Suspension Question

[Mac Osborne]

You guys are a weath of information (THANK YOU). The assembly picts (the few I have) shows (first) a short bar from the top of the third member to the frame, but the next picture shows that bar and mount removed and a longer bar in its place to a new bracket that was added about where the vent is. (someone did a lot of work to make it "right") . I the guys at Heidts asked if I could use an outboard lower arm to do away with the strut completely and I think I am going to have a clearance issue with the rack if we take that route. I am going to try to get back out to the shop tonight and take some better pictures with a tape measure and check some lenghts/clearances to be sure we are working with an unmolested frame/rod mount that is a true Mustang II rod setup.

[Ralphy]

Mac, your talking about a true lower A arm? Looking at your pics you shouldn't have any clearance issues under the rack. The front mount goes directly in front of the cross member under the rack. Something I read recently. In order to tell if someone has been tinkering with the front suspension. Look at the rack and see how straight it is. If it angles any, the ends, chances are someone has been changing something. Makes sense to me. Your lower control arm I also think should be level.

[Mac Osborne]

Ok guys, here are some pictures I just took. One (with labels showing the rack/frame/control arm) shows the close quarters and how an outboard mounted lower control would interfear with the rack. One shows the top of the lower A Arm (showing a OEM would fit?) . One shows that it is about 15.5 inches from the center bolt on the bottom to the black frame mount. And the final (hard to get good pictures), I belive shows that there is a MORE THAN 45 degree angle to the frame ..and that would equal ...a pinto rod ??!?!?

I see the pictures didnt upload in order. 1 Angle, 2 clearance, 3 distance, 4 top of A Arm

[Curt C.]

Hello Mac. For what it is worth, I run a heim jointed strut rod (similar to what you have) and have zero noise / ride issues. I did not like the OEM biscuit style rubber bushing set up and believe that it was allowing the suspesion alignment to be somewhat altered when taking hard turns. Try a heim joint if you have time. Road noise will be the last thing you hear with the side pipes

[Mac Osborne]

Thanks Curt for the input. When you get down to it, screwing two of those in place (and making a simple bushing to keep them from moving side to side, is a pretty "easy fix" and worth a try. (Not very expensive and pretty easy to do). Certainly wouldn't hurt much to try that and see if we got good results and if not, then move on to re-engineering a different way. One of the bearing people got back with me late yesterday and they have the correct "motorsports" part if I want to go in that direction. As Raphly said in a earlier post, it is a race car, and suppose to act/ride like one. (lol) Thanks again !

[FWB]

mustang II rod is 52 degrees

pinto rod is 44 degrees

new mustang ones are 30.00 each from speedway motors

i have a used set of pinto's you can have for 20.00 plus the ride

Fred

[Mac Osborne]

Thanks for the offer Fred. I just got off the phone with a company called Rod Ends in Kanas and I have two Heims inbound to try for only 19.00 bucks each. We are going to try that route (they are suppose to be here next Tuesday) first and see how the car performs and go from there. Wish us luck :-) . I will report back to the group to let you all know how it shakes out.

Also the owner came by my work today and dropped off , two 1994 CMC/Street Beast cataloges and those wonderful assembly manuals I have heard so much about. (grin) Does have a nice wiring diagram and other good info , even got the nice glossy sales brochure with the complete line of CMC models available at that time.

Thanks again guys for you help on this and making this 54 year old Mustang guy feel welcome.