“Usually, the first thing most racers do is lower the car and put bigger tires on it, but this causes a shift in the geometry as the instant center moves from behind the rear axle to well in front of the rear axle and lower in the car. It’s the difference between getting down a track when others are struggling, or complaining like everyone else that the track sucks,” states Zimmerman. “In a stock suspension mustang, geometry is everything. The instant center is the point in space where the upper and lower control arm would intersect. This is far from optimum for drag racing purposes.Īchieving an optimum instant center, which a vehicle from the factory often lacks entirely - is key to making a stock suspension race car hook well and run fast. By using a four-link calculator and plotting out the geometry of the suspension as it came from the factory, you’ll find that the instant center is either behind the axle or never intersects at all.
But if are serious about drag racing and straight-line performance, you’ll need to suck it up to get a lower e.t.Īs mentioned above, the Mustang stock suspension leaves some to be desired, but that doesn’t mean ample potential doesn’t exist. The downside to solid bushings is an increase in noise and vibration. If you can move your instant center and adjust the pre-load and pinion angle, you have the foundation for a well-functioning suspension. If traction and straight line acceleration are your goals, adjustability is a must. Thinking solid in terms of parts is also key, as components made from materials such as 4130 chromoly are less likely to stress or deform under the load of high RPM launches.
Team z instant center upper and lower control and plus#
If you want to get the most out of your Pony car, you need to think solid and adjustable.Īdjustability is the name of the game in a rear suspension setup if you want to go fast in a stock suspension car.Īs Zimmerman explained solid bushings won’t deflect like a rubber or urethane bushing, plus solid bushings and hiem joints won’t absorb energy upon launch, thus transferring more power to the ground. Sure, the suspension system under your Mustang is no slouch, but it was designed for ride comfort and quality, not for ultimate performance on the racetrack. A hundred dollars more spent up front could save you a thousand or more later.Ģ. “Speed is addicting, and you’ll never hear ‘I’ve gone tens and now I want to go twelves.’ Remember that what you choose for a ten second car probably wouldn’t work on a seven second car, but what you’d use on a seven second car would definitely work on a ten second car.” As Zimmerman instructs, plan ahead and decide the ultimate goal for your vehicle and choose your parts wisely. “In all my years in this business, I’ve never seen a person want to go slower,” said Zimmerman. This tip rightfully sits at the top of our list. The racing hobby certainly isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination, and everyone has a budget, but selecting the proper suspension components the first time may end up saving you a few dollars down the road when you have to buy it a second or third time. And to do so we turned to one of the experts in the field.ĭave Zimmerman, the man behind Team Z Motorsports in Taylor, Michigan, is without question one of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in the racing suspension business – especially when it comes to our beloved Mustangs – and so when we set out to provide our Late Show-like Top 10 list, there was simply no one better for the job.įrom the home office in Taylor, Michigan, here ladies and gentleman is tonight’s Top 10 list. Many misconceptions, outdated thought processes, and pure oversights exist regarding the preparation of a stock suspension Mustang, and to rectify that, we’ve compiled a list of suspension pointers and tuning techniques to cater to everyone from the beginner to the seven-second showmen. Because much like a full-on race suspension, several elements exist in stock and stock-style suspension systems that can make or break the performance of a car, regardless of whether it’s producing 300 or 3,000 horsepower.įor those of you out there with ten second and quicker Mustangs or those with such cars on the drawing board, suffice it to say, you’d like to get the most out of your investment, and cutting corners or overlooking things in the suspension department isn’t going to get you there. As a whole movement of doorslammer racers have proven over the last handful of years, a world of potential exists in a stock suspension-equipped vehicle when not only planned out and constructed accordingly, but fine tuned with an astute attention to detail.
0 kommentar(er)
