looking for quality, sway bar and suspension

[breaknstuf4fun]

ok then, i've been trying to figure out what's good to buy and what's not for a long time. i understand that sway bars (in shortest terms) help keep your road demon stuck to he ground when your throw it hard into a turn pushing high RPMs in 4th or 5th gear, and parts, such as coil-overs, struts, and air-struts, do that plus adds grip and overall smoother turning. Now my question is two things, what's the diff between coil-overs and sturts (or are they just two parts that make one)and what other types of suspension should i know about, and what can you look at to figure out what brand is better than the other over priced brand. Becuase personally with sway bars, all i see is a metal rod hooking to the top or bottom of your frame, so i don't knwo what the difference in material or design does to performance. Also struts and coil-overs, what measurements, numbers or what ever shoudl i be looking at to know i'm not getting scrap metal.

any info will help really, just make sure that you're clear when your talking or else i will ask many a question to figure it out.

::thanks::

[StangNut86]

Originally Posted by breaknstuf4fun

ok then, i've been trying to figure out what's good to buy and what's not for a long time. i understand that sway bars (in shortest terms) help keep your road demon stuck to he ground when your throw it hard into a turn pushing high RPMs in 4th or 5th gear, and parts, such as coil-overs, struts, and air-struts, do that plus adds grip and overall smoother turning. Now my question is two things, what's the diff between coil-overs and sturts (or are they just two parts that make one)and what other types of suspension should i know about, and what can you look at to figure out what brand is better than the other over priced brand. Becuase personally with sway bars, all i see is a metal rod hooking to the top or bottom of your frame, so i don't knwo what the difference in material or design does to performance. Also struts and coil-overs, what measurements, numbers or what ever shoudl i be looking at to know i'm not getting scrap metal.

any info will help really, just make sure that you're clear when your talking or else i will ask many a question to figure it out.

::thanks::

www.maximummotorsports.com

they have everything you could possibly need to make your car stick to the track like glue, or hook up and go straight at the strip. it's all very high quality and reasonably priced, plus they do their own R&D.

[PMDtempest]

hotchkis always has good stuff and many people use their brand. www.hotchkisperformance.com

and heres a link to all the 79-93 mustang parts
http://www.hotchkis.net/cgi-bin/EDCs...ng%3B1979-1993

[351wStang]

LOL! Joe Dirt, right on.

But to get on topic. I have some Lakewood traction bars on my truck that helped alot. No more wheel hop.

[breaknstuf4fun]

This maybe just a tuner view of it, but does the material the swaybars, or springs matter any (do they even make springs out of another material?). materials like steel, alumminum, carbonfiber, etc. Or is that all just for sales pitch to say, we have it made out of carbon fiber? or is there actually some thought behind that

[GTStang]

For Mustangs if you really care about handling here is where you go.

#1. Griggs Racing- Be prepared to go broke!

#2. Maxium Motorsports- Not much better but a lil cheaper still a hurting on the wallet.

#3. Kenny Brown- The few handling parts he does make are nice and at a easier price to handle than the other 2

[silverstangs]

Originally Posted by GTStang

For Mustangs if you really care about handling here is where you go.

#1. Griggs Racing- Be prepared to go broke!

#2. Maxium Motorsports- Not much better but a lil cheaper still a hurting on the wallet.

#3. Kenny Brown- The few handling parts he does make are nice and at a easier price to handle than the other 2

I couldn't say that better myself........ actually my car is going to end up being a hybrid of Maximum Motorsports, Kenny Brown and Maier Racing.

[tturnpaw]

Originally Posted by silverstangs

I couldn't say that better myself........ actually my car is going to end up being a hybrid of Maximum Motorsports, Kenny Brown and Maier Racing.

What about steeda? I thought they were pretty good.....

[PMDtempest]

steeds has a ton of parts. www.steeda.com i think there stuff is decent. nice job picking up on that tturnpaw

[silverstangs]

Originally Posted by tturnpaw

What about steeda? I thought they were pretty good.....

I have Steeda stuff too, the Tri-ax shifter, Clutch Quadrant, Firewall adjuster, the X2 Ball Joint and the Bumpsteer kit. I might get the Steeda Cobra IRS Differental Cover Brace, but I am not sure if it solve the issue as well as a IRON differential housing will. The Steeda Cobra IRS Subframe Bracket Kit is also on my list but I am not sure if I will get them because I am not too happy with the design, and I am not sure the mounting point is appropriate for what they are suspossed to do. As far as the rest of Steeda's, they do good stuff, it just does not meet my needs.

[StangNut86]

Originally Posted by silverstangs

I have Steeda stuff too, the Tri-ax shifter, Clutch Quadrant, Firewall adjuster, the X2 Ball Joint and the Bumpsteer kit. I might get the Steeda Cobra IRS Differental Cover Brace, but I am not sure if it solve the issue as well as a IRON differential housing will. The Steeda Cobra IRS Subframe Bracket Kit is also on my list but I am not sure if I will get them because I am not too happy with the design, and I am not sure the mounting point is appropriate for what they are suspossed to do. As far as the rest of Steeda's, they do good stuff, it just does not meet my needs.

i have their quadrand and firewall adjuster... no complaints.

