ac427cobra
01-08-2006, 02:56 PM
Greetings Fellow Stangers:
I have just finished the latest production run of the newly redesigned bushing set. Just in time for racing season!!
The price of the basic set is $595.00 US domestic delivery is included in that price. Individual component prices are listed below.
I can tell you two things. #1 if you are changing your car from completely stock to this set-up, you will be astounded with the difference. #2 if you ever had to deal with bushings from brand "N" supplier you will be doing cartwheels installing these. I guarantee it.
Here is a photo of the new Delrin Upper Control Arm Bushing set with the new inner sleeves showing the Hardcoat anti-wear coating.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7964/newhardcoateducaeo2.jpg
This is the newly redesigned Delrin Lower Control Arm Bushing set complete with Hardcoated aluminum inner sleeves and stainless steel shimming washers:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9371/geniilcayf2.jpg
This the the UHMW subframe set with .125" aluminum shimming washers and .048" stainless steel shimming washers:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6215/geniiuhmwpn4.jpg
Here are the diff mounts. The front aluminum diff mounts with aluminum washers to set the pinion angle and the rear Delrin diff mount that utilizes the OEM bracket once the rubber is removed:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6101/diffsupportsnewsj7.jpg
Here is the breakdown on the individual pricing. These prices include destination freight to your door:
$50.00 Aluminum Front diff supports w/Aluminum shimming washers to set pinion angle
$60.00 Delrin Rear Diff support
$99.00 Complete UHMW IRS Cradle support set including thick aluminum and thin stainless steel shimming washers
$399.00 Complete Upper and Lower Delrin control arm set including hardcoated aluminum inner sleeves and shimming washers. (You get a $10.00 price break buying the complete control arm set)
$125.00 Upper control arm bushings by themselves
$284.00 Lower control arm bushings by themselves
Total $595.00 for all of the above items
Additional items:
$9.00 a pair for Grade 8, 9/16" bolts with nylock nuts and flat washers for the front subframe mounts
$15.00 UCA bushing grease fitting kit
$15.00 LCA bushing grease fitting kit
This pricing includes destination freight to your door via UPS or Fed-Ex ground service.
$55.00 is the cost of the adjustable sway bar end link kit.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3366/endlinkspairly5.jpg
Here is a photo of the link mounted on a mock-up IRS assembly:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3209/endlinksmountedtk2.jpg
The upper and lower mounting bolts will come to you assembled and tight on the heim joints. You will notice there is a thin jamb nut on the bottom and a thicker standard thickness nut on the top mounting bolt. The standard thickness nut on the upper mounting point assists in getting the alignment between the anti-sway bar and the control arm improved. The lower mounting bolt is 5mm longer than the upper mounting bolt. You want to make sure the eyes of the heim joints are lined up when tightening them. Install the link on the outside of the anti-sway bar. Also make sure the car is level and there is no pressure on the links when tightening the jamb nuts on the link. The car will need to be on a drive-on lift or jacked up onto four drive on ramps to do this. If there is pressure on the links you risk shifting the car's weight from one side to the other. The torque specs for these 10mm nuts are 33 ft. lbs. or 45Nm.
$5.00 control arm OEM bushing removal tools now available to rent! (or buy, see below)
Pic of removal tools:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/2729/toolsnewwp5.jpg
These removal tools will make this job INFINITELY easier! The rental fee is a very affordable $5.00 and the purchase price is $50.00. If you plan on renting the rental fee is $5.00 with a $45.00 deposit to make sure I get them back. You can also purchase them as well. The purchase price of the tools is $50.00 for the set. So it's $50.00 either way. You can return them for a $45.00 deposit if you'd like. The price has increased as of December 12th, 2007 because I have also added a subframe bushing removal tool.
Here are a few removal pics. First, is the saw-cut of the upper control arm bushing flange for the removal tool to fit:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9554/irsforduppersawcutsmwm3.jpg
Here is how the tool sits on the upper control arm to remove the bushing once the flange is cut:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6739/forducaremoval2smte1.jpg
Here is a pic of the removal tool removing the smaller LCA front bushing:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4852/lcafrontremoval1kj6.jpg
And a pic of the removal tool removing the larger rear bushing. Sometimes you may have to start with just the flat washer because you won't have enough threads engaged with the thick removal washer installed:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6615/lcarearremoval1co6.jpg
Then once the inner sleeve is moved a bit you can intall the thick removal washer and finish the job off:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/605/lcarearemoval2um9.jpg
This takes considerable effort. Get a long 1/2" or even 3/4" breaker bar and wail on this thing. You can skip going to the gym the night you do this!
Here is a photo of the newly added subframe bushing removal tool:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/1458/subframeremovalbd7.jpg
Here are some pics of the grease fitting kits and installation on the control arms. Grease fittings will assure you a lifetime of trouble free and silent operation. It is highly recommended to install grease fittings.
This is the lower control arm grease fitting kit. It consists of a #3 drill, a 1/4-28 tap and four grease fittings. Two 90 degree fittings that go on the top side of the forward LCA eye and two straight fittings that point straight down on the bottom of the rear LCA eye:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2676/lcagfkitav2.jpg
This is the upper control arm grease fitting kit. It consists of a cobalt drill to drill the forged UCA and four 65 degree 3/16" drive fittings:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5230/ucagfkitqh5.jpg
Drilling the control arm. Don't try to freehand this. That may cause your hole to be slightly oversize. Drill slowly and use cutting oil. The fittings are a 3/16" drive fitting and they need to be a nice and tight press fit. Try to do it in a drill press if you have one at your disposal:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7880/ucadrillpp8.jpg
After you press the Delrin bushing into the control arm, drill through the Delrin with a 1/8" drill bit so the grease can get to the inner sleeve:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6629/delrindrillhc6.jpg
Using an arbor press, press the grease fitting into the control arm so the fittings point at each other at a slight downward angle. The final product:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2150/finalucafittingdn0.jpg
IRS LCA Front eye w/90 degree fitting installed on top of the control arm pointing at a 45 degree angle rearward:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3668/lcafrontzerklx4.jpg
IRS LCA Rear eye w/straight fitting on the bottom pointing straight down:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/7006/lcarearzerkjn6.jpg
Here is a photo of the front diff support. This particular photo is the older style diff mount bushings that have identical thicknesses. The new bushings have two thicker and two thinner bushings to allow greater range in adjustment. This particular photo shows the bushings in the front eyes with four shimming washers on the bottom and two shimming washers on the top setting the correct pinion angle for this particular application.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1990/frontdiff2an5.jpg
****Added 5-13-07****
Hey Guys:
I'd like to post a few quick comments here. I seem to be answering a lot of the same questions regarding the kit so I'm going to try and address a few of them here.
FAQ
Q: "Why does my car wheel hop?"
A: The reason your car wheel hops is because of all of the rubber in the differential mounts, control arm bushings and the subframe mounts. It oscillates between traction and slip when it hops. The rubber compresses, then rebounds and repeats. If you remove the "give" (rubber) it can no longer do that. Some tires can increase and or decrease hop to a certain extent.
Q: "Why does the ass end of my car feel so squirrelly when I mash on the fun pedal?"
A: Mainly from all of the rubber in the entire IRS assembly. Your wheels are mounted to the rear knuckles and the knuckles are mounted to the subframe via control arms with rubber bushings in four places. (two places on the upper control arm and two places on the lower control arm) When you mash the gas, this pushes the lower control arms forward and compresses the rubber bushings. The upper control arms are along for the ride. Keep in mind the whole subframe assembly is also mounted to the chassis in rubber and who knows what direction the tires are pointing at this point. By removing the all of the rubber, your rear tires will gain control of their direction and you will feel the ass end plant in a much more controlled manner.
Q: "What does NVH stand for?"
A: NVH is Noise, Vibration and Harsness. It's a key design criteria for new cars these days. Americans like nice cushy quiet rides. But us "Car Guys" want our power to get to the pavement in the most efficient manner possible. So, bye-bye rubber!!!
Q: "How much increase in NVH will I see with this kit?"
A: The change in NVH will hardly be noticeable with the exception of the aluminum front differential mounts. They are a tad on the noisy side. Worse if you have 4:10 gears. If you have an aftermarket exhaust that's loud, it will help mask the noise from the diff mounts. Some have used the sound deadening matting available at car stereo shops to minimize the sound. It's a self adhesive matting you put down on the floor pan right above the differential. It's called Dynamat and it's also available at Eastwood:
http://eastwood.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=dynamat
Q: "How bad will the noise level be with 4:10's?"
A: 4:10's are definitely going to raise the noise level particularly with the Aluminum front diff mounts. If you have loud aftermarket exhaust, that will help. Some people put down Dynamat on the floorpan above the differential and that seems to help a lot. Some say it's noisy, and others have said it's not bad. It's like asking what the best beer is. You won't get the same answer from any two people. :beer:
Q: Do I need level 5 halfshafts?"
A: Most likely not, but it depends. The 1999 halfshafts are really not sufficient for mildly to highly modded cars drag racing with slicks or DR's even after you remove all of the rubber preventing wheel hop. Your best bet at that point would be to upgrade to a Torsen 31 spline carrier and install '03 halfshafts. If you then break one of the '03 Ford halfshafts, AND you have removed ALL of the rubber from your IRS assembly, you need to look to the aftermarket.
If you have a 2001, '03 - '04 you have a pretty stout halfshaft. Have you broken any of these Ford halfshafts? If you answered yes, then possibly? But only if you've removed all of the rubber in your IRS assembly and still broke a halfshaft. IMHO more halfshafts have been broken due to the flopping of components mounted in rubber, than broken because of sheer power. Once all rubber is removed from the IRS assembly and you break a halfshaft, then by all means you're a candidate for Level 5's.
Q: Do I need sub frame connectors?"
A: Yes, an SN-95 chassis needs a good Maximum Motorsports Full Length Sub Frame Connector. Commonly known as MMFLSFC's. They make the best one IMHO. You just won't be able to do a side exhaust if you ever want to. These are absolutely necessary with a convertible.
Q: How is your kit priced versus the kit I'd get from Maximum Motorsports?"
A: The cost for Differential Mount set (front and rear) is $110.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-40 is $249.95 plus freight.
The cost for the Delrin Lower Control Arm set is $284.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-1 runs $349.00 plus freight.
The cost for the Delrin Upper Control Arm set is $125.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-2 runs $199.00 plus freight.
The combined price for the Delrin upper and lower sets runs $399.00 delivered. MM does not list a combined Delrin control arm bushing set price.
The cost for our UHMW subframe bushing set is $99.00 delivered. The MM poly bushing set, part number MMIRSU-1 runs $49.95 plus freight. The best explanation I can come up with for this is "you get what you pay for".
The cost for the Grade 8, 9/16" bolts and nylock nuts are $9.00 for the pair. The MM bolts, part number M14-109Bolt runs $5.99 each plus freight. The MM nuts, part number M14-nut sold separately run $1.99 each plus freight.
That's over a $280.00 difference in price. So, it's your money. Do with it what you want!
Q: Why do I need the 9/16" bolts and where do they go?"
A: Your car came from the factory with a 12mm bolt holding the front portion of the subframe into the chassis. This attachment point has the capability of accepting a 14mm bolt or a 9/16" bolt. The 14mm bolts are insanely expensive from Ford and that is why I have substituted the 9/16" grade 8 bolt in it's place. This kit is all about getting the job done as economically as possible without sacrificing quaility or integrity in any way shape or form.
Q: "What am I not getting with your kit?"
A: There is NOTHING you're not getting with this kit. I don't offer bump steer kits at this time. Those are included in some of the more expensive MM Grip Box packages.
Q: "What does your kit offer that I'm not getting from the MM kit?"
A: #1 This kit has an anti-wear Hardcoat on the aluminum inner sleeves. You don't get that with the MM kit. #2 The MM kit only has a polyurethane (poly) subframe bushings. Poly is only marginally better than the OEM rubber that originally came in the car from the factory. The UHMW pieces you get with this kit will hold your subframe infinitely more firmly than a poly bushing. This is important for the elimination of wheel hop. I also offer a grease fitting kits for a long trouble free life of silent operation of your kit. The MM kit relies on their assembly lube to lubricate the bushings.
Q: "What is UHMW?"
A: UHMW is Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelene. It's a great material and there are certain reasons I chose it for the subframe bushings. I could tell you but then I'd have to ..................... Oh nevermind! ;-)
Q: "How hard is this job? I'm comfortable doing a clutch job."
A: If you can do a clutch, you can do this. The more tools you have at your disposal the better. Get a competent friend to help. Supply the food and beer. It will be worth it.
Q: "How long will the job take?"
A: This job is a considerable undertaking. It requires some car wrenching skills and an assistant. An assistant will make the job go much better. Two heads are always better than one. If you start on a Friday after work, you should have the IRS out of the car in a couple of hours. You can finish the night taking apart the IRS for the bushing install. Saturday you will spend installing the bushings, reassembling the IRS and hopfully getting the IRS assembly back in the car. Speed depends a LOT on the people doing the job and the amount of tools/equipment at your disposal. You always have Sunday to finish up in case you run into some snags. If you can locate someone that's done the job once or twice before you might be able to knock the job out in 6-8 hours.
Q: "Everyone is talking about a solid axle swap and I'm thinking about doing it, what is your opinion?"
A: Give the IRS a chance. The IRS is a FAR superior suspension component than the archaic stick axle. But unfortunately, the IRS was delivered from the factory in a very poor state. You really need to remove ALL of the rubber (and or aftermarket poly) from the entire assembly including the subframe. The only way I would recommend a stick axle would be if you had a dedicated drag car that you trailered to the strip.
Q: "I hear the terms polyurethane, urethane and poly. What's the diference?"
A: The terms poly and urethane are simply shortened versions of polyurethane. And there is no place for them anywhere in your IRS assembly with the exception of the sway bar mounts.
Q: "What is bumpsteer?"
