[tracktoy]

can anyone answer some suspension questions for me???


I am sooooooo tired of feeling unstable in my car, therefore i want to drop my car pronto. i want to know about the mud flaps, will they get riped off at the first bump if i go with some 1.5 springs? no springs companies consider the fact that bullitt's are lower from the start. do we need to order Gt springs, or cobra? Also, what about alighments, when they pull the car up in the computer it may only have the gt settings, the guy wont know to factor in the factory set -1.

how low can you safely go before needing CC plates?

i have to improve the ride quality of the bullitt NOW!!

 

[Mus408]

Damn,you can't get a jack under it as it is! I think anything lower,without a air lift setup of some kind,will cause you trouble on the road.

 

[BULLITT00208]

tracktoy,

Have you really pushed this car to its limits?

I have been very impressed with the handling!! I have yet to exceed the limit of traction and I have thrown this thing into corners hard enough to plaster myself against the door. I had a 96GT with full steeda suspension, Cobra R rims and 275/40/17's and this car handles as good right from the factory!
If you lower it you may loose some handling on the street because, you loose the compliance needed to absorb mid corner bumps.

I would put better tires on the thing if you want to see an improvement.

Eric

 

[tracktoy]

hey 208,

here is my take on the suspension. i agree with you on the traction factor, when it is in a corner, it says there. I trust is in heavy corners, and know it is an improvement over a stock gt.

I just dont like the amount of body roll before it tightens up. to me, it doesnt feel stable at high speeds. i like my car to squat and be predictable at any speed. under normal braking, the nose dive is a bit severe for my taste. I havent driven it in the rain yet, cant wait to see what that is like. ill probably fishtail to no end. Im not looking to build a G machine, but I dont want to slam the car either. I do want to eliminate the fender gaps and tighten things up a bit. Get rid of the Crown vic feel. I am a young guy, when i want a cushy ride, i will drive my truck. Ideally i want my car to sit like a Roush. Before 3177, i had a gt probe with suspension work, man did that car handle. I want to be able to say the same thing about my bullitt.

Track

 

[roushraven99]

"tracktoy" I would recommend the following. I did these mods to my Bullitt for the very reason you suggest wanting to do it for yours. Steeda rear upper and lower control arms, Steeda subframe connectors (yes we have them but I these are much stronger), Eibach sportline springs and Maximum Motorsport (MM) stainless steel brake lines. I also have the MM caster camber plates but I'm going to keep the factory ones on until I get a definite feel for how they are working with the new springs. As far as ground clearance goes, you will have less so speed bumps and pot holes will be your enemy. I don't have measurements at hand but I'll post them Saturday once I return home. I posted this before and so has someone else on the board but after the springs I was only able had two fingers clearance up front and three in the back whereas before was three and some front and my whole hand with room for more on the rear. I used the above parts based on my experience as an owner of two Roush Stage 2's (though one is in serious need of repair because I totaled it in an accident) and I can tell you that my Bullitt now handles as well as those cars ever did especially at high speed. Finally, I would suggest better brake pads and an aluminum driveshaft if you're going to use your car on a track course or at extended high speed. And of course better tires. Just my opinion on the matter, hope this helps.

 

[BULLITT00208]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-08 00:08, tracktoy wrote:
hey 208,

here is my take on the suspension. i agree with you on the traction factor, when it is in a corner, it says there. I trust is in heavy corners, and know it is an improvement over a stock gt.

I just dont like the amount of body roll before it tightens up. to me, it doesnt feel stable at high speeds. i like my car to squat and be predictable at any speed. under normal braking, the nose dive is a bit severe for my taste. I havent driven it in the rain yet, cant wait to see what that is like. ill probably fishtail to no end. Im not looking to build a G machine, but I dont want to slam the car either. I do want to eliminate the fender gaps and tighten things up a bit. Get rid of the Crown vic feel. I am a young guy, when i want a cushy ride, i will drive my truck. Ideally i want my car to sit like a Roush. Before 3177, i had a gt probe with suspension work, man did that car handle. I want to be able to say the same thing about my bullitt.

Track
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Tracktoy,

If you are doing it for the reasons above then it makes sense. While the Bullitts don't have the same 4X4 look as the stock GT from the factory, the fender gaps are still pretty large. One of the things I like about this suspension is the lack of body roll. My car corners very flat, so I'm suprised to hear that as a complaint. There is a bit of brake dive, but nothing like a stock GT.
I had a 96GT with a suspension and it handled great, but the ride got tiring at times. It was my daily driver and when I had other people in the car I was really conscious of how stiff it was. That doesn't sound like an issue for you.
If you really want to make this car handle you should look at the posts by fordbullitt. He has done some mods that will give you the best bang for the buck. They will give you the handling you are looking for without buying more than you need. Here is a link to a page with pics of what he has done:

http://community.webshots.com/album/18367860FGhqmqHQOO

As far as driving in the rain. My suggestion, leave the traction control on! These cars with the Goodyear Eagles can't get traction to save their life. It's fun but can bite you occasionally. If you live in a wet area it won't be long before you will want to change these tires.

