Oh great and powerful suspension Gurus, please help my mustang.

[Coupe]

Hi! Im new here and I just brought my 65 Fastback home last night and after 5 hours behind the wheel I am ready to tip that thing apart and make it mo bettah. I have had a classic mustang in the past, but that was 20 years ago and im a bit out of touch. My last mustang was a FOX body and I used Kenny Brown suspension bits to make it handle better. I was pleased with the end result on that car, I want my 65 to handle and steer like that.

So I would like to ask you guys for a bit of help. :worship:

I really dont like the 45 year old design and dont want to spend money patching it together piecemeal and then finding out it still sucks, so I am looking at newer designs. I think I am going to shy away from the Mustang II idea, I dont want to cut that much off of the car and I just dont see it being the best option.

I need to deal with the bump steer issues and the steering in general. The moving parts also need upgrading.

I dont know if I should do a new manual steering box or go with a manual rack? Comments?

For suspension I have been looking at this "Gateway (http://www.gatewayperformancesuspension.com/xstream.aspx)" performance setup that uses struts and a lower control arm for the front suspension and want some feedback from anyone that has installed/driven a car with this setup.

It looks like a fair value and I like the idea of going to the auto parts store in 5 years and being able to get replacement parts etc..

Here is a pic for your enjoyment.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[NOT A TA]

Welcome to the forum! There's several early/mid 60's Ford builds in the project section you might want to look at.

[Proforged]

Easy

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

http://www.jmeenterprises.com/JME%20New%20Suspension.shtml

:D

[cheapthrillz]

http://www.totalcontrolproducts.com/

Get your checkbook out..... lol

[cheapthrillz]

Easy

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

http://www.jmeenterprises.com/JME%20New%20Suspension.shtml

:D

Checkbook might not cover this lol.....

May have to take out a second and third mortgage!

If you wanted to do it "right" you could use the JME setup....

Its soooooooooooo preeeeeetttttttttttty......

[John Wright]

Its soooooooooooo preeeeeetttttttttttty......
very modular looking.

[cheapthrillz]

very modular looking.

Ha ha. Yes, Yes, very modular indeed sir

[Bryce]

Well, I built my own suspension for my falcon. As for boltin/spend money suspension, TCP is the best. Get the entire setup from them. I would stay away from struts, but they can be made to handle well.

[DynoDon]

I don't think that struts are anywhere near as good as doing the TCP or Global West kits to the stock front end.
Although Strut cars can be made to handle decent, there is virtually no camber gain in a corner, something that can be achieved with the aforementioned kits.
I have used both many times - my current Falcon convert has the complete Global West kit. The last Mustang I did had the TCP stuff. Very happy with both.

[T-CHRGD]

Give Mark a call. He can provide a wealth of information. We are a Total Control dealer

610-346-8154

[Mean 69]

If you are less worried about the appearance of the system (i.e. cool billet machined pieces) or the marketing approach (ala TCP), and are more concerned about true performance that has been proven, then check out Grigg's racing. The guy who started JME (at least one of them) is also the guy that started and later sold Total Control Products. None of these setups are cheap, and I further have heard that Grigg's might be sold off (ironically, to the same outfit that TCP was sold to!!!), but if I had an open checkbook the order would be Grigg's, JME, then TCP.

If you wish to keep more of the stock "style" components, but upgrade the basics to something that istuned and works infinitely better, then check out Global West, or Cobra Automotive. Both of these systems use modified spring rates, leaf springs in back, revised geometry but are less invasive than some of the other comprehensive systems. And they work, really well.

New comer on the block is Maire Racing with a rear setup that works really well, and is super pimpy in terms of the rear shock arrangement.

Great cars, best of luck.
Mark

[CarlC]

Mark! Good to hear from you buddy.

[jfoster]

www.griggsracing.com

http://picasaweb.google.com/griggsracing/1966GR350StreetByGriggsRacing#

[My427stang]

Well, if you want to drive it in the mean time.

Setting it to 3.0 DS caster, 3.25 Passenger side, 1/16 toe, and zero camber makes a heck of a difference.

In addition, dropping the upper control arms 1 inch, and making sure the steering box is full of grease and adjusted properly is huge too.

Its not a great setup, but they don't drive bad with the changes above, I'd consider it as good as a modern "non-performance" car.

Might be worth it for the interim.

[funcars]

What do you want to do with the car? How much power will it have? Do you like to do your own fabrication? A good street driver is a lot less work and expense than a track worthy car with 500-600+ hp.

[MrQuick]

What do you want to do with the car? How much power will it have? Do you like to do your own fabrication? A good street driver is a lot less work and expense than a track worthy car with 500-600+ hp.
I agree, the stock suspension can be made to work very well with the right combination of parts and a different wheel tire set up.

Check with Maier racing http://www.maierracing.com/

Mike Maier is a member here and they will steer you right. What part of the country are from?


Vince

[exwestracer]

If you want it to handle well, converting to a strut isn't your best choice. I agree with the comments about staying with the basic stock design. The early Mustangs suffer from a lack of engine compartment structure, which allows suspension deflection and erratic handling. Concentrate on beefing up the control arm mounting points. Changing to a much beefier crossmember and gusseting in the "corner" between the crossmember and the UCA mounts (as much as pan and exhaust clearance will allow) is a good way to tighten up the front.

One of the benefits of that 45 year old design is that it has been raced and modified almost constantly throughout that time, and there is a lot of knowledge and good parts available. Swapping to a strut is not a common handling modification (for good reason), so you won't have much engineering help to draw on.

[Coupe]

Thanks for the help guys. I think after looking at all of the options I'm a bit overwhelmed with the choices. From what I have learned I may just want to go the Shelby/GT350 route with bracing and a "Shelby drop", new pitman arm and springs etc..maybe a side order of new center link and better sways etc..
The reason I was looking tat the struts package is that it came with brakes (I have drum now) for much less money than most of the other non-stock kits that just offered a-arms and springs. and I figured it may have been worth looking at for a street machine.

I am curious about using a flaming river box tho, has anyone here had any real experience with them? Would I still end up with a poor turning radius? This thing turns around with a motor homes turning radius.