I created this channel to be the resource I wish I had when I first started autocrossing my 79-04 Mustangs. I’ve been working on Mustangs since I got my first one in 1992 & I’ve been autocrossing since 2013. I’ve won multiple local championships driving my 1992 GT, my IRS-swapped 2000 GT & my IRS-swapped 2004 V6.
As an instructor, I love introducing people to autocross & helping them get faster. So, I’m sharing every secret I’ve ever learned about making 79-04 Mustangs more capable.
My channel features Mustang SUSPENSION, CHASSIS, BRAKE & ENGINE MODS; detailed AUTOCROSS DRIVING TIPS; honest, real-world, race-tested REVIEWS OF PERFORMANCE PARTS; common and clever WEIGHT REDUCTION MODS; and RESULTS VIDEOS that show my wins, losses, improvements, and mistakes out on course.
Stock or modified, ANY 79-04 Mustang can be a fun autocross car! If you’re looking to get into autocross, or to improve your times, please subscribe. If you have questions, please ask. I’m always happy to help.
Autocross is a relatively inexpensive way to learn performance driving fundamentals. Many clubs have instructors (like me) who help novices improve their skills. Many clubs also offer HPDE events. The SCCA has different programs for different levels of driving (check out their website). I personally think autocross would be a great first step for anyone looking to get into performance driving.
This is a really great series, thank you. How much did this build from part 1 to final part cost you? This is definitely not a budget build. You can barely find those IRS for under $3,000 now. So, now I think coilovers is the new budget. Those can get very expensive too, but you can get quality ones from $1,200-$2,000. Unless you want JRI for just under$4,000. Ford kinda annoys me now, why can't they just build it right from the start and stop cutting corners. Don't take this the wrong way, I really enjoy your videos and knowledge. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! I try to cover several different ways to get into autocross on my channel. I've done a few "budget autocross" videos, but this car was built to show that a V6 SN95 Mustang can be a capable autocross car. For the car and all the parts in this series (including some appearance mods) I've got about $16k in this project. Building the same car today would cost a lot more. There are still good non-coilover options for these cars. Coilovers aren't legal in Street Category, so going with adjustable shocks & struts is still a good budget autocross option. It's still possible to build a relatively inexpensive car that can be competitive in CAM-T at local events. Ford has had relationships with aftermarket companies for years, and they want to sell Ford Performance parts too. They realized early on that people want to personalize their ponies, so they built them with lots of room for mods. I've driven a few bone-stock 79-04 Mustangs at autocross events over the years. They're still a lot of fun to drive. I appreciate you checking out my videos! I've got more videos coming soon!
Because of my mods, I was put into ESP when I first started autocrossing. And I had 320 TW tires. I wasn't very competitive in ESP, but I still had fun and learned a lot. I ended up picking a few cars in a few different categories to compare my raw times to. It helped me worry less about my ESP competition and focus more on getting faster.
@@warhorseracing Thanks so much for your videos, I did my first autocross both Saturday and Sunday. I had a blast. This weekend I have an autocross school on Saturday and an event on Sunday.
@@JoediyLab It's always great to hear that someone enjoyed their first autocross event! Have fun at the school, and please let me know how you do at the event.
Im needing to get those custom braided lines for my V6 IRS swap as well. Any specific info on what shop did yours would be absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the great videos on the ST. I'm building my 2000 Cobra R clone based on your setup, with minor tweeks (street setup) before dropping in the Navi 5.4 DOHC and T-56.
I took the OEM V6 line and an aftermarket Cobra rear brake line to a business that was called Alliance Hose & Tube, but is now called Force Flex (and has moved to a new location). I don't think they'd have a record of the exact design on file, because the tech finalized the line based on what I brought in/mocked up on the car. You might have a local shop in your area that can provide the same service. I went through my build book, and I believe these are the BrakeQuip fittings that were used: HFMF70 (Female 10x1.0 x2); HFB251 (Banjo 10mm x 1/2 in.); BQ303 Braided Hose (1.5 feet); BQ251-BK Braided Hose Insert Black x2. I'm pretty sure that info is correct, but all of my custom brake line receipts are in the same file, so you should double-check those part numbers. I hope that helps.
