Christmas time at Raldiris...
Christmas time at Raldiris Racing is a little different than the traditional holiday festivities most people are accustomed to. Santa left these parts under our tree. The UPR caster/camber plates, Strange Engineering brakes, and Racecraft spindles and bumpsteer kit are not visible in this photo.
Our street/strip project is now moving in fast-forward. In the last two installments, we detailed the installation of our Strange Engineering 9-inch rearend with UPR/Chris Alston's Chassisworks suspension and the buildup of our 427ci Windsor small-block. Currently, the car is awaiting the installation of a full chrome-moly rollcage at Rigid Race Cars. While the drivetrain was out, we met with Rob Lewis at Rigid to install the front-suspension system.
Not surprisingly, we used all of the same brands on the front end as we used in the rear. We started with UPR's tried-and-true Pro-Series chrome-moly K-member kit. It is a lightweight alternative to the stamped-steel factory assembly. Its tubular chrome-moly construction also offers more clearance for exhaust, oil pans, and other items. Our friend Jeremy Martorella at UPR also hooked us up with its beautiful billet-aluminum caster/camber plates, a bumpsteer kit, and a manual-brake conversion kit.
For struts, we stayed with VariShock QuickSet 2 double-adjustable coilovers and 175-pound springs from Chris Alston's Chassisworks. These coilover struts are available in two lengths, a half-inch shorter and 2-inches shorter than factory. We chose the half-inch version in an effort to keep the suspension geometry as close to stock as possible.
We kicked things off by sitting...
We kicked things off by sitting the car on jackstands, removing the front wheels, disconnecting the struts at the strut towers, removing the coil springs, and disconnecting the brake lines.
Of course, we used Strange Engineering's four-piston, billet-aluminum Pro Race brakes to match our rear brakes, but they posed a unique problem. One of the minor modifications to the factory spindles that must be performed in order to install the Strange brakes involves the use of a drill press. Your humble author is deathly afraid of drill presses, the result of an accident with a drill press involving his wedding band that almost cost him a finger (user error)! Thankfully Mark Wilkinson at Racecraft has taken care of that problem. Racecraft offers 2-inch-drop spindles for use with factory or aftermarket brakes. Mark's spindles for aftermarket brakes are designed for direct bolt-on compatibility with Strange Engineering brakes.
Additionally, the Racecraft spindles offer another outstanding feature. The company's 2-inch drop allows for proper suspension geometry at the appropriate ride height. Fox Mustangs can work quite well on the dragstrip when they sit a couple of inches lower than stock. However, the MacPherson-strut front suspension does all kinds of naughty things when significantly lowered, not the least of which is severe bumpsteer and suspension bind in the bushings. These factors can contribute to unpredictable, even dangerous handling at high speed. The Racecraft spindles allow the car to sit lower for better handling and aerodynamics without compromising the proper geometry of the suspension. It truly is one of those rare win-win scenarios.
These spindles require different tie-rod ends, so Mark shipped those, as well as his spindle-nut and shim kit. As is always the case with Racecraft, the quality of these parts is second to none.
Yours truly slid under the...
Yours truly slid under the front end to remove the factory steering rack, placed jackstands under the factory K-member, and removed the entire front end in one piece. It may have been a little slower than a NASCAR pit stop, but not by much. The eight bolts which secure the K-member to the front subframe are easily accessible, so they came out in no time.
Rounding out the front-end renovation is a manual rack-and-pinion installation kit from Flaming River Industries. In the first phase of our Fox buildup, we simply removed the power-steering pump from the engine to lose weight and free up some horsepower. It was a cheap and effective modification because we were working with a tight budget. However, it was less than desirable for a variety of reasons. The steering effort of a power rack with no pump was over the top, and frankly I'm not sure of its safety. Also, the rag-joint in the factory steering shaft was taking a beating without the power assist.
Sooner or later, you just have to do the job correctly. So we placed the call to Flaming River and John Jennings set us up with its complete manual-rack kit. It includes the company's manual steering rack, steering shaft with low-profile forged universal joints, mounting bushings, and tie-rod ends. Not only are these parts much better suited for performance duty, but they flat-out look great installed with the rest of our front-end components. All told, this kit weighs over 30 pounds less than the factory power steering system.
Follow the captions as we break out the jackstands and handtools to install our new front end.
Other than some dirt here...
Other than some dirt here and there, the factory K-member was in great shape, so it was donated to a close friend for an ongoing Fox restoration project.
Just as the factory K-member...
Just as the factory K-member was removed in one piece, the UPR Pro Series K-member kit was installed in one piece. The powdercoated chrome-moly looks great, even better with the Flaming River steering rack and shaft installed. The VariShock coilover struts are seriously some of the coolest parts on this entire car. Combined with the K-member kit and Strange Engineering brakes, they drop over 100 pounds from the front end of our street/strip ride.
I loosely attached the K-member...
I loosely attached the K-member using the factory fasteners before checking for proper alignment. The Craftsman 1/2-inch ratchet is a reminder that I performed much of the work on this car using handtools. A high-end racecar it is not!
Next, Rob Lewis of Rigid Race...
Next, Rob Lewis of Rigid Race Cars installed the Racecraft spindles and the caliper brackets for the Strange Engineering Pro Race brakes.
Rob passed the VariShock coilover...
Rob passed the VariShock coilover strut from Chris Alton's Chassisworks up through the strut tower so it could be attached to the UPR caster/camber plate, while he mounted it to the Racecraft spindle down below.
With the struts in place,...
With the struts in place, Rob assembled the Strange Engineering Pro Race brakes and moved onto the bumpsteer kit from Racecraft. Installing this race-quality equipment is truly a "bolt-on" affair, with no major modifications required. That says a lot about the aftermarket for 5.0 Mustangs.
The Pro Race brakes from Strange...
The Pro Race brakes from Strange Engineering are drop-dead gorgeous. The company's billet-aluminum four-piston calipers clamp down on lightweight slotted rotors, which ride on an aluminum hub. However, they offer more than just a pretty face. By all accounts, they are quite effective at stopping a big-power ride.
This straight-on view of the...
This straight-on view of the front suspension shows how the Racecraft drop spindles correct some of the Fox's factory shortcomings. At this height, the control arm is not far from its normal ride height. The spindles allow the arms to remain close to parallel with the ground, and the Racecraft bumpsteer kit keeps the tie-rods parallel to the control arms. This positioning allows a full range of motion in the suspension, without bind, and reduces the bumpsteer that is sometimes associated with MacPherson strut suspension.
The VariShocks must be seen...
The VariShocks must be seen in person to fully appreciate their beauty. Aside from quality materials and precise machine work, one of their most attractive features is their adjustability. The QuickSet 2 VariShocks are double-adjustable with separate knobs for rebound and compression dampening, with 16 clicks of adjustment each. The knobs are clearly marked, and are easily adjusted by hand with the car sitting on the ground.