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suspension upgrades

30K views 133 replies 47 participants last post by  dzhoser 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I just picked up my 65' coupe from the local mustang shop to find out that ALL my suspension is worn out and needs replacement. This car is being built to be a budget minded daily driver so I don't need racing/track pieces. I want quality handling parts, but nothing overboard. So I am now shopping suspension parts from sway bar to brushings. Just wanted to get opinions on what pieces I should spend money on? Where should I spend money and where can I save money? What parts are most important, etc.?

Thanks all,
Sea
 
#3 ·
What parts are “worn out?” Are the control arms okay? Assuming the steel is fine on these, may just need new bushings? If you are staying with stock suspension style, best place you can probably spend money in the front will be decent shocks (bilstein or koni), springs and roller spring perches from Open Tracker, and adjustable strut rods from Open Tracker or Street or Track. Rear end would be shocks and leaf springs, maybe a panhard bar if budget allows...

I would recommend checking out Open Tracker and giving them a call for sure!

Good luck!


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#4 ·
Everything is worn out. I need new upper control arms, bushings, sway bar, leaf springs, struts, coils, shock absorbers, you name it. The only thing that has been replaced on my car is the idler arm. Everything out is extremely worn out and stock. I'm not planning on going totally stock on this car. I was things are at least heavy duty or progressive rated.
 
#5 ·
I just put Street or Track's Stage 4 kit on my '64.5, and I'm quite happy. I also added Zray's crossmember to further tighten up the front end. Monte Carlo bar and export brace and Shelby drop if those aren't already done. And probably a rebuild of the steering box. That will take care of the front end. New leaf springs in the rear if those are worn out.
 
#6 ·
If you don’t care about staying stock design and the budget allows, I would definitely consider a coilover option up front. THere are a lot of choices out there, personally think the Street or Track and Mike Maier Inc options are great options.

This is probably also a good time to consider some steering upgrades...

Maier: https://mikemaierinc.com/product/mustang/mod1-front-suspension-package/

Street or Track: http://www.streetortrack.com/Street-or-Track-Front-Coilover-System-pr-24491.html




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#7 ·
Hi all,
thanks for the advice so far. Just wanted to clarify incase I didn't articulate it well in my first post - but I'm looking for actual part recommendations (brands, part numbers, etc.) Interested to know what others have used and how they like it. That sort of thing.

Thanks!
 
#8 ·
Open Tracker has this down to a science. a lot of folks on this forum are running similar systems with great success. You can achieve real good handling with modified stock parts. I'm sure many would give their input as to order of importance
1. Shelby drop
2. new CAs
3. plenty of caster

4. camber correction
3. roller spring perches

4. heavier springs in front
5. heavier front sway bar
6. 4 leaf mideye rear springs
7. shocks
 
#14 ·
The people recommending coil overs aren't paying attention. The guy is asking for budget solutions for a driver. Also, coil overs aren't "essential for a smooth riding car". Don't get me wrong, with the right parts, that would be the dream, but I wouldn't describe them as budget friendly.

As far as a shop recommending against the Shelby/Arning drop: time to find a new shop. That's just bad advice. The drop improves the suspension geometry and makes for a better handling car. Period.

Disclaimer: if you can afford to work with Street or Track/Opentracker, do that. Great guys that shoot you straight and have taken a lot of the guesswork out of things. I'm a fan of the blueprinted upper control arms if you don't trust yourself to set them up.

I did exactly what you are describing. In my case, staying within budget meant doing a little leg work myself and sourcing parts from multiple places.

Front:
Upper and lower control arms: Moog brand parts from Rock Auto
Sway bar and bushings: Stay with rubber bushings, not a bad time to upgrade to a thicker sway bar.
Buy the best shocks you can afford. I make KYB's work, but they are crap compared to Bilstiens. Easy to upgrade later though, so that's my plan.
Spring perch: I went with the "improved" Scott Drake perch that isn't a roller bearing, but does move much more freely. I'm sure roller bearing is better, but going from stock to this version was like night and day. Not bad for half the price of a roller solution.
Strut Rods: Adjustable would be great if you can afford it. I couldn't at the time, and just put fresh rubber bushings on and it's still a vast improvement with the other parts.
Springs: your milage may vary here depending on desired firmness and ride height. A set of GT spec springs would probably be a good idea.

Rear: it all comes down to the right kind of steel, and the consensus is that Eaton is the end-all, be-all for springs but you pay for it. Might be worth it to you to get some new budget friendly springs just to keep it from bottoming out on you and plan to upgrade later. I have some 20 year old Mustangs Plus springs and they kind of suck. Very firm and bouncy. But they work.

Last bit of advice: Do this work yourself if you can. This is an easy weekend job if you take your time and you'll learn a lot about your car and how things work.
 
#16 ·
This is really helpful. And thank you for remembering that this is a daily driver build with a definite budget. I'm super new to the car thing, but also planning to do as much work myself as possible. That being said I've definitely decided not to mess with the coil springs myself since I don't want to deal with the compressing process. I've already bought upper control arms and shock absorbers, but have to start pricing out, selecting everything else a project at a time. So I really appreciate all your advice and the information. Can't wait to get this all upgraded. My car works, but it is not currently pleasant to drive.

Thanks,
Sea
 
#17 ·
I'll agree with Blake here, he's given you a great list. The great thing about doing the work yourself is that you don't have to budget for labor costs and you can spend that labor savings on improved parts. :wink:

If budget allows, I would at the least recommend opentracker's roller spring perches or the improved drake version and bilstein shocks, at least the front ones. The arning drop costs as much as a 17/32 drill bit to do and there's no reason not to do it, especially since you'll have everything apart already. If you need the template, I'll send you mine.
 
#22 · (Edited)
The Shelby/Arning drop is one of the best things you can do to any Mustang (or Cougar). Even back when they had bias ply tires and suspension settings were a bit different, these cars were designed to understeer by rolling over onto the sidewalls in a hard corner.

With the top arm at a steep angle sloping down toward the wheel, as the suspension compresses it forces the top out, and the bottom of the tire in.

The engineers who designed this system weren't actually idiots - they were under pressure from safety experts and insurance companies. Even today, having a mild amount of understeer is desirable for production cars, because 'sliding into a ditch' when you go too fast into a turn is not as much fun as hanging the tail out. It also allows for more predictable handling.

Doing the Shelby mod doesn't eliminate understeer, but it reduces body roll and helps the tires do their job, staying flatter on the road and restoring much more neutral handling characteristics. It will reduce the height in the front by 5/8".

I agree with 22GT and BlakeTX. For a budget build, look at your stock parts. Replace things that are truly worn out, but the big goal should be to free up your suspension a bit, and reduce body roll. The Shelby drop, along with a 1" front swaybar and some better shocks will absolutely transform your ride quality. You might consider roller spring perches too. If you can afford them, Bilstein shocks are fantastic.

Another thing not to overlook is your alignment. With manual steering, you want 2-3 degrees of caster if you can get it. Power steering would like a bit more. This helps with high speed stability, as well as return-to-center, and gives you just a bit more camber when cornering, helping to brace the tire and keeping them flatter in a turn. Too much will make it harder to turn the wheel. For camber, anything between 0-1 degree of negative camber is fine; stay close to 0 for street use, but avoid positive camber (top of the tires tipped out). Adding more negative camber will make the car handle more aggressively, but also cause uneven tire wear and make it feel more wandery. You want about 1/8" toe-in so the wheels are exactly parallel when rolling down the road with both sides being pushed 'back' by road and wind resistance.

Coilover shocks are awesome, but considerably more expensive than upgraded stock suspension. Using 'made-up' percentages, I'll try to describe the difference:

Going from the stiff factory stuff with a bias-ply alignment to the changes described above will be a quantum leap. Perhaps 100% better driving experience, subjectively. Going from that to a good coilover setup might be another 10 or 15% improvement.

My car originally went around corners like a power boat. Tons of body roll, tires squealing, and even after the turn was over, I was still spinning the steering wheel to get it straightened back out. After the changes above, it handles like a new car, and just does what it's supposed to, even when driven aggressively. Ride quality improved significantly too, despite also going to stiffer, shorter 1" drop 620# springs (just to get the nose down more).
 
#23 ·
#25 ·
The OP lost me at "daily driver." Who daily drives a 54 year old car? In particular a "stock" 54 year old Mustang.
Even in pristine condition with today's quality of brand new stock suspension parts, it's still a 54 year old suspension design.

I understand why folks are trying to steer you away fro stock. Not hard to understand.

Do the Arning drop. Best free quickie improvement for the massively outdated suspension geometry.
The stock upper arms SUCK. (My personal professional opinion) If you're not going to throw dollars at it,
you will have merely a brand new arm, with all the issues (weak construction, poor ball joint angle, incorrect motion ratio,
steel-on-steel "bushing" situation and overall length compromises leading to the before-mentioned not so great geometry).
You will basically have a '65 Mustang with all the charm and shortcomings of a '65 Mustang.

