If you saw project Stolen Goods, MM&FF's latest project vehicle, on the January '07 cover, you may have noticed that it was perched on jackstands while exposing its rusty suspension and brakes.
When we bought the car, it didn't even have any suspension pieces, so we cobbled up a four-cylinder rearend and some GT spindles and struts we had lying around to make it mobile. In fact. the coil springs that were in it had two coils cut off of each one just so we could set them in without a struggle.
There still are no shocks in the rear, which had the back end bucking all over the place during the move to its new home. Obviously, this was a temporary solution, and this month, we plan to kick off the project by installing a properly performing suspension.
Our plan for Stolen Goods is to exceed the performance level of both the standard '93 Cobra as well as its race-ready brother, the "R" model. That's a pretty tough standard to beat, but one we thought easily accomplished with help from the folks at Maximum Motorsports in San Luis Obispo, California.
Looking for an exceptional suspension setup for the Fox Mustang that doesn't compromise ride quality is not the easiest thing to find, but MM's Chuck Schwynoch offered just what we needed.
The Maximum Motorsports Road & Track Box is a complete package of goods that takes you beyond the average spring and shock upgrade, but stops short of the track-only setup to ensure a comfortable ride to and from your destination, whether it's to the track or to the grocery store. The Road & Track Box includes a laundry list of components that upgrade most all of the stock suspension components.
"The Sport Box is a basic, budget-minded setup that uses Tokico struts and shocks," Schwynoch says. This is a kit that is designed for the average enthusiast looking to lower his/her car and maybe increase its handling and high-speed stability. Since we plan to flog project Stolen Goods at our local autocross as well as open track events, we needed something a bit more than just your basic package.
"The Road & Track kit is as far as you want to go with a street car," Schwynoch says. "Whereas the Maximum Grip box brings big changes to the front suspension geometry with coilovers, the Road & Track Box is primarily for those not wanting to change the stock-style suspension design." That's just what we were looking for.
Maximum Motorsports' Road...
Maximum Motorsports' Road & Track Box for '90-'93 Mustangs (PN RTB-2) starts at $2,245.74
The Road & Track Box includes...
The Road & Track Box includes this solid steering shaft assembly. With a stock steering shaft, motion is lost due to the flexing of the factory rubber rag-joint, which is evident as play in the steering wheel. The factory joints are replaced with race-quality, needle-bearing U-joints for precise steering input and control.
Installing the steering shaft...
Installing the steering shaft was a little easier for us since we were swapping out the steering rack bushings at the same time. MM's new steering shaft design features a telescopic shaft for various fitments and uses a factory-style pinch bolt to secure it to the steering rack. Welded U-joints offer a more secure connection than other aftermarket pieces that use set screws, which can interfere with aftermarket headers-or worse, come loose and disengage the steering altogether.