MM Front Coil-Over Conversion Kit Tech
Front Mustang Coil-over Conversion Kits
Dramatically improve the performance of your Mustang's front suspension system by installing a coil-over conversion kit from Maximum Motorsports. With spring rates available in 25 lb/in increments, and enough ride height adjustability for any situation, your Mustang can be tuned for any type of driving imaginable.
Mustangs being tuned for cornering performance will benefit from better handling and better ride quality with the MM Coil-Over Conversion Kit. In the front of a Mustang, when the spring is in the stock location on the front control arm, better handling can be had with higher spring rates, but ride quality begins to suffer severely with rates over 850 lbs/in. A MM coil-over kit allows the use of wheel rates that are much higher than those of an 850 lb/in spring in the stock location. This will dramatically reduce body roll and brake dive. Look here for an explanation of wheel rate.
Those looking for improved Mustang drag race performance will find that their Mustang transfers more weight to the rear tires and handles better at high speed with a coil-over conversion kit in place. Because spring location is optimized with a MM front coil-over conversion kit, suspension bind is drastically reduced. This allows the front suspension to travel much more freely than with a spring in the Mustang's stock location. This is important, because unlike the stock suspension, a coil-over conversion kit does not require extremely soft springs to achieve decent suspension compliance. With a coil-over conversion, stiffer springs that help control the Mustang's handling at high speed can be chosen, without a significant adverse affect on weight transfer.
Sufficient bump travel, or suspension compression from ride height, is crucial for proper ride quality, especially on lowered Mustangs. Front-end bump travel is maximized, with MM Coil-Over kits, by properly positioning the upper spring perch under the strut tower with the provided assortment of spacers. Maximum Motorsports also machines the undersides of the upper spring perches to minimize the stack height of the kit. This is something that other manufacturers overlook. Not doing so will reduce bump travel by as much as one inch! This attention to detail sets MM coil-over conversion kits apart from our competitors' kits.
Other unique features of the Maximum Motorsports Coil-Over Conversion Kits include O-rings that seal the thrust bearings in the upper spring perches to ensure longevity by keeping dirt and water out and grease in, easily adjustable ride height, the ability to do corner weighting, ease of measuring bumpsteer, decreased weight, and a wide selection of available spring rates.
Unlike other companies, MM includes a soft, closed cell polyurethane bumpstop with the Tokico and Koni front coil-over kits. Bilstein struts have their own internal bumpstop, and therefore do not require one in the kit. Bumpstops are crucial because they allow the suspension travel to come to a progressive and smooth end. Without them, the strut will abruptly bottom against the upper spring perch, causing unpredictable and potentially dangerous handling, as well as possible severe damage to suspension components.
Mustang Caster/Camber Plate Considerations
When using a coil-over kit, caster/camber plates (c/c plates) are required. To properly support the loads, you should use well-designed steel c/c plates with a high quality spherical bearing. Rubber or urethane c/c plate bushings will not be able to handle the load without excessive deformation and possible failure. Most aluminum c/c plates are not strong enough for coil-over applications. Those that are strong enough are very thick and may unnecessarily reduce bump travel. Additionally, thick c/c plates have a limited alignment range because of hood interference.
1979-93 Mustang Caster/Camber plates only require three bolts in their design because the strut top is captured within the triangle formed by these bolts (as viewed from the top). This means that each bolt carries a relatively equal portion of the vertical strut load, and the load is evenly distributed into the strut towers.
For 1994-04 Mustangs, Maximum Motorsports makes the only Caster/Camber plates suitable for use with a Coil-Over kit--our innovative 4-bolt Caster/Camber Plates (patent 6485223). On 1994-04 Mustangs, the strut top is located outside of the triangle formed by the three factory mounting bolts (as viewed from the top). With a 3-bolt caster/camber plate, only two bolts carry nearly the entire vertical load, placing a large bending load on the plate. This load is unevenly distributed into the strut tower, causing the mounting bolts to pry on the strut towers, possibly bending them or even resulting in c/c plate failure. Maximum Motorsports added a fourth bolt, so the strut top is captured within the square formed by the four bolts (as viewed from the top). This distributes the load evenly into the strut tower and prevents any possible damage.