Bored............I installed the Fay's 2 last evening

[RogerS]

I was looking for something to do yesterday evening and was tired of looking at the Fay's 2 sitting in the box. My lift would not be avalible for another week. So this is what came out and went in. I have about 2 hours in the project taking my time. When I finish posting I'll complete the final bar adjustments and take her out for a spin. After Mywickedshelby came up to RI on Saturday and riding in his car I could not let it sit in the box any longer.

 

From this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

 

 

Now............back under the car!

[ShelbyGT/SC]

Patience my friend.

[willyumm930]

Looking good. That will be my next mod...if I can get it past my wife.

[bigcarl1]

I was looking for something to do yesterday evening and was tired of looking at the Fay's 2 sitting in the box. My lift would not be avalible for another week. So this is what came out and went in. I have about 2 hours in the project taking my time. When I finish posting I'll complete the final bar adjustments and take her out for a spin. After Mywickedshelby came up to RI on Saturday and riding in his car I could not let it sit in the box any longer.

 

 

Order one last week and I'm hoping to get it and have in on before I hit the track this Fri.

[Torrence]

Nice...... Bout time, your gonna love it.

[Pastor Passum]

I was looking for something to do yesterday evening and was tired of looking at the Fay's 2 sitting in the box. My lift would not be avalible for another week. So this is what came out and went in. I have about 2 hours in the project taking my time. When I finish posting I'll complete the final bar adjustments and take her out for a spin. After Mywickedshelby came up to RI on Saturday and riding in his car I could not let it sit in the box any longer.

 

 

 

Looks like a future mod here. Can you shed some light on the final adjustments? Is that something that needs to be done by a suspension shop or can you do it yourself and what, if any, special tools are needed? Are any instructions included with the Fay's 2? Thanks and again, looks great.

 

Jim

[ShelbyPilot]

You can do all of the installation yourself no speical tools needed. A drive on lift and digital level would be helpful. I am not sure what Roger means by final adjustments. Unless he means checking that everything is parallel and torqued down.

[RogerS]

You can do all of the installation yourself no speical tools needed. A drive on lift and digital level would be helpful. I am not sure what Roger means by final adjustments. Unless he means checking that everything is parallel and torqued down.

 

Exactly Chris. I left everything just snug last evening and double checked all of the settings with a level, applied blue locktite and tourqed everything to spec.

[RogerS]

Looks like a future mod here. Can you shed some light on the final adjustments? Is that something that needs to be done by a suspension shop or can you do it yourself and what, if any, special tools are needed? Are any instructions included with the Fay's 2? Thanks and again, looks great.

 

Jim

 

Jim as Chris stated. No special tools other than a torque wrench and a digital level. The instruction manual is pretty complete.

[Webba]

Hey Rog what did that mod run ya? I may have to do this before the lights. Of course i could do this, wear it out, and still be waiting for the lights!LOL I have had my car out last weekend and this week. Man oh man did I miss her

[AFBLUE]

Awaiting a before and after report on the difference in ride.

[Dig-It]

Awaiting a before and after report on the difference in ride.

 

+1

[mywickedshelby]

I found the difference in ride very noticable. The pavement on roads around here is not always great, in fact, in some places its down right horrible. With the watts link, the cars just rolls over them, no more getting pitched in your seat all over the place.

Around curves, I feel the rear end tracks perfectly with the car.....no more car going one way and the rear end going another.

 

and the final test, I took Dale for a ride the day after I got the fays2 installed and she thinks its a different car. She was with me on the trip to Rhode Island Saturday and mentioned several times how much more she likes the ride. She never said anything LAST YEAR but wasnt thrilled about the ride of my SGT when we went to Cape Cod last Summer, and wasnt really looking forward to the same this time around. Pleasantly surprised she cant wait for our next trip.

 

SOLD! :happy feet:

[Webba]

Yea that sounds like a big difference Michael. I know up here it would be nice. Our roads are the worst I have seen them and you go over an ant in this car and feel it. I will defnitely be looking at doing this mod.

 

Mark good to see you on the boards. I hope all is well? How long before you ar eback?

[RogerS]

Terry the cost is $595 or $615 with credit card plus actual shipping.

 

I must tell you that there are many views on which set up is best, most effective, has a "true center" and the list goes on. The debate will never end. But what seems to be missing in some posts is what the objective is in installing a watts link system on any car. Here is a link to a very good read explaining the theory of the watts link.

 

http://www.fays2.net/fays2_watts_link_4_.html

 

I chose the Fay's system due to several factors. 1. construction and fit and finish. It is well made. No brackets etc. Fewer parts leads to less potential for failure. The actual cage is pretty stout offering not only a mounting point for the center link but becomes a rear structual brace. 2. No fabrication. It mounts right into the factory mounting points. 3. Adjustability. Simple adjustability from stock suspended cars to hightly modified suspensions. 4. Jim Fay. When you call you speak with him. Not only is he knowledgeble but very enthusiastic about his produt. And he should be it works under full race conditions.

 

In my opinion this cage locates "true center". You need to center the rear end within the wheel wells prior to locking everything down.

 

The driving impression of the Fay's. The car tracks straighter. When powering into or out of turns there is a more secure feel to the suspension. No suprises. Weight transfer effectiveness. It makes the car feel more lineir. Less chatter. No more suspension chattering one way and the body feeling like it's going in another direction. I am very impressed and can not wait to get her back on the track this season. It should be fun.

[Dig-It]

Nice! Thanks for the report Roger.

[ilmor]

Does anyone know:

 

1. Does the watts link tend to increase oversteer, or understeer?

2. With the watts link installed, is the panhard bar eliminated?

 

This does look like good mod. I checked the Fays website also.

