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Were can I get good springs? The front springs seem to be good but my rears are a little soft. I do not know what they are. The car has a fair amount of body roll. I like the balance fairly well as it is so I am a little weary to mess with it. I would like to get a panhard bar. Where can I get one? I don't need a fancy one. My drive shaft hits on the tunnel when I hit bumps. Does anyone else have this problem? I do have stock for shocks on the rear.
Thanks,Jim
H&R, Eibach, FMS, etc... all can sell you a relatively matched set. You can also cut down stock SN-95 Cobra springs, or even a set of Mach I springs, but I'd go the aftermarket route. As to the driveshaft hitting and stuff, nope... you're the only one! http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif
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-Marcello Canitano
www.SilverHorseRacing.com
i agree with marcello. driveshaft problems, never had any.
What do you guys think. Is it the rear springs or the rear shocks that are allowing the rear end to dip down far enough for the drive shaft to hit. It hits on the top of the tunnel. You can see the wear marks. I oddly enough don't recall feeling it on the track though. If I were to stiffen up the rear what can I expect it to do to the handling characteristics of the car. Would I now have a push? I think I will try new adjustable rear shocks first before I mess with the springs.
I need a pan hard bar too.
Thanks,
Jim
Jim,
Shocks only control the speed at which he suspension travels, damping the action. While you might dampen it enough with shocks to have it not hit, the reality is that the springs are what hold up the mass, and if you're bottomin out, you obviously are too low / too weak in the spring department. Maybe a bump rubber would be a solution, but when you hit it, the suspension effectively goes rigid, which I doubt you'd like...
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-Marcello Canitano
www.SilverHorseRacing.com
I agree with you. My only thought process was that the rear shocks are factory (new) and they do not dampen well. The car is soft in the back and makes it loose in the rear. I kind of like it but I may benefit from a stiffer set up. I would be willing to bet that no one else is running with factory shocks. The bump stop would work but I would not want the upset. What driveshafts are you running? Mine is aluminum. A steel shaft would have a smaller diameter.
hey trueblue. mine is an 87 model hatchback. i have found that by running a thicker rear sway bar(.75")and 250lbs rear springs the car went from a bad push to very neutral and in some corners at sebring loose condition.i like this set up myself better.
You've still got other issues. If the rear is going that high, I would bet that in addition to bottoming the rear axle housing, it is also rotating the pinion upward somehow, that's about how far it would have to go to smack the tunnel.Quote:
Originally posted by trueblue:
I agree with you. My only thought process was that the rear shocks are factory (new) and they do not dampen well. The car is soft in the back and makes it loose in the rear.
A car that is soft in the rear would be tight, as in it would tend to understeer, not oversteer.
I kind of like it but I may benefit from a stiffer set up. I would be willing to bet that no one else is running with factory shocks.
You would be surprised what's actually under the #93, and the #88 http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif
The bump stop would work but I would not want the upset. What driveshafts are you running? Mine is aluminum. A steel shaft would have a smaller diameter.
Looking at this differently though, are you running any lateral location device (ie Panhard, watts link, etc?) If not, you may be experiencing side to side play that is showing up in the tunnel. What's the condition and material of the bushings in the rear control arms? Is the mark centered on the tunnel, or off to the 11-1:00 positions? Your original post mentioned hitting bumps. Is this in a straight line, or in a corner?
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-Marcello Canitano
www.SilverHorseRacing.com
I have stock bushings from 1980. They look fine but I know they are prone to give.Quote:
Originally posted by SilverHorseRacing:
You've still got other issues. If the rear is going that high, I would bet that in addition to bottoming the rear axle housing, it is also rotating the pinion upward somehow, that's about how far it would have to go to smack the tunnel.
Looking at this differently though, are you running any lateral location device (ie Panhard, watts link, etc?) If not, you may be experiencing side to side play that is showing up in the tunnel. What's the condition and material of the bushings in the rear control arms? Is the mark centered on the tunnel, or off to the 11-1:00 positions? Your original post mentioned hitting bumps. Is this in a straight line, or in a corner?
I hit the bumps on a staight line. I was running a DE at the Talladega GP. They have a dip before one of the turns.
I am not running a Watts or Panhard bar. I would like to get something. I don't know where to buy one though. I am leaning more towards the panhard bar. The rub marks are mostly at 12:00. The drive train feel worse on hard decel. I thought I had a bad u-joint or loose pinion but all that checked out OK.
I am really suprised at the fact that soft shocks would make it tight. I would have thought the other way around. I like how the car drives. It is pretty neutral. I did notice that by changing links on the front swaybar that it really made a difference in whether it pushed or not. I like the shorter links. I have seen photos of the car and it does not stay as flat in the turns as my Fiesta did. The car feels fat and lazy by comparison. I would like to fix that. If I am not smooth the body roll comes back and bites me!
I have not driven the car enough to really figure out what I am doing with it. I still want to drive it like a front drive car. I am afraid to do too much because the fella I bought it from seem to have pretty good luck with it just the way it is. I do want to fix a few things though.
[This message has been edited by trueblue (edited November 27, 2003).]
Oh one more thing. I do not have a rear sway bar.
Hey trueblue I met you back in April, I was the one that showed you the car. I just picked up doug's car for parts and we were running it that weekend. Anyway email me on the side I have a ton of spare mustang parts including a panard bar set up.
Ron Sattele
[email protected]
Ron,
How is it going! You have mail.
May I add a note here on the driveshaft/tunnel interference:
That you must also determine if your chassis is lowered too much. An initial low profile doesn't leave much "bump" room, requiring much stiffer springs and shocks to control the movement.
We didn't lower ours very much in the rear, and never had any interference.
Good luck.
Good racing.
Bill
[This message has been edited by bill f (edited December 18, 2003).]
Bill,
As a matter of fact it has an appearance of being too high. I am going to play with it. I can say that the shaft is pretty close. I don't have a whole lot of room. I really feel stiffer shocks or a stiffer spring rate would help. I guess I will find out more in the upcoming race season.