Recommendation Please

[Hpfisterer]

so Steeds is having a 20% off sale. I have been considering lowering the LS for some time now. I guess the 20% will push me over the edge. Anyone have thoughts on their springs versus Fords? Also, if I buy from Steeda, what other items should I consider with a budget of $1,000. Car is stock other than an Airaid CAI (which I may remove). Gotta get the order in this week. Maybe I can persuade my wife to throw in a few bucks as a fathers day gift. My main objective is to lower the back and get a little better handling.

 

[Brandon302]

I can't speak for the Ford vs. Steeds springs but I know everyone loves the Sport or Boss springs with Koni's, and I would get a UCA while at it. After doing my lowering with P springs, white line lca's and brackets I thought the car was sorted. Just adding the UCA after seemed to increase the handling by another 50-75% on top of the other rear mods. You should also grab a PHB.

 

[13Boss#3328]

My main objective is to lower the back and get a little better handling.

The more I drive the Boss on a race track the more I love her. IN HER STOCK FORM!
It is a hell of a car and it does not need lowering whatsoever UNTIL you are able to squeeze the last drop of its performance potential at almost 10/10 level THEN think about lowering, coilovers, corner balancing and all the other crazy stuff.
You saved $1000 and you want to treat yourself? get a set of extreme summer performance tires and you will thank me all day long...talk about handling!!!

I know I did not help you, I am sorry.

 

[Brewmaster]

I put on the Steeda Boss lowering springs, front and rear. The car isn't much stiffer but sits level at 28" on all corners. LCA's and UCA and an adjustable panhard bar are all nice handling improvements I would recommend. That should take care of that extra grand. I'm glad I did it.

 

[VoodooBoss]

The more I drive the Boss on a race track the more I love her. IN HER STOCK FORM!
It is a hell of a car and it does not need lowering whatsoever UNTIL you are able to squeeze the last drop of its performance potential at almost 10/10 level THEN think about lowering, coilovers, corner balancing and all the other crazy stuff.
You saved $1000 and you want to treat yourself? get a set of extreme summer performance tires and you will thank me all day long...talk about handling!!!

I know I did not help you, I am sorry.

While you're right I'd still lower your car. Not only does it look better but there's less body roll and brake dive on track which increases your confidence level although I doubt it improves lap times much. I have P springs on my Boss.

 

[13Boss#3328]

increases your confidence level although I doubt it improves lap times much. I have P springs on my Boss.

I firmly believe if you properly modify the suspension you can see a noticeable improvement in lap times IF YOU ARE A COMPETENT DRIVER . In my opinion, the main reason people do not see such a significant improvement with their lap times, is they, in reality, did not become better drivers ( more experienced) than before.
Yes it feels more confidence inspiring now, but they still turn early, still miss the apex, still do not look ahead and be smooth...etc.
I think the psychology of modifying the car before becoming a better driver has to do with our desire to gain quick results without trying to work hard ( improve the driver)

Weight loss analogy. How do you lose weight?
I bit you everybody knows it:
Eat smaller portions, more greens and vegetables, less carbohydrates and do aerobic exercises at least 30-45 min per day for at least 5 days per week. It is the hard way, but the best way too!
Now turn the TV on and see all the commercials/ads about weight loss...insanity!

In a twisted kind of way, this reminds me with the car modifying psychology when it comes to "better handling" and other performance mods, for some people at least.

Having said that, I urge everybody who goes to the track to improve the braking performance, engine cooling and maintenance stuff, because those mods are necessity not luxury, it is a safety and durability matter.
This is all in my opinion.

 

[WinterSucks]

I would love it for the looks, but there are other things to spend the money on that are higher priority like 13Boss said.

Since the sale is pretty decent I would definitely buy an adjustable PHB. The stock one is heavy and the rear is not centered with it. Lower control arms, too. Those mods just fix things and would be needed if you lower the car anyways. And an adjustable front sway bar if you decide to go square to save some money on tires for the track. I think I might browse for the sway bar!

 

[Grant 302]

Just adding the UCA after seemed to increase the handling by another 50-75% on top of the other rear mods.

