rear coil over conversion
 

I'm planning on changing up the rear end of the car to have coil overs. MaSnaka send me some photos of the upper mount. I was thinking about using a fox body mustang lower mount so I an run QA1's. I found this picture in a members gallery, tcrist, tried to message him, but thinking he may not be an active member. Any input in making changes so the 8.8 uses coil overs mounted in the shock location so I can get rid of the coil spring and perches?

I can't get anything images to load.... :mad:

There’s photos in my gallery of Don Scott, CRII design with different shocks and mounts.
I used Speedway “the ONLY engineered” mounts #9109850(pair 2 each) have threaded spacers/larger bolts
Spherical bushing in shocks.
The bolt is 4 1/2” long 5/8” Allen head with a 1 3/4” polished spacer
I narrow the bottom spacer to 3/4” to move shock closer and make it perpendicular to bolt
Bolt a 316 stainless 3/8” thick, 3 1/4” x 3 1/2” plate to top frame hole frame area and relocate hole 1/2” in
Bolt or weld metal inside rear end bracket hole for strength
Drill holes 5/8”
QA1 chrome 10” 200 lb spring.

nice. So that photo is using the Napa mount, and you're waiting on the speedway mount? It looks similar to the one that is in the photos I've found on the CRII conversion kit. Obviously you need 4 of the same mount.

I also found these for the lower:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/a...01928#overview

And I got a mock up from Johm AKA MaSnaka here on the forum for the upper, but its a bracket that a bolt fits through, not a stud. I still can't upload pics.

I found these that are supposed to fit on a fox body, and I'm using an 8.8, so they should in theory bolt right on, No?

What length, extended and compressed, are the shocks you're using?

crap, forgot to put the link for the fox body lower mount

https://www.cjponyparts.com/maximum-...BoCT8cQAvD_BwE

You just need the bolt out of the ride tech part no bolt on piece
4 Speedway kits will do it
The bottom of shock needs to be closer to bracket
You can see in photos bottom spacer looks thinner
That fixes the shock to mount bolt angle
The Speedway mounts are a full 5/8 inch bolt
Normal ride height looks good at 13 1/2” with 26” tires
With 12” springs the car rides to high and adjuster nut is at bottom of shock
10” srings at 200 lb give a softer ride that can be stiffened with shock valve adjuster
Springs are easy to change if needed

I converted my suspension to all QA1 coil overs, front and rear.

See the images in the post on the CR2 forum, "Kirk...were under attack"

I made upper and lower mounts for the rear coil overs our of 3/16 cold rolled steel, had a steel shop bend them and drill holes. cost $25.

I then welded the new mounts to the upper chassis mounting point and the lower to the third member mounting area.

I also gusseted with 3/16 CRS the upper and lower area to handle the weight etc .

All very simple!

I wouldn't use the long bolt type of mounting the coil overs, there is a very large amount of stress on those mounting areas.

In the thread, See page 5 about halfway down to see the brackets I made and pictures of the installation.

This is FAR better than the "long bolt" type of mount.

Since i did the initial install, I have cut off the original spring mounts from the lower trailing arms and then boxed them in with 3/16 cold rolled steel, except for the area where the rear swaybar mounts to the lower arms.

You cannot use QA1 lower trailing arms for a mustang, they are longer than the CR2. CR custom made the lower arms to a specific length that is about 2 inches shorter than a mustang.

I've looked through your post lots and gained a lot of great info from you, RedHawk, and everyone that posted in there. At least that thread was only 5 years old, lol. Some of the ones I've been reading are over a decade.

I'm going to go with the studs Sunman showed me, but may also fab up the upper brackets with some templates MaSnaka shared with me. Gonna customize some adjustable aftermarket lower control arms that use the factory mustang swaybar and some aftermarket adjustable uppers. The rear seems pretty simple.

