Please search for Casey's cheapass foxbody fixer. Then search for PM3L. Then read old threads for a week.

 

Is $1000 your total budget for the suspension? If it is , I suggest not purchasing a supercharger and use that $ for the suspension.

 

I've been reading old threads for several weeks. It's just a lot of money to spend, and I want to make it worthwhile. I will look at both of those threads right after this post though.
Total budget is $1,000 for suspension alone. The Supercharger was going to be in the plans for this year, but I decided to spend the money on the suspension instead.
Forgot to mention it already has subframe connectors as well.

 

Keep in mind you need a 5-lug SN95 brake update if you are going to do anything on track, imo. Stock fox brakes are almost literally the worst on the planet.

 

What is the issue with stock brakes? Brake fade from being drums? The front brakes are upgraded pads and calipers with drilled/slotted rotors

 

For one thing, the front brakes are too small in the first place. They simply can't handle enough thermal energy to be effective once you start pushing them. For another thing...drilled rotors. Yeah. You've taken limited thermal capacity in the form of mass, and reduced it even further. Drilling arguably cools rotors faster, only if the rotors are properly sized in the first place (e.g, huge). The fox front rotors are not properly sized. You're going to want larger rotors and you're going to want to duct air to them.

 

Oddly, iirc, drums are actually better than discs BUT only for the first stop. After that, they are heat soaked, even on a car like the mustang which has a ton of front brake bias.

Back in the 90s, members of the Texas A&M Sports Car Club tested the brakes on a bunch of different vehicles they owned, doing stops from 60mph on a cone lined path and measuring the stopping distances. 3/4-ton trucks outbraked foxbodies easily. Stock mustang brakes are THAT bad, they are a safety hazard.

 

Drums will out brake discs on a first stop.... more surface area, and better application of force. But like you said, they get heat soaked relatively quick.
I'll have to do some shopping around to see what types of rotor/caliper combos are made for the front of these things. As far as I'm aware, the only option in the rear to switch to disc brakes is to go 5 lug, which I'm trying to avoid doing.

 

track car:

stock motor and tranny

GUT the entire car drop as much weight as possible (less wear on brakes,tyres and better overall performance)

Cobra brakes up front
5 lug conv, rear disc brakes
Subframe connectors
CC plates, coilovers, Panhard bar

 

Why try to avoid going 5-lug? Once you do that, wheel and brake choices become more plentiful and cheaper. You'll find virtually no reasonably priced aftermarket 4-lug braking solutions for the foxbody. Back in the 90s, we used to run calipers off a lincoln, or something, and that was about all we could do to get any improvements for cheap.

Read this for 5-lug swap info:
87-93  Ford Fox Body Mustang Brake Upgrades

 

Why try to avoid going 5-lug? Once you do that, wheel and brake choices become more plentiful and cheaper. You'll find virtually no reasonably priced aftermarket 4-lug braking solutions for the foxbody. Back in the 90s, we used to run calipers off a lincoln, or something, and that was about all we could do to get any improvements for cheap.

Read this for 5-lug swap info:
87-93Â# Ford Fox Body Mustang Brake Upgrades

I cant agree with you more, i love seeing people with "badass" 4 lug wheels LMAO!!!!!

 

Good advice above. But spend some time understanding why the Fox chassis suspension is so bad, especially the rear. With a $1000 budget you could blow through that in a hurry and not improve a thing.

Also, remember that the tires stop and accelerate the car. You need grip for auto-x and on-track. All seasons will generally disappoint. While upgrading the brakes is recommended, you could get by with performance pads/shoes, braided line and a good flush/replacement with a performance fluid like Motul.

With the above said, IMO you need seat time way more than upgrades. Make the car safe and then try your hand at auto-x. Speeds are lower, you're on the course alone, brakes won't be as critical - short run. You'll begin to learn what needs the most work = you.

 

Your talking about road courses........but doing EVERYTHING to make the car fast in a straight line only!

A buddy owns a shop building mustangs. He brought his 760 rwhp 2013 mustang out for a couple track days. I have a 1996 mustang thats a race prep 255 rwhp car........once we got past the first couple turns I pulled so far ahead he couldn't catch me in the straights on a 3.3 mile course.

You NEED 5 lug wheels, ford cobra (PBR) brakes at minimum, GOOD brake fluid (ford supper blue is not good enough). Street summer tires are best if your learning. Suspension mods, chassis mods, engine cooling, brake cooling, a full cage are ALL needed before you try going over 300 rwhp.

That buddy realized I was right. He's since bought a 2005 gt. He gutted it and put a full suspension under it. It makes 340 rwhp and he's out running me finally.

FYI: I W2W race with NASA and won the mid atlantic CMC championship last year......I'm no slouch, and like a lot of guys, believed hp was all important.......i was wrong too.

