Thoughts on coilovers!!

[webleedorange61]

well i was looking at lethal performance and the MM coil over kits caught my eye. Does anybody here have the kits for the bilstein shocks? It looks like the kit comes with everything to make a coilover with our existing bilstein shocks. Also what are the main advantages to coilovers? I know it will increase handling and such but will i be able to adjust the rears and fronts to launch better at the strip? Thanks for the info!
Heres the link to the rear version of the kit:MM 99-04 Cobra Rear Coil-Over Kit w/Springs for Bilstein Shocks [COP-4] : Lethal Performance, Performance parts for Ford Mustangs

also how is ride quality with coilovers?

 

[webleedorange61]

nobody has coilovers?!

 

[sunburned]

The search button is back, coilovers have been talked about dozens of times in this part of the forum.

If you are looking for adjustability as far as street and drag strip, look into adjustable shocks. I had adjustable konis on my GT and even though I ran a stiff spring setup, I could soften up the shocks when drag racing to get much better weight transfer during the launch.

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

well i was looking at lethal performance and the MM coil over kits caught my eye. Does anybody here have the kits for the bilstein shocks? It looks like the kit comes with everything to make a coilover with our existing bilstein shocks. Also what are the main advantages to coilovers? I know it will increase handling and such but will i be able to adjust the rears and fronts to launch better at the strip? Thanks for the info!
Heres the link to the rear version of the kit:MM 99-04 Cobra Rear Coil-Over Kit w/Springs for Bilstein Shocks [COP-4] : Lethal Performance, Performance parts for Ford Mustangs

also how is ride quality with coilovers?

The ride quality is better than stock except loss of ground clearance. I was surprised of how compliant the ride is considering the suspension performance. Lowering springs will not come close. No more nose dive under hard braking. No more body roll. My advice is read all you can about coil over setups. Go back and search past threads. Another good tech source: Maximum Motorsports :: The Leader In Mustang Performance Suspension - Tech tips link. Find coilover tech info. Also get an understanding on "Spring rates" and "wheel rates" and correlation of the two.

Get on the phone with Maximum and ask questions. Get a good understanding about their setups offered. Thank me later.

Choose your system (I recommend Bilstein Sport shocks 400lb/in spring front - 600 lb/inrear).

KW coilovers are also awesome. Its quite pricey in comparison.

 

[99COBRA2881]

Youll need to have your stock rear shocks grooved if you plan on doing all four corners. There is a circlip that fits into the groove when installing rear coilovers. Ship them to MM and they can do this, better yet faster turn around time so could a qualified local machine shop.

 

[03cobra#694]

I`ve been thinking about this when I do my new rims and tires.I haven`t heard about the rear shock groove thing.Everone i`ve talked to,likes them,so i`m torn between cutting,H&R`s and coilovers!

 

[RDJ]

I have had the MM coil overs installed on both my cars with the bilstein shocks. 100% recommended.

 

[99COBRA2881]

I haven`t heard about the rear shock groove thing.

Cut and pasted from MM.com
"Coil-overs for Bilstein

The rear coil-over kit for Bilstein shocks requires that a groove be machined into the shock body. If you are purchasing your Bilstein shocks at the same time as your coil-over kit, note in your order that you need them pre-grooved to accept your new coil-over kit. Adding the prefix "G" to the standard shock part number denotes grooved shocks. Our MM Sport and MM Race valved shocks are only sold grooved. If you already have the appropriate Bilstein shocks, MM will machine the groove at no charge. Please call our Tech/Customer Service Line for details."

 

[03cobra#694]

I have had the MM coil overs installed on both my cars with the bilstein shocks. 100% recommended.

Another thumbs up,Thanks.

 

[Jroc]

I like them, and I DD my car. I run MM with 375lb springs front, and 575lb springs rear along with MM valved Bilstein Sport shocks. On a smooth road the ride kicks ass, and the car feel more compliant, and composed, and that makes lane changes and clipping along a smooth interstate briskly fun. They will beat you up much worse than the stock setup on a ruff road though. Like Sunburned said you can get some adjustable Koni, or Tokico shocks that will allow you to soften and stiffen your ride when needed, but you'll have to pay for them. You will really notice the difference C/O's make when pushing the car on one of those on/off ramps that circle around. I recommend some solid rear bushings if you are going to do C/O's.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...g-kit-w-adj-sway-bar-links-bumpsteer-kit.html

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

The reason I recommended KW was after my first ride in a 03 cobra with coilovers I was so impressed. It was a Maximum Motorsports Bilstein setup. However I was not impressed with how the car behaved on a bumpy road. So I began to research the KW coilover system as an alternative and determined that it was the Lambo/Ferrari of coilover manufacturers. The KW system offers more adjustability than Koni and Tokiko as compression and rebound can be adjusted seperately. The entire kit is of premium materials and the German engineers at KW are good at what they do. That being said the KW price tag is higher than most kits available for our cars. The KW kit is a half coilover kit - conventional front coilovers and adjustable spring in the lower control arm spring perch. The engineers at KW told me that the lower control arm wasn't designed to accept the weight of the vehicle in that location where the shock mounts with one bolt. Therefore their system was altered for safety concerns. They also ensured me that because of charateristics of their rear shock it does not make a difference that the spring is located in the control arm spring perch. VERY CONFIDENT of their kit. They developed the kit specifically for the 99-04 cobra with IRS.