For rear brakes, I'm going with a junkyard swap I found that maintains the wheel spacing by using an aerostar van axle from the pass side, a ranger axle from the driver side, and the mounting brackets and disc brakes from an sn95 mustang. All going on an 8.8.

For the front...

I'm still a bit confused and have a few more questions. Unless I change my mind, in the front I'm going to go with this heidts kit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MUSTAN...2470264?_ul=CR
and upgrade to QA1's and add the sway bar. I'm still a bit unsure of if I need to cut and lower the factory upper shock mount, or buy a longer strut. I want to make sure I'm not buying and destroying parts like I've seen in other posts, or realizing I could have built it without having to do a bunch of extra fabrication simply by ordering the right part. I also want to add the "alignment savers" that change the mounting of the uppers with the plans I found on tcrist's gallery.

I'm gaining a ton of info from the forum, so a huge thanks to the guys still active in the group. I've got lots more topics I'm going to post looking for suggestions and input on, so please, keep the comments coming.

just read through all your posts.... I downloaded the pics you put up. Going to find a fab shop to make em up. I doubt I'd get a shop here to fab them up that cheep, lol. I could agree that this would be a much more solid way to go...

Don used/sold and I’m beginning to think designed this style coil over mount on the back of CR cars
Speedway upgrades it to a threaded polished spacer with a 5/8” one nut Allen bolt
I upgraded the 3:73 GT rearend with Strange axels and SN95 brakes
This RCC suspension uses midsize Chevy/69 Camaro front rotors n calipers with 2 1/2” stud extensions to make front shock rod long enough. No frame mods. Easy fix
DV recommends Heidts hands down, but ya still need extensions

I saw it like this...when I ditched the spring perch and installed the coil overs purchased thru CRII right before they closed I was provided with a spacer and long bolt to attach where the shocks originally attached to the chasis. That put 100% of the load on 1 bolt per side. Looked like failure waiting to happen. So I designed a bracket that i could install (not being a welder) that would beef up the shock mount. Double shear, not single shear. I also added adjustable upper and lower control arms to adjust the pinion and alignment. Pictures in my gallery.

John

MaSnaka I’ve been reading and taking notes about your stuff as you posted it
Sweet ride love the brackets
DV, Don and I think this is the simplest 8.8 shock mount
I talked to Don myself a long time ago and DV posted it in your thread
With the FE I would go 9” with your brackets
Ive upgraded from 1/2” to 5/8” bolt
A 5/8” grade 8 bolt has a shear of at least 70,000, proof/yield 85,000 and tensile at 120,000
Only weak point is 8.8 rearend bracket metal is to thin
Add some 1/4” flat plate inside of bump/bolt hole and another bigger wider 1/4” on that inside the bracket
Bam, super strong!
I am also making a bolt on frame bracket to mount the Quad Shocks
I got parts on order
Life’s good Party On Wyatt

I have Heidts front LCA available, already coated if you are interested.

also look at this, thought?

https://www.uprproducts.com/79-04-mu...-mounting-kit/

Sunman,
Thanks for your comments. I will disclose that I am no engineer but merely a carpenter by trade and a hack mechanic with no formal training. I understand what you are saying about the 5/8 grade 5 bolts sheer capability. But I think when you are extending the bolt 2" away from the reinforced chassis to support the shock and spring mount you are depending on that bolt not to break. The shear rating would be reduced the farther away the load is extended, right?? I don't know enough to say right or wrong but its more of a butt pucker thing when I'm driving hard. I don't want to be thinking about my rear coil overs.

John

I saw those and had the same thought. I looked into it more, the lowers may just work, direct bolt on to the 8.8 if i'm not mistaken, super inexpensive, I just have to see if they mount the shock the right distance away. The uppers wont work as the bolt/stud is designed to protrude up through the floor area of a fox, but the lowers are available by themselves.

I'm trying to figure out what the difference between that style of lower and the one in this photo

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MUSTAN...2470264?_ul=CR