Autocross setup questions from a Mustang Noob

[5LitersofLoud]

Here is why I want to stay at stock height.

Yeah I should be careful but...

 

[Sam Strano]

1. Decide on the class you want to run or what mods you want to do if you don't care about classing.

2. Always take whatever you hear, particularly on the internet, with a grain..or pound of salt.

I certainly don't believe you need Brembo's to autocross, I did just fine for many years in a car with the 12.4" brakes. When I bought my 2011 (in 2010) I bought a Brembo as I was running it in F-stock and that was the only way to get the 9" wheels. I bought it for the wheels, not the brakes.

As for protests and all that and having not seen many. That's true, but I don't know that it makes cheating, even a little, ok. If it does I don't want to be involved. Cheating is cheating in my eyes. Everyone has an idea of an "fudge factor", but not everyone's is the same and if we are trying to have a good time, then doing something illegal isn't necessary IMHO.

Anyway, I think you need to figure out item #1 before anything else. Certainly the fastest way to add speed is with better tires. But there are many ways, starting with dampers, to make the car more enjoyable to drive depending on what you find and want to change about your particular car and for your particular needs.

 

[5LitersofLoud]

1. Decide on the class you want to run or what mods you want to do if you don't care about classing.


As for protests and all that and having not seen many. That's true, but I don't know that it makes cheating, even a little, ok. If it does I don't want to be involved. Cheating is cheating in my eyes. Everyone has an idea of an "fudge factor", but not everyone's is the same and if we are trying to have a good time, then doing something illegal isn't necessary IMHO.

Sam,
Thanks for your input I appreciate it.

Since we agree cheating is wrong it occurred to me to ask if the bushing is allowed in stock. I didn't mean to leave the impression I would try to slip it by. I was just saying no one would be likely to care if I assumed it was ok when it wasn't because my times are probably going to be worse than theirs. The integrity of the SCCA is safe with me.

I ordered the bushing from Vorshlag, when it arrives the Roush pipes are coming off at the same time it goes in. Too loud.

PCA event didn't happen due to my own vanity. They are building a road in my office park. It rained Friday and half the dirt in Charlotte ended up on my car. Event was an hour away and started@7:30a on Sat that's way too early to wash the car. I wasn't going to show up in a filthy and obnoxiously loud Mustang, likely wipe out all the cones on course and be the PCA Christmas party joke. . Next season I'll earn my punchline in a clean car.

Blame Tapatalk

 

[5LitersofLoud]

This is my parking place at work. Just clears the curb if I get too close.

GT500 springs might be the right choice for me.

 

[Mountain]

This is my parking place at work. Just clears the curb if I get too close.

GT500 springs might be the right choice for me.

I can get you a few pictures of my car while it's still out of you would like?

 

[Sam Strano]

No, the bushing is not legal in stock, or the new "street" stuff either.

Gotta make some choices about performance vs. vanity. It's heavy car, lowering it certainly helps the CG, and other things like less roll and pitch, and more negative camber too. And if you stay stock, GT500 springs aren't legal either, and frankly not a big enough change to bother with.

 

[Mountain]

No, the bushing is not legal in stock, or the new "street" stuff either.

Gotta make some choices about performance vs. vanity. It's heavy car, lowering it certainly helps the CG, and other things like less roll and pitch, and more negative camber too. And if you stay stock, GT500 springs aren't legal either, and frankly not a big enough change to bother with.

Sam, it seems the OP is intetested in stock ride height up front, not necessarily stock/street class. You are correct, the GT500, let alone the Performance Pack springs, are not stiff enough to be highly competitive in respect to any serious STX/STU/ESP build. However, keeping the typical lowering/performance springs in mind, they are an alternative. They are about the same rates as the Steeda Comps without the drop.

 

[5LitersofLoud]

Trans bushing in and it really does make a noticeable improvement.

All other mods on hold until after board meeting at wife's job. Probably getting downsized so in cash conserve mode.

If she dodges the bullet then engine mounts might be next. With the difference the bushing insert made I'm curious.



Blame Tapatalk

 

[Vorshlag-Fair]

This is my parking place at work. Just clears the curb if I get too close.

GT500 springs might be the right choice for me.

Meh, its not so bad. My wife daily drove the car above for 2 years with the front end lowered 2" and with a 6" long Laguna Seca splitter sticking out of the front. It was totally fine...

Now THAT 10" long splitter above, which is mounted 1" lower than the LS splitter, was a little worrying on the street... but still doable with a typical 27" tall street tire (not the 25" tall race tires shown). Steep inclines going into parking lots and driveways were the only real challenge. When we slap on the street tires (which are an inch taller than these 315/30/18s) I can drive this car just about anywhere. Took it across 3 cities the other day to go to our tuner's shop and back, didn't scrape anywhere. Parking up against curbs is all about "corner judgement" and learning when to stop.

Just about any modern sports car (or any Mustang lowered from the stock 4x4 heights) cannot park up to and "touch a curb" with the front tires anymore. I gave up pulling up to curbs decades ago. Just park a foot further back, no worries.

Lowering the S197 is pretty much one of the more advantageous things you can do in competition, as long as you class the car appropriately afterwards and use adequate spring rates and proper length dampers. There are some downsides to lowering a car on stock (or stock length) struts, which we've addressed in many other posts, as well as in this entry. With a shortened strut housing (either the Bilstein or most coilovers) you can avoid the "bumpstop dance".

Just don't talk yourself out of a better suspension just from parking lot curb markers. You don't need to fit over those...

Cheers,

 

[Roadracer350]

This is my parking place at work. Just clears the curb if I get too close.

GT500 springs might be the right choice for me.

Why not just back it in?