Mustang II Suspension kits. I can see this topic has almost been beat to death, but I would like to revive it. The reason is that a lot of the posts started back in 2003 , 2008 etc. and since then the technology has improved a bit as well as prices seem to have come way down. When I first bought my 71 Maverick last year I had in mind that I would stuff an engine in it and drive it. As all of us know though (hanging around here) we change our minds simply because of the awesome builds here. I have decided to jerk out the suspension that I have and go for a better ride. I hate the shock towers and the idea of a tight fit in the engine compartment with headers installed. I have a new 5.0 waiting to go in the car and I know many of you run a 351 which is even a tighter fit. My questions are: 1. What brand of Mustang II kit should I buy? I know there are many. I see them now below $1000 and up to $2600. There are the Rc107, Full Tilt Street Rods has a Maverick one now, There are also the ones selling on eBay, Summit has different brands including a off brand and many other brands are being sold everywhere it seems. 2. Is there a particular brand that works well w/o moving the engine? My engine guy says not to do this if I can help it? 3. What about oil pan problems? I hate to change oil pans if I don't have to. 4. What about the rack steering? Is a manual easy to use even if my little wife should drive the car? Do I want a power rack? 5. I also have a set of 15 x 8 Center Lines that I just finished to put on the car. I saw that a 14" or 15" wheel may not work with some kits? I want a standard spindle and not a drop spindle set up. I am going to use the car for every day driving and not drag racing (unless I get a chance). I would like to remove the shock towers so that I can put in a 351 later if I should ever decide to. Any answers to my concerns would be greatly appreciated so I can get a kit ordered. I need to do this so I can move on other things. I just don't want to pay more if I don't have to.
just make sure that the kit you order has everything. most of the cheaper ones leave other parts and components for you to furnish. my RC107 kit came with all the nuts, bolts, washers and bushings. it's made just for a Maverick...
I dont care for the M2 setups.. but.for a mav. The best kit is rc..just see if theyll let yoi swap out thr spindles for the wilwood pro spindles and perhaps spc upper/lowers Ridetech coilovers would ne better or atleasy vikingperformance as a second choice
I agree, buy the ENTIRE kit! I didn't, and ended up costing a bunch extra. I got my starter kit (crossmember and motor mounts, power rack, springs and A-arms which were a different brand and did not fit) from a guy who bought it and changed his mind, and even though I got a good discount on the major parts, it still ended up being more expensive as I replaced some parts he bought that were not part of the kit, and bought the remaining parts of the kit that he did not provide me in the first place. 1. The R/C 106 or 107 kits are pretty good, from my experience. The customer service is GREAT if you ever need to call for an answer. And there are several of us on here that can help if you get stuck. 2. "Moving the engine"??? Removing, or moving its final location? Engine will HAVE to come out to cut all that old stuff away. I left my transmission in. But the engine has to come out. It will go right back in where it started, everything will bolt right back up to it. 3. You will need to use a rear sump oil pan and pickup. R/C sells them, or you can get one from a 5.0 mustang. You don't need the oversized one like I got, I just could not find a regular one and R/C was sold out of them at the time I was reassembling. The rack fits right in the middle of the deep part of your front sump stock pan, so that will have to go. 4. I got a power rack because that is what the original owner had purchased. I would have rather gone with a manual. My steering is completely effortless and I really cannot feel the road. I may swap to manual rack in the future. As for how hard the manual rack is to steer, someone else will need to answer that one for you. 5. If you stick with 11" rotors, the 15" rims should fit. Bigger rotors will need larger rims. Hope that helps...
My RC-107 kit is being delivered today. I would stay away from the ebay kits, most of them are not a direct fit,you will have to cut, weld, and modify to get them to work. The RC kits are on the high'er price range, but talking to the guys on here and the owner at R&C i think it will be worth every penny.
I liked my RCM kit so much I got Willie to modify his Fairlane kit to fit my Rambler American. He only charged me $100 extra for the mods...
Yes, my engine & trans are out. The fenders are off. I was not very clear I guess. I just did not want to relocate the 302 engine to a different spot than original. Thanks for the info.
Well, yeah... If you go to their site, you can find all the part numbers for the kits. You can also see install pix (and possibly vids).
Oh, and one more thing... I originally set mine up with the stock spindles, and I thought it was WAY too high. If you have the 107 kit, I think you can lower it a bit by adjusting screws, but with the 106 kit, you are stuck with your height. I really wanted to drop just an inch after I finished, but they don't make 1" drop spindles, to the best of my knowledge. I bought 2" drop spindles, and that was a LOT! I had to change front tire sizes due to the drop and loss of fender lip clearance. I think it looks good, but don't expect to be able to drop two inches and stick with whatever tires you are running. Before and after... 225/60r15s These would not fit after the swap. I think the R/C kit moved the front tires out a 1/4" or so. So I had to go with narrower tires. I will probably end up with less backspacing and get my wide tires back in the long run. Here is what I ended up with. I like it, but want wider tires and rims.
I think if I order the RC kit I will take advice and get the 107 kit. I want the standard height on mine. I do like yours Scott and the way it sits. I like your car. What building is it sitting in front of? If I go standard height and the 107 kit then it appears as if I will have more wheel size/tire options. Heidts is pushing now to get my business. They have not done one for a Maverick/Come and want the template on file so they can build them. They realize they are missing a lot of business. I was told I was going to get a rabbi deal if I went with them. Who knows? We'll see tomorrow. One thing is for certain and that is I will not order one from gearheadworld on eBay. I called one one to their number four times and was not put through to (Jason) the person that knew what would fit. I was treated very badly and rudely. I was questioned like I was a bill collector. I can just imagine the support that I would get if I bought one from them. Man I hate people that only care about your money. I am deciding by tomorrow PM if it will be from Rod & Custom, Full Tilt Street Rods or Heidts simply because they have support in place and all three have good products.
