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Ford Racing Mustang Handling Pack Installation (S197 2005-14)
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Published on 2014-03-03
Add the ULTIMATE handling package to your S197 with one of the Ford Racing assembled handling packs. These pre-assembled handling kits are available for 2005-20014 Mustangs and Shelby GT500s. These kits include everything you need to give your Stang an aggressive stance and superior handling.
The Ford Racing Handling Packs are tested, raced, built, and tuned specifically to work perfectly for your vehicle! Best of all they will not sacrifice ride quality will improving your handling capabilities. Each Mustang suspension kit includes:
(1) Set Front Struts
(1) Set Rear Shocks
(1) Set Lowering Springs
(1) Front Sway Bar w/Bushings
(1) Rear Sway Bar W/ Bushings
(1) Jounce bumper set
(1) Strut Mount Pair
(1) Adjustable Panhard Bar
Follow along in this video as we walk you through the simple installation procedure. Ford Racing has simplified the installation process by assembling the strut, lowering spring and GT500 strut mount before shipping. This drastically cuts down on installation time! Depending on model you can expect the kit to lower your S197 Mustang rough 1"-1.5".
Click on the link above to shop our complete line of Mustang Handling Packages!!
LatemodelRestoraiton.com SVE 5.0Resto
Transcript
The Ford Racing Handling Pack was an awesome kit when it was first introduced. And believe it or not, they actually made it better by pre-assembling the strut, spring, and strut mount, into an assembly, to save you time and money on your installation. The handling pack consists of new front and rear sway bars, with bushings and brackets, rear shocks, and springs. And like I said, front strut assemblies that consistent of a front strut, your lowering spring, and a GT500 upper strut mount.
All the hardware you need to replace is included in the kit. And because Ford racing engineers recognize that you will have suspension geometry changes when lowering your car, they included an adjustable rear Panhard bar to square up your rear end of the chassis. Start by lifting and supporting the rear of your Mustang, letting the rear end hang free. And then remove the rear wheels.
Pull back the inner trunk liners and remove the two upper shock retaining nuts. Remove the brake hose retaining bracket bolt on both sides. Remove both rear sway bar end link to body bolts.
Remove the two nuts, per side, retaining the sway bar bushing to the axle. Remove the stock sway bar from the car. Remove the lower shock retaining bolts from both sides, and remove the stock shocks from the car.
Remove both rear springs. Remove both Panhard bar retaining bolts, and pull the old Panhard bar from the car. Remove the stock hardware from both sway bar bushing locations on the axle. Adjust the new Panhard bar to the same length as the stock one, by lining up the bolt holes. Final adjustments can be made, if needed, while the bar is installed on the car.
Slide the new Panhard bar into place, and reinstall the passenger side bolt. Slide your new springs into place, making sure that the ends of the lower spring pig tail are centered toward the rear of the car. Lubricate the end link bushings with the supply grease, and pop them onto the sway bar. Do the same for the axle mount bushings.
Tap the end link bushing into the end link, and install the bushing retaining cap. Repeat for the other end link. Slide the axle mount bushing bracket onto the bushing. Place the backing plates and retaining bolts onto the axle mount on both sides.
Slide the new rear sway bar into place, and tighten down the retaining hardware for both sides. Slide your new shocks into place, and tighten down the lower retaining bolt for both shocks. Jack up under the rear axle, and using the supplied hardware, tighten down the end link to body bolts.
Position the driver's side of the Panhard bar into place, and install the retaining bolt. Guide the top of the shocks into place, and install the upper retaining nuts on both shocks. Reinstall the brake hose bracket bolts on both sides. Reinstall the wheels, and lower the rear the car.
You do not have to remove the exhaust or bumper cover to install this kit. We had already done so for other installs. Moving to the front of your Mustang, raise and support the front, and remove the wheels from both sides. Remove the sway bar end link to strut nut.
Remove the strut to spindle retaining nuts. Remove the brake line bracket bolt. Lightly support the front control arm with a jack, and remove the four upper strut mount nuts. Lower the jack, and remove the struts to spindle retaining bolts.
Remove the ABS sensor wire retainer. Remove the entire strut assembly from the car. Slide the Ford racing strut assembly into the car, and loosely install the four upper strut mount retaining nuts. Slide the spindle to strut hardware into place, and fully tighten down. Then fully tighten the four upper strut mount nuts. Repeat these steps for the other side.
Reinstall the brake hose bracket bolt and the ABS sensor wire. Repeat these steps for the other side. Remove that oil change access cover bolts. Remove the screws retaining the rear of the lower air deflector. Remove the retaining bolts for the core support brace, and then remove the brace itself.
Remove the sway bar bushing retaining nuts from both bushings. Pull the stock sway bar out of the car. Pull the stock end lengths off the stock sway bar, as they will be reused. Using the supplied grease, lubricate and install the sway bar bushings onto the new sway bar. Position the new sway bar into place, and slide the new bracket over the existing studs.
Using the stock retaining nuts, tighten down both front sway bar bushings. I prefer to tighten by hand to prevent the mounting studs from twisting out of place. Reinstall the core support brace, the air deflector hardware, and the oil change access panel. Reinstall the sway bar end links on both sides. We chose to use the middle mounting hole on the sway bar. Put your front wheels back on, and lower the front of your Mustang.
The pre-assembled Handling Pack is available in two different flavors, one with P springs, one with K springs. And they'll lower your car one inch, to one and a half inch, respectively. The right quality is going to be firmer, but it's not going to be so harsh that it jars your kidney loose. And the handling? Well, it's going to be like a go kart on rails.
The front sway bar is tunable. Meaning it has three different attachment points for the end link, to allow you to adjust for different driving conditions. LatemodelRestoration.com is your source for this suspension kit, as well as any other Ford racing part.