I'd install Moog replacement springs in the front and probably the Eaton leaves in back. All Moog steering gear, etc.
Shocks are a nightmare on a budget. There really isn't a good cheap shock for a vintage Mustang.

As previously mentioned, Open Tracker can fix you up with everything you need in hard parts.

ex-Global West GM
1991-1995
 
#30 ·
No, brand doesn't matter here. I've never heard of any particular manufacturer offering a superior version based on design or materials. Would be happy to be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure they're all basically the same. There may be an argument for different end link bushing materials, but for a driver that isn't tearing up the track, I would go with regular rubber. I had polyurethane for a time and it just added harshness and eventually deteriorated badly.
 
#34 ·
Since you want it to be a budget minded (Rockauto has a 5% discount code which should offset shipping some)

2 MOOG RK621428 R-Series; Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint Front Upper, and
2 MOOG CK8035 Problem Solver - Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint;Front Lower

While you're at installing the upper control arms you might consider the Shelby/Arning drop.

Go to NPD and buy Eaton Springs front coils and rear leaf springs. You have to decide on the stance. Do you want original ride height or the GT look which is a little lower, using the Eaton improved handling (GT) springs.

DO you want to pay a lot for Bilstein or Koni shocks or go with a better than OEM KYB Gas-Adjust Shock.

DO you need steering linkage? For a budget daily driver go back to Rockauto.com and buy MOOG steering parts.

MOOG makes great products that last and they're not much more than the no name discount brands.

Add a 1" sway bar maybe from NPD or Summitracing.com. and add a Scott Drake export brace.

That should sum up what you need to put your car back in order and have a fun car to drive.
 
#35 ·
Ok, I’ll weigh in. I’m not a suspension expert but I did spent a long time coming up with a plan on my car. You’ll be best served understanding some of the issues with the stock suspension. Basically less then ideal camber, lack of caster and crappy alignment specs. You can actually improve these rather cheaply.

Anything you can do to stiffen up the car. Monte Carlo bar and export brace. For handling as everyone said the Arning drop. A 1” front sway bar and good shocks. Be prepared to make a sizable investment here and it’s worth the investment. Outside of doing the Arning drop everything I mentioned are easy bolt in that can be done at any time as funds come along. It’ll make a night and day difference

Moving up the money tree buying purpose built components will greatly improvement the feel of the car. A big problem on these cars is the lack of caster. Buying a upper control arm that addresses this will allow you to run more negative camber due to how the shims work. Getting rid of rubber bushing totally changes things. Suddenly it becomes crisp in every aspect. You get a direct feel. You’re talking about steel bearings, aka rod ends. Don’t worry about ride quality it’s not going to be adversely effected. Rubber bushing don’t like to twist. They want to keep the suspension in one spot and when moved, they snap the suspension back. You end up with that rubber band feeling. Steel bearings have no resistance to movement. While that thought of the steel not offering impact isolation instead it moves so you really don’t get that harsh feeling. You have a compliant suspension. I’ve been running a all steel bearing suspension for about 6 years on the street. I haven’t found it to be harsh or noisy

Both Street or Track and Opentracker Racing make great parts with customer service to match. I’m running Street or Track.
 
#38 ·
Another +1 for Blake being the anvil of reality. You don't need big suspension upgrades, fix what you have. You won't notice the difference street driving unless you drive track aggressive on the street. I raced for years and don't feel the need for something like that on my Mustang. I'm doing the same thing, revamping, mostly stock. Now. Like right now, literally. Just taking a break from the blasting cab.

Here's what I'm doing.

Last year when I got the car I did Moog ball joints and all new rubber bushings. And I did all the steering then. Though I did just send my box to Chock because it's roasted. Got the ball joints at Rock Auto. Forgot where I got the bushings. maybe CJ. Both of those will be easy for you to find.

Ordered the shocks and springs last night. I went to Summit because they had them in stock a day away. I went with QA1 TS401 non adjustable shocks and Drake 1" drop, 600 lb springs. It will be a much different ride in front but I'm OK with that. I'm used to stiffly sprung cars. The shocks are mid level but quite a bit more than what came as OEM. The Bilsteins are around the same price. When I'm done with the front I'll do the rears. Same shocks on the rear and I don't know what spring yet.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/qa1-tn401


https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-c7zz-5310-p/applications/?ibanner=SREPD2

Do the drop. If you have a non performance car the drop will correct errors in the geometry specifically correcting the camber curve and reducing body roll. It works, it's proven and the math backs it up. https://dazecars.com/dazed/drop.html

I got the template from Dazecars at the site in the link.

