New Mustang Cobra rear suspension

My comments are specific to the Mustang. I'm not defending Ford's other models.

The Mustang buyer is a somewhat unique. They aren't looking for the latest IRS design (hell they aren't even looking for an IRS period) but are looking for good performance at a reasonable price point. If Ford did as well pleasing their target market with their other models they would dominate the American auto business. They have hit the bullseye with the '05 Stang and whether it had an IRS or not wouldn't have made one bit of difference to the car's success. For every person that would have bought the car solely for an IRS they might have lost two buyers that hated it for a variety of reasons ranging from ease of gear swaps, weight addition and/or poor drag strip performance.

IMO, the bulk of '03/'04 Cobra buyers would either prefer a solid axle or wouldn't care if it had no IRS. How many cars have RWD, IRS and a torquey, powerful V-8 engine that doesn't cost in the neighborhood of $35k-$40k or more? I'm sure there might be a few but none are coming to mind. IMO, the solid axle is one of thing things that help to define the Mustang as the average person's affordable pony car. This is, in the end, really why the car has stood the test of time so well. I'm sure that one day it will have an IRS as standard but that day isn't today.

foad

That's not the message I am trying to convey. As a customer I want to be treated with the same respect they treat their customers in other parts of the world. Not as some moron easily blinded by marketing schemes and sales copy.

You can see the difference at the auto show in chicago. The german cars we can open the hood. The domestics try to disable it. I still managed to open the mustang's hood though. Silly people thought just unbolting the bracket from the dash would disable it. Merely made it a two hand operation.

Of course I get funny looks when look under a car at it's suspension too...

The foreign car makers do the same thing. The Japanese and European spec cars for their market are better than the ones they sell here. Some of the reason for it is government regulations differing from country to country. Other reasons are they thing we don't care about such things or maybe the competition here is different and they need to conform to a certain degree.

True car enthusiasts know the real beauty lies under the sheet metal. :)

This coming from a Canadian Jiffy Lube employee.

I see nothing wrong with the solid axle, provide it is a 9" with either the (N)odular, or (W)ar Case carrier. You can't beat them! Why do you think the Chebby guys are putting them in their race cars? Ever look at the rear end of the serious drag cars lately? I'd be willing to bet that 80 to 90% (maybe more) of them are sporting the Ford 9"! Look at the dragsters to, while your at it.

As for the IRS in the Mustang, I remember reading on the Ford website, that they stated that the new platform will have everything in place so that the IRS can be utilized at a later date, without having to make any changes. I think Michael was on the money as to why the GT500 won't have it right away. But I'm sure that when they are satisfied that they have an IRS that can handle the torque that this beast will be capable of, it will be made available as an option. Personally, I'd take the solid axle over the IRS any day!

I rutinely drive over a piece of pavement that will change your mind, at least for a little bit that day. :)

It's been potholed and patched since I started driving that segment of road in 1989. Never resurfaced, just patches on top of patches. Oh, it's also interstate, on a curve going from one interstate to another (meaning that it is expected that you maintain speed more or less), just before an expansion plate with narrow (by interstate standards) shoulders and concrete barriers at the sides.

never claimed I was. now, go back to whatever you were doing, tecH

Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying

"Michael Johnson, PE" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

...which is why the GTO is a neat car. ;)

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

"Brent P" wrote in a message:

Then you should try some of the roads in PA. There you pray for snow in the winter time so it fills the pot holes, cause they some times go months without being even patched. I guess the state workers like to stay in the warmth of their trucks, cause you never see them out working on the roads during the winter, except to plow the roads when it snows, and some times they don't even plow the snow, if they think more snow is coming the next day. I've been driving them since the early 70's. You're not telling me anything new! ;-) I've driven both, and I still prefer the solid axle, cause I get a better feel of the road, and what the car is doing. I guess that comes from going to empty parking lots covered with ice, and practicing controlling skids. I had gotten to the point where I could go places with normal tires on my car where others couldn't go with studded winter tires or chains.

I don't see how a solid rear axle gives a better 'feel' for the road than an IRS. I get a better feel for the road because it's a RWD car, not because it's a solid axle. Practicing skid control for snow isn't what I am talking about. Not talking about snow at all. I don't think IRS is going to make any difference in snow for good or bad. What I am talking about is the rear end picking some random direction to go over bad pavement. Sure, I've learned to compensate for it and how to deal with it. But I still don't like living with it.

then your advice about this topic is null and void hurc ast

i can attest to that. i would have chosen a solid axle if given the option when buying. i applaud ford for building the new cobra with a solid rear. my opinion is that a solid axle in a stang can be built for the best of both worlds, ie the roush stage 3.

i have never had an irs car before in my life, and i am not sure but i dont particularly like it. it is terrible to launch with all this power, but since the car is not engineered (weight balance, brakes, etc) for it, me swapping in a solid is only something i will do when the car is no longer my daily driver and strictly a track drag racer.

chris

ps - my 96 vert never exhibited any wheel hop (the power was limited compared to this car however, but it did give good clean launches)

So solid axle good because a best-possible-solid-axle is better than a heavily compromised IRS? Come on now, at least make a -fair- comparison.

The car was designed for solid axle, the IRS on an SN95 is a bolt in done