A: Definition; Bump Steer is when your wheels steer themselves as they travel up and down in their suspension range. The undesirable steering is caused by bumps in the road or track interacting with improper length or angle of your IRS toe links. When your tires move up and down in their normal suspension travel, your rear toe setting changes which scrubs speed.
Most car builders design their cars to push (understeer) when taken to the limit. A push is infinitely safer than oversteer. It warns the driver much sooner and is easier to recover from. But a push is not fast, nor is it efficient. You can optimize the IRS by installing a rear bumpsteer kit and increase cornering efficiency.
Q: "How important is bumpsteering the IRS?"
A: Bumpsteering the IRS after this bushing install is like putting icing on a cake. It's not critical for drag racing but if you like to Corner Carve it will help quite a bit. It's more for the efficiency of cornering and having your ass end planted.
Q: "Are there any other benefits to bumpsteering the IRS?"
A: Yes, by going with the deluxe MM Bumpsteer kit you get the very much needed beefed up toe link rods. These help hold your rear tires more stable. Drag racers and road racers alike need to be concerned with these components if they have upgraded the power output of their car!
Q: "Why do I hear a clunk in my drivetrain?"
A: There are a few reasons for this. Your transmission and differential can combine for quite a bit of play, but that usually is not the MAIN souce of the "clunk".
Two things can contribute to the Cobra "clunk". #1 would be the rear differential support bushing. The rubber OEM differential bushings are designed to handle about 390 RWHP driven in a moderate fashion. That eliminates about 98% of Cobra owners right there. This is what a rear differential bushing looks like after a few years of driving:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4237/moransrearsupportsmvp3.jpg
# 2 would be the front mounting bolts that can contribute to the "clunk". The 12mm bolts that were originally installed at the factory allow play when applying torque and decelerating. This location is capable of accepting a larger bolt which will hold the front subframe mount more firmly in the chassis and prevent movement. See info above for the 9/16" bolt upgrade.
Q: "Are there instructions included?"
A: Yes. The kit now comes with FOUR pages of VERY comprehensive detailed installation instructions. I'm working on getting more installation photos up and it's a work in process.
Q: "How can I be assured you sell a good product and can be trusted?"
A: Just check my SVTP Trader Rating and read for yourself! :thumbsup:
Q: "What would you suggest if I wanted to do this in steps?"
A: This project is a considerable undertaking. It's not an easy job. There is quite a bit of labor involved to drop your IRS assembly, replace all of the bushings and re-install it. There really is no good way to do the job in stages. You REALLY want to do it all at once and get it over with in one fell swoop! If you can't afford the kit, I suggest you wait until you can buy the entire kit. It's sort of like the question "All of the tires on my car are bald, I can only afford two, which two should I replace first, the fronts or rears?" All of the components in this package work in conjunction with each other. The key to the kit is the removal of ALL the rubber. Removing some or most of the rubber is only going to give you a marginal result.
Q: "What if any surprises might I expect installing the kit?"
A: Because there is no "exact" location or position to weld the MMFLSFC's to the rear unibody frame members, sometimes there can be a certain amount of interference depending on the location it was welded. One installer had to grind about 1/16" of off each side to get the subframe back in with the new UHMW bushings in place. Another installer had interference of nearly 1/4" on each side. This required a sawzall and a reweld patch afterwards. Those were the only two instances so far, so I think it's a pretty rare occurance to have this issue on your install. But I did want to bring it to everyone's attention.
Q: "Is there anything else I should do while I have the IRS assembly out of the car?"
A: Yes. Because the fuel filter is very difficult to get at with the IRS assembly in the car, as long as it's out, now would be an excellent time to change your fuel filter while you have full unrestricted access to it.
Q: "How does the kit perform?"
A: It is state of the art on track. You won't believe how the car handles. The car drives like it's on rails.
Here are a few examples:
Here is a Z06 Conga Line at Road America (http://www.trackdawgz.com/Videos/Z06conga%20line.wmv)
This is another Corvette Conga Line at Road America set to music (http://www.trackdawgz.com/Videos/Corvette%20Conga%20Line%20Part%20II.wmv)
For drag racing and street performance this kit also increases the efficiency of the IRS to keep the wheels pointed in a forward direction. Rubber in the IRS is your enemy and the more power you have the more you need to upgrade your IRS assembly.
Future additions in the works:
There is a Bumpsteer kit in the works. This bumpsteer kit will include heavier toe links. I don't have a time frame yet as to when it will be available. So stay tuned!
I will be adding to this from time to time so stay tuned and check back if you're still in the deciding mode.
PM me for payment info!
Bruce
Here is the complete history of the thread:
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160766&page=1&pp=25
This is something Marv can install for you if you don't feel you have the facilities, tools or ambition to do it?
