350 and 350R suspension differences?

[1LEThumper]

Ok so after reading through the owners manual last night.....if you have a track pack 350 it would appear the only difference in suspensions is the rear sway bar?

The track pack cars all get the HD front springs, which I am going to assume are those that are on the R versions.

Maybe a different cal for the shocks between the cars but other than that...would appear the same setups.

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[Bossing]

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showpost.php?p=767351&postcount=443

 

[MAV]

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showpost.php?p=767424&postcount=450

 

[1LEThumper]

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showpost.php?p=767424&postcount=450

I agree here too.

It says they get a different spring on the Track Pack cars....just wonder what it is?

 

[bronco1]

Higher rate front springs on R to deal with the effect of the larger front R splitter.Not an issue with the GT 350 with the track pack. The splitter on the GT350 with the track pack is unchanged from the base car.

 

[Hack]

I agree here too.

It says they get a different spring on the Track Pack cars....just wonder what it is?

The spring on the MagneRide cars is different than the spring on the base GT350. It's the Magneride that allows a stiffer spring. In other words, tech pack as well as track pack cars get the stiffer springs.

Higher rate front springs on R to deal with the effect of the larger front R splitter.Not an issue with the GT 350 with the track pack. The splitter on the GT350 with the track pack is unchanged from the base car.

I would think the stiffer spring is going along with the lowered car and the more purposeful track setup for the R. The splitter doesn't create down force in the front, it just reduces lift by allowing less air to get under the car. Stiffer springs will improve the handling of the R at the cost of comfort on the street.

 

[1LEThumper]

The spring on the MagneRide cars is different than the spring on the base GT350. It's the Magneride that allows a stiffer spring. In other words, tech pack as well as track pack cars get the stiffer springs.



I would think the stiffer spring is going along with the lowered car and the more purposeful track setup for the R. The splitter doesn't create down force in the front, it just reduces lift by allowing less air to get under the car. Stiffer springs will improve the handling of the R at the cost of comfort on the street.

Ok so two part.....

Does that mean all Magnaride cars...base or R have the same springs? It isn't said that way in the manual if that is the case.



On the splitter...It would be interesting to see if the car still has lift or if it does indeed product downforce. With the tunnels under the car and that much of a lip on it..I'mg going to say it is probably real close to doing so.

Given most of my experience is currently with Corvette's on the C6 cars, when you added the ZR1 front splitter/sides/rear lip you did actually produce rear downforce on the car, but the front was almost neutral at that point. No real lift and no downforce. Which is one of the reasons they have a push to them. I think at this point it would probably take some work at the track or get one of these in a tunnel to know exactly how much change there is aero wise between the two cars. If in fact it does make downforce, then a spring change would be needed...but given they all use the same rear's I would say (just guessing here) that the Track spoiler probably produces close to the same downforce as the R wing but only at the downside to increased drag?

 

[licktensteins]

The splitter doesn't create down force in the front, it just reduces lift by allowing less air to get under the car.

The Ford engineer uses the word downforce an awful lot during his portion of the GT350 info video. Even talks about the splitter serving the purpose of "sucking" the car down, as you noted, plus adding downforce...

 

[MisterGT]

The Ford engineer uses the word downforce an awful lot during his portion of the GT350 info video. Even talks about the splitter serving the purpose of "sucking" the car down, as you noted, plus adding downforce...

I agree. The front splitter helps with downforce along with reducing drag.

 

[chrsschb]

Does that mean all Magnaride cars...base or R have the same springs? It isn't said that way in the manual if that is the case.

Tech/Track have the same springs.
R has stiffer front springs.

 

[l8tebrker]

Here is a quote from the latest Automobile Magazine article (which is a joy to read):

What really makes the difference in the GT350R is its suspension setup, which like everything else about this car has been created as a system, not just a collection of pieces. The R-type’s lightweight carbon-fiber wheels represent half the unsprung weight of the GT350’s conventional cast-aluminum wheels, which helps the R-type’s standard MagneRide dampers react even quicker to ride inputs. Meanwhile, heavy-duty front springs provide a little more support when you hit the brakes hard, keeping the car from standing on its nose just as you want to steer into a corner. The overall effect isn’t so much supple as it is steady, almost as if you were riding on an active suspension instead of conventional springs and dampers. The Shelby GT350R just flat gets after it on a track, and our spies tell us that it cuts quicker lap times at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca than a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.

 

[krt22]

The Ford engineer uses the word downforce an awful lot during his portion of the GT350 info video. Even talks about the splitter serving the purpose of "sucking" the car down, as you noted, plus adding downforce...

Its honestly the same thing, just different nomenclature. You can call it creating downforce, you can call it lift reduction, its really just a delta in pressure that will result in a net force in the downward direction. Same exact principle that keeps planes in the air (in reverse of course)

 

[1LEThumper]

Its honestly the same thing, just different nomenclature. You can call it creating downforce, you can call it lift reduction, its really just a delta in pressure that will result in a net force in the downward direction. Same exact principle that keeps planes in the air (in reverse of course)

Yes and no...depends on who you are talking to.

If you are in the windtunnel, yes it is "counts of negative lift" that you measure...but for racers....it's either lift or its downforce. Can't be both.

 

[krt22]

Again, purely nomenclature. All that matters is net force on the car (which is a result of the net pressures on any given active surface and over all weight/power/etc of the car). Regardless of the environment or who you are talking to, reducing lift or increasing down force have the same net impact on the overall force balance. When drawing a top level free body diagram you simply have vectors with magnitudes and directions, you can call them whatever you wish.

 

[ohtobbad]

The engineers have mentioned several times, that the bigger front splitter and rear spoiler
create more down force, not just bigger meaner looking add ons.
They have used every word from keeping it planted to down force to negative lift,
etc,etc. They do say, they are engineered to make the car handle much better.
Unless you have access to a wind tunnel and the engineers to show different set ups,
to exactly what degree you can argue all day long.

The reality is with more aero, light wheels, bigger tires, etc.
It handles better. how much, who knows.
Until you see head to head runs or drive it yourself, your never going to know for sure.
I would bet for 90% of owners, the R is more capable than the driver.

You want get the most out of the car, improve your own skill set

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