[RogerS]

A Watt's link lowers your car's roll center and helps keep your car's handling response symmetrical in both left and right cornering. Because the Watt's link keeps the axle centered under the car, the rear of the car now 'follows' the front suspension rather than fighting it.

 

Yes you eliminate the panhard bar and panhard bar brace on this install.

[blueshawk]

Jim as Chris stated. No special tools other than a torque wrench and a digital level. The instruction manual is pretty complete.

 

 

I got the installation instructions yesterday to review before I buy and I have a few questions:

 

1) How do you center the axle under the car before you do the adjustments.

 

2) Did you have any deviations from the instructions? Things that didn't quite fit, etc.?

[AstroDan]

Also, how does this affect roll, like slalom. I think the stock SGT is around .92 to .95 gee. Interested to know what it would be after this affordable mod...

IMHO, anything done to improve the handling (which is already the strong point of SGT) is a good thing.

Dan

[RogerS]

I got the installation instructions yesterday to review before I buy and I have a few questions:

 

1) How do you center the axle under the car before you do the adjustments.

 

2) Did you have any deviations from the instructions? Things that didn't quite fit, etc.?

 

Blues,

I did not have to move it at all. I measured the distance from the top of the tire to the outter lip on the wheel well on both sides. Mine was off from stock. 1/4". I wrote down the meaurements on both sides and when the axle clamps were ready to be tightened I meausred again. It was the same. So I assume it did not move during the install. I also did the install on ramps. The suspension was loaded the entire time and did not move.

 

I do have some tips on the installation instructions passed on from WP64. The bolt heads on the axle clamps were placed through the top of the axle clamps to avoid any possible contact with the frame. Believe me there is plenty of room. I don't see this being an issue. He also stated that the only bolts that were somewhat loose after his install were the 4 alxe clamps and he retorqued them back to 80flb. Speaking with Jim Fay yesterday I reviewed this with him and he was taking a unit off of a 1970 Mustang Race Car that had been on the car for 5 years and after the recommended retourque at 200 miles they had never been done. He also recommened as an addtional precaution to "blue" locktite all of the axle clamp and the main popeller bolt.

 

No issues on pieces that did not fit on my installation. Went right in.

 

PM me if you have any other questions and I'll leave you my phone number if you would like to chat about the install.

 

Roger

[RogerS]

Also, how does this affect roll, like slalom. I think the stock SGT is around .92 to .95 gee. Interested to know what it would be after this affordable mod...

IMHO, anything done to improve the handling (which is already the strong point of SGT) is a good thing.

Dan

 

I don't exactly know to answer your question but there is really NO roll at all. That's my seat of the pants telling me that. I can tell you that the handling is night and day in and rear end. More predictable and tracks as you would expect a high performance suspension to handle. By the way Ford utilized this set up, with a cage system, back in the late 60's and early 70's on their trans am cars. The Ford engineers designed the cage system vs. the center section as the pivot point and I think the Boss Trans Am cars did pretty well back then.

[pottydr]

Hey Roger, next time you come to california can you bring your tools and install one on my SGT ?

[RogerS]

Hey Roger, next time you come to california can you bring your tools and install one on my SGT ?

 

Why..........yes I can!! And I will!! :happy feet: Anything for you Rick.

 

 

Hmmmm...........I think I feel a little vacation time planning urge coming on.

[Shelby-Don]

Blues,

I did not have to move it at all. I measured the distance from the top of the tire to the outter lip on the wheel well on both sides. Mine was off from stock. 1/4". I wrote down the meaurements on both sides and when the axle clamps were ready to be tightened I meausred again. It was the same. So I assume it did not move during the install. I also did the install on ramps. The suspension was loaded the entire time and did not move.

 

 

Roger,

 

You said that your axle was shifted 1/4" to one side before you started and that after installing the Fays2 that it was in the same position. Isn't part of the idea behind the watts link is to center the axle between the wheel wells ? Once installed can you adjust the axle side to side using the turn buckle.

 

Don

[dukenrock]

I've been trying to locate one and have had no luck. Know where I can get one?

 

I was looking for something to do yesterday evening and was tired of looking at the Fay's 2 sitting in the box. My lift would not be avalible for another week. So this is what came out and went in. I have about 2 hours in the project taking my time. When I finish posting I'll complete the final bar adjustments and take her out for a spin. After Mywickedshelby came up to RI on Saturday and riding in his car I could not let it sit in the box any longer.

 

From this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

 

 

Now............back under the car!

[mastersmech1]

I've been trying to locate one and have had no luck. Know where I can get one?

Go to the Fays Watts link website. Saleen, Roush, Steeda- They all have them too.

[RogerS]

http://fays2.net/

[RogerS]

Don,

 

I could not quote your post due to apparent site issues.

 

The turnbuckle has nothing to do with side to side adjustment of the rear axle. Once they are locked down, for a street car, you should never need to move them. The placement is totally dependent on the placement of the axle clamps. Prior to locking them down you would check for side to side movement that may have taken place during the intial steps of the install. This you would check with a tape measure. Only after you have completed this step would you lock down the axle tube bolts. That is the determining factor in centering the rear axle. Hope this helps.

 

I will PM you with my phone number if you have any questions.

 

Roger

[TClark1976]

SOLD!!! I get it now!

 

After driving my SGT a little with all the uneven pavement seams on Minnesota roadways and going around freeway cloverleaf corners, I get it. This seems like it will do the trick and it's something that I can install myself. After seeing all the photos of it - it looks like it's supposed to be under there as part of our suspension upgrade on the SGT! And if I have any questions about the install, I've got all y'all to bail me out!! :blink: