I may be dealing with a bad strut on my 2024 Mustang GT with Magneride. Rather than just replacing it with an OEM strut, I am thinking about going ahead and upgrading the suspension for dedicated track use. My car has become a dedicated track car, with the exception of driving it on the street for purposes of taking it to a tire shop or Steeda (which is local to me). I've read many threads about switching to coilovers and the benefits of adjustability. I am looking for recommendations which will meet my needs now and into the future. I am not doing any racing at this point, simply HPDE. I seriously doubt I will transition to racing, but I do think doing time trials is likely in the future. While I am definitely competitive, this is certainly just a hobby, and I don't have any need for the absolute top end components that will give me the ultimate edge for times, but I don't want to go with the cheapest option and be looking to upgrade in a year. I'll pay whatever is necessary to meet my needs. I currently have the Steeda Progressive springs, camber plates, camber arms, adjustable sway bars, etc.

I don't have any aftermarket aero on the car at this point, but I could eventually look to add a splitter and rear wing. At this time the current limiting factor of the car is sitting in the driver's seat, so that is where I'm currently focusing on improvement. As I progress, I will likely add more to the car, so I want to account for those factors in looking at suspension upgrades.

I'm looking for feedback from those of you who have much more experience than me and can steer me in the right direction.

If you want the best: MCS, Penske, Cortex, (Ohlins to a degree) $4k-$10k
Budget friendly: Ford Track shocks + BMR Handling springs. This is the entry level go-to for S550's...I assume this will fit on S650's as well but not certain. ~$1,200

No matter the price, you want linear springs and monotube shocks. Steeda will tell you otherwise but there's a reason they aren't a site sponsor here.

Some in-between brands that have good reviews but not as reputable as MCS, Penske, Coretx: Ground Control, Fortune Auto, Vorshlag's H&R Kit. $2k - $3.5k

Ewheels said:

If you want the best: MCS, Penske, Cortex, (Ohlins to a degree) $4k-$10k
Budget friendly: Ford Track shocks + BMR Handling springs. This is the entry level go-to for S550's...I assume this will fit on S650's as well but not certain. ~$1,200

No matter the price, you want linear springs and monotube shocks. Steeda will tell you otherwise but there's a reason they aren't a site sponsor here.

Some in-between brands that have good reviews but not as reputable as MCS, Penske, Coretx: Ground Control, Fortune Auto, Vorshlag's H&R Kit. $2k - $3.5k

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Thank you. On my S550 street car I tried Steeda''s Pro-Action shocks, and I didn't like them. I switched to Bilstein's monotube shocks and I liked those for the street. I like a lot of Steeda's parts, but the shocks/struts were not one. Obviously street and track setup and use is very different than track, which is the reason I'm looking for recommendations.

krisk said:

Thank you. On my S550 street car I tried Steeda''s Pro-Action shocks, and I didn't like them. I switched to Bilstein's monotube shocks and I liked those for the street. I like a lot of Steeda's parts, but the shocks/struts were not one. Obviously street and track setup and use is very different than track, which is the reason I'm looking for recommendations.

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I have the Ford track shocks with BMR springs and I like them. Feels damn near perfect on the street and good enough for the track. Still rather soft when you really get on it and can't handle any aero load but hard to beat for the price and very durable and consistent.
If you want to plan for a future aero build, I would skip these and go for something stiffer.

Cortex's Street coilovers might be a good middle ground. Could be worth giving them a call and picking their brains.

Being local to us - Jamie can be a great asset & is well-versed in both HPDE & On-Track Racing.

Shoot me a note & I can put you in contact with him &/or Rodney - you can email me at [email protected].

Best,

TJ

tj@steeda said:

Being local to us - Jamie can be a great asset & is well-versed in both HPDE & On-Track Racing.

Shoot me a note & I can put you in contact with him &/or Rodney - you can email me at [email protected].

Best,

TJ

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Thank you. Jamie has done a fair amount of work on my car, and it is always good to speak with him and get his feedback on setup. Unfortunately, when I called yesterday to see if he could look at my car since I was having trouble with the suspension, he was too backed up to get to it before Friday. I'm heading to Roebling Road on Thursday, so I couldn't wait until then.

if you dont want to go all in on coilovers, I would see if you can get the strut replaced under warranty if possible then go with AJ's ( @AJ Hartman) kit.

For a Magneride car, there's really nothing that even comes close to AJ's system. If you're sticking with the Mag, that's your move. Go with a 400 or 450 (preferred) front spring and 800-ish rear. Steeda will want to put you on some bullshit lashup with too soft of a front and too stiff of a rear. Don't do it. Buy Dark Horse Mag Shocks and Struts if you want to increase damping on a stock damper controller.

If you're going to go passive dampers, then go straight to a decent coil-over. Low-buck would be Bilstein B16 (limited springs?). Mid is Ohlins. The Penske-based stuff is the most expensive. They all have the appropriate bang/buck ratio.

biggsy said:

if you dont want to go all in on coilovers, I would see if you can get the strut replaced under warranty if possible then go with AJ's ( @AJ Hartman) kit.

Magneride Front Coilover Conversion Kit

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S550 Chassis Rear Adjustable Spring Perch Kit

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It says S550. Are these for the S650, too?

I went the mag ride route with the Ground Control set up, which is very similar to AJs. It was a good improvement. I gained 3 seconds at my local track right away. That only lasted about a year. Then I went with a DSC tractive set up that put the car on an entire level up.
I am the type of guy that does things in steps. My buddy / mechanic @TrentMusser finally got me to just jump in and do it all right the 1st time.
What Im saying is buy once / cry once and do it right. I wasted time and money by doing one upgrade, then pulling stuff out, doing it over and over.
If you would like to try the Ground Control set up I have a brand new set taking up space that I would let go for pretty cheap. Shipping might be a deal killer to Georgia.

Junkyard Dog said:

It says S550. Are these for the S650, too?

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Should work the same. The only thing I can think of is the rear lower control arm hole with how the height is lowered or raised. Otherwise it works/installs the same