Total Cost Involved: Mustang Rear Suspension

摘要

Early Mustangs, like their ponycar counterparts at GM, have a rudimentary leaf-spring suspension based on economical compact car mechanicals. These inexpensive suspensions were great back in the day for bringing the initial cost of the car down, but here we are, 40-plus years later, trying to get these suspensions to do the impossible. In recent years, a lot had been done for GM's first-generation Camaro and Firebird, but the Mustang continued to lay fallow-until Total Cost Involved (TCI) took charge. Rather than take a piecemeal bandage approach to the Mustang with upgraded leaf springs and shocks, TCI decided on a ground-up redesign, forsaking leaf springs for coilovers, a torque arm, and a Panhard bar. The choice is significant in that it banishes nearly every flaw of the origi-nal. The axle-mounted torque arm moves the axle's leverage point from the front leaf spring shackles to midcar, thus dramatically improving the instant center. Big improvements to launch bite, traction, and wheelhop are the result. The same geometry also results in decreased brake dive, which translates into more balanced braking. The Panhard part of the equation improves the lateral stability of the rearend while decoupling the rearend from vertical freedom of movement.