Project Automatic Weapon Part III: S197 Mustang Suspension Install

Joe starts to put the Steeda Panhard bar into position. Use the rubber hammer on the passenger side-it's a nice, tight fit.

The next order of business is dropping the stock sway bar. Leave that piece in until the Panhard bar is in place. Monitor ride height and wheel location throughout this process. The sway bar is a quick swap.

Joey begins by adding the billet Steeda sway-bar attachments.

Then he installs the Steeda sway bar. They're all top-quality materials and fabrication throughout.

Steeda is known for its excellent performance spring kits that will lower the car safely. This helps increase handling on the street or road course, as well as increase aerodynamics on the dragstrip. Plus, it just looks cool to have a dropped ride.

Here, Joey has already pulled the stock spring, and he's well on his way to having the Steeda lowering spring put into position. You can put in the springs first, but Joey wanted to make sure the stock ride height and stock measurements didn't throw off the Panhard bar installation.

Here's a look at the stock three-link, which is one of the major upgrades on the S197 Mustangs.

The guys at Paul's Automotive Engineering go to work getting out the stock three-link upper. Yes, you have to take the central bolt out through the interior.

Here's the comparison shot of the stock and Steeda three-link uppers. As you can see, the Steeda piece is stronger, comes with a better bushing, and offers adjustability.

Paul's Automotive Engineering had a second car in the shop that had the Steeda three-link installed with a BMR mounting plate. With the rearend out of the car, it gives you a good idea of what the final installation should look like.

While we were upgrading the rearend, we also installed the nice Steeda upper rearend housing spherical bushing. This is a must-have piece if you plan to drive your Mustang in anger. It offers an uncompromised link from the car to the rear suspension. The installation is somewhat challenging, as the stock bushing is an integral part of the car that Ford designed to last a lifetime without coming out. Think air chisel.

After a day's work at Paul's Automotive Engineering, our rear suspension looked like this. With all of the Steeda hardware onboard, we can't wait to get this car back on the street and out to the strip. It should be a whole new car-especially with what we've got planned under the hood. Stay tuned...