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Bruce
I have just finished the latest production run of the newly redesigned bushing set. Just in time for racing season!!
The price of the basic set is $595.00 US domestic delivery is included in that price. Individual component prices are listed below.
I can tell you two things. #1 if you are changing your car from completely stock to this set-up, you will be astounded with the difference. #2 if you ever had to deal with bushings from brand "N" supplier you will be doing cartwheels installing these. I guarantee it.
Here is a photo of the new Delrin Upper Control Arm Bushing set with the new inner sleeves showing the Hardcoat anti-wear coating.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7964/newhardcoateducaeo2.jpg
This is the newly redesigned Delrin Lower Control Arm Bushing set complete with Hardcoated aluminum inner sleeves and stainless steel shimming washers:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9371/geniilcayf2.jpg
This the the UHMW subframe set with .125" aluminum shimming washers and .048" stainless steel shimming washers:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6215/geniiuhmwpn4.jpg
Here are the diff mounts. The front aluminum diff mounts with aluminum washers to set the pinion angle and the rear Delrin diff mount that utilizes the OEM bracket once the rubber is removed:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6101/diffsupportsnewsj7.jpg
Here is the breakdown on the individual pricing. These prices include destination freight to your door:
$50.00 Aluminum Front diff supports w/Aluminum shimming washers to set pinion angle
$60.00 Delrin Rear Diff support
$99.00 Complete UHMW IRS Cradle support set including thick aluminum and thin stainless steel shimming washers
$399.00 Complete Upper and Lower Delrin control arm set including hardcoated aluminum inner sleeves and shimming washers. (You get a $10.00 price break buying the complete control arm set)
$125.00 Upper control arm bushings by themselves
$284.00 Lower control arm bushings by themselves
Total $595.00 for all of the above items
Additional items:
$9.00 a pair for Grade 8, 9/16" bolts with nylock nuts and flat washers for the front subframe mounts
$15.00 UCA bushing grease fitting kit
$15.00 LCA bushing grease fitting kit
This pricing includes destination freight to your door via UPS or Fed-Ex ground service.
$55.00 is the cost of the adjustable sway bar end link kit.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3366/endlinkspairly5.jpg
Here is a photo of the link mounted on a mock-up IRS assembly:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3209/endlinksmountedtk2.jpg
The upper and lower mounting bolts will come to you assembled and tight on the heim joints. You will notice there is a thin jamb nut on the bottom and a thicker standard thickness nut on the top mounting bolt. The standard thickness nut on the upper mounting point assists in getting the alignment between the anti-sway bar and the control arm improved. The lower mounting bolt is 5mm longer than the upper mounting bolt. You want to make sure the eyes of the heim joints are lined up when tightening them. Install the link on the outside of the anti-sway bar. Also make sure the car is level and there is no pressure on the links when tightening the jamb nuts on the link. The car will need to be on a drive-on lift or jacked up onto four drive on ramps to do this. If there is pressure on the links you risk shifting the car's weight from one side to the other. The torque specs for these 10mm nuts are 33 ft. lbs. or 45Nm.
$5.00 control arm OEM bushing removal tools now available to rent! (or buy, see below)
Pic of removal tools:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/2729/toolsnewwp5.jpg
These removal tools will make this job INFINITELY easier! The rental fee is a very affordable $5.00 and the purchase price is $50.00. If you plan on renting the rental fee is $5.00 with a $45.00 deposit to make sure I get them back. You can also purchase them as well. The purchase price of the tools is $50.00 for the set. So it's $50.00 either way. You can return them for a $45.00 deposit if you'd like. The price has increased as of December 12th, 2007 because I have also added a subframe bushing removal tool.
Here are a few removal pics. First, is the saw-cut of the upper control arm bushing flange for the removal tool to fit:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9554/irsforduppersawcutsmwm3.jpg
Here is how the tool sits on the upper control arm to remove the bushing once the flange is cut:
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6739/forducaremoval2smte1.jpg
Here is a pic of the removal tool removing the smaller LCA front bushing:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4852/lcafrontremoval1kj6.jpg
And a pic of the removal tool removing the larger rear bushing. Sometimes you may have to start with just the flat washer because you won't have enough threads engaged with the thick removal washer installed:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6615/lcarearremoval1co6.jpg
Then once the inner sleeve is moved a bit you can intall the thick removal washer and finish the job off:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/605/lcarearemoval2um9.jpg
This takes considerable effort. Get a long 1/2" or even 3/4" breaker bar and wail on this thing. You can skip going to the gym the night you do this!
Here is a photo of the newly added subframe bushing removal tool:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/1458/subframeremovalbd7.jpg
Here are some pics of the grease fitting kits and installation on the control arms. Grease fittings will assure you a lifetime of trouble free and silent operation. It is highly recommended to install grease fittings.
