going without ANY isolators

[Damascus Cobra]

see and "reply" here: POST #56

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254023

 

[adamb258]

going without isolators
Okay, so personally, i've decided to go with the H&R Race springs on my '03 convertible. I love the look of the H&R Sport but don't want to worry about being too low and scraping, etc.

what issues may i encounter if i remove the stock isolators (and do completely WITHOUT any isolators) with the H&R Race Springs? They were engineered for a purpose... if they were created simply to reduce noise - well, i can deal with that. if i need to retain them for a function purpose, i'd like to know what may happen if i remove them. what do you know?

for the lazy people like me

 

[rACeRs]

FWIW Ive been running the race springs without any issolators for over 4k miles now without any problems.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

I've heard of a couple of people using quality hose slipped over the end of the spring in order to prevent metal on metal contact, I think I am going to try that when I install my Race springs.

rACeRs- Your drop looks great! Man I need some 18's! Do you know how much more drop leaving out the iso's gave?


-Rod

 

[SpectorV]

on my 01 live axle mustang no rear isolators = massive noise, but on the IRS it may not be an issue.

 

[rACeRs]

I've heard of a couple of people using quality hose slipped over the end of the spring in order to prevent metal on metal contact, I think I am going to try that when I install my Race springs.

rACeRs- Your drop looks great! Man I need some 18's! Do you know how much more drop leaving out the iso's gave?


-Rod

thanks,
You will drop at least .5" when pulling both top and bottom isolators. And I have used garden hose and heater hose to make thinner isolators in the past, and that also works. But to get the lowest stance you will have to run without them. Im running without them in the front and the rear and I even had to cut half a coil off the fronts and backs to get the drop I was looking for.

Good luck with it.

If your worried about the noise, which I cant tell a difference. Just cut a half or a full coil off the race springs. The rear race h&r's have dead coils so it wont affect ride at all if you take some of them off. :beer:

 

[Wings65288]

i don't use any iso's at all on my cobra with my solid axle and it's fine

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

thanks,
You will drop at least .5" when pulling both top and bottom isolators. And I have used garden hose and heater hose to make thinner isolators in the past, and that also works. But to get the lowest stance you will have to run without them. Im running without them in the front and the rear and I even had to cut half a coil off the fronts and backs to get the drop I was looking for.

Good luck with it.

If your worried about the noise, which I cant tell a difference. Just cut a half or a full coil off the race springs. The rear race h&r's have dead coils so it wont affect ride at all if you take some of them off. :beer:

Thanks for the info. I'm not as worried about the noise as I am wear to the perches ect from the metal on metal contact. I am thinking of just leaving out the rear iso's, maybe with some hose or cut off a dead coil as you suggested. I have H&R Super Sports(with long tubes :bash: ) on my 03 GT and I liked the raked look at first but it is old now. You have to get creative to get it on a trailer, or a lift for that matter. So im not looking for slammed, just looking to get away from the 4X4 look and level the car a little and maintain a decent ride. I am starting to think that the 18's are the key for the look I want, the 17's just don't seem to fill the gap right. From what I have seen thecar either looks to high, or too slammed with the 17's.

-Rod

 

[Damascus Cobra]

rACeRs
Crazy SVT Poster:
If your worried about the noise, which I cant tell a difference. Just cut a half or a full coil off the race springs. The rear race h&r's have dead coils so it wont affect ride at all if you take some of them off.

________________________________________________

i've read that we should NOT cut H&R Springs (while it's okay to cut stock springs)... i'll cut my race springs if there are no issues with cutting the H&R springs... anyone else have thoughts on this?

 

[SlowSVT]

Personally I don't see what the benefit is of removing the spring isolators other then lowering the ride height. Maybe I'm missing something here.

Lowering the chassis will improve the handling by reducing the CG of the car. Your front suspension and steering geometry will be compromised if you don't compensate for the chassis drop. To me, lowering the car is for race track work. There are too many potential road hazards that will expose the underside of your car to damage by lowering the chassis. That extra inch or two can make the difference between not worrying about scraping/smashing something and constant road paranoia. Something to consider.

 

[Sonik Blur]

rACeRs
Crazy SVT Poster:
If your worried about the noise, which I cant tell a difference. Just cut a half or a full coil off the race springs. The rear race h&r's have dead coils so it wont affect ride at all if you take some of them off.

________________________________________________

i've read that we should NOT cut H&R Springs (while it's okay to cut stock springs)... i'll cut my race springs if there are no issues with cutting the H&R springs... anyone else have thoughts on this?

