On a Better Note

mustangmendez · #1 (**permalink**) 01-02-2005, 08:43 PM

Cobra Dude and I went to town this week end on the Newly designed 4 link rear end for my CMC Cobra .Designed by Cobra Dude himself ! We are 80% done after 12 to 15 hours so far this looks like an awesome set up fully adjustable Just Awesome! Thanks Cobra Dude after a bad night it felt great to work on the Cobra .
Thanks So much for driving down 2 days and getting dirty .
Tony

mustangmendez · #2 (**permalink**) 01-08-2005, 08:53 AM

Lets see
Here is 1 of 2 picks
T

Johnnyquest · #3 (**permalink**) 01-08-2005, 04:22 PM

Looks cool Tony.

So what does it look now for completion with your revised motor?

Randy

fordnut · #4 (**permalink**) 01-08-2005, 08:41 PM

Tony,

With the upper and lower control arms both in line with the frame rails, you will have to have a panhard bar to limit the side to side movement of the rear end. You may already have it planed, but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Looks good keep us posted

kountzecobra · #5 (**permalink**) 01-09-2005, 06:05 AM

Looking good Tony. Bob's right about the needed panhard bar. If you can, make the brackets with height adjustment too, so you can change the roll center. Glad you are putting Neil to work.

mustangmendez · #6 (**permalink**) 01-09-2005, 03:36 PM

You guys wood be proud of Us !
Neil and I worked till 3:00 am this morning on beefing up the brackets ,and making a Pan Hard bar adj.Yes we were only 80% done last weekend this week end we are like 90 % I will post a pick of the pan hard we had installed Neil and I really wore out the ruler on this project .
Thanks I really need to get my mind on other things for a little while .
I guess we need to make Some WHEELIE BARS

Next
BIG T

fordnut · #7 (**permalink**) 01-09-2005, 06:49 PM

David,

I saw the pictures of your new paint job, looks great. How much more to do until its back on the road.

kountzecobra · #8 (**permalink**) 01-10-2005, 04:23 AM

Thanks Bob, 2-4 weeks. Rewiring, reworking the interior, etc....

mustangmendez · #9 (**permalink**) 01-10-2005, 07:08 AM

Ok here it is
Randy
As far as the Due date well lets just say at least its moving forward ...
Here is a pick still need to put a sway bar clean it up and paint oh yeah Adjust to its optional
Tony

EarlsflyinCobra · #10 (**permalink**) 01-10-2005, 07:15 AM

Hey Tony, Looks good. What coil over shock system is that you are using?? I have a StreetBeast, reincarnation of CMC, and I was wondering if you could splain to me the advantages of what you have done over running the aftermarket arms or adjustable arms?? Thanks, Earl

fordnut · #11 (**permalink**) 01-10-2005, 03:28 PM

Tony,

I'm no expert but, it looks like Angle of the penhard bar is a little steep. When you have the car at road ready weight, the bar should be just about level. If it is not it will cause the car be pushed to the right when the suspension is compressed. I know you are just getting started, but it is something to keep in mind.

You may have some adjustment built in and I just can't see it in the photo. Looks like some good progress. Will we see in Austin in march?

mustangmendez · #12 (**permalink**) 01-10-2005, 06:14 PM

Fordnut,
The shinny bar on the bottom is a 2 degrees upward to allow for the weight of the car and my bib b-tt ! There is also an adjustment up or down as well.The rusty bar that is at a 11 degree angle is a support bar for the bracket that supports the pan hard .
Thanks see you in March

Earl
The reason the extra time and $ on the 4 link was to improve every possible angle of performance . Also , I could mount my 335x35x17 KDS to fit in the wheel well .
The lower control arms have no springs perches for extra rim and tire clearance Also back and forth adjustment to center the tire in the wheel well ,The upper are stait and they to are fully adjustable to correct the pinion angle as well to center the rear wheels with the front. The Pan Hard bar not only stops the side motion but centers the rear-end .The coil over shocks will control the ride height and level the car as well as much cleaner look and great performance and interchangeable spring weight .Carrera coil overs

The Stock Fox body Mustang with the huge bushing to correct the mess ford designed can not do any of the above !!!
T

Cobra Dude · #13 (**permalink**) 01-11-2005, 01:01 AM

Hi everyone,

Time for me to chime in here, since I am responsible for this suspension. I had designed this for my CMC Cobra and managed to convince Tony to do this on his as well. The advantage of starting with his is that it's much easier with the body removeable (mine is built already).

Basically, the problem with the stock suspension is that it is the same hacked design that comes from the Fox-body Mustang -- you'll notice that Ford angled the upper arms *significantly* to prevent side-to-side motion of the axle. This saved them the cost of a panhard or other lateral locating device, but it binds bigtime! So to compensate, they made the bushings huge! IE: sloppy!

