Front Suspension

[ascmclarn]

Is the front suspension in an 88 from a coupe or a conv? I ask becuase I am looking at adding a g-load brace and it states only for non-conv cars.

[Sandy]

All 1987-1990 ascMcLarens began as Mustang LX V-8 302 2-Door Notchbacks (the one with th etrunk, rather than a hatchback). As far as I know, they were built using the GT suspension; if there's a difference, then the COUPE version!

[negusm]

Well, I'm not the most knowledgeable in this area...but ALL verts in 88 (whether Ford or asc) started life as Coupes, right?

However, at least for the Ford verts, they were built with different motor mounts and I think they got different headers than the normal Coupes. (somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

I wonder if the Coupes slated for asc got the same motor mounts, etc than the ones slated for C&C got?

-Mike

[rlyons13]

Guys,

The reason why the G-Load braces are listed as "coupe/hatch only" is because they interfere with the "X" brace used between the radiator support (top of X), middle of K-member (middle of X) and front frame rail to K-member (botom of X). A 4-point G-Load brace will fit a convertible Mustang IF the bottom of the X is removed. A 2-point G-Load brace can be muscled to fit with the entire X brace installed. Neither will fit a 4-cylinder car, as the drain plug for the oil is in the same plane as the two mounting holes in the K-member everyone uses for the front attach points for the 2 or 4 point brace. As an aside, there is a company that makes a 2-point brace that mounts further down the K-member, but you have to drill your own holes (not fun).

The K-member in 4, V6 and 8 cylinder Mustangs from 79-93 are dimentionally identical, although they did differ in thickness over the years (the 79 K-Member being the beefiest). The straight 6 K-member is different. The motor mounts are harder for a convertible, but are otherwise the same as the coupe/hatch.

So, you McLaren experts out there, how was the coupe stiffened after they cut the roof off? Did they install something along the lines of the old FMS stiffening kit (basically the convertible parts)? Is there any kind of bracing under the engine compartment? Let me know, because I'm already planning out some easily reversable, easily hidden mods to my future McLaren that will keep it from shaking itself silly.

[Sandy]

I don't really know, but it seems to me that they didn't do very much on the Mustang version (87-90). I have seen (when it was up in the air, at the dealer's for servicing) some add'l. under body braces, the bulk of which seemed to my untrained eye, to be under the passenger area, that being the front seat and where the rear seat had been.

It's very, no...exceptionally rare, but I have seen at least 2 examples (and this in picture only not in person) of 87 or 88s where the ass end seemed to be drooping. The area to the rear of the tonneau cover encompassing the deck lid seemed to be almost as though it was falling off the rest of the car. One was 4-Sale on the web, with photos and the other was likewise, but harder to tell. I know that the Capri version (again, convertible) wore tons of both body and chassis bracing and add'l. steel crossbars and a "T" brace of solid steel running under the console, front to rear, but this was not on the Mustangs.

I can say that mine has NO shaking going on while driving and very very minimal cowl shake, but the top squeeks alot but does NOT rattle, however, my Silver one has no squeeks at all > NONE, but rattles like the demolition of an old steel factory.