This is true. You should not cut H&R Springs because they are progressive rate springs and you greatly jeopardize the integrity of the spring if you do so. If you're gonna start cutting, use a stock spring and hack at that. I would never recommend ANY cutting on ANY spring but that's just me. Just buy the correct spring you need and you'll get the drop along with piece of mind that everything will be safe.

-Mike

 

[rACeRs]

This is true. You should not cut H&R Springs because they are progressive rate springs and you greatly jeopardize the integrity of the spring if you do so. If you're gonna start cutting, use a stock spring and hack at that. I would never recommend ANY cutting on ANY spring but that's just me. Just buy the correct spring you need and you'll get the drop along with piece of mind that everything will be safe.

-Mike[/QUOTE

If you have ever looked at a car with H&R race springs you would see that the rears have dead coils (coils that collapse on each other when the car is on the ground). All they do is take up space. You can cut these coils without jeopardizing anything.

Do what you feel comfortable with. It is your car.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Personally I don't see what the benefit is of removing the spring isolators other then lowering the ride height. Maybe I'm missing something here.

Lowering the chassis will improve the handling by reducing the CG of the car. Your front suspension and steering geometry will be compromised if you don't compensate for the chassis drop. To me, lowering the car is for race track work. There are too many potential road hazards that will expose the underside of your car to damage by lowering the chassis. That extra inch or two can make the difference between not worrying about scraping/smashing something and constant road paranoia. Something to consider.

I agree removing the isolators doesn't provide any benefit other that lowering, everything is a comprimise. Personally I don't want it to be slammed so that rules out Sport Springs, I could add MM iso's with the SS's to raise it up but I have read enough about the Sport Springs being a little weak to steer me away from them. I want to get rid of the rake that I have seen with the Race springs, hence removing the stock isolators in the rear. If there was an alternative available that suited my needs then I wouldn't remove the isolators. As for lowering being for race track work,I think most will agree that 99-04 Mustangs sit a little high stock, both for looks and performance. My 03 GT is too low by contrast ,especially in the front (H&R SUPER sports)and has long tubes and MM F/L subframes and I have had no issues with scraping or smashing into things and it handles and rides WAY better than it did stock. It just makes it a PITA to jack up or put it on a trailer and I have to drive over speed bumps at an angle. I don't have "constant road paranoia" but I do drive with common since. It's not a truck. I think a little drop, say an inch or so in the front and 1.5 or so in the back to level the car is the way it should have came from the factory.
Just my 2 cents.


-Rod

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

If you have ever looked at a car with H&R race springs you would see that the rears have dead coils (coils that collapse on each other when the car is on the ground). All they do is take up space. You can cut these coils without jeopardizing anything.

Do what you feel comfortable with. It is your car.

This is correct. Dead coils are only there to keep the spring tight in the perches during suspension unloading. I argee that cutting the dead coils will not hurt anything as long as the spring isn't loose in the perches with the suspension unloaded.

-Rod

 

[I-CAN-STANG]

Ummm, H&R SS's have dead coils too. It's just the way all H&R springs for our cars are designed. Personally, I wouldn't cut a damn thing. Remove and add isolators where needed and you should be fine. I do like the race springs a little better than my old SS's but both are great IMO.

 

[P_RsSVT]

I have the race springs and I dont notice any rake. How about you I-CAN-STANG??

 

[I-CAN-STANG]

I don't have a rake either! I had more of a rake with the H&R SS's and MM iso's in all four corners.

 

[Christian]

This is "good to know" info. I have a duo setup right now with Race in the rear and SS in the front (the Race were to accomodate a set of 18x11 CCWs that I had). I'm thinking of removing the bottom isos from the front to drop it about .5" or so, but I think I'm going to try and rig a homemade iso to the Race in the rears. What's the best material to use - what type of hose? What will last the longest under the load of the road and the weight of the car? Just a standard heater/vaccum hose:shrug:

Lastly, for those running the Race version... did you guys change your shocks/struts to compliment the springs as per H&R recommendations? If so, what did you all select?

Thanks:beer:

Christian

 

[I-CAN-STANG]

Lastly, for those running the Race version... did you guys change your shocks/struts to compliment the springs as per H&R recommendations? If so, what did you all select?

Thanks:beer:

Christian

Hey Christian,

MM told me that the recommendation to change the shocks when going with the Race springs were for pre 03-04 Cobras (99-01). They did say our stock bilsteins are fine to use with them. :thumbsup:

 

[Christian]

Hey Christian,

MM told me that the recommendation to change the shocks when going with the Race springs were for pre 03-04 Cobras (99-01). They did say our stock bilsteins are fine to use with them. :thumbsup:

Thanks Marlon! I thought it applied to us since MM came out with their Race/Heavy Duty version Bilsteins.

Thanks again:thumbsup:
Christian
p.s. did you get the CCWs back?