Subscribe
Give a Gift
Digital Edition
Subscriber Services
Home
»
Tech
»
2005 Ford Mustang Steeda Suspension
»
front suspension installation
2005 Ford Mustang Steeda Suspension - The New Style
From a hardware perspective, installing the new Steeda aluminum lower control arms is just like any other-get 'em in and tighten them down solidly. An inner bushing and an outer washer keep the arm from binding in its brackets.
The rear seat is removed to access a Third link bolt.
Here's the Third link bolt coming out of its hiding spot under the rear seat. Surprisingly, this is one of the most accessible of the bolts involved with the Third link, as the rest are accessed from under the car, and sort of buried above the differential.
Steeda's Third link is a bit stiffer than stock, and it's adjustable for length. The length adjustment allows changing pinion angle to compensate for changes due to a lower ride height or need to increase rear bite.
Like the Panhard rod, the easy way to set up the Third link is to adjust it to match the stock part's length. That'll give a good starting point, from which the length can be changed in the car as part of the dialing-in process.
Installing the Third link is difficult to photograph because it's buried atop the rear axle. But it uses the same hardware as the stock Third link so, procedurally, it's just like swapping out a stock link.
At the opposite end of the installation spectrum is the rear sway bar. It hangs right out in the open, again using the stock mounting points. After all the other rear-axle work has been finished, the rear sway bar can be installed and cinched down. Our installation uses the optional Steeda chassis links for a more rigid, responsive sway-bar installation.
At the front of the chassis, our subject car was already sporting Steeda's control-arm relocation kit. It's a four-hour installation by itself and is best accomplished by some tack welding and large hole drilling, so it's a pro job.
Part of installing the adjustable camber kit is egging out the strut-to-spindle holes in the strut. This can be quickly done freehand with a die grinder.
Key to Steeda's adjustable camber kit is a series of offset bushings. Here's a whole set of such bushings, which fit into the billet-aluminum plate on the strut. It requires some disassembly to affect a camber change, but beats the stock arrangement of no camber adjustment whatsoever.
With the coil spring mounted concentrically with the strut, the only way to service the new Mustang struts is with a pro-type spring compressor. There's tremendous energy stored in the spring, so don't try to monkey motion your way around this pro job at home.
Sway bar swapping is easy enough - simple nut-and-bolt connections at the chassis and sway-bar end links are all that's holding it in.
Steeda's front sway bar gives about a 25 percent increase in roll stiffness over the stock bar. That'll show up mainly as tighter, more responsive steering in daily use, along with reduced understeer when pushing hard.
Prev
|
1
|
2
|
3
Discuss in Our Forums
Bookmark & Share This Article:
Social Web
Close
del.cio.us
Digg
Furl
Netscape
Yahoo! My Web
StumbleUpon
Google Bookmarks
Technorati
BlinkList
Newsvine
ma.gnolia
reddit
Windows Live
TailRank
Get free and easy new car price quote in minutes.
Related Photos
Related Articles
1987 Ford Mustang GT - Factory Hero
If you were to figure the average age of all late-model Mustang enthusiasts, we bet it would hover around the 30-year mark. Of c...
more
1992 Ford Mustang Hatchback - Pure Performer
It certainly takes a little something extra to be a champion. In John McGowan's case, it took a year of testing, tuning, buildin...
more
Ford Mustang Notchback - Basic Blackout
There is something so basically evil about black 5.0 Mustang coupes-simple in design, devastating in performance, and a color th...
more
2003 Ford Mustang Saleen - Power Trip
First, a confession: Despite being a regular around these pages, I don't get much seat time in Saleen Mustangs. With its corpora...
more
1987 Ford Mustang LX - Keepin' It Real
Editor Turner recently stated his disbelief that there's now a Skinny Kid-built chassis and a Glidden-powered car in Real Street...
more
1990 Ford Mustang GT - Crush 'Em
Sometimes it's all in the hands of fate. Did you win this week's multimillion-dollar lottery or just waste another five bucks? D...
more
1996 GT Vick Hart: Super Cuts
While her husband, Spence's, Mustang was receiving engine and chassis upgrades, Vicki Hart wanted to give drag racing a try in her own '96 GT. With Vicki (a hair stylist) behind the wheel, the...
more
1989 Ford Mustang GT Intake Installation - Air Apparent
Check out Edelbrock's direct repmacement performance intake manifold kit for your 5.0 Ford Mustangs!...
more
1987 Ford Mustang LX - Love at First 'Stang
Check out this 1987 Ford Mustang LX show car that has won countless awards and probably countless more to come!...
more
1986 Ford Mustang GT - New And Improved
You always hear about products being touted as "new and improved." For example, some video games now come with such realistic graphics, you actually feel as if you're inside the monitor or TV, living...
more
Related Rides
2008 Ford Mustang
2007 Ford Mustang
2007 Ford Shelby GT500
2006 Ford Mustang
2005 Ford Mustang
Car Research Guide
-
Ford Mustang
-
Ford Shelby GT 500
-
Ford Mustang GT Convertible
-
Ford Mustang GT Coupe
Sponsored Links
New Ford Mustang
Genuine Ford Service. Ford Mustang
www.YourSouthernCaliforniaFord.com
Mustang Perf Suspension
Fox, SN-95, & S197 Ford Mustang Performance Suspension Parts
www.HotPart.com
550HP Saleen Supercharger
2005-08 Mustang GT Saleen Blower $6999 Free Shipping - $700 Install
www.Stage3Motorsports.com
Mustang Control Arms
'79-'08 Mustang Suspension Upgrades Low Prices & Free U.S. Shipping.
www.AmericanMuscle.com
Mustang Wheel
Bargain Prices. Smart Deals. Save on Mustang Wheel!
Shopzilla.com
Home
|
Featured Mustangs
|
Tech
|
Events
|
Babes
|
Videos
|
Wallpapers
|
RSS
This Month
|
Blog
|
Forum
|
Site Map
|
Contact Us
|
Subscribe
|
Subscriber Services
|
Give a Gift
Terms of Use
|
Privacy Policy
© 2008
Mustang Magazine
,
Source Interlink Media
All rights reserved.
WEB-065