This is the lower control arm grease fitting kit. It consists of a #3 drill, a 1/4-28 tap and four grease fittings. Two 90 degree fittings that go on the top side of the forward LCA eye and two straight fittings that point straight down on the bottom of the rear LCA eye:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2676/lcagfkitav2.jpg
This is the upper control arm grease fitting kit. It consists of a cobalt drill to drill the forged UCA and four 65 degree 3/16" drive fittings:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5230/ucagfkitqh5.jpg
Drilling the control arm. Don't try to freehand this. That may cause your hole to be slightly oversize. Drill slowly and use cutting oil. The fittings are a 3/16" drive fitting and they need to be a nice and tight press fit. Try to do it in a drill press if you have one at your disposal:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7880/ucadrillpp8.jpg
After you press the Delrin bushing into the control arm, drill through the Delrin with a 1/8" drill bit so the grease can get to the inner sleeve:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6629/delrindrillhc6.jpg
Using an arbor press, press the grease fitting into the control arm so the fittings point at each other at a slight downward angle. The final product:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2150/finalucafittingdn0.jpg
IRS LCA Front eye w/90 degree fitting installed on top of the control arm pointing at a 45 degree angle rearward:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3668/lcafrontzerklx4.jpg
IRS LCA Rear eye w/straight fitting on the bottom pointing straight down:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/7006/lcarearzerkjn6.jpg
Here is a photo of the front diff support. This particular photo is the older style diff mount bushings that have identical thicknesses. The new bushings have two thicker and two thinner bushings to allow greater range in adjustment. This particular photo shows the bushings in the front eyes with four shimming washers on the bottom and two shimming washers on the top setting the correct pinion angle for this particular application.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1990/frontdiff2an5.jpg
****Added 5-13-07****
Hey Guys:
I'd like to post a few quick comments here. I seem to be answering a lot of the same questions regarding the kit so I'm going to try and address a few of them here.
FAQ
Q: "Why does my car wheel hop?"
A: The reason your car wheel hops is because of all of the rubber in the differential mounts, control arm bushings and the subframe mounts. It oscillates between traction and slip when it hops. The rubber compresses, then rebounds and repeats. If you remove the "give" (rubber) it can no longer do that. Some tires can increase and or decrease hop to a certain extent.
Q: "Why does the ass end of my car feel so squirrelly when I mash on the fun pedal?"
A: Mainly from all of the rubber in the entire IRS assembly. Your wheels are mounted to the rear knuckles and the knuckles are mounted to the subframe via control arms with rubber bushings in four places. (two places on the upper control arm and two places on the lower control arm) When you mash the gas, this pushes the lower control arms forward and compresses the rubber bushings. The upper control arms are along for the ride. Keep in mind the whole subframe assembly is also mounted to the chassis in rubber and who knows what direction the tires are pointing at this point. By removing the all of the rubber, your rear tires will gain control of their direction and you will feel the ass end plant in a much more controlled manner.
Q: "What does NVH stand for?"
A: NVH is Noise, Vibration and Harsness. It's a key design criteria for new cars these days. Americans like nice cushy quiet rides. But us "Car Guys" want our power to get to the pavement in the most efficient manner possible. So, bye-bye rubber!!!
Q: "How much increase in NVH will I see with this kit?"
A: The change in NVH will hardly be noticeable with the exception of the aluminum front differential mounts. They are a tad on the noisy side. Worse if you have 4:10 gears. If you have an aftermarket exhaust that's loud, it will help mask the noise from the diff mounts. Some have used the sound deadening matting available at car stereo shops to minimize the sound. It's a self adhesive matting you put down on the floor pan right above the differential. It's called Dynamat and it's also available at Eastwood:
http://eastwood.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=dynamat
Q: "How bad will the noise level be with 4:10's?"
A: 4:10's are definitely going to raise the noise level particularly with the Aluminum front diff mounts. If you have loud aftermarket exhaust, that will help. Some people put down Dynamat on the floorpan above the differential and that seems to help a lot. Some say it's noisy, and others have said it's not bad. It's like asking what the best beer is. You won't get the same answer from any two people. :beer:
Q: Do I need level 5 halfshafts?"
A: Most likely not, but it depends. The 1999 halfshafts are really not sufficient for mildly to highly modded cars drag racing with slicks or DR's even after you remove all of the rubber preventing wheel hop. Your best bet at that point would be to upgrade to a Torsen 31 spline carrier and install '03 halfshafts. If you then break one of the '03 Ford halfshafts, AND you have removed ALL of the rubber from your IRS assembly, you need to look to the aftermarket.
