I have a 1964 1/2 Mustang Coupe. It is a nice car I love her but me being a 22 year old college kid I love racing around Santa Barbara. When I corner at anything close to 20 MPH and up she leans hard. I can feel this because I almost slide out of my seat. It was an original 170 CID but the previous owner did a complete swap to a 302. I recently just pulled out the engine and laid in a fresh stock 302 with a rebuilt C4 setup. She's broken in but I would like to take her to the track and race around the city without having me or my passengers almost fly out the window. As far as bracing I have the export braces and the Mont Carlo bar brace. I wanted to know what suspension upgrades I could do without wasting more money than a poor college student has. I have had this pony since I was 18 and now at 22 I just need to get this suspension figured out and Im off! I do have stock suspension, I have the rear air shocks that you can adjust using compressed air. I am sure the sway bar in the front is the small diameter one. she has 14 inch wheels. I got good sized tires as I am a believer in having as much rubber contacting the ground as possible; tire size wise.
Location: Soviet Socialist Republic of Massachusetts
Posts: 2,513
I wonder how much was done during the 302 swap.
Consider stiffer springs front and rear. It's very likely that the springs are old/original and are just shot. Combine that with soft/worn shocks and you end up with that you got.
I'm running 480# 1" lowering springs from NPD, mid eye Grab a Trak rear leafs, Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks. With that combination, once I got my spring perches replaced, it handles very much like a modern car while cornering. Sure, my wife's mustang did slightly better, but it was a 99 with 17" wheels fitting with 255 tires vice my 14" with 205 tires. But I can't complain with how it handles now.
I'll have to see how the 480#'s hold up when I put the 302 in, but with AL heads on it, my engine weight should be within 50# of the previous 200 (already had V8 T5, 8" rear, 5 lug front with disc, etc) so the overall vehicle weight shouldn't change much on the front end.
Explain why air shocks will tear up the upper mounting point ?
Because it was not designed to support weight, and air shocks will tear it to pieces. I was into these cars in the 70's when everybody and his brother was putting air shocks on them, and I saw the disastrous results many times.
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Amateur restorer. (Well, once in a while I have been paid for it)
Bigger roll bar, junk the air shocks. Springs hold the car up, shocks damp the springs, roll bar reduces sway/roll. Welcome to VMF.
Slim
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My '64 1/2 vert. Ordered May '64. D code 4 speed, handling package, caspian blue, accent group, Ford blue manual top.
'68 vert. driver. Owned since '77. C code AT, AC, PS, P disc B, PT lime gold, standard black interior and top. NOS RF fender and left quarter.New top and folding glass.
I've had to weld up the upper rear shock mount area on cars that
have never even seen an air shock.....it's that wimpy back there.
ex-Global West GM
1991-1995
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Wow thanks guys! I just wanted to say since I was 18 I have been coming here and finding answers to my questions and finally I decided to join. The responses are ore than I hoped for I really appreciate this bros! lol watch out Santa Barbara! How hard is it to do the Shelby drop? Also what rating Spring # should I use for the front and what types for the back. It is a stock car with a C4, 302, 8 inch differential. I got the 5 lug on both ends. Thanks again guys this helped me so much!
Back in the 70's my driver was 56 Ford 312 vert. Station wagons had a heavier sway/roll bar. Went to the junk yard, got a station wagon roll bar, put it on my vert.
The change in handling was absolutely amazing!!
Slim
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My '64 1/2 vert. Ordered May '64. D code 4 speed, handling package, caspian blue, accent group, Ford blue manual top.
'68 vert. driver. Owned since '77. C code AT, AC, PS, P disc B, PT lime gold, standard black interior and top. NOS RF fender and left quarter.New top and folding glass.
Shock mounts receive impact loading when the car hits sharp bumps. Make it a lot more severe using poly! This is much more severe stress than steady load. IMO lots of driving on rough roads is harder on the structure than the increased load of air shocks. I agree air shocks aggravate failure but it's already a weak area.
Slim
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My '64 1/2 vert. Ordered May '64. D code 4 speed, handling package, caspian blue, accent group, Ford blue manual top.
'68 vert. driver. Owned since '77. C code AT, AC, PS, P disc B, PT lime gold, standard black interior and top. NOS RF fender and left quarter.New top and folding glass.
lol ok so I get removing the air shocks. Air shocks=no good. What are some good affordable rear gas shocks? Also when doing the Shelby drop did you guys use a reinforcement plate that also doubled as the template or is it safe enough to just drill the holes using only a template and relocate the UCA? Thanks fellas I appreciate all the help.
lol ok so I get removing the air shocks. Air shocks=no good. What are some good affordable rear gas shocks? Also when doing the Shelby drop did you guys use a reinforcement plate that also doubled as the template or is it safe enough to just drill the holes using only a template and relocate the UCA? Thanks fellas I appreciate all the help.
Like Arning and later Shelby, you just drill new holes and move the arms.
I like the Kayaba Gas-A-Just, although some find them too harsh, in which case the GR-2 is just right.
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Amateur restorer. (Well, once in a while I have been paid for it)
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Excessive body Roll/lean/sway when cornering