BTW- A good set of weld-in subframe connectors are a must if you tighten up the suspension. You need to stiffen up the body if you want the suspension to be able to do its job.

Good luck,

Keep us posted on what you do!

Eric





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: BULLITT00208 on 2001-08-08 12:58 ]</font>

 

[TXBullitt]

I took delivery of my Bullitt the day before Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston the first time. Of course, I was driving it when the rains came during evening rush hour (Tuesday). If that wasn't bad enough, I was also driiving it when Allison came back for round 2 that Friday night. I had NO problems with handling in the torrential rains those 2 days. Traction control was on, and my right foot went on a crash diet for starts. On the freeways, I was wishing the non-Bullitt drivers would have gotten out of my way.

 

[FordBullitt]

The methods for getting better handling and more traction are:

Stiffer front springs 800lb plus.. reduces dive, stock shocks are fine

softer rear springs, better lower control arms, anti-squat brackets.. keeps the rear tires planted = better traction go to www.slotcarracing.com..a friend makes all these parts

Front strut tower brace.. stiffens shock towers and front of car

Welded in cross connected subframe connectors.. tie front and rear chassis sections together better.

Brian

 

[PBGas]

The thing is here folks....if you are going to be racing the car all of the time, then great...get the lowered springs, etc. I have to drive mine everywhere, so personally, I like the car the way it is. I find that this car has one of the best suspensions that I have driven for a non-euro model. It is compliant and predictable. If it handles like a Crown Vic, then there is something else going on there that you need to check.

Dropping the car into the weeds with Sportlines is going to definately make it stiffer and if you like that, then by all means.....I sure as heck wouldn't. I wouldn't say that it will handle better though. It is ok to have some flex in there to allow for cushioning, etc.

To clean up some of the slop in the rear, you can start by welding a few small plates across the upper and lower control arms. This will rid you of about 30% of the flex back there. See my post over the weekend on "Upper Control Arm Modifications" for what to do.

Paul G.

 

[Paloman]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-08 12:52, BULLITT00208 wrote:
<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-08 00:08, tracktoy wrote:
hey 208,

here is my take on the suspension. i agree with you on the traction factor, when it is in a corner, it says there. I trust is in heavy corners, and know it is an improvement over a stock gt.

I just dont like the amount of body roll before it tightens up. to me, it doesnt feel stable at high speeds. i like my car to squat and be predictable at any speed. under normal braking, the nose dive is a bit severe for my taste. I havent driven it in the rain yet, cant wait to see what that is like. ill probably fishtail to no end. Im not looking to build a G machine, but I dont want to slam the car either. I do want to eliminate the fender gaps and tighten things up a bit. Get rid of the Crown vic feel. I am a young guy, when i want a cushy ride, i will drive my truck. Ideally i want my car to sit like a Roush. Before 3177, i had a gt probe with suspension work, man did that car handle. I want to be able to say the same thing about my bullitt.

Track
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Tracktoy,

If you are doing it for the reasons above then it makes sense. While the Bullitts don't have the same 4X4 look as the stock GT from the factory, the fender gaps are still pretty large. One of the things I like about this suspension is the lack of body roll. My car corners very flat, so I'm suprised to hear that as a complaint. There is a bit of brake dive, but nothing like a stock GT.
I had a 96GT with a suspension and it handled great, but the ride got tiring at times. It was my daily driver and when I had other people in the car I was really conscious of how stiff it was. That doesn't sound like an issue for you.
If you really want to make this car handle you should look at the posts by fordbullitt. He has done some mods that will give you the best bang for the buck. They will give you the handling you are looking for without buying more than you need. Here is a link to a page with pics of what he has done:

http://community.webshots.com/album/18367860FGhqmqHQOO

As far as driving in the rain. My suggestion, leave the traction control on! These cars with the Goodyear Eagles can't get traction to save their life. It's fun but can bite you occasionally. If you live in a wet area it won't be long before you will want to change these tires.

BTW- A good set of weld-in subframe connectors are a must if you tighten up the suspension. You need to stiffen up the body if you want the suspension to be able to do its job.

Good luck,

Keep us posted on what you do!

Eric
Can anybody suggest a good tire to switch to
for the Bullitt? I too found absolutely no grip in a rainstorm...Paloman, [email protected]



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: BULLITT00208 on 2001-08-08 12:58 ]</font>
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

 

[mystang99]

i'm with bob here. this suspension is SO much better than my 97 GT or 99 GT and it serves my driving habits just fine. i know somw bullittheads like to rally (Brian)and that would make me want to change out suspension bits & pieces