New Handling Stuff

[ericstanley]

Okay, so about 2 weeks ago I had Steeda Sport springs and cc plates put on, about a week ago I got a Steeda rear sway bar and Nitto 555s put on (see sig for sizes and stuff).

I'm not going to tell you what I did 'cause I don't advocate doing what I did (very risky), but let's just say that I cannot believe how much better this thing handles. I have grip like I've never seen in any of my cars and I have yet to break loose. It used to push like a truck, now it's almost perfect - still too much body roll and chassis flex (I'll deal with that soon enough), but it's so much better now.

I would absolutely suggest that if you're looking for better handling, then the package I have now is pretty freakin good for the $$.

[Rick0636]

You really need at least like a Cobra front sway bar with that Steeda rear sway bar, ideally you should match it up with their HD front sway. You should also use shortened end links on your front sway bar. Check out my mods list, my GT carves some pretty nice corners.

[ericstanley]

The biggest reason I went with a big rear sway bar was to loosen it up - introduce some oversteer. The 6s have a lot of understeer - much more than the GTs or Cobras. Mostly due to the lack of weight in the front end compared to the bigger motors. Since the contact patch is bigger in the rear than the front, that off-sets some of the oversteer created by the larger rear sway bar.

I think the next steps for me at this point is to change the bushings, add subframe connectors, and a G-trac bar. I'll probably change the end-links as well. I'm not convinced yet that a strut tower brace does all that much - maybe in really heavy cornering it might help a little, but compared to the other issues that need to be addressed it's kinda low on the list.

I did notice tonight that the rear end jumped around a little under hard cornering - probably too much lateral torsion on the rear axle. I should find some way to deal with that eventually, too.

Of course, I should probably just stop screwing around and do an IRS swap like the really cool people... If you don't mind my asking... what did that cost you? I assume you did it yourself - or did you have someone else do it?

[Rick0636]

No, actually it was done at Sheehy Ford in Gaithersburg MD. That is a pretty big project, and the guy I did the swap with is employed there in an administrative capacity and had it all set up ahead of time. All I had to do was pay half of 400 labor and drive up there, I ended up having to stay overnight and buy a brake line because I had a bad one, which ran me about another hundred. So altogether about 300 plus my gas. Well worth it I think. They put them side by side on lifts in the service area and transfered the parts, that IRS had to be moved with an engine hoist, its not lightweight!

[ericstanley]

some guys have all the luck...