I am having a hard time finding how to install the steeda sway bar brackets. I'm pretty sure it's not that difficult but I am not sure. I've actually rebuilt a mustang frame before due to rust and have extensive sn95 mustang rebuilding experience. I'm no dummy just stumped here. Can the stock bolts in the frame be reused or do you have to use the steeda supplied ones? If so do you have a technique for replaced those bolts without cutting into the frame. Thank you for your help 😀
There should be two holes in the frame rail that have squared-off extensions (sort of shaped like two skulls). The Steeda carriage bolts slide into the squared-off sections (with the heads inside the frame). I always use some painter's tape to hold the bolts in place. I also use painter's tape to hold the upper part of the sway bar bracket in place against the frame (just make sure it can't come loose and let the aluminum bracket fall). I support the sway bar with jack stands, which allows me to get the lower part of the bracket in place and start the nuts. IIRC, there are retainers for the OEM sway bar bolts in the frame. Those need to come out to install the Steeda bolts. I hope that info helps.
@@warhorseracing retainers like nuts? Ok the steeda extensions go in the big hole and slide into the smaller part this makes sense. I have had 4 new edges they are awesome. I always think they drive like a truck. I just got this one back up. It was on a jt blower but down a hole. I just rebuilt the engine with a chp stroker kit, Chevy sized eagle rods, dss pistons, trick flow heads, mhs stg 4 cams, on3 turbo kit. I wish I went twin turbo instead of single it’s just what I found 2nd hand but in new shape at a steep discount. It really takes up all of the real estate running the single. Anyway thanks again. I really appreciate it. I already have a cheap sr performance front and rear sway bar. This will help bring it together. I plan to do this after I do the weld in subframe connectors, panhard bar - scotidi makes a really nice one for 450, better than maximum Motorsports and J&m lower control arms in the rear. It is on tubular up front due to turbo fitment. Have you done the ats brakes yet? Im on cobra but I think those would be a huge upgrade. They make a bracket for 200 bucks to run them. Thanks again
@@Megacatares It's been a while since I've dealt with the OEM sway bar bracket hardware, so I looked at some old photos. The retainers are like a speed nut; instead of a nut, they keep the bolt positioned in the frame so that the threaded ends go through the bracket. I love my New Edge cars. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of Fox Body and SN95 Mustangs. It sounds like you're working on a fun project. I haven't felt the need to run ATS brakes on my autocross cars. The Cobra brakes and Hawk pads I use provide more than enough braking for autocross. I'm always happy to help!
Thanks! My only experience with the KYB AGX shocks and struts was when I suggested them for the Humble Mechanic Mustang build. We ended up going with 2 F and 4 R to get the car neutral (with stock sway bars). You can probably go down to 2 up front.
@@warhorseracing 2 is where I find mine works good with the KYB Gas-adjust (non adjustable) on back. Setting 1 really lets the rear end come around for all kinds of fun!
@@brokentoolgarage It's amazing what a little adjustability can do for these cars! When I help someone with their setup, I always have them try all the settings on multiple autocross runs to see how good (or how bad) the car can get at various settings.
Nice to see that someone else has been thinking the same as I have on this kit. It seems to lock the front down a little too much. I have always kept my front struts adjusted a little softer because of this as well.
I know this doesn't relate to this video but how do you feel about a staggered tire setup? Specifically 275 front and 315 rear. I currently am 275 square with re71 tires.
With all other mods/adjustments being equal, switching to a staggered setup will add understeer. You will have more grip in the rear and less grip up front. If you can't adjust around that added understeer, you'll have to drive around it out on course. The vast majority of people I compete against run a square setup. I wouldn't run a staggered setup on my autocross cars. You might find my "Choosing the Right Autocross Rim & Tire Size" video helpful.
Thanks for the reply. I currently am out of adjustment to get the oversteer out of the car. I was hoping that a larger rear tire would get it to understeer which now I would have plenty of Damper adjustment to get it neutral. It's real close now. Of course I'd also have to go from a 9.5" wheel to an 11" or so.
@@warhorseracingI don't disagree with that. I have the steeda front bar and my rear bar is disconnected. I have a 99 Cobra. I usually run 30 front 28 rear depending on track temp. That seems to work the best with these tires.. Car is very completive locally. I just want that little extra. You know how it is..
@@BestUnderPressure We all want that little bit of extra speed! What are your alignment settings? On my IRS cars, I keep my F & R settings pretty close. If you have a lot of negative camber up front, and not much negative camber in the rear, getting the two settings closer together might help.