On a Cobra, this poor suspension is made even worse by the inability to appropriately position the forward mount-point of the lower control arms in the stock (Mustang) location, so they are lower. Now the geometry is all messed up. I've seen this with my CMC and many other Cobras. However, I think Factory Five figured out this problem and compensated for it somewhat with some add-on brackets that lower the rear axle position. Still not a complete fix though.

The new suspension is a regular 4-link design, with parallel arms (the proper way) and a panhard as the lateral locator. However, the geometry is much different -- I calculated the geometry to eliminate squat and brake dive as much as possible, and with the adjustments provided, it should be able to provide more than 100% anti-squat (ie: the rear *lifts* on hard acceleration to press the tires into the road surface). Of course there is a compromise point for regular road driving, which is best determined by testing road & experimentation. This new design also eliminates the horizontal quad-shocks which were necessary to eliminate wheel-hop (due to the sloppy bushings). If necessary (which I doubt), I may steal a nifty idea from the bowtie folks and move one of the shock mounts to the forward side of the axle. I also chose rod-ends with a small high-durometer rubber bushing rather then sperical rod ends since it's street driven and needs some vibration isolation. The panhard is actually horizontal -- perhaps you're confusing the diagonal support bracket for the panhard?

BTW, I did consider a Watts link, but with the ability to get a long panhard arm in this chassis (difficult with tubbed vehicles), the Watts is not necessary.

Only thing missing at this point is a good sway bar.

And of course everything is adjustable and on-the-car-adjustable in most places (using LH and RH threads) -- all three roll axes (yaw, pitch, roll), all three translation axes (lateral, longitudinal, height), and other things like specific angles of upper and lower arms, panhard angle, etc.

Only problem is that now I have to do this on my car too, but will have to remove a bunch of things like the fuel system and lines since there will be some torch cutting and grinding necessary.

Cheers,
-Neil.

EarlsflyinCobra · #14 (**permalink**) 01-11-2005, 05:00 AM

Hey Neil, feel like a trip to Florida?? We could do mine before the body goes on?? Need a vacation (working type)?? Ha-ha. I would be interested in "more" pictures and some stats on the work. Thanks, Earl

trularin · #15 (**permalink**) 01-11-2005, 05:23 AM

Tony, I think I'd take a cutoff tool and remove those ears on top of that truck tube. They will not be used any more and will have some weight. I do not see a top link, maybe it is my eyes or the pic, but you will get better wheel/tire control from top links and those excellent bottom links.

Looks like the pan hard will hit the frame on a full travel test. Probably just the view.

With a four link and panhard, it will be hard to be impressed with a sway bar, but you could try an adjustable unit that can be tuned for the track and tires you are running.

Just my $0.02

Cobra Dude · #16 (**permalink**) 01-28-2005, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EarlsflyinCobra

Hey Neil, feel like a trip to Florida?? We could do mine before the body goes on?? Need a vacation (working type)?? Ha-ha. I would be interested in "more" pictures and some stats on the work. Thanks, Earl

Earl,

Man do I ever need a vacation! Especially since I've been ill for the last couple weeks. I'm sick of being sick!

And oddly, I was supposed to be in Palm Beach for Thanksgiving, but never made it. But unfortunately, it's just not a good time for me -- way too much going on currently. I also really would like to see how Tony's setup works in case any tweaking is necessary. I also still have mine to do...

Cheers,
-Neil.

kountzecobra · #17 (**permalink**) 01-29-2005, 06:15 AM

Tony, how are things going? Any progress?

mustangmendez · #18 (**permalink**) 01-29-2005, 01:45 PM

Kount
I meet a Guy that used to do Metal Fabrication in a California Hot Rod Shop moved to Texas. Lives 2 miles from me !He has a custom built 34 Chevy coupe that we are trading some body work for a Custom floor on the Cobra the center hump will be rounded and dropped floors .Boxing in some other sections and welding pedal brackets and other small details we are trying to get real fancy with this CMC which is now becoming more A special custom built Cobra .I will get some picks up in the next week or to on the Progress .

mustangmendez · #19 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 08:52 PM

Well got a sneek peek of the Floors the outer frame was streched outward 2 inches, lenthin 3 inches ,droped 2 inches.The center tunnel will be narrowed any where from 2 to 6 inches and lowered from 2 to 6 inches as well. The inner foot box corners are 45 degreed so they are cut and made to 90 degress it starts to there looks like there may enough room as a F350 .
Boy I may not have a 400 + engine Yet but I will have some leg room .
I need some lessons on down sizing picks to post

mustangmendez · #20 (**permalink**) 03-07-2005, 10:52 PM

Here is a sneek peek Of my new floor !
The smaller center tunnel is fully removable there is plenty of room to remove the tranny lots of foots room

I really belive this is to much work where do I stop ?

Any way looking at some nice custom seats to fit this new space. I hope it will be one of the most comfortable Cobras yet ..

Big T