JONATHAN MCDONALD: If you've picked up a used Mustang,
more than likely it's already got
a few modifications done to it.
Such is the case with our '04 GT here.
The previous owner installed a set
of springs that did a great job of lowering the car,
but it rides like crap, handling is poor,
and it bottoms out if you even look at a bump.
And they didn't install any caster camber plates,
so the alignment's off and it's wearing the front tires.
We're going to address all of these issues
with our SVE Springing Caster Camber Plate Kit.
It includes a set of our '79 to '04 V8 hard-top springs,
caster camber plates for either '79 to '89, '90 to '93, or '94
to '04, and a set of urethane spring isolators.
This is going to greatly improve the ride quality and handling,
and we'll be able to get that alignment back in spec
so we're not going to be wearing out those expensive tires
anymore.
You'll start by supporting your car on jack stands on all four
corners and remove all four wheels.
Well, the inside of this tire was completely worn flat,
it was splitting, and it's about to blow out.
And this is what you want to avoid by putting caster camber
plates on when you install your lowering springs.
That way you can get your alignment back correct.
Remove your front sway bar end links
and rotate your sway bar up out of the way.
Remove your two caliper retaining bolts on one side.
Slide the caliper off the rotor and remove the rotor
from the hub.
Take off your ABS retaining nut, remove the retaining bolt,
and slide the sensor out of the spindle.
Support the lower control arm with a jack,
and you can remove your strut nuts and bolts
and free the spindle from the strut.
Lower the jack to allow the control arm to hang,
and you can remove your front spring.
Grab one of your new front springs,
slide your urethane isolators leaders into place,
pop your spring into the saddle, and jack up on the control arm.
Remove your upper strut nut.
Remove the strut from the car.
With a drill, remove the rivet from the stock camber plate.
And then remove the stock camber plate hardware
and pull the plate off the car.
On the new SVE caster camber plates,
the notch on the bolt plate goes forward.
Slide the bolt plate from underneath the strut tower.
Then you can slide the bearing plate
on top of the strut tower.
Position your slots as per the installation instructions.
Install your retaining nuts.
This is a good opportunity to replace your struts
if they're bad like these.
If you're replacing struts, be sure to slide your rubber
bumper from your old strut onto your new strut,
and also transfer your dust cover.
Trim the rubber on your dust cover according
to the instructions if it's needed.
Install the spacer stack as per the installation instructions.
Slide your strut shaft into the caster camber plate bearing
and tighten the nut.
Slide your spindle into the strut.
Reinstall and tighten the strut hardware.
Go ahead and reassemble your brakes and ABS sensor
and reattach your front sway bar.
Installation of the rear springs typically only
requires you to remove the lower shock bolts
and allow the rear end to fully droop
so you can pop out your rear springs.
We took the opportunity to go ahead and install
some of our SVE rear control arms.
With your old springs out of the way,
go ahead and pop your rear urethane isolators into place.
Slide your new spring up into the spring pocket,
making sure that the pigtail at the bottom of the spring
is facing rearward with the face of the cut lined up
in the center of the control arm.
Go ahead and button up the rear, put your wheels and tires
back on, and lower the car.
With just a few parts and an afternoon worth of your time,
you can greatly transform the handling characteristics
and ride quality of your Mustang.
Keep in mind that you never know what has happened to your car
before you've got a hold of it, so be prepared for anything.
Also when installing one of our SVE suspension kits,
it's a great time to check out our extensive suspension
section at latemodelrestoration.com
and pick up a new set of shocks and struts for your car.