In a previous comment, you mentioned that your sway bars are stock. More often than not, you will want to make sure you have the correct rear sway bar on your Mustang before changing the front sway bar. If you haven't made mods to address the "factory-installed" tendency to understeer, then you will make that tendency worse by adding a stiffer front sway bar. Installing a stiffer front sway bar is always the last mod I make to my autocross cars.
Have you ever used or known someone that used the QA1 rear swaybar? It seems like it may have some adjustment since you can probably slide the sway bar back and forth in the mounts it uses. Also, thank you so much for all of your videos, I just started auto crossing my SN95 and it has been a blast!
I have never used a QA1 rear sway bar, and I don't know anyone who uses one on their autocross Mustang. I looked at the description & the instructions on QA1's website and they do not mention adjustability, which I think is a feature they would advertise. There is a note that the QA1 rear sway bar doesn't work with OEM lower control arms; they also have wording on their website that reads: "Requires use of QA1 5221 lower trailing arms." I suspect those restrictions limit the popularity of the QA1 rear sway bar. Thank you for checking out my channel! If you have any other questions about autocrossing your SN95, please ask. I'm always happy to help.
It's always nice to hear that my videos are helpful! I focus on Mustangs on my channel, but I'm fortunate to get to instruct novices in all sorts of cars at my events. I want to get as many people as possible to autocross their cars!
I do a lot of Motorsport in the UK, but since coming to the US, I've been having some fun with Autocross events near me; always been a massive rally fan and of Audi with their quattro system for gravel, I had a 1995 URS6 for a few events before I sold it and bought a 03 Mustang SVT Cobra, since purchasing the mustang its had the entire MM catalog and big Wilwoods all round, handles well around the cones and for more fun you can pretty much drift the whole course, the most fun car I've bought in a long time.
The Terminator Cobras are really fun cars. I love throwing my IRS-swapped SN95 Mustangs around on course. It's great to hear from other people who feel the same way about these cars!
I need some more information to be able to give you the best answer. What size rotors F & R? Do you daily drive the car or is it just for autocross? How much does the car weigh?
@@hunterkime1759 I use Cobra F & R brakes on my 1992 GT with Hawk HP Plus pads up front and HPS pads in the rear. The HP Plus pads offer great initial bite and are very aggressive. They create a LOT of dust (I need to clean out the holes in my rotors after every event), they squeal when I drive to and from events, and they wear out rotors faster than less-aggressive pads. Even with an adjustable proportioning valve, I prefer the HPS pads in the rear because anything more aggressive would lead to the rear brakes locking up. I've never used the HPS 5.0 pads, but they appear to be positioned in between the HPS and the HP Plus. They are an aggressive "street" pad, which usually means less initial bite (than an autocross/track pad). Brake pad choice is setup/driver dependent. I prefer more initial bite because I can poke the brakes and quickly transfer weight to the front end. You might prefer something different. Whichever front pads you choose, I do think it's wise to use less-aggressive pads in the rear.
Excellent video. I am guessing that your car sits at stock height or very close? How are you adjusting your Instant Center or Roll Center, if you are not using adjustable control arms or a phb? Are you using relocation brackets for the lower control arms? Thank you for your time.
Thank you! I generally don't lower my autocross Mustangs more than 1". Going lower with stock-style springs (not coil-overs) limits suspension travel and can lead to needing more mods to solve more handling issues. I don't use relocation brackets for the rear control arms on my SRA cars. The other mods I've made (weight reduction, mass centralization, adjustable shocks & struts, sway bars, etc.) have gotten my SRA cars to perform well enough to where I haven't felt the need to use extended ball joints, adjustable control arms or a PHB.
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I would agree that lowering your car past stock height causes a lot of problems. The 4-link rear suspension is actually pretty good when it sits at correct angles and height. Out of curiosity, have you looked at true triangulated 4-link suspensions? The 79-04 mustangs have more of a semi-triangulated 4-link setup in my opinion. What do you think about some of these upper control arms that connect off the frame rails? By the way, very impressive what you can do with your mustang. without running a watts, phb/ta.
