The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Help with planning suspension upgrade

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

I decided to invest and build a more track-worthy Boss but still keep it street legal so it can pass inspection and emissions here in PA. I already have the brakes covered. Not worried about ride comfort.

My current suspension set-up: K springs, stock struts/shocks, CC plates, 302R LCA, brackets, adj PHB

I was looking at a complete Ground Control coil over set-up with CC plates included and Koni yellows. Cost would likely be somewhere around 2K. I can't afford the Cortex stuff. Are coil-overs going to be that much better on track than swapping out the stock shocks/struts for a good quality adjustable set like Koni?? Maybe different springs with more appropriate rates??

What about the front LCA with extended ball joints and bump steer kit? I don't mind spending the money if it will make a significant difference on track. I will likely be doing about 3-4 track days and 2-3 hillclimbs per year so I will have to deal with tight switchbacks on a rough mountain road as well as high speed open tracks. Watts link a better investment?

Understand that I don't have the knowledge right now to be adjusting suspension height and spring rates for every event and every track. Where should my suspension dollars go?
 
My first move would be a CorteX watts link.
 
Last edited:

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
There's a set of used CorteX Koni/JRi in the classifieds for sale.

One of the benefits of going to coilovers is having freedom to choose higher spring rates, that may be more appropriate for tires with higher grip levels, or if you just prefer the 'feel' of a racecar.

Ride height and geometry control is another big benefit. I normally run my front at stock Boss ride height for the geometry (without using tall ball joints). With any OEM-style aftermarket spring you're limited to the height that *they* chose. And for me, that's always lower than I want to go.
 
Ended up buying the Cortex set-up from a member here. Can't go wrong with the quality of their stuff. Plus it would not have cost that much less to buy a new set of shocks and they still wouldn't match Cortex and the adjustability I get. I'm a happy camper!
 
598
536
Ended up buying the Cortex set-up from a member here. Can't go wrong with the quality of their stuff. Plus it would not have cost that much less to buy a new set of shocks and they still wouldn't match Cortex and the adjustability I get. I'm a happy camper!
You got the Koni fronts with the JRI rears right ?
 
598
536
Cool deal, I have been running the JRI rears with different front strut and spring packages for a bit, Bilstiens. KW and Koni. Now with the front JRI struts, The rears really feel at home with the matched front. Valving was always just a little off with the other set ups. Just something to be aware of. I would save up and buy the matching fronts some time down the road and still use the Koni's for now.
 
I guess I will have to see how it feels but the seller said he worked pretty close with the folks from Cortex to put the pieces of the set-up together. It was meant for both street and track but I am primarily concerned with track feel. So I may have to experiment with spring rates as well. Still running the stock front bar and will be dropping down to the 18mm rear bar. Lots of variables and I'm not exactly an expert in suspension set-up.
 
I put a Cortex Watts link on my 2014 GT 500. Last run at Fontana Roval on OEM F1 tires I was over 3 seconds faster than a 350R and most other mustangs. It really stabilizes the rear end and gives one control, confidence and predictability.

Before installing the watts link, the rear end would be unstable on turns. The watts link adjustment must correct to achieve maximum stability though.
 

Big Black

Good, fast<del>, and cheap</del>
Yes...Koni's and JRI's. Andrew is a good dude.....the Boss is going to rock!
Andrew is a good dude...his watts link and LCA's are now under my Shelby (I sure do like how they LOOK...
I put a Cortex Watts link on my 2014 GT 500. Last run at Fontana Roval on OEM F1 tires I was over 3 seconds faster than a 350R and most other mustangs. It really stabilizes the rear end and gives one control, confidence and predictability.

Before installing the watts link, the rear end would be unstable on turns. The watts link adjustment must correct to achieve maximum stability though.
It's going to be a loooooong winter wait...
 
I put a Cortex Watts link on my 2014 GT 500. Last run at Fontana Roval on OEM F1 tires I was over 3 seconds faster than a 350R and most other mustangs. It really stabilizes the rear end and gives one control, confidence and predictability.

Before installing the watts link, the rear end would be unstable on turns. The watts link adjustment must correct to achieve maximum stability though.


Ugh......another piece for the wish list. This site is going to get me divorced.
 
"Honey, a 'Watts Link' is a relatively minor but important improvement that will make our machine much safer and even more reliable, plus we're saving a lot of money because I'm installing it myself!"

That worked for the first few boxes but now I try to hide them in the garage before she gets home. Luckily she doesn't go in there and hasn't caught on. The Watson rollbar I'm picking up tomorrow might be a little more challenging! :D
 
680
215
That worked for the first few boxes but now I try to hide them in the garage before she gets home. Luckily she doesn't go in there and hasn't caught on. The Watson rollbar I'm picking up tomorrow might be a little more challenging! :D

My wife is actually pretty cool about this sort of stuff. I don't spend money on fancy clothes or gadgets so she's is "braced" for big purchases. She did ask me while we were at SEMA a couple of weeks ago if I was "done with your little project" yet....lol
 
6,363
8,190
I'm just gonna toss this out there..
I'm not a fan of the watts..that's my disclaimer.
We ran the PHB and Watts back to back to back at Palm Beach when we rented the track for testing. The least experienced driver liked the Watts because he said it was the most comfortable, the other two were way faster in the PHB, so much so that in a few months all the cars were converted back to PHBs.
The general go to setup is 550 front, 300 rear, (penske's, which I know nobody will buy because they are too expensive, but JRI is supposedly working on a compromise) Ford "blue " bar in front on the middle setting, 18 mm or no bar in the rear. no relocation brackets or anything. I would suggest that whoever you get your parts from FP, Griggs, MM, BMR, Cortex you buy ALL your stuff from the same place.
That would be a good ball park starting setup for PWC, IMSA, SCCA T1, and T2 or Trans Am TA4.
If you talk to Carter at JRI tell him I said hi and he still owes me a hat..thanks.
My 2 cents
 
The pan hard bar just in it's geometry is far from what a Watts link can do and how it can do it. Especially on a high speed bank, such as the one at Fontana when running the Roval and entering the bank at 145 mph. Really need rear stability.

BTW, the Cortex Watts link is one of the best ones. Around $1,000. On my 2014 Gt 500 that I track.

I did however purchase a Whiteline Watts link for my Saleen Parnelli Jones edition Mustang. A good economical watts link. Ebay, $740.00 delivered. The Saleen Watts link had a recall on it. The recall "fix" should also be a recall. I don't track the PJ.
Just for piece on mind.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top