Sounds like you made her a solid runner, good job. Now for the body work, and paint? Or just drive it like you stole it. Either way it's a winner. Thumbs Up!!! JTS 71 Mach1
Very nice original paint car. Rare to see one in complete running driving solid condition.
Okay, what is a King Spring? Most people get coil springs from places like Opentracker Racing, Maier Racing, Global West, or one of the Mustang retail parts stores like Mustangs Plus, National Parts Depot, or CJ Pony Parts.
Since you are lowering the car, I would consider new rear leaf springs, mid-eye style or reverse eye depending on how low you want the car. 4.5 or 5 leafs in each spring pack. Then save the originals.
If you are lowering the front, it's a good time to lower the upper control arms 1" where they mount to the shock tower if you desire. That one inch reduces camber change significantly as the suspension travels up and down and improves cornering. It's a trick a Ford Engineer discovered back in the day. Then Carol Shelby took the idea and incorporated it into the Shelby Mustangs. A simple template is needed that bolts to the original holes and has the new hole locations 1 inch lower. This will also lower the front of the car about an inch so it needs to be considered when installing lowering coil springs. Sometimes thicker upper coil insulators are needed to get the ride height where you desire.
Stock upper rubber coil spring insulators will not hold up to stronger coil springs for very long. Polyurethane insulators are needed. Just remember to apply a film of the lube for Polyurethane on them to eliminate any possible squeaks. If installing them in cold weather, I have had instances where warming the Poly insulator with a heat gun was needed so they would expand and slip over the shoulder in the shock tower.
Since new lower coil spring perches will likely be needed, Scott Drake makes reasonably priced lower coil spring perches with current technology bushings that allow the perch to rotate freely as the suspension travels up and down.
Looks great and I like the Koni shocks. I can't believe you got the shocks completely bolted in with the engine out of the car or did you install them before you pulled it?
I'm guessing the shocks likely fit without the engine in the car because he probably purchased higher rate springs that also lower the front of the car. Between the 600 lb/inch front coils and lowering the upper control arms 1", the front of my car is lowered almost 2". The shocks are not "topped out" when the engine is removed. Stock coils have a fairly soft rate and are extremely long. Thus, when the engine is removed, the shocks get " topped out".
If not already done, now would have been a good time to lower the upper control arms 1", the "Arning Drop". Sorry, Arning, a Ford Engineer, was the pioneer of that concept.
If not already done, now would have been a good time to lower the upper control arms 1", the "Arning Drop". Sorry, Arning, a Ford Engineer, was the pioneer of that concept.
Yup...it's just like my job. I do all the work and my boss gets all the credit! Sorry Klaus.
(11-26-2017, 06:58 AM)Mustangmike Wrote: Looks great and I like the Koni shocks. I can't believe you got the shocks completely bolted in with the engine out of the car or did you install them before you pulled it?
Thank you for sharing your progress.
Mike
Hi Mike,
No i installed the shocks and springs when the engine was still in, the engine has been rebuilt and i will post some more about that when i get a chance.
Heres a pic of the car before i pulled it down but after lowering.