@@JP-ri1wf I haven't looked at different 4-link suspensions. And, honestly, I'm not familiar with UCAs that mount off of the frame (I'll have to check those out). When I started working on these cars many years ago, the most common steps were to upgrade the rear control arms and add a stiffer rear sway bar, then upgrade to some "next level" rear suspension mod (like a PHB or Watt's link), then eventually add a TA to get rid of the UCAs. Steeda offered different solutions. I've always had to build my cars on a budget. That means I've had to figure out how to do more with less. Steeda's (now discontinued) adjustable rear sway bar was $150. I was amazed by how well it performed, especially when combined with adjustable shocks and struts. That experience changed my thinking about SRA mods. I plan to use all 4 rear control arms on my SRA 2.3L project. I've tried my best to show people that these cars can be competitive at local autocross events without coil-overs, aftermarket K-members, or a PHB/TA setup. Those mods do make a big difference, but I don't want people to think they can't autocross unless they have those parts on their cars.
I think my Cobra suspension setup is a lot different than yours but I do have this front sway bar. I like it. I am on 275 RE71's square and was having a problem is oversteer. I recently disconnected the rear swaybar and it transformed the car. It's very neutral feeling now unless I step over the edge.
One of the reasons why I make these videos is to show that there is no "one size fits all" sway bar choice for our cars. It's a balance of performance and personal preference. I've seen these cars perform well with many different sway bars. It's all about finding what works and wins.
I weighed my OEM 2004 V6 1" front sway bar & my OEM 2000 GT 27mm front sway bar on the same scale I weighed the Steeda sway bar. OEM V6 1": 12 lbs. OEM GT 27mm: 13 lbs.
You have to determine if you have "Hydro" or "non-Hydro" bushings. Prothane suggests using heat to separate the bushings from the shells. They warn that this is extremely dangerous & should only be done by a qualified professional. I don't use heat. On "non-Hydro" bushings, I use a 3/8" drill bit to drill a hole in the rubber near the shell (without damaging the shell), then I try to slowly "walk" the bit along the shell to separate the bushing from the metal. More often than not, I have to drill multiple holes in the bushings from both sides to get the sleeve and most of the rubber out; then I use a wire wheel to get the remaining rubber out of the shell. I always wear eye protection. I do not use a drill on Hydro bushings; I can usually just pry those out (there is fluid in Hydro bushings).
I just did suspension on my 04 Mustang GT this year, basically a complete suspension overhaul, I didn't go with adjustable shocks, just bilsteins and H&R race springs with Maxium Motorsport caster/camber plates, I'm still getting the feel of the car and not sure if I need to go to a different sway bar in the future or not.. sway bars are stock, all bushings are poly
Getting a feel for the car is key. There's a lot that goes into selecting sway bars. I have another video about stiffer sway bars for 79-04 SRA Mustangs that you might find helpful.
I just did something similar to you, but I also have the MM K Member and offset A-arms. I have an MM coilover setup on the front with 425 lbs/ft springs , H&R race springs on the back and stock Bilsteins all round. The coilover conversion alone transformed the handling and road manners. Driven on the street, it absorbs bumps a lot better too. I then added a Steeda 35mm and went auto crossing. I was blown away at the overall improvement, which is so much more predictable. Next will be to coilover the rear and purchase the MM valved Bilsteins,
hello i was hoping to get some advice on driveshaft selection. i have a 98 cobra and i will be putting an 01 cobra irs into it. cant really find any information about driveshafts for this application.
This information assumes your car and your IRS have the same parts they were born with. You should also double-check all of this information, because there appears to be conflicting information from people with 99/01 Cobras when it comes to driveshaft fitment. Your 1998 Cobra should have come with a T45 transmission. You need a driveshaft with a 31-spline yoke (like the Ford Performance M-4602-JA). LMR has this wording on their website: [Some 99/01 Cobra owners have reported the M-4602-J driveshaft will fit unmodified while most report that the M-4602-J needs to be shortened 1" to fit the 99/01 Cobra.] The "A" has been added to the Ford part# in recent years. I did some quick research and found that the 99 Cobra had a T45 and the 2001 Cobra had a TR-3650. I can't confirm which pinion flange came on the 2001 IRS. If it has the M-4851-C pinion flange (3.5" flange bolt circle), the M-4602-JA driveshaft will bolt up (but it might need to be shortened 1"). If the 2001 IRS has the larger pinion flange (M-4851-B, 4.250" flange bolt circle), you will have to make a change to get everything to fit. Because every IRS assembly I've purchased has needed to have the differential rebuilt, I've always swapped out the pinion flange to work with the driveshaft that fits my transmission. My 2000 GT has a TR3650 swap and an IRS swap. I used the M-4602-J driveshaft and the M-4851-C pinion flange. I had to shorten the driveshaft 1". I hope this info helps.
