GT350LX - the variant that Ford could have made but didn't

[JAJ]

So what would a GT350LX be like? Well, the "LX" implies a luxury ride, quiet and composed regardless of conditions outside. Think of it as the other end of the spectrum from an "R". Ford didn't make an LX version - it didn't fit the brand image - but that doesn't mean that a GT350 can't be tuned to deliver a very composed driving experience for daily use.

So why would I do this? The short answer is that I learned how to manage the vehicle dynamics after I set off in search of tuning options that would make the car "easier to drive fast" back in 2017. I've definitely achieved that goal - it's fabulous at speed - and I've discovered a few collateral benefits along the way.

So what are the key components of the "luxo-version" GT350? Suspension, electronics, brakes and tires. How hard can it be?

First - suspension:

1. DSC Sport controller. I've programmed and test-driven over 225 different calibration files for this controller. Everything I could possibly try has been tried. My version ended up surprisingly close to the latest one on the DSC website, but I made a few changes in the comfort settings to smooth out the ride and added travel stops to keep the splitter off the ground when going over speed bumps.

2. Springs, struts and shocks - GT350R struts, rear shocks, front springs and rear bar. The regular GT350 shocks are good but the R parts are easier to tune and the stiffer springs reduce the tendency for front-rear pitching. I use Steeda strut tops - they re-use the OEM upper spring perch to block road noise. The Vorshlag units I tried first were beautifully made, but the road noise got tiring after a while.

3. Other chassis improvements - the Steeda cross brace behind the engine made a surprising difference in chassis stiffness. Noticeable immediately. The rear subframe braces also channeled road noise into the cabin and didn't seem to make much difference otherwise so I took them back off.

Second - electronics:

This is one of the major projects I did on my Track Pack - it came with the 4" display and I wanted the 8". I've replaced the electronic modules with 2017 parts, giving me Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM music and traffic. This is a fairly common upgrade, but I also finished the job of integrating the heating system controls.

The Track Pack lacks a number of sensors and actuators that the climate control module needs to work correctly. Without them, it does provide a limited form of "climate control" instead of manual heater controls but it doesn't really work that well and the module presents five unclearable error codes on the OBD port.

I took the (considerable) time to figure out all the parts needed so the dash controller would be happy (no codes now) and I now have real climate control that works beautifully, although it's not split left-to-right like the Tech Pack.

Third - brakes - this is easy - CCB front rotors, Racing Brake XT910 street pads in the front and Raybestos EHT pads in the rear. Super-smooth - no dust, no noise - perfect for the street.

Tires and wheels - this is kind of fun too - so I had a set of front Base rims for a 2013/14 GT500 sitting in storage. They're 19x9.5" and they look great in a slightly smoky silver finish. So, they now have Michelin AS/3 tires in 255/40x19 front and 265/40x19 rear. Those tires are an EXACT diameter match to the OEM GT350 tires in 295/35 and 305/35.

These rims are ET44 so I'm running the front tires with a 24mm spacer (gives me ET20) and the rears with no spacer. They clear the brakes just fine, they look great, the tires are quiet, there's absolutely NO tramlining and I'm no longer the slightest bit concerned about driving through standing water on the highway.

This setup also saved me the trouble of changing the front hubs - I have GT350R front hubs with the super-long studs. The 24mm spacers mean I can run deep Gorilla closed-end lug nuts on the front and not-so-deep McGard closed end lug nuts on the rear (chosen because they both take a 22mm socket).

So, that's how you make a GT350LX. With the "R" parts in the suspension and with the DSC module, you get great track handling and a great ride on the street. Swapping track tires and brake pads for street versions makes the car a lot more user friendly if you just want to drive to work.

 

[JAJ]

Here's the doctored photo of my car with a set of GT500 base rims. I did this up to convince myself that it would work if I spent the money and time actually putting tires on the rims I had in storage.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Well done. I didn’t realize you had completed the heating controls.

Driving my car to the track with added neg camber and the 305 SC2’s on the car was a handful. It tramlined like nobody’s business.

When did you add the R dampers? I thought DSC stated there wasn’t enough difference in the R dampers to bother changing them? I know the slot gaps are smaller but what other differences are there between the two? Are you still using the V2 controller?

 

[JAJ]

Well done. I didn’t realize you had completed the heating controls.

Driving my car to the track with added neg camber and the 305 SC2’s on the car was a handful. It tramlined like nobody’s business.

When did you add the R dampers? I thought DSC stated there wasn’t enough difference in the R dampers to bother changing them? I know the slot gaps are smaller but what other differences are there between the two? Are you still using the V2 controller?

Finishing the heating controls was my summer project this year. I got tired of being too hot when the car was in the sun and too cold when a cloud came over. Now you set it and forget it.

A new set of SC2's is a battle for sure. They throw the car around like nobody's business, and it's fight every inch of the way to the track. I do 225 miles and it's exhausting. The narrower tires are a real treat on the highway - you give up a few percent of grip, but gain a lot of drivability.

The shocks are another story that's surprisingly long. Let's just say that the R dampers are different from the non-R dampers. Despite assurances to the contrary, I bought the R struts just to see what would happen, and once I installed them, I realized they were very different from the non-R struts. Ditto the rear shocks, which I did later. Once the shocks were done, I figured I might as well try the R front springs and the rear bar. And once I'd done that, I realized that a lot of the trials and tribulations I'd had with the damper tuning were caused by the damper response curves and springs that weren't well balanced front to rear. The magride dampers - all of them, R and non-R - work fantastic when you're at speed and generating G's, but the comfort stuff comes with a lot of detailed work.

The DSC Sport V1, V2 and V3 controllers all run the same firmware and cal files, so while I have a V3, anyone with a DSC Sport controller of any vintage gets the benefit of all the development that's been done by DSC themselves and others.​

 

[302BOB]

The Bottom line...you buy a Mustang if you want a sports car..If not get a Lexus....these new cars coming out have a lot of options for you to choose............A Lexus Mustang..........There You Go...............

 

[JAJ]

Wow! I thought I was going to more abuse for my presentation on how to make a GT350 drive like a BMW. Maybe it's coming and just hasn't arrived. I did post this on a track-focused forum, after all.

Anyway, what I've actually done is taken a 2016 GT350 Track Pack and put on the GT350R suspension with a DSC controller, 2017 infotainment and 2014 GT500 rims. In the hour it takes me to swap the brake pads and rims, the track weapon that entered the garage as Superman with big muscles and a stern look is set to emerge as a mild-mannered-reporter with a great big smile. Looks good, sounds good, drives good.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I'm pretty sure the only difference with the R dampers is the slot gap. Everything else is just programing. The slot gap is where the fluid passes through the magnets for charging. By being smaller is make the damper stiffer at all times.

 

[JAJ]

I'm pretty sure the only difference with the R dampers is the slot gap. Everything else is just programing. The slot gap is where the fluid passes through the magnets for charging. By being smaller is make the damper stiffer at all times.

Mechanically, it may only be the slot gap that's different. From a body motion control standpoint, you can control big motion with either shock by just pumping more current through the one with the larger slot. That's why both variants are excellent at high lateral G's and dynamic situations. Where the differences emerge is when you try to manage the small motions that affect harshness and comfort. My experience is that the less current you need to push to keep the chassis stable, the smoother the ride. Hence, the shocks with the (presumably) smaller slots actually ride smoother.