I'm just curious to why no one has used ridetechs strong arms to get rid of the stupid control arm/strut rod setup? and also why no one has bothered to do their universal 4link..can go air or simple coilovers seems the most easiest route for rear vs buying and modding a TCI torque-arm setup or a DSE quadralink setup Universal weld-in Parallel 4-link $550...or $450 for Triangulated 4-link Coil-over Shocks $550 Air4Link ShockWave/Coil-Over Mounting Kit $150 Thats only 1150-1250 for kit that is essentialy direct install with some welding TCI torque-arm setup is $1800 plus modify/fab to fit mav DSE Quadra-link is about 3k, plus mod/fab to fit mav. TCP front coilover kit is like 2400 Ride tech upper strong arms $400 lower strong arms $700 coil overs $600 total $1700
You're leaving out the fact that since these cars are of unibody construction, they will need at least a partial frame custom constructed and installed. Which will, in all likelihood, result in over doubling your cost sheet. I've seen write-ups on DSE's "Quadralink" and it seems overly complicated for the end result. Less than $3k for RCM's top-of-the-line kit self installed, and the leaf rear setup is more than adequate with Cal-Trac bars...
i dont find ridetech offering lower control arms for a maverick on their site. i know most stuff for 60s/early 70s mustangs fits, but the one piece design for their lower control arm makes me hesitate that any of them will fit the maverick because of the different strut rod mount configuration. the maverick has a crossmember for its strut rods where the mustangs have a diagonal brace for theirs. i couldnt find any control arms offered for maverick specifically on their site. im sure the uppers will work. there is nothing wrong with their products. its just that they only offer their shocks specifically for the maverick. they have no other specific offerings. just like anything else their stuff can be adapted to work on the maverick with some good fabrication skills
The Ridetech Strongarm stuff "should" fit. My TCP kit is actual the 71-73 Mustang kit which is identical to the Mav kit with the exception of the upper coilover mount which was an easy fix. As RASelkirk said, the rear suspension is not as easy as it sounds. The easy difference is the lower control arm length. They'll need to be longer. Then everything goes haywire from there. The upper cradle will not fit without completely rebuilding the rear floorpan and then youll have to modify the cradle to fit between the framerails. The maverick floorpan looks similar but only proportionally the same. Even with the torque arm, I had to notch the trans tunnel to make room for the pinion angle struts. I made a gamble when I went down the TCI route and though I didnt exactly lose (I did get it in there eventually) it wasnt nearly as easy as I expected it to be.
Thanks for replies guys, Its been awhile since I read your thread and only recalled reworking the shock mount in the rear so back to square one, I was just hopeing it was something being overlooked but I'm just less aware of what needed to be done it seems
I guess easiest kit to modify would be the martz chassis 4bar...looks like a triangulated setup which means good for drag, but binds in corners just like foxbody stangs and 64-72 GM A-bodies..which wold mean now i'd have to fab rear arms to be swivvdel-link or use johnnyjoinyd to get bindfree to be able to go into corners with no binding or tire lifting in corner boo too that Has anyone seen a pro-tour capable kit that wouldnt be much work to modify?
I have wondered about the Maier Racing setup on their "Old Blue" mustang. I think I will see him on Sunday at the Crows Landing SCCA Autocross and will ask if he has considered developing that kit for the Maverick, and -gulp- what it might cost. My best guess: about $8k, which would put it well out of my wallet's reach. But the system is so damn cool that I want to know for sure.
I must have missed that when I glanced through it. I understand that Mike Maier races out at Crows Landing with the SCCA. I'm going over there on Sunday, so maybe I can ask him direct.
Back to the Ride Tech pieces, I called them about those lower control arms and presented an idea that they sounded receptive to. What if you changed the ball joint to the fox mustang and ran the fox spindles with either a strut or coilover? You could eliminate the upper control arm all together. They thought they sold a set to someone with a maverick but couldn't remember for sure, I contacted Chris thinking it might be him but it wasn't. They also couldn't swear that the lowers would fit. A friend of mine is going to a rod and custom front end in his 70 stang, I'm going to get his strut rods to compare them to the mavericks, if they're the same length and angle fit should be a no brainer. Only time will tell.
Maier did develop a panhard bar and frame connectors for a Maverick. I asked him about leaf spring about 2 weeks ago.
Your are thinking of a kit that Fatman Fabrication makes using SN95 stuff. I'm not sure if they still advertise it but they did make it in the past.
He made space for a Coyote in Old Blue? Wow; I k ew he had smaller shock towers, but I didn't think they were that much smaller. I think thus is the Fatman setup: http://www.fatmanfabrications.co/products/1965-1973-ford-maverick-strut-ifs-conversion-kit I like a few things about this kit, but Global West has one that is cheaper and allows Maverick drop spindles. (rather than hanging to later model Mustang ones. I have a Baer brake setup that I don't want to part with.) The Fatman kit also upgrades to rack and pinion steering, which is cool, but I'm not convinced that it's worth the extra money. Other than the bumpsteer, I really don't mind the old pitman arm setup.
I believe someone on the forum replaced their strut rods w/ Stang replacements. http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=88610
