Did I just get a new car!!

[twr]

I have been putting off upgrading/replacing the sagging suspension in my 95'MTX. Well after pulling the tags off the stock springs last week and doing a little research to discover that the were SLO springs , I decided that it was time to bite the bullet.

I replaced the sagging springs with a set of Intrax from Summit Racing ($217 delivered, not bad) I was going to hold off on the struts and get koni or tokico later on. That all changed after I got the struts out, the stockers were shot shoot . After making some calls and not finding koni or tokico locally, I decided to pick up some aftermarket OE struts (made by monroe) They are a direct replacement for the obsolete Ford SHO/Police struts ($300, new strut bearings included, again not bad)

I just finished up a hour ago a took her for a spin. Holy Cr_p eek! , I never thought my SHO would ever handle this good. No more staring at the sky under heavy acceleration or seeing only pavement under heavy braking. No more jumping around through bumpy corners. No more strange noises from the suspension while going over speed bumps. It honestly feels like a new car, very tight feeling. The front end came down 1 1/4" and the back came up 1 1/2" It looks so much better.

I would highly recomend the Intrax springs, they are a progressive spring and only need about 1" to 1 1/2" of travel before the really tighten up. I would have preferred to have gotten koni or tokico for the struts, but the ones I got are pretty stout (stiffer then the sensotract's I thought about getting)

Sorry for the long post - I was just extremely happy with how well my SHO handles now. thumbs_u

Later...
Terry

 

[bradman]

Terry,
You say the Intrax actually RAISED the rear?? All the info I think I've read says they lower the rear, although not quite as much as the front.

 

[twr]

I wasn't kidding when I said the suspension was sagging, esp. in the rear. The fender lip over hung the top of the tire by 3/4" of an inch, now it sits about 3/4" above it.

Terry

 

[luigisho]

My SHO's rear is sagging about the same but I'mn waiting to get Koni's (I think). Terry if you went oem replacement you should have checked out the modified struts from the Bondurant leftovers.

 

[SHOFEAR91]

Hi Terry, what is the part number or name of those monroes you installed. I too have intrax springs ready to go on, but i am looking for a lower priced shock to put in instead of koni's or tokico's. You seem to be very happy with your setup. Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

Thanks thumbs_u

<small>[ April 28, 2002, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: SHOFEAR91 ]</small>

 

[twr]

Shofear91,
The struts are made by monroe - the are called gas-matic plus. Part numbers are 71614GM (fronts) and 71616MP (rear) You may want to check the rear struts for the correct application, seems like the earlier SHO's took a different struts in the back. I also replace my strut bearings in the front end - that added $67. All in all I spent a little under $300 for struts/hardware and a little over $200 for the springs. $500 bucks isn't bad, especially the improvement I experienced.

Hope that helps thumbs_u

Terry

 

[PuckHead]

Terry,
You sound like I did 2 weeks ago after I did the Eibachs and Tokicos. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I always enjoyed driving the car before, but now I actually find myself just smiling or giggling whenever I hit a decent size bump in the road, because she just swallows them up now. thumbs_u

Hope to see you and the guys from CSHOC at All-Ford Day at Bandimere in June!!! I'll be driving from MN to CO just for that!

Later!
burn_out

 

[Xs SHO 1]

i, too, have monroe struts replacing the stock struts. i still have the stock springs and was thinking of replacing them sometime. i am still undecided on the spring, eibach or other after market. i believe i do have one draw back, the car has continetal 215/60/16 tires. i dont know if i get aftermarket springs, will allow the clearance on the car and tire. anyone has the same scenario? i will be doing the brake upgrade in a few weeks, and i was thinking of doing the springs while i was at it. any suggestions on which suspension springs would be decent? i like the comfort ride without being too stiff. i believe the eibach's are stiffer than the oem ones, so i guess eibach is out of the picture. anyone know where i can look for alternatives?

 

[Shoman94]

bradman:
Terry,
You say the Intrax actually RAISED the rear?? All the info I think I've read says they lower the rear, although not quite as much as the front.

That was just because they were sagging quite a bit. New for new the Intrax will lower.

Jason

 

[twr]

Kelly,
It's about time you got those wheels on. I'll see you at Bandimere.

Later...
Terry