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.
Install the new bushings and...
Install the new bushings and tighten the bolts.
Adding to the Road & Track Box, Schwynoch also specified Maximum's adjustable rear lower control arms replete with NASCAR-style "weight jack" bolts so we could adjust ride height as need be. He also specified Maximum Motorsports' torque arm to complement the Panhard bar that comes in the Road & Track Box.
"The Mustang four-link came from the '78 Fairmont, and its design was fairly compromised to begin with," Schwynoch says. "It doesn't do anything exceptionally well; in fact, body roll should be controlled by the springs and sway bars, not the control arms as is the case with this setup. The four-link has a tendency to bind up, and when the tires break loose, the handling can be unpredictable. The popularity of the Mustang unfortunately showcases all of its deficiencies due to its old engineering."
The team at Maximum Motorsports took its shop car and set out to design a more current suspension setup for the Fox, and they ended up with a Panhard bar/torque arm setup. "We tried a three-link design during development, but found the torque arm to have noticeably better traction than the three-link with the Panhard bar," Schwynoch says.
In Part 1 of our suspension buildup, we're installing all of the front-end components, as well as the subframe connectors. This includes MM's progressive-rate coil springs, Bilstein struts, urethane sway bar mounts and end links, as well as caster/camber plates and aluminum steering rack bushings, to name a few items.
The full-length subframe connectors will keep our low-mileage Pony's chassis nice and stiff so that the suspension components can do their jobs properly and efficiently. Next month, we plan to tackle the rear of the car by installing the Panhard bar and new adjustable lower control arms, along with our newly built rear-axle assembly.
The torque arm is something we plan to hold off on until we near the end of the project. We'd like to get some seat time with the four-link/Panhard bar setup before we install the torque arm. That way we can give it a more in-depth evaluation, and return to you with the best feedback possible about the change in performance.
That said, check out how we renovated the business end of our snake, and be sure to check in with us next month as we follow up with the rear suspension and get ready to make this project a roller.
Rubber bushings-and to a lesser...
Rubber bushings-and to a lesser extent urethane ones-allow the steering rack to move around too much, even before any steering input begins to move the tires. This results in a slower steering response. Solidly mounting the rack with Maximum Motorsport's aluminum bushings eliminates rack movement and improves steering response. It also improves turn-in characteristics, allowing the car to maintain a more precise line through the corner, while requiring fewer steering corrections.
To install the steering-rack...
To install the steering-rack bushings, unbolt the rack bolts and remove the factory rubber bushings. Slide the crush sleeves out of the K-member and cut them to length.
Caster/camber plates should...
Caster/camber plates should be considered an essential item. Once you go through the trouble of modifying your suspension for better performance, the factory adjustments, or lack thereof, are pretty much useless. The Maximum Motorsports setup uses two plates that sandwich a Teflon-lined spherical bearing and several spacers at the top of the shock tower. Once installed, it is evident just how little adjustment you had and how much you have afterward. Follow the directions carefully as the plates are to be oriented in a certain manner; the plate spacers as well as the strut spacers also are specifically located.
We equipped project Stolen...
We equipped project Stolen Goods with stock GT struts and spindles, along with a set of cut-down coil springs to get the car mobile. The coils actually fall out once tension is relieved. From there we removed the struts and tie-rod ends, followed by the spindles. If you're performing this on your own ride, secure the coil spring before disassembly so it doesn't come flying out at you.
The Road & Track Box includes...
The Road & Track Box includes new urethane lower control arm bushings. Removing the old rubber ones can be done a couple of different ways, including using a drill. We opted for the non-environmentally friendly route of burning them out with a torch. You need to remove only the sleeve and the rubber itself, leaving the shell inside the control arm.
Make sure you clean the shell...
Make sure you clean the shell prior to installing the new bushings, which you should liberally coat with the supplied grease. There are two different pairs of bushings, and every control arm gets one of each.
Next up are the Maximum Motorsports...
Next up are the Maximum Motorsports coil springs and urethane isolators. The isolators are designed to give you a quiet ride, but depending on your tool chest and length of prybar, you may need to do without one or both of them. We opted not to use the top tubes so we could more easily install the front coils. We've never experienced any NVH issues by doing this, but if we did, we could always install them at a later date.
Follow the caster/camber plate...
Follow the caster/camber plate directions for the strut-spacer bushing orientation. Then install and secure the top of the strut. The Road & Track Box utilizes Bilstein struts and shocks. The Bilsteins are MM's favorite damper and are well paired to the Road & Track coil springs.
With the top of the strut...
With the top of the strut installed, assemble the spindle and attach the lower strut bolts to it.
Another component of the Road...
Another component of the Road & Track Box are the urethane sway bar end links and bushings. We've had our share of bent and even broken sway bar end links, a problem that Maximum Motorsports solves by using urethane bushings and Grade 8 bolts.
Like the end links, the urethane...
Like the end links, the urethane sway bar bushings tighten up the sway bar mounting points, allowing it to do what it needs to more efficiently. Unbolt the stock mount, remove the rubber bushing, and replace it with the urethane piece.
Even though we don't have...
Even though we don't have an engine or drivetrain, we opted to mock up the included strut tower brace and drill the necessary mounting holes for it.
The vertical sheetmetal at...
The vertical sheetmetal at the firewall is neither the thickest nor the strongest stuff in the chassis, however the factory pinch weld doubles the metal in thickness and integrity.
This is where the back two...
This is where the back two mounting points of the strut tower brace fasten. We will have to relocate our vacuum tree as well as reroute the wiring harness once we install it permanently.
We know, it's begging for...
We know, it's begging for a powerplant-but all in good time. The fact that the car is missing many of its major components has actually aided our installation of the new parts.
The Road & Track Box steps...
The Road & Track Box steps up to Maximum's XL subframe connectors, which are 65 inches long and feature multiple attachment points in addition to the gusseted seat-bolt crossbrace. The connectors are also prebent to follow the contours of the Mustang's floor for optimum ground clearance. The connectors are shipped as raw metal, and we painted the top and sides of them since it would be hard to paint those areas once they're on the car. Here, Mark Johnson removes a bit of the paint from the tabs prior to welding.
Aside from installing a rollbar,...
Aside from installing a rollbar, welding in the subframe connectors is the best way to strengthen the unibody chassis. We used a Miller 210 MIG welder to join the pieces together. Subframes, on most occasions, will offer an immediate difference in ride quality, as you'll notice the chassis no longer flexes like it use to. This allows the suspension components to do their jobs more efficiently.
The subframe connectors have...
The subframe connectors have side plates at various areas to prevent twisting. They also offer more contact area to weld to the chassis.
Maximum Motorsports supplies...
Maximum Motorsports supplies these rectangular plates that are welded over the bend in each connector to further strengthen them.
Many subframe connectors offer...
Many subframe connectors offer seat-bolt crossbraces, but none are as heavily gusseted as the XL connectors. These are included with the connectors in the Road & Track Box and must be welded also. Once all of the welding is complete, run a wire brush over all of the bare metal and welds, and then prime and paint them however you like.
Next month, we'll start on...
Next month, we'll start on the rear suspension and show you what we did with the rear axle, as we received just a housing with the Cobra at purchase time. While we won't be installing Maximum Motorsports' torque arm next issue, we will towards the end of the project so we can bring you our before and after experiences once project Stolen Goods is hammering the curves.