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  1. #1

    Default Futura suspension?

    Thinking of doing subframes in a couple months. I think MM full length should work. Will strut tower braces or rear shock braces fit too or do anything for the chassis? Just made for street and drag racing not actually turning. It has a factory air cleaner and running a carb. Anyone confirm any of the junk can fit from the rustangs?

  2. #2

    Default

    Mustang STBs fit just as intended. For the SFC install look up Eric The Car Guy's install on YouTube.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
    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
    Mustang STBs fit just as intended. For the SFC install look up Eric The Car Guy's install on YouTube.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
    My car squats alot with zero wheelspin. Would a stb help keep the front from flexing during launch?
    Would lakewood 50/50 rear shocks help? They are 260 for the pair here taxes in.
    Does a rear shock brace do anything? Do mustang ones fit?
    There are 2 lakewood 50/50 part numbers. Which is correct?
    Front struts would be 550 bucks here so forget that.

  4. #4

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    The front STB took a ton of flex out of my Zephyr during acceleration. I have a rear shock brace and it really doesnt add anything, I mostly use it to tie down stuff in the trunk to keep it from flying around. A worthwhile addition is the pinion snubber from a Mustang if you dont already have one.
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  5. #5

    Default

    Yeah, I did kind of wonder about the rear shock brace. I don't have one myself, but the tops of the shock towers sit only a little bit above the trunk floor. It doesn't surprise me that it wouldn't do much.

    78, I'd love to help with your other questions, but I'm not a drag racer. I just thought I would offer what I could.
    Brad

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

  6. #6

    Default

    Subs and stb are the biggest gain on any fox, for sure. Out back you may wish to get into reinforcing the torque boxes, if you're serious. I did ten years of DR on power adder and slicks with my unreinforced boxes on an 88 Mustang hatch i had.

  7. #7

    Default

    The early Fox cars have less antisquat than the later ones. This is going to result in more squat on launch and less initial forward grip on acceleration. I would relocate the RLCA holes in the chassis. This will help forward grip more than anything you can do. An STB and subframe connectors will make the car handle better, ride better and reduce NVH, but they are not going have any affect on forward rear tire grip.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Hidley View Post
    The early Fox cars have less antisquat than the later ones. This is going to result in more squat on launch and less initial forward grip on acceleration. I would relocate the RLCA holes in the chassis. This will help forward grip more than anything you can do. An STB and subframe connectors will make the car handle better, ride better and reduce NVH, but they are not going have any affect on forward rear tire grip.
    I don't have any traction problems. 2500 stall 8.8 3.31 gears c-4 400hp at flywheel. Makes a couple chirping sounds as it launches with 235/60r14 . I think it twists around alot and lots of wieght transfer with original struts and shocks.
    Relocating lca bolt placement helps for less squat?

  9. #9

    Default

    Yes. If the rear suspension is setup for 100% antisquat, that means that when the car accelerates, the rear suspension does not squat because none of the acceleration forces go through the springs or shocks. All of the acceleration forces go through what is called the SVSA (side view swing arm). When this is the case, the weight transfer forces that occur due to acceleration, appear at the tire contact patch instantly. This gives the car the most possible forward traction at T0.

    If the rear suspension is setup for 0% antisquat, then 100% of the acceleration forces go through the springs and shocks. This means that the weight transfer forces from the acceleration get transferred slowly to the tire contact patch. This means that the throttle must be rolled into slowly, or the tires will start spinning.

    The angle of the RLCA in the side view has a significant affect on the amount of AS that the rear suspension has.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  10. #10

    Default

    I just floor it and no problem.. it does lots of squat. Changing the rlca mount point would that screw with the driveline angle and create a vibration?
    Btw thanks for the subframe info you emailed me! Will come in handy!
    Where do you drill these holes for less squat to provide more forward momentum?
    Last edited by 78futura; 03-16-2019 at 11:25 PM.

  11. #11

    Default

    Where to drill the holes is a function of the ride height of the car and the OEM geometry that it had. This is not super easy to figure out because you need to take very precise measurements are where all eight pickup points are currently located. This has to be done on a drive-on style lift.

    Name:  Solid Axle Antisquat 4-link.jpg
Views: 50
Size:  38.6 KB

    The image below shows the UCA and RLCA in the side view. They are shown in red. You'd need to put the car on a lift. Lay down a very stiff sheet of plywood between the rear tires as reference plane, then take very accurate measurements to document the fore/aft and up/down locations of the control arm pickup points. This is tricky to do for the UCAs because they are angled. You need to measure the location of both ends of the bolt that go through each bushing, then average those two measurements in the fore/aft direction to find the geometric center of the bushing.

    None of this can have any affect on the driveline angles. I'm talking about moving the control arm pickup points, so that the angle of the RLCAs changes. This isn't going to move the differential housing at all.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Hidley View Post
    Where to drill the holes is a function of the ride height of the car and the OEM geometry that it had. This is not super easy to figure out because you need to take very precise measurements are where all eight pickup points are currently located. This has to be done on a drive-on style lift.

    Name:  Solid Axle Antisquat 4-link.jpg
Views: 50
Size:  38.6 KB

    The image below shows the UCA and RLCA in the side view. They are shown in red. You'd need to put the car on a lift. Lay down a very stiff sheet of plywood between the rear tires as reference plane, then take very accurate measurements to document the fore/aft and up/down locations of the control arm pickup points. This is tricky to do for the UCAs because they are angled. You need to measure the location of both ends of the bolt that go through each bushing, then average those two measurements in the fore/aft direction to find the geometric center of the bushing.

    None of this can have any affect on the driveline angles. I'm talking about moving the control arm pickup points, so that the angle of the RLCAs changes. This isn't going to move the differential housing at all.
    I don't have a lift and no one I know has one so these measurements would be a real pita to do..

    It the upper control arms are not moved and the rlca attachment point goes forwards would the diff not roll forwards and the pinoin angle change unless the upper control arm was adjusted to compensate? Unless the bolt holes go up or down in the mount then the rlca angle would change. That is probably what you guys are talking about... I never seen a picture of one modified to know where these holes are drilled..

  13. #13

    Default

    If you move the UCA or RLCA holes either up/down or fore/aft, then yes, this would pull or push the axle housing and change the pinion angle. I would not do that.

    When you relocate these holes, the goal is to change the angle of the arms in this view to move the IC up or down. To do this, rotate one of the control arms around its pivot bolt on the axle housing. Then drill a new hole where the front bushing of that control arm ends up. Since the control arm is being rotated around the rear bolt, the front of it is moving in an arc. Not straight up/down or fore/aft.

    If you don't have an accurate way to measure the locations of the existing pivot points, you do not want to attempt to do this.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  14. #14

    Default

    I like to go with"If it ain't broke you ain't tryin!" But.. this this time I will leave well enough alone.

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