Well, you’ve done your due diligence, hunting high and low for the perfect 1979-1993 Fox Body Mustang.
You pulled the trigger, exchanging your hard-earned cash, and now that Fox car is in your garage. Now
what? Chances are you bought something needing a little work, or perhaps some personalization. Better
yet, you bought a stock car, and it’s ripe for upgrades. Regardless, Steeda has what you need. In this
exercise we’re going over what Steeda has for the chassis and suspension of the Fox Body Mustang. At this point, most Fox Body Mustangs probably have subframe connectors already installed. However, we’re
sure there are still plenty out there without them. If that is the case with your new Fox Body Mustang
project, subframe connectors should be one of the first additions to your new ride. If you plan to do
any type of spirited driving, tightening up the chassis should be at the forefront in your mind.
Subframe connectors do a great job in tightening up the chassis, providing a more solid feel, especially
when it comes to convertible models and hatchback cars." However, a byproduct of adding subframe
connectors is reduced interior noise as a result of aging plastic interior parts and pieces, because
chassis flex is greatly reduced with the addition of subframe connectors. Steeda’s full-length subframe connectors (PN 555-5245; $249.95)
start with beefy 1.5 x 2 x .083 square
tubing to provide unmatched chassis rigidity, improved handling and improved ride quality thanks to
reduced impact harshness. These subframe connectors are reinforced at each bend and include Steeda’s
exclusive torque box plate for maximum strength possible at the rear subframe attachment. Steeda
full-length subframe connectors also feature a one-piece reinforced seat bolt cross brace, something
other manufacturers don’t offer. Steeda's cross braces have reinforcing gussets built-in, for greater
strength with less welding. Steeda full-length subframe connectors come with all mounting point tabs
pre-welded to the subframe connector: another Steeda exclusive. If your project Fox Body Mustang still features its stock springs, shocks and struts, here’s where Steeda
can really shine. Lowering springs have historically been one of the first additions to Fox Body
Mustangs, but with some springs on the market, ride quality is greatly compromised. That is not the case
with our Steeda Sport lowering springs. With Steeda’s long history, and the fact we cut our teeth on Fox
Body Mustangs, we’ve been able to fine-tune our Sport springs over the years to provide improved
performance without greatly sacrificing ride quality, thanks to a high-quality high silicon content
steel wire construction. Steeda Sport lowering springs (PN 555-8200;
$254.96) both lower a car’s center of gravity, but they also
improve handling and steering response. Steeda's performance lowering springs improves the overall
handling of the car by lowering the center of gravity and reducing body roll and pitching during
braking, which increases braking performance, as well. A byproduct of reduced body roll is keeping
suspension geometry within parameters that enhance the tire contact patch relative to the road. The
result is improved vehicle cornering and handling. Steeda’s Sport springs lower the car anywhere from 1”
to 1 ¼”. If more performance is desired, our Competition springs (PN 555 8240; $359.95) offer ultimate
handling,
and a firmer ride over and above our Sport springs. These Competition springs are aimed at exactly that,
competition Fox Body Mustangs who spend the majority of their time on the track. The Competition springs
do have a “streetable” ride quality, but they’re more designed for the track. The perfect complement to our Sport and Competition lowering springs is Steeda’s Pro-Action front strut
and rear shock kit (PN 555-8427;
$729.95). These are specifically for 1987-1993 Fox Body Mustangs and
1984-1986 SVO Mustangs. Featuring Steeda’s proprietary valving, these Pro-Action dampers are adjustable
so you can fine-tune your suspension to your liking, whether you’re on the street or at the track. These
shocks and struts also work together with our Sport or Competition springs to improve braking. Finding
the right dampers for your Fox Body Mustang project is just a click away. If your project Fox Body Mustang still wears its original rear control arms, or perhaps the bushings have
deteriorated to the point of replacement, Steeda has rear upper and lower control arms for every
automotive performance discipline. We have control arms you can simply bolt in place of the stock
examples all the way up to double adjustable upper control arms and Weight Jacker lower control arms
meant for street and competition use. Using a variety of bushing options, from Polyurethane, Delrin and
spherical options, our control arms are available in either extruded aluminum, billet, or DOM steel. We
have upper and lower rear control arms for every budget and performance need. One of the easiest ways to improve the handling of your project Fox Body Mustang is by adding a Steeda
front (PN 555-1087; $319.95) and rear
(PN 555-1085; $239.95) sway bar. Our
front sway bar features a
full 1.375-inch diameter, but it weighs four pounds less than a 1987-1993 Fox Body Mustang front sway
bar. Made from tubular steel, our front sway bar features machined billet steel ends to ensure the
ultimate in strength and performance. Much like our front sway bar, Steeda’s rear sway bar features the same tubular steel with machined billet
steel ends, which not only ensure the ultimate in strength and performance, but these ends are less
prone to cracking and fatigue since the sway bar end is where most of the stress takes place during hard
cornering. The machined billet steel ends also reduce unwanted deflection in the sway bar end. Excess
deflection creates unwanted geometry changes, which physically changes your sway bar stiffness to a
non-ideal rate. All of these chassis and handling upgrades would be nothing without a proper performance alignment. Too
arrive at the proper performance alignment, adding Steeda’s caster/camber plates ($259.95) is a must.
Our caster/camber plates are a direct bolt-in, and allow you to dial in extra caster for straight line
tracking and extra camber for increased cornering grip. We have a specific caster/camber plate design
for the 1979-1989 cars and a specific design for the 1990-1993 Fox Body Mustangs, since there are subtle
strut tower differences between the two. No matter the year, our caster/camber plates allow you to
fine-tube your Fox Body Mustang’s alignment for quicker turn-in and improved steering response. Steeda has what you need to improve the handling and chassis of your Fox Body Mustang project, but we’re
just getting started. Next up we’ll go over the exterior upgrades to get your project back in fighting
shape. Performance Perfected: Steeda's Chassis and Suspension Upgrades for Fox Body Mustangs
Table of Contents
Subframe Connectors
Springs, Shocks and Struts
Upper and Lower Control Arms
Sway Bars
Caster/Camber Plates
Looking for the next mod on your Fox Body Mustang? Check out our catalog here!
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