S197 BOSS 302 Race Car Build Thread Build Thread

[modernbeat]

I am very curious how that will work for you. I'm at 800/400 and am thinking of dropping my rear spring rate to 275/300. Basically, I need the high front spring rate to keep the tires from rubbing. lol

With the low ride height, aero and wide 335/345 Hoosiers on our GT we tried a few different rates beyond our standard 650/250 rates. We incrementally went to 800 up front and 350 in the back. After some more testing and back and forth with the rear rates we settled on 275. The 350 were bad and the 300 weren't quite as fast as the 275. We've got this same setup on a customer's dedicated autocross car on 315 Hoosiers and a deep rear spoiler (no wing allowed) and they are working great.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

With the low ride height, aero and wide 335/345 Hoosiers on our GT we tried a few different rates beyond our standard 650/250 rates. We incrementally went to 800 up front and 350 in the back. After some more testing and back and forth with the rear rates we settled on 275. The 350 were bad and the 300 weren't quite as fast as the 275. We've got this same setup on a customer's dedicated autocross car on 315 Hoosiers and a deep rear spoiler (no wing allowed) and they are working great.

I am really looking forward to testing this stuff out on my car. Won't have a chance to drive it until end of May (with the new stuff) but it'll also have the poly bushings in the FLCAs and 302S ball joints then as well. I'm guessing it will be a whole new car.

 

[DocB]

modernbeat, what size rear bar have you found to work best with the 275 springs out back?

 

[DGRacing]

Also what damper settings.

 

[neema]

modernbeat, what size rear bar have you found to work best with the 275 springs out back?

I believe Vorshlag uses Whiteline bars front and rear on their red Mustang

 

[Budget Boss]

I believe Vorshlag uses Whiteline bars front and rear on their red Mustang

^ That is correct.

 

[modernbeat]

modernbeat, what size rear bar have you found to work best with the 275 springs out back?

As noted earlier, we are using the Whiteline front and rear bars. For the mid-speed tracks in Texas we typically have the front bar on full stiff and the rear bar either on full soft or one half notch stiffer (only move the link on one side).

 

[DocB]

Interesting. Very stiff spings and bars up front, very soft springs and bars out back.
Please correct me if I am reading this wrong.
Also, I assume this is with the very wide tires you guys are running?

 

[modernbeat]

Interesting. Very stiff spings and bars up front, very soft springs and bars out back.
Please correct me if I am reading this wrong.
Also, I assume this is with the very wide tires you guys are running?

It is with our wide tires and aero package. We've tested some other cars with 315s under the stock fenders and minimal aero and the 800/275 or 800/250 has worked well with autocross cars. I'm not sold on it being the fast way around the track for non-aero cars, but a few of our track customers are running those rates and they like them, just haven't done any back-to-back testing in the same non-aero car to see if they are the fastest.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

I got out to INDE Motorsports Ranch this weekend with some friends for a test day prior to the MCS install.

No issues whatsoever with the Dynotech driveshaft or Odyssey battery. Car ran great. Picked up 6 seconds off my best time the last time I was there in May of last year; my times this weekend were over a second faster than my closest in-class competitor's was at the last event with this config.

The car responds really well to the 315 Hoosier setup. The tires were staying consistent all day, they now have 13 cycles on them. I'm sure these R7s still degrade with more cycles, but the fall-off doesn't seem to be as abrupt or as drastic as with the R6s I'd driven before. I have a sticker set for next month's race.

I am headed back there at the end of May and will have the MCS damper package, poly FLCA bushings, and 302S ball joints installed before then. I'm hoping the times continue to fall

One random note, I had the mid-pipe on the passenger side adjusted improperly after the DS install, so the vapor lines for the fuel evap system melted shut and we couldn't fuel the car. We did a trackside fix with some hose-clamps and pushlock tubing to get it functional again, but the whole evap system is coming off the car this month.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Control arms now de-bushed and threaded sleeves welded in-place...gonna pick em up this weekend and get back to work on the suspension install!

Can't find old pic

 

[Roadhouse]

Well worth the money, I'm sure, to have someone else do the dirty work on those control arms. Should be a nice upgrade!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Well worth the money, I'm sure, to have someone else do the dirty work on those control arms. Should be a nice upgrade!

Yeah it looked like a nightmare from other write-ups I've seen.

Once all this updated stuff goes in, the turn in should be lightning-quick (or as much as it can be for a Mustang)
Right now I am out of the country on business travel, but I should be able to get back to work on the car starting middle of next week. Looking forward to getting everything all buttoned-up and racing again on Labor Day weekend.

 

[further]

Fingers crossed that you don't end up with the steering "shudder". O/W you'll need the 302s rack, without the steering nannies. It's supposed to be worse with small slicks.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Fingers crossed, indeed. :-/

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Got my "Watsonized" arms back yesterday.

Welded-in sleeves. Not full circumference weld like the FRPP arms but should be more than sufficient:


Arms de-bushed. Fabricator said the smaller, forward bushing was the real challenge on each.


Hitting them with some black spray paint to prevent contamination of any welded or bare surfaces:


Ball joints, boots, and bushings (prothane) installed:


A pistol-grip press (or vise) really helps get the metal sleeves into the front bushings, even after significant lubrication.

 

[further]

That looks beautiful. Just like the 302S arms.

I believe this is your parts list (minus the bushings):

http://shop.watsonracing.com/HOWE-BALL-JOINT-THREADED-COLLAR-ONLY-p/wr-22340f.htm
http://shop.watsonracing.com/HOWE-EXTENDED-BALL-JOINT-BALL-JOINT-ONLY-p/wr-22409.htm
http://shop.watsonracing.com/product-p/wr-22399.htm

I thought the shudder affected the 2011s only and was corrected. Maybe the 2012 and on will be fine.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

That looks beautiful. Just like the 302S arms.

I believe this is your parts list (minus the bushings):

http://shop.watsonracing.com/HOWE-BALL-JOINT-THREADED-COLLAR-ONLY-p/wr-22340f.htm
http://shop.watsonracing.com/HOWE-EXTENDED-BALL-JOINT-BALL-JOINT-ONLY-p/wr-22409.htm
http://shop.watsonracing.com/product-p/wr-22399.htm

I thought the shudder affected to 2011s only and was corrected. Maybe the 2012 and on will be fine.

Correct on parts list! We'll find out May 23rd regarding any potential shudder.

Front end goes back together this weekend along with the new MCS damper and Vorshlag camber plate/spring package, then off for corner balance and alignment. Looking forward to getting it all dialed-in in a couple weeks!

 

[further]

Correct on parts list! We'll find out May 23rd regarding any potential shudder.

Front end goes back together this weekend along with the new MCS damper and Vorshlag camber plate/spring package, then off for corner balance and alignment. Looking forward to getting it all dialed-in in a couple weeks!

Perfect. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

 

[Roadhouse]

Beautiful indeed!

Good info on the parts list.