S or T vs. Ridetech

[Red67Mustang]

Question; those of you who know suspension... Which system below constitutes the better rear suspension solution for a 67 Mustang (that's intended to someday try and participate in the ASCS / GG / USCA events...)?



Street Or Track - 3 Link
ridetech - Triangulated 4 link

Thanks!

[19,69camaro]

I hadn't heard of Street and Track before being a Camaro guy so I had to look up their system. I have to say I am extremely impressed. To me it looks like a very solid and adjustable design with very little compromise.

[Red67Mustang]

Thanks for the reply.

One thing I'm wrestling with is the (what seems like) inevitable bind of the triangulated 4 link - even with heim joints all around... Just picturing it my head it seems like it would start to bind with anything more than minimal movement, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something!

[68EFIvert]

I have a TCP G-bar on my 68 Mustang convertible and I think it is very similar to the ridetech design. It works great but if I were to do it again I think I would go with the S or T 3 link. I think it is just a little better design. S or T wasn't available when I built mine.

[32deucecoupe]

What is the website for s or t suspension?

[Red67Mustang]

http://www.streetortrack.com

[32deucecoupe]

Perfect...thanks

[Sock]

Have you looked at Detroit Speed?

[Red67Mustang]

Yes, but way too invasive surgery for my car at this stage. If I were still doing bodywork I'd consider DSE, but not now.

[19,69camaro]

Thanks for the reply.

One thing I'm wrestling with is the (what seems like) inevitable bind of the triangulated 4 link - even with heim joints all around... Just picturing it my head it seems like it would start to bind with anything more than minimal movement, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something!

I think you answered your own question.

[Red67Mustang]

19,69;
Thanks for the reply. I was hoping for someone with 4-link experience to confirm or refute my assumption.

[68EFIvert]

I can tell you that I haven't had any binding with my G-bar. As I mentioned earlier it works well.

[marolf101x]

it is true that at some point a heim end will bind. . .be it in a 3 or 4 link.
However, if the suspension is designed properly your suspension travel will be limited before the heim binds.
So as the car rolls the rear suspension needs to be limited by the shocks (or a frame mounted bumpstop). The suspension should be limited by either of these devices before the heim reaches bind. This ensures you have maximum suspension travel.
Make sense?

[chevelletiger]

I looked into street or track for a friend last year,and the 3link with the watts looked very impressive,that and i think those fellas at s or t have more racing experience then ride tech.check there videos on youtube if there still up.

[bret]

I looked into street or track for a friend last year,and the 3link with the watts looked very impressive,that and i think those fellas at s or t have more racing experience then ride tech.check there videos on youtube if there still up.

I, like you, don't know anything about S and T. Looks like nice stuff on the website, but I've not run across any of it in person.

BUT...I've only been involved with racing professionally since 1987, and as air ride Technologies / ridetech since 1996. Before making a final decision on our racing knowledge / credentials, take a longer look around on this site and a few others concerning who is running fast with what parts. We've got a few videos as well, including a recent TV show that included me winning the optima event at Road America.

As far as the merits of the 3 link versus the triangulated 4 link...

The 3 link is yet another great way to suspend the rear end of a racecar. It's a bit heavier, a little more cumbersome to install and route exhaust through, but performs nicely.

The tri link also performs well as demonstrated by our cars (and our customers cars) in the various Goodguys auto crosses, optima races, and independent track days that we participate in throughout the year. It is compact, it goes in under the stock floorboard, it precisely locates the rearend laterally with zero side to side movement ( meaning you can run very tight tire/fender clearance), and it spreads the lateral load out over a wide area.
While in theory, the tri link will go into rollbind at about 6 degrees of roll, in reality if your car has 6 degrees of roll, you've got way more important problems. Even a stock luxobarge won't roll but about 4degrees. A good handling car should see less than 2 degrees.
And how did I determine the real world binding point of a tri link?

Pretty simple...I used a piece of 3" diameter tubing to simulate the rear end housing, installed our bolt in tri link into an early Camaro, crawled under it and articulated the "axle" until I encountered binding. Then I had a friend lay a digital angle finder on the tube. 6 degrees.

To visualize this simply, borrow a digital level (or buy one for $30 from Home Depot), tape it to a 6 foot long 2x4 (to simulate the width of your car) then raise one end of that 2x4 until the level reads 6 degrees. Do you think your car will roll that much?

Btw...if you've measured right, one end of that 2x4 (or one side of you car) will be about 7" higher than the other at 6 degrees of roll.

Lots of good choices for a rear suspension...research will allow you to select the most appropriate one for you specific application.

[Red67Mustang]

Bret,
Thanks so much for your reply - Spot on-point for my original question - thanks for that!

Would you mind lending your expertise to direct me where I could find a diagram that locates the instant center and roll center for the triangulated 4 link when installed per ridetech instructions on a '67 Mustang? I want to follow guidance I've received from this site, and verify compatibility with my front suspension.