I currently have a 1977 Ford Maverick 4 door car and I'm looking to improve the suspension and braking of the car. The 1977 model came with disc brakes all around but they suck compared to the cars I normally used to. The suspension seems to floaty and I want to have more feel of the tires to the road so what suspension mods should I do?
Im no expert but.... bigger sway bars, kyb shocks all around, new poly bushing except for the strut rods( polys break those apparently), get proggressive rate springs or at least the 620lb type, you can get all this stuff from places like PST or Laurel Mountain Mustang, for the rear people seem to like using 80s E-150 van springs minus a leaf, they are the same size but are thicker with more leaves. sway bar out back too. if you have 4 wheel disc brakes the best you can do on the cheap is put in stainless steel lines and new rubber hoses, performance friction carbon metallic are the best pads you can get. good luck you can probably do most of that for under a grand. either that or set up MustangII front end and 4 link rear but thats more like 7grand good luck
on the parts Would I buy the KYB shocks and Stainless steel lines for the 64-73 Mustangs shown on this site? http://www.p-s-t.com/pc-2804-110-ford-shocks-and-struts.aspx http://www.p-s-t.com/pc-3897-73-ford-mustang-shelby-1964-93.aspx That I need front and rear sway bars shown here. http://www.p-s-t.com/pc-4001-113-ford-maverick-1969-77.aspx
The mustang specific shocks you posted wont work on a mav.69 to 73 mustang front shocks work on a mav,rear KYB shocks have to be sourced for the rear of a 85'Nissan pickup...Dont quote me on it.(sorry I cant be of more help on the rear shocks) I am certain the info is on the forum here somewhere,perhaps in the tech articles section. The stainless brake line kit wont work either.Regular steel lines are fine anywhoo. Replace the existing flexible brake hoses with new ones. The swaybar kits are money well spent on a mav for reducing body roll in corners or during rapid lane changes. Stiffen up your springs(front and rear) drop the cars ride height about 2 inches.Put a lower profile tire on the car as well...Less side wall height means less tire flex and side wall deflection...This translates to a car that responds qicker to steering/braking inputs,(it also means a firmer ride)A set of subframe connectors and a monte carlo bar (ties the shock towers together under the hood)will greatly enhance the cars responsiveness by stiffening up the body structure.As for the brakes...You have disc on the front only...Drums in the back (unless you did a rear disc install) Make sure the brake components are in good repair...No leaks or worn out pads/shoes and rear brakes are adjusted properly.As for performance friction linings (pads/shoes) be carefull in your purchases...Some of the performance pads/shoes dont really work well untill they get really hot(like in road race applications) So get performance pads/shoes that are compatible with a daily driver. Before you do this stuff be certain your front suspension components as well as your brakes are in good shape and your rear leaf springs are in good shape(not sagging/broken) These simple mods will greatly enhance your cars capabilities on the road and make you and the car more confident feeling.Hope this helps you out...Good luck!!!
I am surprised that only Mavman mentioned sub-frame connectors. They will stiffen the chassis to prevent twist and bend. That will make the car more positive in its handling. Then the sway bars, springs, and mote carlo bars can actually do their job instead of transferring the loads to the chassis.
ohh yeah and subframe connectors too!! man sometimes i have dreams about a full tube chassis underneath fiberglass and sheet metal! ohh my!!!
Minus a 2-3 leaves actually. The van springs are 6 leaf, and you'll only want 3 or 4. I run 3 and I think that's just about perfect. You can even use the Maverick main leaf if it's still good. I think you mean Nissan, unless Toyota fits too...
