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  1. #1

    Default Stock rear suspension advice

    Hello,

    Long time reader/first poster.

    I'm finally getting my first car ('82 GT) out of storage to return to its former glory.

    I have been reading many forums on what to do with the rear suspension and am a little stumped since it sounds like the stock lower control arm bushings are hard to come by.

    What I've learned so far:

    OEM rubber bushings (still available) should be used for the stock UCAs.
    The lower stock bushings are very hard to find.

    Forums recommending updating to new tubular LCAs with poly bushings, but my concern is:
    My car has no quad shocks to help alleviate wheel hop...it has the slapper bars. If I replace with new LCAs, they won't have the OEM contact pad for the slappers to slap.

    So...Do I ditch the slappers altogether and hope my car doesn't hop to death with new LCAs? Or, are the stock bushings or a polyurethane bushing that would fit available somewhere for the LCAs?

    Any help is greatly appreciated!

  2. #2

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    My understanding of it is, stiffer LCAs along with poly bushings help alleviate wheel hop themselves.

    Welcome! Where in MN are you located?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    My understanding of it is, stiffer LCAs along with poly bushings help alleviate wheel hop themselves.

    Welcome! Where in MN are you located?
    I've heard that as well. People caution that it if it solves wheel hop can depend on a lot factors: brand of LCA, what other components are back there and even the nuance of your particular car. I'm guessing new LCAs/hoping for the best is probably the route I'll have to go.

    I'm in South Minneapolis. Thanks for the welcome! Pretty cool community here.
    Last edited by MN_Stang; 06-01-2018 at 02:15 PM.

  4. #4
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Poly Bushings at one of the LCA can help with overall handling and wheel hop issues, but Poly at both ends can be an issue unless the bushings use a 3 piece design. I highly recommend the Maximum Motorsports products and definitely do in this application. Below is directly from their website in regards to issues with many aftermarket control arms and adding poly bushings to stock arms.

    "Good Research is the Basis of Good Engineering. Instead of simply making control arms the same way as everyone else, MM's designs are the result of extensive motion analysis of what actually occurs when the rear suspension moves over bumps, and during body roll. We then designed control arm bushings that provide what is needed to improve traction and handling.


    We tested other aftermarket control arms, and found that most use bushing designs that actually cause an increase in suspension bind, when compared to stock! Control arms that use hard urethane bushings at each end increased the wheel rate by almost 400%! For comparison, as little as a 10% increase in rear wheel rate will have a noticeable effect on the handling balance of a car.


    The concept of wheel rate is similar to that of spring rate. To put it into simple terms, the wheel rate is measured at the wheel, not at the spring. Poorly designed suspension components can prevent the control arms from articulating properly during bump and body roll, and therefore cause suspension bind. This suspension bind will cause the wheel rate to increase unpredictably, adversely affecting handling.


    So, why does the wheel rate increase? In the Mustang's rear suspension design, whether it is still the stock 4-link suspension design, or has been modified to a Torque-arm or three-link design, the control arms do not simply pivot around the mounting bolts. The arms also move sideways, with an angular motion (relative to the pivot axis). If that angular motion is restricted because of a poor bushing design, the suspension will bind. All Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms allow the necessary freedom of movement, while continuing to positively locate the axle in the fore-and-aft direction. The engineering expertise we put into our unique bushing designs puts the MM control arms in a class above the rest!


    Most aftermarket rear control arms use either hard 2-piece urethane bushings or some form of solid bushing. These types of bushings do not allow the angularity needed for the Mustang rear suspension to move freely. The resulting suspension bind causes the rear tires to break loose very easily. Suspension bind not only causes poor handling and poor traction, but it also causes damage to the torque-boxes. Torque box re-enforcement is rarely necessary with a properly designed set of rear lower control arms, such as MM's.


    Stop wheel hop
    Ford's solution for reducing wheel hop was to add the quad shocks (the two horizontal shocks mounted behind the rear axle). They reduce wheel hop by damping axle wind-up. Axle windup is caused by two independent deflections: the control arms, and the rubber bushings.


    MM's rear lower control arms eliminate the primary causes of axle wind-up. Our tubular steel arms are over three times stiffer than the stock control arm, and our unique bushing designs eliminate the deflection of the soft stock rubber bushings."
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by wraithracing View Post
    Poly Bushings at one of the LCA can help with overall handling and wheel hop issues, but Poly at both ends can be an issue unless the bushings use a 3 piece design."
    Thanks, I will definitely check out MM LCAs.

    Can you clarify the above?
    I was originally thinking it was best to keep my OEM UCA and put in new OEM rubber bushings at both differential and body locations.
    Then, maybe buy MM LCAs (which come with urethane bushings at both body and differential positions).

    Is that what you meant?

  6. #6

    Default

    Fwiw, I strongly recommend the MM HD adjustable rear control arms for a non-quarter mile car.

    http://www.maximummotorsports.com/He...1998-P523.aspx
    Heavy-Duty Adjustable Mustang Rear Lower Control Arms, 1979-1998
    $379.95

    Item # MMRLCA-2
    Manufacturer: Maximum Motorsports



    The nice thing about the adjustable rear control arms is that they allow someone to fine tune the body height.
    So, if someone wants to a slightly wider tire in the rear, and don't want a lowered car, they can go with a stiffer rear spring, and then adjust the body height a little higher.
    Or, someone could go with the spring rated for what they need/want, and slightly lower the car for looks.

    Note, I'm talking a little adjustment of body height. Regardless, people must be aware of any risks/problems, if the rear suspension ends up at full squat/compression.

    Also, what a PITA MM makes it to get the image links to their full-size pictures!

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    If you want good rear suspension eliminate the stock sway bar. MM makes an adjustable that does not use the stock mounting locations and does not add bind.

    A panhard or torque arm further eliminates rear bind.

    On a street car copying the 93 Cobra results in an outstanding experience. 4cyl LX springs are a much better match to the Stock GT fronts.

    My 1986GT handles vastly better than stock and it rides better than stock too. All I did was ditch the rear sway bar and go to 4 cyl springs. My car sits around 1.5” lower than stock. I run X2 balljoints and caster/camber plates with Stock springs in front.

    Im in the process of having Trey rebuild my Saleen Racecraft suspension equipped 1985GT. It will wear all the Saleen goodies when it’s done. We added subframe connectors and will add MM upper and lower control arms and a panhard. We shall see how the Racecraft swaybar fares once the panhard is removing bind.

    The 85 build is all 4 lug while the 86 is now 5....

  8. #8
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MN_Stang View Post
    Thanks, I will definitely check out MM LCAs.

    Can you clarify the above?
    I was originally thinking it was best to keep my OEM UCA and put in new OEM rubber bushings at both differential and body locations.
    Then, maybe buy MM LCAs (which come with urethane bushings at both body and differential positions).

    Is that what you meant?
    The Upper Control Arms that MM sells are essentially stock uppers with rubber bushings. Be sure to install new rubber bushings in the rear axle housing. Also buy the MM tool for removing and installing the axle bushings well worth the price IMHO.

    The entry level MM Rear Lower Control Arms use poly bushings at both ends, but they use a 3 piece design rather than the more common 2 piece or even 1 piece design that causes bind due to the limited motion of the 1 and 2 piece bushings.

    I personally like the Heavy Duty version of the MM RLCA as shown in the posts above. I have that on 2 of my Foxes and really like the way they work. I also have a set of the Extreme Duty versions on my Road Racer for the time being. Once I complete the full MM transformation to the rear suspension including the adjustable rear sway bar, I will go to the Road Race only RLCA and the Extremes will end up on my 82 GT. Hope that clears things up a bit.
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

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