If you have a 2001, '03 - '04 you have a pretty stout halfshaft. Have you broken any of these Ford halfshafts? If you answered yes, then possibly? But only if you've removed all of the rubber in your IRS assembly and still broke a halfshaft. IMHO more halfshafts have been broken due to the flopping of components mounted in rubber, than broken because of sheer power. Once all rubber is removed from the IRS assembly and you break a halfshaft, then by all means you're a candidate for Level 5's.
Q: Do I need sub frame connectors?"
A: Yes, an SN-95 chassis needs a good Maximum Motorsports Full Length Sub Frame Connector. Commonly known as MMFLSFC's. They make the best one IMHO. You just won't be able to do a side exhaust if you ever want to. These are absolutely necessary with a convertible.
Q: How is your kit priced versus the kit I'd get from Maximum Motorsports?"
A: The cost for Differential Mount set (front and rear) is $110.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-40 is $249.95 plus freight.
The cost for the Delrin Lower Control Arm set is $284.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-1 runs $349.00 plus freight.
The cost for the Delrin Upper Control Arm set is $125.00 delivered. The MM set, part number MMIRSB-2 runs $199.00 plus freight.
The combined price for the Delrin upper and lower sets runs $399.00 delivered. MM does not list a combined Delrin control arm bushing set price.
The cost for our UHMW subframe bushing set is $99.00 delivered. The MM poly bushing set, part number MMIRSU-1 runs $49.95 plus freight. The best explanation I can come up with for this is "you get what you pay for".
The cost for the Grade 8, 9/16" bolts and nylock nuts are $9.00 for the pair. The MM bolts, part number M14-109Bolt runs $5.99 each plus freight. The MM nuts, part number M14-nut sold separately run $1.99 each plus freight.
That's over a $280.00 difference in price. So, it's your money. Do with it what you want!
Q: Why do I need the 9/16" bolts and where do they go?"
A: Your car came from the factory with a 12mm bolt holding the front portion of the subframe into the chassis. This attachment point has the capability of accepting a 14mm bolt or a 9/16" bolt. The 14mm bolts are insanely expensive from Ford and that is why I have substituted the 9/16" grade 8 bolt in it's place. This kit is all about getting the job done as economically as possible without sacrificing quaility or integrity in any way shape or form.
Q: "What am I not getting with your kit?"
A: There is NOTHING you're not getting with this kit. I don't offer bump steer kits at this time. Those are included in some of the more expensive MM Grip Box packages.
Q: "What does your kit offer that I'm not getting from the MM kit?"
A: #1 This kit has an anti-wear Hardcoat on the aluminum inner sleeves. You don't get that with the MM kit. #2 The MM kit only has a polyurethane (poly) subframe bushings. Poly is only marginally better than the OEM rubber that originally came in the car from the factory. The UHMW pieces you get with this kit will hold your subframe infinitely more firmly than a poly bushing. This is important for the elimination of wheel hop. I also offer a grease fitting kits for a long trouble free life of silent operation of your kit. The MM kit relies on their assembly lube to lubricate the bushings.
Q: "What is UHMW?"
A: UHMW is Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelene. It's a great material and there are certain reasons I chose it for the subframe bushings. I could tell you but then I'd have to ..................... Oh nevermind! ;-)
Q: "How hard is this job? I'm comfortable doing a clutch job."
A: If you can do a clutch, you can do this. The more tools you have at your disposal the better. Get a competent friend to help. Supply the food and beer. It will be worth it.
Q: "How long will the job take?"
A: This job is a considerable undertaking. It requires some car wrenching skills and an assistant. An assistant will make the job go much better. Two heads are always better than one. If you start on a Friday after work, you should have the IRS out of the car in a couple of hours. You can finish the night taking apart the IRS for the bushing install. Saturday you will spend installing the bushings, reassembling the IRS and hopfully getting the IRS assembly back in the car. Speed depends a LOT on the people doing the job and the amount of tools/equipment at your disposal. You always have Sunday to finish up in case you run into some snags. If you can locate someone that's done the job once or twice before you might be able to knock the job out in 6-8 hours.
Q: "Everyone is talking about a solid axle swap and I'm thinking about doing it, what is your opinion?"
A: Give the IRS a chance. The IRS is a FAR superior suspension component than the archaic stick axle. But unfortunately, the IRS was delivered from the factory in a very poor state. You really need to remove ALL of the rubber (and or aftermarket poly) from the entire assembly including the subframe. The only way I would recommend a stick axle would be if you had a dedicated drag car that you trailered to the strip.
Q: "I hear the terms polyurethane, urethane and poly. What's the diference?"
A: The terms poly and urethane are simply shortened versions of polyurethane. And there is no place for them anywhere in your IRS assembly with the exception of the sway bar mounts.
Q: "What is bumpsteer?"