 

What suspension components would make this thing capable on and off the racetrack? I plan to do a few auto-x events as well as a track day at Watkins Glen throughout the year.

Currently, the car has:
-MM Solid Steering Shaft
-Tokico Shocks
-H&R lowering springs
-adjustable caster/camber plates

What are some good solid mods which I will see a return with, with an ~$1,000 budget?

Front:
-Maximum Motorsport 4-point K-Member Brace
-Poly LCA Bushings
-Poly or Solid Rack Bushings
-Poly Sway Mounts & Endlinks


Alignment Settings:
Toe: 0*
Camber: -2.0* to -2.5*
Caster: "as much as you can get"

Rear:
PM3L Consisting of:
-a single Heim Joint Upper (monitor frequently for wear)
-Spherical Bearing in Diff housing (monitor frequently for wear)
-Maximum Motorsports Panhard Bar
-Maximum Motorsports Extreme LCAs
-Maximum Motorsports 43TA7 Rear Springs

YOU WILL NEED BRAKES. With good pads and fluid stock ones will survive some autocross... but for open tracking upgrading is a MUST. Like it or lump it, you need to budget for it. I personally would go for an OEM SN Cobra setup with "95 Spindles" and a "Fox Width" rear.

There you go, I did your homework.

 

I like it. I like it a lot. I'll put some research into the Poly bushings. I have BBK long tubes on the car so I don't think the K Member brace will clear- but I was looking into the Team Z K member.

From what I gathered here and elsewhere, looks like I'll be doing:

- Poly control arm/rack bushings
- Tubular Team Z K Member
- MM Rear Lower Control Arms
- High temp brake fluid is required for most "real" track inspections anyways ( at least a flush)
- Possible PM3L, I still have to research what and how to do a Poor Man's 3 Link
- 4 Lug Disc Brake Conversion from a Turbo Thunderbird Coupe

I appreciate those Caster/Camber specs, when whoever installed the plates in my car did it they had maxed out front negative camber and had slight mods to toe.

 

You could probably spend that $1000 on a beater Miata and out turn your Mustang on a track.

 

*Edit* The car already has 275 F1's in the rear and 225 Kuhmo Ecsta's in the front. I will probably change the front's in the spring as the negative camber has worn the inside of the tires (Need to also check ball joints and tie rods)

 

Understeer

put the 275s in front and 225s in rear

 

I was under the impression that the team z stuff was only adequate for drag racing. Personally I would only use a griggs or mm I member for any rr/ax duty.

 

They do sell one specifically for AutoX/TrackDay usage, along with matching a-arms. But I agree with you. TeamZ's bread and butter is straight line.

I too would be inclined to go with a company who's "thing" is twisties.... and one that offers a complete solution for my needs down the road.

 

^^ Agree. We know that each piece made by a particular manufacturer is designed to work with all of the other components offered by the company. For example, both MM and Griggs suspension pieces are meant to be used with their respective other pieces in order for the whole system to work optimally. Both recommend not mixing and matching pieces. One could argue this is good marketing. On the other hand, what if they are telling it like it is? Say using a Griggs T/A with an MM K might result in some sort of conflict between roll centers or the like. The best advice is to select your suspension brand and stick with it for all related components.

 

I would look into getting a watts link to stiffen up the rear suspension. Griggs Racing Products

 

He said "budget" griggs stuff is way to overpriced.

MM panhard bar wait till its on sale

 

What kind of SFCs do you have. If you have some GOOD ones like MaximumMotorsports welded in then your under $1000 suspension purchase should be :

Torque-arm Package, 1979-98 Mustang

 

If its in the budget, agreed. That is absolutely the way to go. But, for the $800 price it does not come with LCAs. Once you add those (the most basic MM ones) and rear springs to reap the benefits of the TA, you are @ $1,200... and the front end still needs some basic TLC.

OP needs to loosen his purse strings to a $1,500 ceiling and he could really get what he needs. :hammer:

 

Only thing with installing this torque arm package is the rear is going to have to much grip and the front is going to be all over the place!

 

can you elaborate on this? what exactly is the front going to do?

 

You are right EFI. I glanced at it quickly, saw control arms in the picture and didn't realize 800 for just SFC and Torque arm.

 

You are right EFI. I glanced at it quickly, saw control arms in the picture and didn't realize 800 for just PHB and Torque arm.

I've been trying to work the numbers on a shoestring budget for my own car. (from dead stock all the way down to the OE Motorcraft dampers)

I guess he could always go with a cheaper set of lowers, or even poly bush the stock lowers... it would not be ideal but it would work.

That said, biting the bullet and just plunking down the money for the PHB/TA setup from the beginning I think would ultimately be the best way to spend the money. It would mean less parts later to sell when upgrading... cause we all know these projects are never done. :salute: