Maverick500 Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 All, I am looking for advice, knowledge, understanding of suspension for my 2010 GT500. I wish to race on a trans am style track. I want to gather as much information and knowledge as I can as it pertains to suspension pieces for this car. There are so many packages on the market and I want to understand how they work. Sway bars, bump steer components, Watts Links vs Pan Hard Bars, Coil overs vs Adjustable Shocks, etc. Anyone out there who is racing their GT500 with upgraded suspension components, I would love to hear of your upgrades and why you went that route. If there is reference material out there that will catch me up, please pass it on. Thank you all in advance, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingram4868 Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Welcome to Team Shelby. If you plan to participate in events like SCCA or NASA then you will need their rule books to understand what is permitted for the different classes. If you are doing this just for street use then I would recommend you stay with a single manufacturer. Properly developed suspension "systems" are designed to compliment the various components. IMO, mixing different parts from different companies is not a good idea when you not familiar with what each part will do for you. A term you will hear and read about often when dealing with suspension is "NVH" (noise, vibration, harshness). When evaluating parts you will find that the ultimate in "racing" performance parts will add NVH to your ride even when not on a tract. Many of the companies have tried to provide parts that have better performance qualities than factory parts yet still maintaining an acceptable NVH which of course is a very subjective to each driver. IMO, the ultimate Mustang suspension parts designer is Griggs Racing http://www.grigg ing.com/index.php?cPath=4332_4309_4320_4329 . I use BMR suspension parts on my car because they are a little cheaper, http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=products&vehicleid=1 These websites and other providers of suspension parts outline what the parts will do for your car. Many of the companies have kits that are configured to work very well together. Once you understand some of the various buzz words like "lower control arms" you can do a search here at Team Shelby to see the various components that other members have used. Read lots, and ask questions, in no time you'll get up to speed on Mustang suspension parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Patten Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 In addition to what David has mentioned - I will add that there are several books available on the subject - the ones that I recommend are written by Carroll Smith . These will provide you with an understanding of the terms and principles of suspension / chassis building along with other aspects involved with taking a car to the race track . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Saleen215 Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 I would add that before doing suspension - the braking system should be looked at. I just did a track day with a gentleman that bought a new Subaru WRX and he was doing good until his stock brake fluid boiled and his stock pads faded. At the very least consider changing out your brake fluid to a high temp one like Brembo, Wilwood, Motul, Amsoil, etc and change out your pads to a good street/track pad like Hawk HPS, etc. A brake duct setup will also be beneficial. For me, I decided to stick with FRPP and the KR stuff. So I run the FRPP suspension (with no rear sway bar) and a Fays2 watts link set to one notch below center. I use the KR brake ducting setup with the 2013 Brembo's, Hawk HPS pads, and Motul brake fluid. The only NVH I have is the watts link, but it's really not that bad...it's just noticeable. Any music and you don't hear it. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboGT Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 89Saleen just gave the best advice to anyone thinking of taking their car to a track/road course. The brakes are the first and most important part to upgrade before going racing. The front Brembos and OEM rear calipers are actually very capable - but the stock pads and fluids are not. Believe it or not - better brakes will actually make you faster on a road course. Trust me, there is a wealth of information available on this site. Take the time to search the archives then ask specific questions before you dive into purchasing parts. These are great cars with tremendous untapped potential from the factory. Welcome and enjoy the ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barspen Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 My next track day is scheduled for early Nov and I'm going through several suspension mods. Lower control arms and Panhard bar are probably the two that will make the biggest difference IMHO, if you trying to keep costs down. Those should set you back about $400+install. Upper control arm and sway bar end-links are on the short list for me. Also looking at FRPP stocks\struts down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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