Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Being a long-time car guy and a mechanic to boot, I simply had to see the underside of the new Stang. Some of you guys are probably curious to see what the new independent rear suspension looks like in the S550 as well. I finally had the chance to get it in the air yesterday, so here are some pics:

First a "wide" shot showing the whole rear suspension.


The rear suspension. Lower control arm and spindle are aluminum. Toe link is stamped steel. Upper arm, what I've always called the "Boomerang link" in other vehicles, is cast iron.


Rear diff is the familiar 8.8" with an iron housing and structural aluminum cover. The ring & pinion are 8.8 (it says so right on the tag) but it looks differently shaped to me, kinda like a Dana 44. Gears inside are 3.31:1 with traction lock.

Here's a closer shot of the rear diff cover. You can see what I mean here when I say it's not shaped like the usual 8.8. The bolts are not symmetrical, and the housing almost looks stretched on the right hand side, like the aforementioned Dana 44


Here's a straight up shot at the rear diff. It's mounted in 4 places - two on the cover and two on the iron housing. You can also see some of the stamped steel rear subframe, and how the exhaust passes under it. I didn't measure it, but it looks like 2.25" pipe


Rear brakes and suspension. The rotor is large and vented, but it's vented the opposite way of what I'm used to seeing. Most rotors have a solid "hat" and the venting is from behind. These ones are vented in front. Caliper is a standard single piston with integrated parking brake, just like the old TC calipers. Stabilizer links are aluminum with tie-rod-end style ends, similar to the MN12 T-Bird's front links

Moving forward we can see the frame rails extend the full length of the floor pan. No need for SFC's here. Trans crossmember is cast aluminum. The driveshaft is two piece, with a rubber coupling (similar to European cars) up front, a U-joint and support bearing in the middle, and a CV joint at the rear.


Front subframe is stamped steel. Engine mounts are aluminum. There's actually quite a bit of room in around the subframe/engine mount area. Oil pan is (surprisingly, to me) stamped steel. Steering rack is electric. A/C compressor and alternator are mounted down low, unlike the old modular engines which had the alternator high and center.


Front suspension. There's a lot going on here. Two lower ball joints connected to two lower control arms, it strongly resembles the front suspension of my Chrysler 300 (and also the Ford Fusion). It differs from the 300 in that there is no upper control arm - it's still a McPherson strut setup with coilover spring. The tie rod end is actually mounted lower than the ball joints and the (cast iron) knuckle has a very stubby arm, probably to help reduce turning radius.

Another view of the front suspension. Here there be dragons.


And brakes. This car has brakes for days. Not sure the diameter of those rotors, but they are massive. My brother's 17" winter alloys won't fit over them (I tried, out of curiosity). Calipers are fixed type (non floating) 4-piston aluminum housing. Rotors are the same reverse-vented design as the rear. These brakes are bigger than what you'd find on an F150. And they're the base GT brakes! The optional Brembos are bigger still, with 6-piston calipers!


Whoa. Serious whoa.

Hard to make out, but the stock headers are Tri-Y type with what appears to be 1-3/4" primaries. They make the old 5.0 HO headers look positively y:

Very informative--with great pics and writeup.  Thanks.

It looks like the engineers are car guys that listened to us regarding previous generations' shortcomings (or at least non-optimal designs).  I can see quite a few things I wish our Foxes would have had from the factory, and not just the IRS and big brakes...

Daniel

Schweet!!!

Diff case is rusted already!!!! :hick: lol
Get some Eastwood converter on that it'll be mint.

Dollar wise, well beyond my means to experiment, but it makes me curious how those calipers and rotors might mate up to SN95 spindles....

Not that I have a set of what....18" wheels (at least!) to clear those manhole sized sumbitches...


Nice pics. Rust must spread up in NS faster than the herp on a porn set in the (hollywood) Hills..lol

Those are some serious brakes!  I think I read somewhere they were 14"?  No upgrades needed there!

So.... How soon until someone swaps this brake setup onto a fox Mustang?

Those fronts are GIGANTIC!

Won't be long.

I really wish I had the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ x10 for a set of those rotors and calipers...

Just watched Detroit Muscle form Sunday...they're working on a new '15 Mustang GT and according to them, those are 15" front rotors. Awesome. :headbang::headbang::headbang:

I do so like this car.  Makes me want to trade up.

I'll have to measure them. I've seen 13.8", 14" and 15". I think the 15" are the Brembos. I do know an 18" wheel would be the minimum - one of my brother's 17" winter alloys will not go over them. The wheel studs are larger as well - 14mm x 1.5, same size as the Pimp Sled and the Avalanche. Which, mentioning those, it has just occurred to me that I've got one each of the Big Three - Mustang, 300, and Avalanche. Also one each from the NAFTA countries: Canada (300), USA (Mustang) and Mexico (Avalanche)

Wow those are some huge brakes. Sounds like they really knocked it out of the park on this one.
I'm so giddy that there are a couple at work I get to see almost daily. I can't believe how the body has grown on me since they came out.

Yeah, I've always shunned payments for something that in ten years is pretty much worth 10% of what you paid new for, but ed if I wouldn't suffer payments for a new 'Stang. Have to be either the color of Carm's, or else yellow. Or red. Or blue...but I prefer the Guard's.

Carm..tell us now...have you really gotten out somewhere and put your foot in it? Does it have the balls of a 400+hp car?

Just think...a little over ten years ago, the Termi Cobra was rated at 390....with a blown 4.6.....my, my, how times have changed. I love it...just wish I could buy into the game right now lol.

Think about what junkyards will be like in the next 10-15 years...

Those of us will have junkyard budget builds with only 400hp, while a new stang or camaro will have a 1000hp quad turbo 1.3 liter 4 banger that gets 75mpg...

Ill probably still have a stock 150hp 5.0 and complain about how i had to upgrade to 20" brakes to keep my 4 lug cheap tires.

Snipped from the Ford Media site:

The underpan/belly stamping looks very similar to our '12 Mustang. The rear is a vast improvement over the solid rear with a Watts linkage the '12 has. Very impressive.

15 inch rotors??

Gee. Zuss.


In the words of Waylon by god Jennings; Where do we go from here?

Well, there are the two piece 15.51" pinned rotor & alum. hat combo on the new GT350. :D



http://www.torquenews.com/106/new-ford-shelby-gt350-mustang-features-world-class-brakes

The only way any S197 had a Watts link rear suspension was if it was installed aftermarket OR it was a Dan Gurney edition car and those were of the 2005-2009 variety; I believe they were 2008 only.  Otherwise, it's a panhard rod setup and one that doesn't impress me. 

I swapped to a Watts link on my '05.

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/11862274246_6be6bf13bf_b.jpg)

The Watts link is bar none one of the best suspension upgrades one can do to a solid axle S197.  Don't even waste your time with an upgraded panhard setup.  The factory panhard rod is, for lack of a better term, shiznit.  When I pulled mine out at a scant 12,000 miles, it was bent.....

Doh. Meant to say panhard rod not watts linkage :hick:. Still have the factory panhard setup in the 12.