My 2008 Mustang GT: Broken Pony R.I.P. 4/16/2011

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by DaveSTi

Ahh...interesting. The GT500s..are they Brembo? Just wondering because if they aren't and there are fitment issues, maybe the 2011 Mustang GT Brembo package would be another route to look into? I'm spoiled by the Brembos on my last two cars...they make brake pad changes stupid easy.

The '07-'10 GT500's and the Brembo package on the 2011 models use the exact same Brembo calipers and rotors. The only difference is the color of powder coating on the calipers.

Originally Posted by DaveSTi

My buddy has the FRPP setup on his 06...the shocks are made by Dynamic IIRC....pretty damn good shock manufacturer....may just need a revalve.

I had the complete FRPP setup on my other '08 GT. Its good, but the ride quality over bumps sucked comapred to the Konis and the rear end wasn't planted over bumps in corners like it is with the Konis.

The FRPP shocks are made by Dynamic, but they can be purchased for about $385 for a set of 4, so I don't think they are any great quality piece when both Ford and the parts seller can make a profit off of 4 shocks for $385. I don't know if anyone has tried a revalve on them yet, but a set of those shocks and a revalve are probably going to approach the cost of a set of Koni Sports.

FRPP now has a set of four single adjustable shocks for around $890. I don't know who makes them. The dust boots look the same as the non adjustable shocks made by Dynamic. The Dynamic made shocks use different dust boots than the stock shocks.

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by DaveSTi

Ford OEM exhaust gaskets used be triple layered steel...are yours?

The gaskets that come with the Kooks headers are single layer steel with a coating on both sides.

[DaveSTi]

great info, thanks!

for those prices, those shocks can't be good.

oh well.

[sean3]

Are headers on an S197 a huge pain in the arse like on SN95s? Really blows (pun intended) that the Kooks gaskets didn't hold up.

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by sean3

Are headers on an S197 a huge pain in the arse like on SN95s? Really blows (pun intended) that the Kooks gaskets didn't hold up.

Yes, they are, but since I just had to get them far enough away from the head to put in new gaskets, it was a lot easier than installing them. I didn't have to remove much. I just had to unbolt the engine mounts and jack up the engine to replace the gaskets.

Installing the headers required removing the intake before the throttle body, removing the battery, removing the starter, removing the engine mounts, removing the cross brace on the back of the K member, and jacking the engine up so high that the transmission was almost hitting the transmission tunnel. People told me that if you have a lift, its easier to remove the K member than remove all that stuff.

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by SIracer07

Have u ever seen me around?

i go to kutztown

Nope, never saw you.

What's wrong with your wheels? Did you get '99-'04 offset instead of '05+ offset? I've seen the tires rub in the wheel arches when people put the '99-'04 wheels on an '05+ Mustang.

[Chris B.]

I let the springs settle for a while and took a new side picture after they were on the car a few weeks.

This is the day they were installed


This is a few weeks later


Different lighting, but you can see the car is lower after the springs were on there a few weeks.

Next mod is new OEM front rotors. After about a couple thousand miles on the race track, the rotors are starting to get small hairline cracks on the surface. The tech inspectors said the rotors don't need to be replaced yet, but better safe than sorry.

[Chris B.]

I went to Island Dragway tonight because I finished working on the car earlier than I expected. I wasn't much faster than last year, but at least I was consistent. I think the new 540 treadwear M&S rated all season tires are hurting my 60' times. At least the runs were very consistent. I was car 6937. Car 2602 was a Pontiac G8 GT.



Also, I don't think the left hand lane at Island Dragway is level. Tonight was my first time at Island Dragway since it was repaved. I had no issues with the right hand lane, but every time I tried the left hand lane, I'd stage my car, have one foot holding the clutch pedal to the floor and take the other foot off the brake. Then the car would start rolling forward. It caused me to deep stage unintentionally twice and red light once.

The guys working at the track swear both lanes are level, but why would my car roll forward every time I used one of the lanes? Could there be a little bump that's in the right spot under my rear tires to make the car roll forward when I take my foot off the brake? I don't think its anything with the car because it never happened in the right lane, only in the left lane.

[SleeperGoat]

Looks like that G8 was spinning pretty good too lol. Nice times though moving pretty good.

[Chris B.]

After doing over a year of track days, my stock rotors were starting to show the signs of all the heat cycling and etxreme temperatures. After my last track day at Pocono, the rotors started showing quite a few small surface cracks.



You can see the larger cracks are starting to form.


The cracks were only on the surface of the rotors and weren't deep.

I looked into aftermarket rotors, but the stock ones held up pretty well. I wasn't sure if it was really worth it to spend $300-$800 on a set of aftermarket rotors, especially when I can buy the GT500 Brembo calipers and rotors for my car for $600-$700. Of course the GT500 calipers and rotors also require new wheels so its not just $600-$700.