I also "splurged" and got the DIY roller perch kit. For a stock street ride you don't need these but because I can do the fab and the kit was inexpensive I'm doing them. https://www.dazecars.com/dazed/TestUnDIY.html Doesn't sound like you can do the DIY route and buying built parts are going to add quite a bit to your build. You'll still need to replace the bushing in your perches even if you don't do the roller perch.

Don't be concerned with taking the springs out. It's easy and you can borrow the tool from the parts store. Just be mindful that you have a compressed spring when you are working with it and you'll be fine.

I'm going to "box" my lower arm and maybe the upper. I'd toyed with making a new upper from tubing and while that's something I've done with other cars I decided not to for this one and just box the lower. At this point you don't need either of those.

To recap, bushings, ball joints, shocks, springs and a good cleanup. You'll be able to do it yourself for a relatively low cost with a few basic hand tools.
 
#40 ·
Another +1 for Blake being the anvil of reality.
Holy cow! I love that.

I too boxed my control arms. Hard to tell if it made that much of a difference, but there is some peace of mind knowing that they’re stronger.

So I should not buy any rubber bushings? Do they sell a full bushings kit that is steal? I don't know anything about these. Also, where does the Monte Carlo bar and export brace go?
He’s not saying rubber is bad, he’s saying roller bearings and steel heim joints are better. Also more expensive. That sort of thing doesn’t usually fit the budget build, but it’s great stuff to aspire to down the road. In the mean time, rubber will do just fine. Put roller spring perches and adjustable strut rods on your eventual Christmas list.
 
#39 ·
Cheapest prices I found for replacement Dorman upper arms and Moog lowers & strut rod bushings was Auto Parts Warehouse, with a 20% coupon. Then SD coils, insulators, perches and leaf springs from CJPP on discount. Plan to get the roller arm from OpenTracker, which is where I got the Shelby template too. Just need a sway bar and the suspension is done! Good Luck!
 
#47 ·
I would not get those from summit. Do you want stock ride height or a little lower? There are different rate springs like 620 (stiffer) or 540 (medium, good for DD).

I'm also suggesting following Blake's advice. Please read more before buying anything else. Go to https://dazecars.com/dazed/home.html and read the tech articles. Go to https://opentrackerracing.com/ and read, you don't need the top of the line racing stuff but buying the cheapest/wrong part means you have to buy it again and take it all back apart. Understand why you may want to upgrade particular parts and replace others with stock.

I also agree with Moog tie rods, LCA, etc from RockAuto. Try not to order from 10 different places, maybe 3. The one upgrade I did spend for was Opentrackers roller spring perches, these made a big improvement in DD you can feel just crossing train tracks. They let the suspension move more freely and respond to road changes faster keeping the tires on the ground for a smoother ride.

Try not to get sold on stiff, I've read plenty of regrets from going with 620 front springs, I used the next step down, 540's and they give a nice sporty ride.
 
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#50 ·
Try not to get sold on stiff, I've read plenty of regrets from going with 620 front springs, I used the next step down, 540's and they give a nice sporty ride.
Think 600# is stiff? Try 1300#... >:)

I don't see anyone trying to sell him on anything, just sharing what we've done. You make a good point about the stance. He'll have to find out what he likes but going more toward a stock setup I see as a good way for someone new to get a baseline. With the stock setup the original and now worn it's tough for him to know what is what. IIRC that GT spring mentioned earlier in the thread is 450# or so. Getting closer to what the performance package was back then seems like a good idea.
 
#49 ·
If you're budget minded, why not check your local craigslist from time to time. You might find good used parts from someone who is upgrading to race stuf.

You can also call around to some Mustang restoration shops and ask if they have any lightly used, stock suspension parts.

A lot of people have nice stuff on their cars and toss it to upgrade their car.

Leaf springs, nice shocks, front springs and maybe some new roller perches and you're good to go.
 
#53 ·
Nice before & after picture. I was debating on putting on the quarter trim and Mustang badges.

I think after seeing this, I'll put them on.

There is nothing, stock about my project, so it will be interesting.
 
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