A: Definition; Bump Steer is when your wheels steer themselves as they travel up and down in their suspension range. The undesirable steering is caused by bumps in the road or track interacting with improper length or angle of your IRS toe links. When your tires move up and down in their normal suspension travel, your rear toe setting changes which scrubs speed.
Most car builders design their cars to push (understeer) when taken to the limit. A push is infinitely safer than oversteer. It warns the driver much sooner and is easier to recover from. But a push is not fast, nor is it efficient. You can optimize the IRS by installing a rear bumpsteer kit and increase cornering efficiency.
Q: "How important is bumpsteering the IRS?"
A: Bumpsteering the IRS after this bushing install is like putting icing on a cake. It's not critical for drag racing but if you like to Corner Carve it will help quite a bit. It's more for the efficiency of cornering and having your ass end planted.
Q: "Are there any other benefits to bumpsteering the IRS?"
A: Yes, by going with the deluxe MM Bumpsteer kit you get the very much needed beefed up toe link rods. These help hold your rear tires more stable. Drag racers and road racers alike need to be concerned with these components if they have upgraded the power output of their car!
Q: "Why do I hear a clunk in my drivetrain?"
A: There are a few reasons for this. Your transmission and differential can combine for quite a bit of play, but that usually is not the MAIN souce of the "clunk".
Two things can contribute to the Cobra "clunk". #1 would be the rear differential support bushing. The rubber OEM differential bushings are designed to handle about 390 RWHP driven in a moderate fashion. That eliminates about 98% of Cobra owners right there. This is what a rear differential bushing looks like after a few years of driving:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4237/moransrearsupportsmvp3.jpg
# 2 would be the front mounting bolts that can contribute to the "clunk". The 12mm bolts that were originally installed at the factory allow play when applying torque and decelerating. This location is capable of accepting a larger bolt which will hold the front subframe mount more firmly in the chassis and prevent movement. See info above for the 9/16" bolt upgrade.
Q: "Are there instructions included?"
A: Yes. The kit now comes with FOUR pages of VERY comprehensive detailed installation instructions. I'm working on getting more installation photos up and it's a work in process.
Q: "How can I be assured you sell a good product and can be trusted?"
A: Just check my SVTP Trader Rating and read for yourself! :thumbsup:
Q: "What would you suggest if I wanted to do this in steps?"
A: This project is a considerable undertaking. It's not an easy job. There is quite a bit of labor involved to drop your IRS assembly, replace all of the bushings and re-install it. There really is no good way to do the job in stages. You REALLY want to do it all at once and get it over with in one fell swoop! If you can't afford the kit, I suggest you wait until you can buy the entire kit. It's sort of like the question "All of the tires on my car are bald, I can only afford two, which two should I replace first, the fronts or rears?" All of the components in this package work in conjunction with each other. The key to the kit is the removal of ALL the rubber. Removing some or most of the rubber is only going to give you a marginal result.
Q: "What if any surprises might I expect installing the kit?"
A: Because there is no "exact" location or position to weld the MMFLSFC's to the rear unibody frame members, sometimes there can be a certain amount of interference depending on the location it was welded. One installer had to grind about 1/16" of off each side to get the subframe back in with the new UHMW bushings in place. Another installer had interference of nearly 1/4" on each side. This required a sawzall and a reweld patch afterwards. Those were the only two instances so far, so I think it's a pretty rare occurance to have this issue on your install. But I did want to bring it to everyone's attention.
Q: "Is there anything else I should do while I have the IRS assembly out of the car?"
A: Yes. Because the fuel filter is very difficult to get at with the IRS assembly in the car, as long as it's out, now would be an excellent time to change your fuel filter while you have full unrestricted access to it.
Q: "How does the kit perform?"
A: It is state of the art on track. You won't believe how the car handles. The car drives like it's on rails.
Here are a few examples:
Here is a Z06 Conga Line at Road America (http://www.trackdawgz.com/Videos/Z06conga%20line.wmv)
This is another Corvette Conga Line at Road America set to music (http://www.trackdawgz.com/Videos/Corvette%20Conga%20Line%20Part%20II.wmv)
For drag racing and street performance this kit also increases the efficiency of the IRS to keep the wheels pointed in a forward direction. Rubber in the IRS is your enemy and the more power you have the more you need to upgrade your IRS assembly.
Future additions in the works:
There is a Bumpsteer kit in the works. This bumpsteer kit will include heavier toe links. I don't have a time frame yet as to when it will be available. So stay tuned!
I will be adding to this from time to time so stay tuned and check back if you're still in the deciding mode.
PM me for payment info!
Bruce
Here is the complete history of the thread:
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160766&page=1&pp=25
This is something Marv can install for you if you don't feel you have the facilities, tools or ambition to do it?
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Bruce