S197 3V S197 Lowering Springs Options?

[LifeTrekker]

Hi All,

I have a 2009 GT/CS that I'm working on setting up as a combination street/track car, and I'm wondering about what my lowering spring options might be?

So a little background. I got the car last fall with the idea of setting it up as a "BOSS 302" clone, at least in the handling department that is. After quite a bit of research I decided to go the Steeda route, and last weekend installed a set of their Sport Lowering Springs, struts, shocks, adjustable panhard bar, and front tower brace. The results were pretty close to what I expected with the exception of the ride on the highway being quite a bit rougher than I was hoping for. I know the Steeda Sport Lowering Springs are linear and not progressive, and am thinking that replacing them with a set of progressive springs might return the ride quality back closer to stock than it is now. Am I on the right track? And if so, what springs should I be considering? I'm not after a big drop, say 1" or so, but not really more that 1 1/2". Somewhere between 1/2" to 1 1/2". Basically something similar to what the Steeda Sport Lowering Springs provide, but just with a better highway ride. Thanks for your input.

 

[Champale]

The Sports are actually not a stiff spring at all, per the rates listed here:

S197 Spring and Sway Bar Rates

S197 Springs Front/Rear: OEM: Boss 302 ................... 148F/186R lbs/in Boss 302 Laguna Seca 137F/191R lbs/in Brembo GT/ GTPP ...... 131F/167R lbs/in GT and V6PP............... 123F/156R lbs/in P Springs (1" drop) 230-260/202 (est - may be same as published K below) K Springs (1.5" drop)...

trackmustangsonline.com

I ran FRPP springs (stiffer than the Steedas) with OE Boss dampers for a long time and the ride was hardly stiff. Actually felt pretty good overall but just lacked a little rebound damping. Are your dampers adjustable?

 

[LifeTrekker]

The Sports are actually not a stiff spring at all, per the rates listed here:

S197 Spring and Sway Bar Rates

S197 Springs Front/Rear: OEM: Boss 302 ................... 148F/186R lbs/in Boss 302 Laguna Seca 137F/191R lbs/in Brembo GT/ GTPP ...... 131F/167R lbs/in GT and V6PP............... 123F/156R lbs/in P Springs (1" drop) 230-260/202 (est - may be same as published K below) K Springs (1.5" drop)...

trackmustangsonline.com

I ran FRPP springs (stiffer than the Steedas) with OE Boss dampers for a long time and the ride was hardly stiff. Actually felt pretty good overall but just lacked a little rebound damping. Are your dampers adjustable?

Actually, no, they are not. They are the Steeda Pro-Action struts in the front and Steeda Pro-Action shocks in the rear, so non-adjustable. Other than those items and a Steeda HD Adjustable Camber Plate and strut tower brace the suspension remains stock. Maybe since this is the first time I have done a mod like this, I just didn't know what to expect ride wise. My wife really noticed it though, and it bothered her. Me, not so much.

As an alternative I'm considering the Roush Lowering Springs. They are progressives so I presume would be a little softer at the beginning of their compression than the Steeda's which are linear, but I'm pretty new to this so I'm not sure how much that would improve the highway ride quality. I would like to take this car to the track from time to time so really hate the idea of going back to the stock springs. But then again, since it will primarily be a cruiser and not a track car, ride quality is of some importance, especially to my wife.

 

[Champale]

Reading the comments on the Steeda website, people mention that they are stiff dampers.

Steeda Pro-Action Mustang Shocks & Struts GT V6 (2011-2014)

Looking for a cost effective alternative to adjustable shocks and struts? Here is the answer. Steeda's new Pro-Action shocks and struts for the S197 Mustang.

www.steeda.com

Springs are rarely what cause a car to ride rough - it's the damping usually. Too much compression and/or rebound damping can make a car feel very stiff and crashy, even with soft springs. You might want to consider the Bilsteins or if you are feeling crazy, go with the KW V3 coilovers. I replaced the P springs and OE dampers with the V3s and the ride was very smooth yet controlled. A very refined product plus they are adjustable so you can soften or stiffen them when you want.

 

[LifeTrekker]

Reading the comments on the Steeda website, people mention that they are stiff dampers.

Steeda Pro-Action Mustang Shocks & Struts GT V6 (2011-2014)

Looking for a cost effective alternative to adjustable shocks and struts? Here is the answer. Steeda's new Pro-Action shocks and struts for the S197 Mustang.

www.steeda.com

Springs are rarely what cause a car to ride rough - it's the damping usually. Too much compression and/or rebound damping can make a car feel very stiff and crashy, even with soft springs. You might want to consider the Bilsteins or if you are feeling crazy, go with the KW V3 coilovers. I replaced the P springs and OE dampers with the V3s and the ride was very smooth yet controlled. A very refined product plus they are adjustable so you can soften or stiffen them when you want.

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of information I came here for. Since I'm really very new to this kind of thing, being able to rely on the experience and expertise of others is invaluable. Thanks for the input.

My plan right now is to live with the Steeda shocks installed and see if I can get my wife used to it. If not, I'll reinstall the stock rear shocks and see how that changes things. If that softens up the ride on the highway, then I will look towards a more performance oriented rear shock that retains the milder highway manners my wife wants while still giving me the on-track handling manners I'm looking for. I'm hoping I can leave the Steeda front struts and springs in place and just be able to address my wife's harsh ride concerns with the rear shocks.

 

[Champale]

You are very welcome. Just FYI - I'm not sure that swapping the dampers on one end is a great idea. Might cause the car to handle kind of weird due to the different rebound damping curves. I'm a big fan of a more holistic approach to setting up a car.

 

[LifeTrekker]

You are very welcome. Just FYI - I'm not sure that swapping the dampers on one end is a great idea. Might cause the car to handle kind of weird due to the different rebound damping curves. I'm a big fan of a more holistic approach to setting up a car.

Yeah, it would just be an experiment at this point. To be honest, I'm not sure if the front struts or the rear shocks are contributing more to the harshness. This would just get me pointed in the right direction.

Long term my guess is that I'll be putting an adjustable strut/shock package on the car. The most likely candidate I have identified so far are the KONI Sport Adjustable Struts and Shocks. Short of going to coilovers, they seem like my best option to get the "Best of Both Worlds."