Doin this upgrade on my fox...found a deal on a set....only time I heard you wanna use the stock uppers is when you run a panhard bar an still wanna use the 4 link for best results idk I have a panhard bar an gonna try this setup so guess we'll see
Ride heights- balancing question: I have coil overs with my solid axle. If I use the stock 2003 coil springs with irs (2003) what fender ride height should I expect? Do you feel the balance of car change much? For road racing do you feel all the upgrades you did to the irs is beneficial?
Just to clarify... You are swapping a 2003 IRS into your SRA Mustang, which has coil-overs. So, you would end up with coil-overs up front and OEM 2003 Cobra springs in the rear. Is that correct? I've actually never had an IRS with OEM springs on my cars. I used the Eibach 99/01 Cobra rear springs when I did the swaps. You might find the ride height info you need on one of the Mustang forums. I don't use coil-overs on my cars, but I can say that adding the weight of the IRS to my GT and my V6 helped with the overall weight balance (but I also made several other mods to improve the weight balance of my cars). There are differences between a road race setup and an autocross setup (my experience is with autocross). Based on my autocross experience driving other people's stock IRS-equipped Mustangs and my upgraded IRS Mustangs, I can tell you that the upgrades make a big difference on an autocross course. For more information, check out my "IRS vs. SRA" video. If you have any other questions about the IRS swap, I'm happy to help.
@@cleanname4439I've driven a lot of different cars at autocross events. There are some great BMWs and Audis out there. If you're given an opportunity to ride along in a 79-04 Mustang being driven by an experienced autocrosser, do it. You'll see how much fun they can be. Whichever car you choose, I hope you take it to an autocross event.
The best answer I can give you is they might fight. There are lots of variables when it comes to fitting wider tires on these cars. No two SN95 Mustangs are exactly the same (production tolerances weren't very tight). You also have to consider wheel size, backspacing, and offset. Tires that are listed as the same size can also vary between brands. If you are buying the rims from a Mustang vendor (like LMR), they will commonly sell a 275/40/17 with a 17x9" rim that SHOULD fit. They have a fair amount of fine print about fitment on their website. You will probably need steering rack limiters up front. You might need to flip/remove the quad shocks in the back. You can check willtheyfit.com to see how your new rims & tires will fit compared to your current rims and tires.
As far as I can tell, the Tokico shocks & struts for 79-04 Mustangs have been discontinued. Most people I know go with SA or DA Koni Yellow shocks and struts. The KYB AGX adjustable shocks and struts are another option. I have not been able to test them extensively, but I was impressed by their performance when I suggested them for the Humble Mechanic Mustang build.
Great factual points on this matter. Both suspension systems have their pros and cons, but if setup well and the driver is capable the gap gets narrowed. I have an 89 Mustang and at the time (2005) I also had a 96 F150 short bed, 302, auto trans, towing package, Bilstein shocks, good tires and no antisway bars. Went to an autocross with a friend to watch him at his Corvette Club and they wanted to see what my F150 could do. The snickering stopped as the times I pulled amazed them .
Thanks! I've seen some fast pickup trucks and even a very fast Jeep at my local events. It's always fun to see what a capable driver can do in an atypical autocross vehicle.
Thank you for the videos been to a couple events and enjoying it a lot! Have a 1995 Cobra. What do you think about 285/35/18 on 9.5 inch 2000 Cobra R SVE rims? Thinking this will be an upgrade from my 1995 Cobra R 9 inch rims with 275/40/17 all seasons Toyos. Not 200 but looking at the Potenza Sport as there is a close out deal on them.