[tturnpaw]

Originally Posted by silverstangs

I have Steeda stuff too, the Tri-ax shifter, Clutch Quadrant, Firewall adjuster, the X2 Ball Joint and the Bumpsteer kit. I might get the Steeda Cobra IRS Differental Cover Brace, but I am not sure if it solve the issue as well as a IRON differential housing will. The Steeda Cobra IRS Subframe Bracket Kit is also on my list but I am not sure if I will get them because I am not too happy with the design, and I am not sure the mounting point is appropriate for what they are suspossed to do. As far as the rest of Steeda's, they do good stuff, it just does not meet my needs.

So which companies specialize or have the best Fox body suspension parts? Just curious.

[GTStang]

Originally Posted by tturnpaw

What about steeda? I thought they were pretty good.....

Steeda is ok too a lot of their stuff is just another companies' products repackage but at least when they do this they use some of the best companies. Except for their 5-link though most of their handling stuff is not on the level of Griggs or MM.


As far as which has the best handling suspension it is Griggs without question. But you have to understand that most of their stuff is marketed towards guys who are building road race Mustangs. They are not building or marketing to guys who want a better handling daily driver although their stuff can certainly do this. This is reflected in their prices and to the degree of what their parts do.

[silverstangs]

Originally Posted by tturnpaw

So which companies specialize or have the best Fox body suspension parts? Just curious.

My personal pecking order is this

1) Griggs Racing
2) Maximum Motorsports
3) Saleen
4) Roush
5) Steeda
6) Kenny Brown
7) Evolutionmsport


There are alot of other companies out there that do make good stuff, don't get me wrong. And this is strictly my opionions. I don't think any one company makes the best parts for a Fox body or SN95 mustang. On top of that, it also depends on what your goals are. Are you a person that just wants really good ride confort and handling, or something setup for the 1/4 mile or even autocross?

I personally like the autocross type racing. I don't really care for the 1/4mile racing at all, so my choices are oriented towards autocross.

If your looking for a hard core autocross suspension, I would point you in the direction of Griggs Racing & Maximum Motorsports.If I was looking to build a autocross car, and had to choose between a car with the full Maximum Motorsports or Griggs suspension versus Roush or Saleen, on a autocross track, I'll take take Griggs or Maximum Motorsports because they are more race oriented. Griggs and Maximum Motorsports never imply anything but race. Griggs and Maximum Motorsports have deveopled parts and raced them, and came out with strong designs. Griggs is on the upper end of the scale when it comes to prices. Maximum motorsports is not quite as painfull in the wallet. Maximum Motorsports is also the first company to delvelope the 4-BOLT Caster Camber plates. They have proven the weakness to the 3-BOLT cc plates, so all the other companies just started coming out with 4 bolt designs. Even Steeda changed their design to a 4-Bolt pattern.

If you want OEM turnkey stuff, and something competative to SVT, then I will point you to Saleen, Roush and Steeda. Saleen & Roush do alot of OEM developement work for Ford, so their fit and finish is pretty good. If I was looking for a Turn Key car, these two is where I would start. Roush and Saleen has their stuff designed for the street oriented drivers and showroom floors. They also have direct communications with all of the Ford suppliers. Also with a Saleen or Roush, you can pretty much take your car to most Ford dealers that also sell SVT products for warrenty work since most also sell Saleen & Roush cars.

Steeda and Kenny Brown make some nice products and they look for unique ways to solve issues with the hardway you already have. I don't have a complaint about anything that I have ever bought from them, or installed that came from them. Steeda has been getting into the turnkey business and is really a new player in the business compared to Roush and Saleen. Steeda is not as well known to me as Saleen & Roush, and that's because Steeda is a east coast company and has not marketed their products here on the west coast. Kenny Brown has really developed his parts around racing, and he has a strong V6 mustang that he uses. He loves the IRS and has made parts for the IRS that no body else has, like the upper and lower control arms. He has even created his own bolt in IRS system. Nobody else has done that. If you have a IRS, you need to check out his parts.

Evolutionmsport is not a well known company, and probally the only people that have heard of them are on the Corner Carvers forum. Evolutionmsport is the only company that has made a completely bolt in WATTS-LINK system that works with the stock exhaust, some of the aftermarket stuff might have slight clearence issues. Griggs and other's require welding and some cutting for their watts link system. Maximum Motorsports went with a Panhardbar instead of a watts link. Evolutionmsport also created a torque arm that works as well as the torque arm in the 05 mustangs. They call it the Trilink. It is the alternative to getting a massive and heavy Torque arm that Maximum Motorsports, Griggs and other companies have.

Again these are on MY PERSONAL LIST and this is strictly MY OPINIONS based from my own experiences. I have delt with products from other companies, that have also been good. I am not a 1/4mile person, so I can not give you opinions on parts dealing with racing down a drag strip.

[91notchback]

i just bought MM vette killer suspension pluse there torque arm and the rear springs for the torque arm. all thats on right now is the panhard bar the rest is still in the mail should all be here by thursday. they tested this $2000 suspension and on crap street tires it went through the salom at 68.7mph. i bought all that suspension pluse the torque arm for less then $2000 and all of it was new just search around the net for deals, i have some sights saved if some one wants them