, all I got there were one liners).

 

[SVTADAM]

We are all just a PM away!

 

[RUN_ZX3]

Whatever route you take don't forget to get new strut bearing/bushings They are only about 6 bucks a piece. It would not make any sense to take everything down and not change them out.

 

[Mr.Bergner]

strut bearing/bushings, check. Thanks again. Sheesh, you guys are awesome.