If you've only done a couple of events and your tires don't need replacing, my first piece of advice would be to keep using the tires you have until you've done a few more events. Learning to autocross on less-than-ideal tires will teach you a lot about input timing and fundamentals. If you need to replace your tires (or you don't want to pass up a good deal), I think upgrading to a 300TW tire is a good option. I can’t comment on the performance of the Potenza Sport tires for autocross because I’ve never used them. Here’s some information that might help you decide: The 285/35/18 Potenza Sport has a Measured Rim Width of 10”, which means it will be a little pinched on a 9.5” rim. That might make mounting them more difficult (I’ve heard from multiple people that the RE-71RS tires can be tough to mount). If you are pinching the tire, you are going to lose .2” of section width. Because you would be pinching the tire, the 285/35/18 on a 9.5” rim would have a section width of 11.2”. It’s worth checking to see if you’d be better off with a 275/35/18 tire on a 9.5” rim. The section width of the 275/35/18 on a 9.5” rim would be 11”. The overall tire diameter is 25.9”, which isn’t too bad, but a 275/35/18 has an OTD of 25.6”, which I would prefer. The 285s are listed as “2021 production” on Tire Rack, which means they are 3 years old. I think you would be sacrificing a little bit of performance with the 285s, but that might not be a bad compromise for how much money you would save. I used the SVE 2000 Cobra R rims for several seasons. They held up well & the paint didn’t have any quality issues. The one drawback is that they are 27.79 lbs. each, which is pretty heavy. You should also check www.willtheyfit.com to see if those rims/tires will fit your car (especially up front). I hope that information helps. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have about autocrossing your Mustang.
I'm not sure if you look at the comments from your older videos. I hope you do. I want to know I appreciate your videos and knowledge. I entered my first autocross today since 2020 and only the 6th of my 60 years on this planet. I have a 2001 Ford Mustang GT automatic. I was the slowest of all 155 competitors (just as I was the last time I raced in a 2006 Lincoln LS V8). The fastest cars were running in the high 48s. My first run I missed a cone and DNF at 84 seconds.. However, I had three more runs, all clean. Run 2 was an 80, run three a high 74 and the last run a high 71. I'm a bit frustrated, yet happy I improved every run. My biggest issue was the slalom cones. I had my Mustang lowed more for aesthetic purposes but can afford to change it. The issue was through the slalom it felt like it was understeering and moving from the middle (?). Maybe a heavier rear sway bar?
I do look at all the comments people leave. I try to reply to questions within 24 hours (sometimes it takes a bit longer). Thank you for checking out my videos! When I first started, I came in last several times. Don't let that get you down. You improved on every run, and you identified the biggest issue you're having out on course. Those are both good things. The understeer issue could be related to the car's natural tendency to understeer, the mods you've made, or your inputs. If you've only done 6 events, it's possible you are entering the slaloms too fast, turning too "late" on the slalom cones, or overlapping your brake and steering inputs trying to correct in the slaloms. If you are certain you're not making those mistakes, there could be something in your suspension setup that's causing understeer. On a stock V8 SN95 Mustang, a stiffer rear sway bar (25mm) will reduce understeer. You can also increase negative camber to reduce understeer. If the car is too low, that could be a factor. If you let me know all of your suspension mods and adjustments, I'll have a better sense of the car's tendency at the limit of traction.
@@warhorseracing Here's as much as I could find. Rear Upper and Lower Control Arm Kit - Made For And Compatible With 1979-2004 Mustangs Red Tubular Fits 79-98 Mustang V6, GT, Cobra, 99-04 Mustang V6, Bullitt, GT, Saleen, Roush, Bullitt, Cobra Strong Welds and Tubular Steel Construction, Withstand up to 400 Horsepower. Improve Overall Stability, Better Handling and Less Body Roll Combo Includes a Pair of Upper Control Arms, a Pair of Lower Control Arms, Bushings, Hardware Kit, Grease Packet Built to Last, Durable Constructions, Backed by a Manufacture Limited Lifetime Warranty SR Performance Lowering Springs; Touring Linear rate springs are a popular choice for track and road course driven Mustangs. 460 lb/in - Front; 280 lb/in - Rear The Struts, shocks, front upper and lower control arms are stock replacement style. The rear shocks are leaking. Just ordered a pair of KYB rear shocks to replace them.
@@alhopkins185 Thanks for the information. Your current setup will still have a tendency to understeer at the limit of traction. If the rear shocks are leaking and not doing their job, they are also impacting the handling of the car. It's probably worth seeing how the car performs out on course with new rear shocks before making the other mods. Based on your mods, I would recommend a stiffer rear sway bar. There's only so much negative camber you can add with the OEM parts, but getting an alignment with more negative camber would also help. Before you get an alignment, you should make a decision about your springs. The SR Performance Touring springs are a little softer up front & a little lower overall than I would prefer for an autocross car. Does the nose of the car drop significantly under braking? If so, you might want to get different springs. I recommend Ford Performance C springs with poly isolators. The car will sit higher, and the rates are better for performance driving. This is one of those cases where experimenting with parts could require multiple alignments, which adds additional cost. You can try an alignment and a stiffer rear sway bar. But, if you decide later on that you want to upgrade your springs, you'll have to get the car aligned again.
