FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: Tom Gahman on March 06, 2020, 09:51:47 PM
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How does the mustang 11 front suspension work for you in a drag car?
Are you still able to use leaf spring rear suspension? Is there enough front end travel?
I am not a points racer, just fun events, but I would like it to work ok.
The car is a 71 maverick with a small block now, that hopefully will have one of my FE's in a couple of years.
Thank you
Tom
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I put an Art Morrison front clip in my 64 Galaxie, which basically is a tube framed version of the Mustang II front suspension. The kit came with shocks and springs, and if set up as designed, it would have limited the front end travel to only about 3". I put different springs on the coil overs and added a different top bracket for them, and got 5" of travel, which I thought was a lot better. That car hooks at the track as well as my 4-link car, with just leaf springs and Cal-Tracs. I think the additional front suspension travel has a lot to do with that.
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I ran a stock pinto front end in my 66 mustang , with coil over rear , all home made stuff , ran 6:30's with 362 cleveland and lenco trans worked well I thought
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Jay, that's what I am concerned about. If I can build more travel into it, it should work ok.
Tire scrub because of the shorter control arms may be a problem with more travel, I don't know.
gdaddy, yes a coil over rear suspension would probally be better with less front end travel, but I have to stay with leafs for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for your response, any other do's or don't's?
Tom
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I put a R&C Motorsport MII front end in my '65 Mustang. I got mine with the coil overs. The thing I liked about the R&C unit is it has a flange built into the crossmember that mounts it to the frame. This way you are not welding everything upside down and the flange makes it almost impossible to get it in skewed. I am running Calvert monoleafs with Caltrac bars in the rear. As far as how it works at the track, the jury is still out on that. I took it twice last year and made about 12 passes on test and tune night. My 60 ft times weren't as good as I had hoped for. However, being t-n-t night, the track prep was nonexistent. Also the Alden adjustable coilovers I got came with no instructions and I found I didn't have them adjusted right. I hurt my motor before I got to make anymore passes.
Another thing to consider is there are no headers available for this so you'll need to build some or have them built. I built my own, which was kind of fun but time consuming.
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Thanks Alan, I was hoping you would comment.
Do you know how much travel you have?
Thanks
Tom
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Not off hand. I am going to be out in the shop most of this weekend. I'll try and check it.
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Thanks Alan, I was hoping you would comment.
Do you know how much travel you have?
Thanks
Tom
Measuring at the crossmember and raising the frontend with a floor jack until the tires just baring clear the floor I have 4" travel. I could maybe lower the front to gain another inch or so but when the suspension tops out the a-arm is almost touching the coil over.
When I started my project the plan was to replace the shock towers, control arms and the rest of the suspension with '67 Mustang stuff. I even bought the shock towers and control arms. But in the end I chickened out. I was afraid I would get it all in crooked and not be able to get it aligned. In retrospect, I kind of wish I had went ahead with that. It would have given me a lot more suspension travel and retained a kind of stock look under the hood. That or a straight axle, LOL!!
But on the other hand, I can pull all the spark plugs in about 5 minutes and have the headers on in about an hour. :)
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Thanks Alan, I really appreciate your effort.
My Maverick has a smaller engine bay than the early mustangs so I could use all the room I can get.
Thanks again,
Tom.
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The Mustang II swap works best in a car with a light front end and lots of power, otherwise the limited suspension travel will make it hard to get the car to hook. Setting it up with soft springs and almost bottomed out will help but won't make for a good street car.
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street isn't really the big consideration, and I hope to have upwards of 500 hp.
The engine will spend some time in my Galaxie before it moves to the Maverick.
Thanks for your explanation Tom P.
Tom
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I have a mustang2/FE engine set up for sale if its needed i will be going to the reunion with it.
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Preaction, thank you for the offer,I'll pm you this evening.
Tom
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At the FE Race in Beaver Springs 2 years ago, I checked out a blue Maverick with a FE, he used the AJE front suspension setup, which basically uses the FOX Mustang setup, including lower control arms with struts, and rack & pinion. Certainly no shortage of good working FOX body cars out there racing, and huge amount of pieces available. Having raced my Fairmont for over 30 years, I may be a bit biased, but if I was planning to remove the shock towers from an early unibody Ford, the AJE setup would be my first choice, unless I was building a full tube chassis platform.
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Maverick with the AJE front end...plenty of travel and adjustability. I really like it !!
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Well that Maverick sure doesn't have a problem hooking!
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I would be asking S&W or some other about struts or coil over front setup. The MII might be OK, but something you need to consider will be requirements for engine diapers. Our track already requires on for 7.50 1/8 mile and under. My Falcon is stuck at 7.60s because of that, there is no way in hell to get a bag on the pan with rear steer, under pan crossmember and tight headers - shock towers or no. Alternately, leave room in your design for a NHRA type catch pan. Again, with rear steer and such, it's nearly impossible to even get a pan on my car. So I'll be looking at a whole new front end worked around the stock frame rails.
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Thanks Rory,MR T, Falcon and Tom P
I know a strut frt end would be better,I already have a lot of m2 parts and bigger brakes, thus the questions on m2.(bottom feeder-econo drag)
Maybe I'll keep my eyes open for some fox or sn95 parts the same way I got the mustang 11 stuff.