http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm4FT...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNQOt...eature=related

 

do mustangs still have truck rear suspension (live axle)?

every time i drive a mustang, the rear look like they are all over the place. i wonder if they have fixed it yet. why do they not use independent suspension like a hyundai

 

The Mustangs still have a live axle, the GT500's have IRS. The live axle is strong and works well enough, plus it keeps cost and weight down.

 

GT500's have a live rear axle, and the only real advantage is straight line capabilities, and robustness. I don't think weight has ever been a hight point of the live rear.

 

In a muscle car, live axle is the way to go. They are built to go straight (despite what they say). Live axle cuts down on wheel hop, is stronger, less parts breakage, and generally puts the power down better (again, in a straight line). If you even consider corners, you obviously want IRS, but for those cars, solid rear is good.

 

I like what they have done with the BOSS 302 - this is a great track car for sure. Cool to have Parnelli Jones part of it too. Wiki has a good link on the original and new version http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_302_Mustang

 

03/04 Cobra's had IRS but, to many people complained about breaking half shafts so, they went back to live axle..

They were breaking at the strip...and alot of Termi owners switched out the IRS for live axle.

Yeah the new GT500's have live axle..trust me..I have one.

Not bad but, IRS would be nice. I believe the issue is cost to make it right...thus driving the cost of the car through the roof. Not that the 2011's aren't already...I mean $60k? WTF?

And yes I want one but damn!

 

I like it. I have a 70 (school bus yellow) original car and let me tell you 30 minutes of high speed driving and your about done in that thing.

Vince

 

I'd be curious to see what the asking price for one of these will be. I guessing that it would be priced less than the GT500 and more than the std 5.0 so mid 40s perhaps??

 

That yellow was made especially for Parnelli Jones. He wanted to paint his Trans Am Mustangs a color that you couldn't mistake for any other car on the track. Ford picked up the color right away and it was a runaway success.
They brought it back with the S197 platform cars but for some reason I don't see it listed as an option for the 2011.

-Tim

 

Live rear axle may not feel as planted as an IRS over bumps, but they can be made to handle. They are also better for drag racing as mentioned, which a great deal of Mustangs are used for. Case in point, Motor Trend put the new 5.0 up against the M3 recently. I'd say the handling with the live rear axle is more than adequate.

Drag Race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muRC...player_embedded

Track Attack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOwS...player_embedded

 

They do... and at the strip and the track they outperform most cars in their class with that "truck suspension". Please see the M3 comparison video posted above to see what I'm talking about.

And thats just a lowly GT... the new BOSS will walk circles around the M3, Cayman, whatever

 

It sure is. Swapping from a IRS to a 8.8 SRA in the 03-04 Cobras would drop 100lbs

 

Talk is high 30s for a base BOSS and low-mid 40s for a Laguna Seca BOSS.

 

The Boss is Back!