I always include basic tips about steering, braking & throttle inputs when I lead the novice course walks at my events. That helps to highlight areas where drivers can gain or lose a lot of time out on course.
@@warhorseracing my husband and son do this too I told them of your advice. They are better at this than me however they both want to improve on their performance. We really have fun doing this as a family. Your presentation is very good.
My goal is to inspire Mustang drivers to autocross their cars, but I'm glad my videos have helped people in other cars get faster out on course. As an instructor, I get to help drivers in all sorts of cool cars. Whatever car you drive, I hope you're taking it to autocross events and having fun.
@@warhorseracingThanks for getting back to me! I bought some of the freeze spray, we’ll see how it turns out, I’ve gotten out 95% of the factory sound deadening except some right before going up the firewall. That area is so tough, hope that stuff works though, literally just sprayed it on. 🤞🏻
@@2H2521 Please let me know if the freeze spray works on the tough section of sound deadening in your Ranger. I hit the tough patches with a ball-peen hammer right after using the freeze spray (just hard enough to shatter the sound deadening without denting the floor). If that doesn't work, try to get something under the edge of the sound deadening and pry on it.
@@warhorseracingI sprayed it on last night & let it sit overnight just so it could settle into it, it might’ve helped a little bit but I don’t think it did very much. Thanks for the extra suggestions too, should I try removing it right after I spray it or should I let it sit for awhile?
@@2H2521 I only waited about 15 seconds after I used the freeze spray. You want it to be very cold when you try to remove it. Make sure you are wearing gloves and goggles. In several areas, hitting it with a hammer didn't help much. In some areas, I needed a chisel or a grinder.
Forgive the long reply, but I always try to give balanced answers. This is a tough question to answer, because there are lots of variables that factor into suspension performance, and personal preference also plays a role. I refer to Panhard bars and Watt's links as "next-level" rear suspension mods. They're more involved than just simply adding a larger rear sway bar to get the car neutral, they require you to choose which option you think is better and, with the addition of a Torque Arm, allow you to remove the upper control arms. I can't argue with the fact that removing the rear UCAs improves the handling capability of these cars. I can say that I used this rear control arm kit in conjunction with a Steeda adjustable rear sway bar (now discontinued) and I competed against several cars with a PB/TA setup at my local events. To the best of my recollection, I don't think I competed against any 79-04 Mustangs with a WL. My car was very competitive against the PB/TA cars. I didn't always run faster times, but the results were often close enough that winning was more dependent on the driver/suspension adjustments, not the choice of rear suspension upgrades. In a world without the Steeda adjustable rear sway bar, I'm more likely to consider a PB or WL for a solid-rear-axle Mustang. I tend to focus on weight, so I'm not as likely to use a TA. Lots of people will disagree with me about that. I prefer a WL, and I would use it with all 4 control arms (with 3-piece poly bushings). If I went with a PB, I would follow the manufacturer's recommendation about rear control arms (specifically the UCAs). It's hard for me to definitively say that these control arms will or won't eliminate the need for a PB or WL. I do think it's worth using them in conjunction with the correct stiffer rear sway bar for your car to see how well you can do against cars running a PB or WL. I also think it's worth riding in/driving cars with a PB or WL to get a sense of how they perform relative to your setup.
I wonder how much that steering wheel weighs compared to an aftermarket one. Great content as always, I was wondering how this ride was coming along. I personally can't stand having to work on my '95 Ford, those plastic connectors are terrible at cracking on me with even the lightest touch.
I know the air bag weighs almost 4 lbs. I will probably install an aftermarket steering wheel in this car. If I do, I'll provide an accurate weight for both steering wheels. Thanks! The project is taking longer than I planned, but it's moving forward. I was really gentle with the connectors, but I still ended up breaking a few.
Thank you! I'm getting used to surprises and complications with this build. No matter what happens, it's always fun. I don't plan on using through-the-floor subframe connectors on this car. I'm going to choose something other than the Stifflers FIT System so I can try/test something new. But that decision is going to depend on other mods that might get in the way.