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S197 2005 Mustang GT Suspension Upgrade - The Low LifeMaking Over The Stance Of A S197 2005 Ford Mustang GT With Springs, Wheels, And Tires From the March, 2011 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By KJ Jones Photography by KJ Jones
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Isn't it amazing how quickly five years of the S197 Mustang have passed? Seriously, it seems like we were just celebrating the arrival of Ford's restyled, reengineered Pony. Back then we imagined all the possibilities for upgrading the best all-around, late-model 'Stang to date. With Javi Rivas' '05 Mustang... With Javi Rivas' '05 Mustang GT safely lifted on a hoist and pole jack, Fabian of A and A Tires & Wheels in Reseda, California, dismantles the Pony's rear suspension to make way for our upgrades. The low-and-mean stance somewhat epitomizes S197 'Stangs, and the combination of lowering springs, blingin' wheels, and high-performance rubber we're installing should make this ride quite a stunner when it's done. For '05-'09 Mustang GTs, cold-air-induction systems and custom calibrations are the undisputed leaders of entry-level bolt-ons. Of course, cold-air kits are designed to enhance engine performance, and that's always a good thing. However, after making more power, addressing your 'Stang's ridiculously high factory stance is tops on the list. Ford's official word on why Mustangs are given the high stance has been snow-chain clearance (and they're actually serious). Although we begrudgingly understand the concession, the truth is that the factory ride height is stilted. Not only does the stock stance look goofy, it really does hinder a 'Stang's handling potential. Lowering a Mustang by installing aftermarket springs or coilover shocks certainly isn't a new concept. Suspension pieces designed to bring a 'Stang's body closer to the ground and improve handling have been around since the early days of our hobby. Call this the before photo... Call this the before photo of Javi's GT. From the factory, Mustangs are cursed with suspension pieces that leave a lot to be desired in terms of ride height and fairly boring 17-inch wheels. The high stance is not an accident. All Mustangs leave Ford with clearance for snow chains and robotic assembly lines. Fast forward to today. While the factory still builds Mustangs with snow chains in mind, lowered Mustangs (especially '05-'09s) are quite common on the street, and even in the pages of this magazine. Even Ford may finally be seeing the light about lowering as the company now offers an optional package for '11 Mustang GTs that features lowering gear and Brembo brakes. After parking the 'Stang on... After parking the 'Stang on a wide, level surface, Fabian takes ride-height measurements for both sides of the front and rear of our project car. Pre-'10 owners didn't have that option, so we're installing Eibach's S197 Pro-System Plus (PN 35101.680; $1,074.40 MSRP) on Javi Rivas' '05 GT. The Pro-System Plus is a precisely balanced collection of the company's Pro-Kit springs and Pro-Damper front struts and rear shocks, combined with Eibach's Anti-Roll Kit, which consists of beefier front and rear antiroll bars. Going in, the Pony sits at... Going in, the Pony sits at 29 inches in the back and 28 1/2 inches up front (measured from the ground to the highest point of the outside of the wheelwell). As we start this project, Javi's 'Stang sits at the factory ride height, and rolls on the plain 17-inch wheels and Goodyear tires straight outta Dearborn. By installing the comprehensive Pro-System Plus, the Pony should drop 1.3-1.5 inches or so, front and rear respectively, with improved steering response, less understeer, and practically no bodyroll. We're not simply stopping at dropping with this exercise. Most lowered Ponies sport wheel-and-tire combinations that play a major role in enhancing their overall presence. The tired running gear on Javi's GT is being replaced with a staggered layout of 18-inch SVE 10th Anniversary Mustang Cobra wheels from Latemodel Restoration Supply, wrapped around General Tire's Exclaim Ultimate High Performance boots, 245/40ZR18 front and 275/40ZR18 rear. Eibach's Pro-System Plus includes... Eibach's Pro-System Plus includes the lowering springs and four gas-charged Pro Dampers that you see here. The springs feature variable rates, and the struts and shocks are designed to match those variable-rate characteristics, in accordance with how the car is driven. Collectively these parts lower the car, help reduce squat during acceleration and front-end dive during hard braking, and maintain smooth ride quality (fixed-rate springs produce a stiffer ride). While installing this assemblage of handling and appearance parts is a project that can be accomplished by mechanically adept do-it-yourselfers, we strongly recommend deferring the job to professionals. As such, we headed over to A and A Tires & Wheels in Reseda, California. The shop not only sells these products, but also has the equipment, and more importantly, the experience necessary for properly lowering a Mustang.  Starting at the back is the...  Starting at the back is the best plan when doing a full suspension upgrade. Thankfully, there hasn't been a drastic change in the overall layout of Mustang front and rear suspensions, which makes unbolting and removing the OEM parts a fairly simple task.  Here are the stock rear-suspension...  Here are the stock rear-suspension parts. You'll see as you read further that they are pretty anemic compared to Eibach's handling hardware.  Once Fabian dislodges the...  Once Fabian dislodges the rear shocks, he removes the factory sway bar, Panhard bars, and rear springs. This is where access to a chassis hoist comes in handy, as the best way to perform this extraction is to lower the rearend housing until the springs are fully decompressed, and then simply take them out.  Fabian sets a new rear spring...  Fabian sets a new rear spring in place. Since Eibach's springs are shorter than the factory coils, it's important to make sure each spring is seated squarely in the spring perches on the rearend housing and chassis.  Rear shocks follow the springs....  Rear shocks follow the springs. Eibach supplies new bushings and cups for both shocks, so the same original incidentals can be discarded.  Shock placement is easier...  Shock placement is easier if done by two people. The shocks' bodies have a tendency to spin when the upper nut is tightened, so having a second set of hands to hang onto the tube is strongly advised.  