mlud00

I know this question is asked many times, but I want to gradually improve the handling of my 2012 V6 convertible. Just got the GT's 18 wheels & tires, although I don't have them on yet. I eventually would like the whole package like the Eibach suspension from American muscle, with the lowered springs and better shocks, sway bars etc, but I really don't have all the money up front. I was thinking of the sway bars first. The big issue is, if I get everything separately, a little at a time, I know it would be almost twice the cost. Is it worth it to just get the sway bars, then the coils, then shocks, or should I just put my money away until I get enough for the whole package? The other thing is I can probably do sway bars and rear shocks myself, but not sure if coil springs are a do it yourself project.

ModBargains

I only speak for myself and not the other vendors on the forum, but obviously I know that you guys want the most for your hard earned dollar, we all do! I've been modifying cars myself for about 10 years so I know the spot that you're in, you're not sure if you want to just order each thing one at a time and spend more money on shipping than you should and all this and all that. I always try to make sure you guys get the best deals, so if you want to get a packaged set up from us, we can make sure we give you a good packaged deal discount. At the end of the day yes this will save you money because you have to consider the fact that labor cost will be combined as well when you have them installed, saving you more cash.

Send me a PM, we'll work something out and help out, ModBargains has been open for 10 years as well so we've got all the necessary expertise on modifying your car the right way for the best price

shouldhavegottheGT

It all depends on whether or not you're doing the work yourself. If you are paying someone, get the shocks/struts and springs done at the same time. Labor will be $200-300 you definitely don't want to pay that twice since you basically take the struts and shocks out to install springs.

Me personally, I'd do springs first. Its the one that will make your car look the best and drastically improves handling. Also springs start at under $200 so its not a big investment for drastic results. Panhard bar and LCAs are something that anyone can do. Not sure about sway bars since I've never messed with them. I imagine just take off the old ones and out on the new. Not sure how hard they are to get to.

hogasswild

If you can only do one or the other, the Eibach prokit springs are supposed to be able to be able to run without the matching shocks and struts. I don't know if I buy that, but I lived with them that way for six months. My ride improved a good bit after I went with the eibach shocks and dampers. I'd personally recommend you buy them as you can and then install them at the same time as mentioned above.

If you want a quick bang for your buck handling performance wise, I'd go with a bigger front sway bar, stiffer rear sway bar end links and lower control arms. You can get all of that for $300-350 and are fairly easy to install yourself. You also won't be messing up your geometry.

C. Love

I personally got over lowering springs about 14 years ago. They make the car handle better but they arent the best, they also prematurely wear out struts/shocks unless you get ones made for them. I would go coilovers but by the sounds that would blow your budget to smithereens.

Also If you dont do your own work learn how. The money you spend on labor you can instead spend on proper tools.

my list of suspension mods went like this:

coilovers
panhard bar (watts link is better but i wanna ditch the straight axle someday)
sway bars
upper link with mount
lower arms and reloc. brackets

eventually when it becomes less street car:
new front subframe
new front LCA
replace any bushing with solid ones

Im sure im missing alot but you get the idea.

my first round of mods made my car less like a 70's era deep freeze on wheels and more like something you can actually drive in a track

mlud00

I am leaning towards the front and rear sway bars with bushings, end links, and possibly rear shocks because I can do these myself. I'll have to wait for front struts and lowered coils since I don't think that I have ability to do myself. I do have a mechanic friend I can pay to do though, but just wondering if the sway bars and rear shocks would be enough to feel a big enough difference. I bought this car used, last year from a Ford dealership. It was a rental vehicle from Orlando. Really no signs of abuse, but the car sways in turns and I would like stiffer shocks/struts. No racing or rallies in my future, just want a tighter, sportier ride than it has now...

AMDanBailer

Hey,

As you stated, if you can eventually swing it and get everything all at once you will save time and money, on installs in particular. However, you can certainly build these systems one step at a time as well.

Springs are generally the single biggest upgrade that can be done to the suspension and that would be where I go first. If you get springs the only other things you will need would be a pan hard bar and maybe caster camber plates, depending on how low you go.

If you did that set up, you would see a real noticeable increase in the handling and stance of the car. Springs are a little more involved so you may not be able to put them in yourself without much experience, plus you will need an alignment regardless.

This would be route I would start with, then see how you like the set up and go from there.

I hope this information helps, and if you have any questions feel to get back in touch. Best of luck!

-Dan

JayBeStangs94

sway bars, adj panhard (if youre going lower), a spring/strut combo. If you can afford coilovers, go with coilovers over spring/struts. Way better bang for your buck. I'm going with ST coilovers; Made by kw and are equivalent to the v1s only made with different material. CJ's price is 1039.

Also, I highly reccomend whiteline components. They're ahead in the industry; I just installed a whiteline panhard bar yesterday (still at stock height) and I could tell a difference in comfort with their synthetic elastomer bushings. American muscle holds all their suspension components.

If you're doing suspension, do it with the best components. No matter if you have to save. The better your components the less ride comfort you'll sacrifce.

Sway bars are a great first mod; I would save for a spring/shock combo; maybe the SR springs from AM and a pair of the koni str.t struts to sacrifice for the lower ride. If you compress your stock struts with different springs, your stock struts will wear quickly. Thats where the aftermarket shocks come into play.

as far as affordability goes, check craigslist frequently; you could even get your hands on a set of gt sway bars for decently cheap. They'll still stiffen you up

UPRSharad

I'm down with the whole one-part-at-a-time approach. I'm not rich, so I have to build up gradually. The only departure from that plan I'll mention is that if two separate parts involve the same work, it makes sense to do them at the same time, for example- struts and springs. Then again, when I lowered my 2006 GT, I did springs first, then shocks and struts a year later, because I was broke!

Just do your mods as your finances allow. We'll make sure you get a good deal on the parts. All of us vendors are here to help.

Diehard

I have a 2014 V6 performance Package coming soon. Doesn't the PP come with GT sway bars? And supposedly, stiffer front springs. Anything wrong with just lowering rear end an inch or so? (with adj panhard bar.)