: Seriously? Does your car corner at 1.7 G's and your lap times drop by a third?

To the OP, actually improving the handling and maintaining the balance of the car is not really easy. Even just lowering the back is a bit of a rabbit hole for the parts needed to correct the geometry. PHB and brackets at the minimum for the geometry, but may also need adjustable sways depending on your spring choice. Improving feel and driver confidence mods can be relatively easy by using parts with stiffer connections/bushings/joints. Lower and stiffer springs will do the same, but can actually decrease grip until geometry and balance are addressed.

Your car already handles well. Improving how it feels can be easy if you don't mess with the geometry. Otherwise, be prepared to join the rest of us down the rabbit hole and thousands of dollars lighter in the wallet.

For example, the Steeda 'certified' Boss package only improved skidpad G's from .99 stock to 1.03...and most (if not all) of that probably comes from using 275F/315R NT-05 tires! Other independent testing of stock LSs has been in the .96 (C&D) to 1.02 (R&T) So I'm not even positive that there are any *real* gains there.

 

[cosm3os]

I firmly believe if you properly modify the suspension you can see a noticeable improvement in lap times IF YOU ARE A COMPETENT DRIVER .

I'd like to consider myself a competent driver (NASA Time Trials National Champ, multiple race winner in GTS, SM and SE30, and GTS National Rookie of the Year) so I'll throw my .02 in. I ran my GT stock (save for brake pads and cooling) on 285 R6s with a couple of heat cycles on my home track and managed a 138.xxx (I think with a passenger). I installed koni/steeda sports, strano bars, steedaa panhard, and MM plates over the winter. Threw on a set of new GT-Os and ran a 136.4 (w/o passenger). IMO, the time difference is probably in the tires (after a few heat cycles, I was up in the 137s), and my theory is that the stock set up is so good that a "sport" suspension cannot get more grip out of the tires than stock. Coilovers with spring rates matched to the tires should do much better. I also think adding harnesses (or in my case a GC Lock) made a big difference as well.

So while the stiffer springs and better damping give you a greater sense of control, I don't think it gives you much added grip, so a competent driver who can handle the car stock (while wearing a dramamine patch), the greater sens of control just makes it an easier drive, not a faster one, in the same competent hands.

That's my experience.

 

[Grant 302]

^Well said, Kyle. I was also just looking for your post in Rabee's thread about the 'system'...I think that applies here.
EDIT:
Found it...different thread:

If you listened to it you would be the first. And there were a hundred guys telling me the same thing 15yrs ago and I ignored them, too!

Just keep this in mind--it's a suspension "system". Ford spent untold millions of dollars tuning the suspension for you, and you are going to go mess with that by throwing in a set of springs that Ford didn't intend to run in the system. There are aftermarket companies (including FFRP) who would be happy to sell you a "system" that has been tested on these cars that will be better looking AND better performing.

 

[Brandon302]

To Grant 302, alright saying increased handling another 50% is probably misleading, however the car feels more planted. Most of my driving is around town but that seems to be where I feel the difference the most from the added UCA. I guess the best way to put it is that prior to the UCA tying everything else back there together it felt like the rear end was still not quit part of the same car, after doing so it felt like everything was working together. I completely agree with you also on the rabbit hole, once you complete one mod you end up finding another thing that bothers you and so on.

 

[WinterSucks]

Forgot to mention before, but at least take a look at competitors parts before you make a rushed decision just because there is a 20% sale. It might not really save you that much.

 

[13Boss#3328]

I agree with you, the stock setup is great as I said before.

 

[sadil]

Id just lower it for looks 8) . Looked like a 4x4 from the factory.

 

[cosm3os]

Id just lower it for looks 8) . Looked like a 4x4 from the factory.

+1. If you are going to get serious about track stuff and you are just starting out, then leave it stock for a couple seasons and work on the nut behind the wheel. If you have experience and want to take it to the next level, spend more money and get serious. If you want to fiddle on track and autox and would like a better look, get a set of springs that are matched to the stock dampers and an adj panhard to square it back up, and have fun!