The new chrome-moly, adjustable...  The new chrome-moly, adjustable Panhard bar that Fabian is adjusting goes by the fancy name of Eibach Pro-Alignment Kit (PN 5.72045K; $165.83 MSRP). Fabian initially adjusts the length of the bar to match that of the OEM piece, and then bolts it in place. Final adjustments will be made when the 'Stang goes to the alignment rack.  "The stock bar looks like...  "The stock bar looks like it came off a Honda," says Fabian, comparing the 'Stang's original sway bar (top) and the replacement bar from Eibach. Although the new bar is non-adjustable, its thicker diameter will help keep the back of Javi's Pony firmly planted and square in the corners.  At first look, the endlinks...  At first look, the endlinks for the new antiroll bar could be mistaken as connecting rods for a small engine. The billet links and their urethane bushings dwarf the stock components. These rods easily support the new sway bar under the forces and side loads of aggressive driving.  Rear components in Eibach's...  Rear components in Eibach's Pro-System Plus directly replace the factory pieces. There is no need to modify parts or alter the Mustang for proper fitment.  Props to Brad Taylor of Latemodel...  Props to Brad Taylor of Latemodel Restoration Supply for suggesting SVE's chrome 10th Anniversary Mustang Cobra wheels for the makeover. These wheels are badass, and we're pretty sure they're going to look sharp on Javi's Pony when it's finally sitting on all fours. We're stepping diameter up by an inch for this effort (from 17 to 18 inches), and creating the street-car version of a big 'n' littles effect by staggering the front-to-rear tire sizes.  Replacing tires as part of...  Replacing tires as part of this project car was a good call, as Javi's original P235/55R17 rubber is clearly down to the wear bars. We measured tread depth for the factory Goodyears at 2/32 inch (minimum spec for all street tires is 4/32 inch). Yes, this rubber's days definitely are numbered.  For the front, General Tire's...  For the front, General Tire's 245/40ZR18 Exclaim Ultimate High Performance tires are being mounted on 18x9-inch (36mm offset) SVE 10th Anniversary Mustang Cobra wheels (PN SVE-1007CAC; $189.99). On the back, General's 275/40ZR18 UHPs will sit on 18x10-inch (43mm offset) versions of the same wheel (PN SVE-1007CBC; $199.99).  Once all of the tires are...  Once all of the tires are mounted, Victor uses a high-speed spin balancer to balance each wheel.  Check out the tread pattern...  Check out the tread pattern on General's Exclaim UHP (right). The new double-V, directional-tread tire features wide, solid tread blocks in the shoulder area for responsive handling in dry conditions. (Not that it rains in SoCal, but the Exclaim UHP's tread pattern also enhances wet performance, as well.)  At the frontside, Fabian starts...  At the frontside, Fabian starts by unbolting the OEM antiroll-bar links from the struts, moving brake lines aside, and then removing the strut/spring assembly. There are pieces from this unit (such as rubber spring isolators and antiroll-bar links) that must be reused with the Eibach equipment, so don't be too quick to throw everything away once it's removed.  Assembling the strut/spring...  Assembling the strut/spring package requires using a heavy-duty spring compressor, which is another reason why it's better to consider assigning this job to an experienced shop. Eibach includes new bumpstops and boots for both its front and rear spring sets, which must be set in place before installing the spring.  Maximum Motorsports caster/camber...  Maximum Motorsports caster/camber plates (PN MM5CC-1; $337) serve as the new covers for our strut/spring combination. These pieces are essential for Mustang lowering jobs, especially S197s, as they facilitate the side-to-side/front-to-back (caster and camber) front-wheel adjustments that are critical for correct wheel alignment and ensure the new Generals wear properly.  A second set of hands is also...  A second set of hands is also helpful for installing front struts. Maximum's caster/camber plates fit directly in the stock mounting location, so there is no need to drill new holes in the strut tower to install the struts.  When a Mustang is raised on...  When a Mustang is raised on a hoist, removing the front sway bar is a piece of cake.  This photo details the difference...  This photo details the difference between the factory and Eibach front sway bars. Eibach's sway bar features three adjustment settings: stock, midrange, and firm tension. Although urethane bushings and brackets also are included with the bar, the stock links must be reused.  We're tying the antiroll bar...  We're tying the antiroll bar to the front struts with the links positioned in the forward holes...  ...which are the firm/aggressive...  ...which are the firm/aggressive settings. Bodyroll will be practically nil, which is exactly what we want.  The spring change did exactly...  The spring change did exactly what we hoped it would. Javi's Mustang dropped to 26 3/4 inches in the front, and 27 7/8 inches at the rear with Eibach's Pro-Kit springs.  Measurements were taken after...  Measurements were taken after driving the car on a quick road test immediately after installing the wheels. The suspension will come down even more after a few miles of driving and sufficient settling time.  Big 'n' littles for street-driven...  Big 'n' littles for street-driven (sometimes aggressively) S197s look like this. The staggered height of the front and rear tires looks cool. Also, since we haven't changed the tires' width, steering and handling characteristics are not compromised in any way.  A wheel alignment must be...  A wheel alignment must be done whenever you lower a 'Stang. A thrust (front wheel) alignment is required on the GT because rear-wheel adjustment can only be made from side to side. Fabian puts turns in the Panhard bar and takes measurements at both sides until the rear wheels are perfectly positioned under the car.  Once the rearend is squared,...  Once the rearend is squared, Fabian aligns the front wheels, dialing in spot-on positive 7 degrees of caster (spec for S197s), and negative 1 degree of camber. The factory calls for minus 3/4 degrees of camber, but on lowered Mustangs the additional quarter of a degree is OK.  This is how it should be done...  This is how it should be done from the factory-low and mean!
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