fFinally starting on my rear end, I have a few questions...
 

1st gen, all motor stock chassis car

I am using a ford 8.8 from a fox body Mustang. The 4-links will be in pretty much the stock location. But I will not be using the watts link set up. I will be using a panhard bar to locate the rear. And instead of the stock shock/spring location. I will be using a small coilover set up similar to tubbed and chassis cars.


Is there any other coil over brands with high quality and adjustability other than qa1? Strange, competition engineering?

The fuel cell will be in the engine bay and the car will be stripped obviously. So about how much weight will be over my rear wheels? I'm trying to decide on a spring rate for the coilovers. I am guessing 1100-1200lbs. And going off of qa1's site, that means I should be using 110lbs./in rate springs. Does this sound right?


Here are a few coilover setups i'm looking at right now. I'm taking suggestions, tips, or mix and match ideas.



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CMB-15-0039/?rtype=10



I believe this is that same as the set up on the qa1 site for almost 100 bucks cheaper...

http://www.jegs.com/i/QA1/122/DR5110K/10002/-1

im using the granny speed shop 9 inch rear end, should be here some time this week, running a 31 spline. I' am junking the stock suspension springs and shocks, and using the qa1 coil overs.

On a 1st gen? Are you going to use their torque arm setup? Wondering how well it would work...

Yes a 1st gen...79 SA, Going Adjustable on the upper and lower links, and the torque arm as well

sorry i put a link for a second gen car setup.. ignore my attempt haha

What spring rate are you using? single or double adjustable shocks?

Why use 4 links with the torque arm? Is it even possible to get the geometry of all 5 pieces aligned with each other?

Good news Teddy, you're going to like it. No more broken axles on the starting line.

I am currently running a Granny's Speed Shop For 8.8 on my FB. I am using the stock mounting locations with polyurethane upper links and Heim Joint lower adjustable links. I am using Tokiko Illumina Adjustables with GSLSE Eibach springs no sway bar. So far the car hooks up real good but am waiting another 2 weeks for the next track day.

How could I install coil overs back there without losing the fuel cell?

Put the coilovers in the normal location for 4-link set ups. (like in the pic) Then either get a smaller fuel cell or move it back slightly for them it fit. There should be enough room for your cell.


Not my set up. This is a grannys set up but had the coilovers added later on...

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...1coilovers.jpg

Thank you very much for the pic.

Suggestion on rearend mods
 

You can spend the extra money on the coilovers and adjustable links as described above. But the reality is all the stock locations work just fine. I am no suspension expert and like everyone else always on a budget. You can get away with just making stronger links for strength because the stock locations hook with a good slick.
I have a 1985 GSL-SE with a Chevy 12-bolt and my best 60 ft. times are low 1.30 to 1.32 consistently. I have stock shocks and springs all in the original location. I played with the bump stops cut the springs down to get the desired travel. My goal was to only get 1 in. of travel so I could bottom out on the rearend after the car dropped 1 in. The watts link was upgraded to a bigger diameter rod but that is also in the original location on the chassis also.

My suggestion would be to keep it simple. Sometimes we have a tendancy to over engineer something that was already good to be begin with.

Good Luck

Very good point. And plenty of people get very good times with factory IRS in the FC and even the stock GSLSE rear in the 1st gen. But when tenths of a second (or less) define the win, loss, or record time... these things start to matter.

So, no one has a recommendation on coilovers or a spring rate for me? Or did I get it just right with the qa1's with a 110 spring rate and don't need the advice...?

Yes it is possible, I want to be able to adjust the rear, upper and lower as much as possible including the side to side to make sure it is centered, Having full capability to adjust for any traction issues we will run into on the track is a plus if I have all my ducks in a row. Also this will help greatly with the 4 point weight distribution setup when we are all done. My only set back is the turbo II tranny :( no liberty for me yet, but i got a little something in the works :D

Fuck your telling me?

I bought the fucking housing 2wks ago, car is sitting on jacks with nothing in the back :lol::lol::lol:, I even took of the doors, hood, and some shit off the motor.

After 6 pairs of broken axles, and a driver side blown shock, and close call with wall, I got tired of pushing my shit on the trailer...lol

Now I' am getting anxious, I called granny on Friday for a tracking number, they told me it ships out next week around Tuesday Wednsday.

Right now im just building the 3rd member, just bought the spool, ring&pinion

Tell me about those broken axles get old after a while

That is exactly how my brother and I are going to weld it up...

Does it matter how close to the pumpkin you place the coilovers? Or does the placement not really matter?

What spring rate are you using teddy rx2?

Well, just picked up a fully built 9 inch today. No longer using the 8.8

9"
 

sen2 how on earth did u find that 9" lol , glad u got that , let us no how it works out ( pics would be nice ):icon_tup:

I got a helpful hint... ;)

Thanks again for that man. I'll post up some pics soon enough.

I have a good friend that has Koni double adj. on his dragster. I did some dyno testing on them for him, they looked pretty good on paper. The adjusters actually did something lol.

I don't know what kind of valving works for drag racing, sorry.

As for the shocks placement. I would keep them as wide as your tires will allow. You get some chassis roll resistance from them so the wider the mounting points, the better. Having them vertical takes some of the math out of the design, and having them as close to the axle centerline as you can helps with wheel rates(not spring rates, what the wheel actually sees) Having 1" of wheel travel equal 1" of shock and spring travel keeps things simple.

Are you planning to run a sway bar of any sort?

no, just a panhard bar.

Yo what up sent, how is your project coming along? Do you have just a dedicated thread for you build? I would like to see the process...

I got my 9 installed weeks ago, Just haven't taken pics yet.

ordered the ring/pinion and spool and the bearing kit as well...

I took a few pics of mine. Just havnt posted them yet. But I was trying to fit my weld pro stars on today, and noticed the Strange axles are not 4x4.5 (4x114.3). So now i have to re drilling them... Sucks cause the rear is already built...

No build thread yet. Didn't want to start one until the rear is in and the from end was completed. So I have something worth posting.

what coilovers did you got with?

that sounds good