I finally decided on Maximum Motorsport's system. I Chose the shocks and spring rates and I am very happy. You cannot go wrong here. Maximum Motorsports races mustangs and develop parts for our cars. Vey good and solid reputation and high quality materials. My ride is not harsh even on bumpy roads. It is not slammed either. It sits at the moment just a tad higher than most stangs with lowering springs. I can adjust ride height from lower or higher in just a few min. Not sure what the differences in setups are but for sure my car is not harsh on bumpy roads to the point where you don't want to drive it. Its actually quite pleasant. It does handle very well. I have the solid steering shaft along with aluminum steering rack bushings up front for now and solid or delrin bushings in the IRS along with a differential brace and sub frame connectors. I compared back to back driving between my car and an identical with lowering springs and while the lowered cobra felt good it was not even close to inspireing the confidence of the coilover equipped cobra. The lowered cobra's chassis was easily affected and unsettled by bumps in curves. The coilovered cobra never felt unsettled. Never nose dived and no body roll. It felt pretty nuetral, no understeering but provided enough feedback to know the limits. This was on street tires. More to follow.

Alignment is one important factor for suspension performance. I will add more on my experiences of how this affected everything later also.

 

[FAsnakes]

I have had the MM coil overs installed on both my cars with the bilstein shocks. 100% recommended.

Another thumbs up,Thanks.

+1 here..

 

[webleedorange61]

wow great info guys! I think im gonna wait and save for the coilover it than cut my stock springs. How did the coilovers acceft you at the drag strip? and did most of you re-use your stock bilstein struts and just buy the kit i posted?

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

wow great info guys! I think im gonna wait and save for the coilover it than cut my stock springs. How did the coilovers acceft you at the drag strip? and did most of you re-use your stock bilstein struts and just buy the kit i posted?

I used Bilstein sports which can accept a higher spring rate (Max 400 front - 600 rear). After discovering that the ride quality was fine I even wish now that I had gone Bilstein Race shocks and higher spring rates. I have 3 autobahns (A5, A6, and A61) with no speed limits in many areas. Although I will not drive top speed, I like the feel of the long sweeping curves and the way the car transitions on back roads. I am really driving the first car ever that can handle this well. The 911 that I got to drive was not nearly as fast as my car but it was very stiff and I am sure it could out perform my cobra in tight curves but it was not my car so I never pushed it.

Hockenheim Intl raceway is a 3 minute drive from my house. And taking A61 to Nuerburgring is a straight shot.

I would recommend talking to the tech support at Maximum. The Bilstein Sports is definately more robust than the stoch Bilsteim HD. I also broke down and cut my springs while I gathered all of my suspension parts. I do not recommend it but I have to say all was fine but no real suspension performance gain like from H&R or Eibach. But its free!!

 

[webleedorange61]

I used Bilstein sports which can accept a higher spring rate (Max 400 front - 600 rear). After discovering that the ride quality was fine I even wish now that I had gone Bilstein Race shocks and higher spring rates. I have 3 autobahns (A5, A6, and A61) with no speed limits in many areas. Although I will not drive top speed, I like the feel of the long sweeping curves and the way the car transitions on back roads. I am really driving the first car ever that can handle this well. The 911 that I got to drive was not nearly as fast as my car but it was very stiff and I am sure it could out perform my cobra in tight curves but it was not my car so I never pushed it.

Hockenheim Intl raceway is a 3 minute drive from my house. And taking A61 to Nuerburgring is a straight shot.

I would recommend talking to the tech support at Maximum. The Bilstein Sports is definately more robust than the stoch Bilsteim HD. I also broke down and cut my springs while I gathered all of my suspension parts. I do not recommend it but I have to say all was fine but no real suspension performance gain like from H&R or Eibach. But its free!!

hmm id really like to keep the stock struts. as long as it stiffens everything up a bit and lowers it nicely i dont mind. I dont plan on any autox just 1320 racing lol.

 

[Fastlane Cobra]

hmm id really like to keep the stock struts. as long as it stiffens everything up a bit and lowers it nicely i dont mind. I dont plan on any autox just 1320 racing lol.

In that case there are coilovers specifically for drag racing. You may want to search a few past threads.

 

[Jroc]

hmm id really like to keep the stock struts. as long as it stiffens everything up a bit and lowers it nicely i dont mind. I dont plan on any autox just 1320 racing lol.

In that case I would recommend relatively soft C/O spring rates which probably won't give you much if an improvement in handling. If you try and run some stiff C/O's on the factory shocks you will be overworking them. I'm sure some people might say that "well I've done it and it worked ok" and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but its not the best idea. With C/O's you are reengineering part of your suspension. Your shock and strut towers will now be supporting the full weight of your car, etc. If all your looking for is a drop with the factory shocks, and you plan on using your car mainly for DR I would just look at some lowering springs or cut the factory ones. Stiff C/O's defanently make the tires break easier as they don't let as much weight transfer front and rear.