I ordered a set of new takeoff rotors. They are rotors taken off new cars converted by Shelby/Saleen/Steeda to higher performance versions with big brake kits. The parts they take off the cars and don't use are sold at a greatly reduced price. A pair of new takeoff rotors for my car was $59.99 shipped to my door. The rotors looked like they were new and never used at all. Its possible to buy new takeoff Mustang body parts, engine parts, brake and suspension parts for very low prices due to the tuners converting quite a few cars every year.

To reduce the heat transferred to my calipers and brake fluid, I ordered a set of titanium heat shields for my brake pads. Here they are being test fit on an old set of brake pads.



The holes on the ends where the springs are weren't big enough, so I used four Dremel grinding stone bits to enlarge them. Titanium is very hard on dremel bits.

After enlarging the holes, I contacted the company that makes the titanium heat shields, TiSpeed braking, and told them what I had to do to get the heat shields to work with Hawk pads. They thanked me for the information and said that they will change the size of the holds within 2 weeks and offered me 20% off future purchases. Its nice to know that the company is willign to make changes that fast to production to help out its customers.

I also installed a UMI adjustable panhard bar with Roto Joints. This allows me to adjust the rear axle side ot side to keep it centered after putting on the springs and lowering the car 1.25" in the rear. The 1.25" drop should only move the axle 1/16" off center at most, but I figured it would be good to have since I'm getting the car aligned on Monday.

[Ender81]

Chris I found your next mod http://allentown.craigslist.org/ctd/1898437705.html

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by Ender81

Chris I found your next mod http://allentown.craigslist.org/ctd/1898437705.html

Nice car. If it wasn't the nose heavy iron block model, I might be interested.


83 miles to empty, is that with a full tank?

A 2011 GT500 with the aluminum block has a sticker price of $49,495. Sounds like it may be the better deal.

I could also get a 2011 5.0 with the brembo brakes and a bunch of modifications for the price of the 2009 GT500.

[Ender81]

Yes but it would look like a 2011 lol

[Scapegoat]

i do prefer the appearance of the 09 gt500 to that of the 10+ gt500.

[Ender81]

I like the nose on it just not the headlights which make a big difference.

[Chris B.]

When I was getting ready to leave Virginia International Raceway, I noticed that one of my front Koni Sports(Yellow) wouldn't adjust. It adjusted fine that morning, but was stuck on full stiff now. I had to drive from Virginia to South Carolina, then back home with the front shocks set to full stiff. Amazingly the only place it was really noticeable was in PA. Yes, our roads are really that bad.

After I got home last week, I notified Koni and filled out the paperwork for a warranty replacement on Thursday. Today, about 5 business days later, a new Koni Sport was delivered to me.



I also bled the brakes at VIR after 5 sessions on the track and the fluid was dark for the first couple pumps of the pedal from each caliper. The rest of the fluid was clear.

I decided to flush the whole system when I got home. I'm thankful for Speed Bleeders. It makes the brake bleeding job so easy.

This is what the first few pumps of cooked dark brown brake fluid and a few pumps of clear brake fluid look like.



Even with the titanium heat shields on the brake pads, brake cooling ducts, and high temperature pads, the fluid does get a workout when you have to slow down form 130-140 MPH to 45 MPH repeatedly.

[ambitiousCK]

130-140...how long was that straight? lol

[Ciotti]

Running the sports at full stiff has been known to kill them so I'll bet that's why it failed, always back them off a quarter turn from full stiff as your most firm setting and you'll be fine.

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by ambitiousCK

130-140...how long was that straight? lol

It doesn't take very long for my car to get to that speed. Its not like I come out of a corner at 5 MPH onto a long straight on most tracks. It only takes a few seconds to go from 70 MPH to 110 MPH. The 130-140 range is near the top of 4th gear and it doesn't take very long to get there.

At VIR on the front straight, I hit 110 MPH shortly affter the tires at the end of the wall near the pit entrance. That leaves a lot of track to reach 130-140 MPH and slow down for turn 1.

Originally Posted by Ciotti

Running the sports at full stiff has been known to kill them so I'll bet that's why it failed, always back them off a quarter turn from full stiff as your most firm setting and you'll be fine.

Koni need to tell more people that. It could reduce their warranty claims. I was trying them at full stiff to see if it made a difference.

[Chris B.]

My front Hawk HT-10 pads didn't take the abuse of VIR very well. They were new before the event. I bedded them in a week before I left for VIR. After two days at VIR, they were worn down to almost nothing. The wear indicator grove in the middle of the pad is barely visible. I called Hawk Performance and spoke with one of their tech people about the wear at VIR compared to other tracks. I was able to get 4 to 5 track days out of a set of HT-10's at other tracks(Pocono, NJMP, Monticello) before I felt I needed to replace them. Hawk recommended I use DTC-60's at VIR when the track is dry and use the HT-10 pads at VIR when its raining. It looks like I'll need two more sets of brake pads this season, especially if I go back to VIR.

In other news, the replacement Koni strut is on the car now. Hopefully, I don't have to replace that again.