General Notes
Measure your Mustang's ride height before and after installation. The most important thing is to be consistent in your technique. Have the same amount of fuel on board and the same tire pressures. Park your Mustang in the same level spot. Always measure between the same two points. We suggest measuring from the wheel lip to the top of the fender opening. Counting how many of your fingers fit into the gap between the top of the tire and the fender lip is NOT reliable measuring.
With rubber control arm bushings it's important to pre-load the suspension before tightening the suspension pivot bolts. The easiest way to do this is by allowing the full weight of the vehicle to rest on its tires on an alignment rack or ramps. You can also use a lift or jack stands, lifting each suspension corner and tightening all pivot bolts. Correct suspension preload while tightening pivot bolts will result in more consistent lowering, and will greatly extend the life of the rubber pivot bushings. Unlike rubber bushings that twist rather than rotate, urethane bushings and spherical bearings do rotate, and therefore do not require preloading the suspension while tightening the pivot bolts.
Use the proper spring compressor to remove springs from your car or when disassembling a coil-over strut. Springs store a lot of energy, and can cause serious injury and/or damage if suddenly released.
Take note of the routing and mounting positions of all brake lines, wires, and cables before modifying your suspension. Failing to reinstall the lines in the factory position can cause damage or brake failure.
Before removing springs, label every component from top to bottom with sequential numbers. This will help you reassemble the new and existing parts in their correct order.
Before taking the strut assembly apart, use a marker to draw a vertical line across each component to indicate its original factory orientation. This will help you reinstall all the OE parts correctly.
Mark the position of all alignment-related mounting bolts to provide a good starting point for the post-installation alignment.
Work on one corner of the car at a time. Strut assemblies have parts that must be assembled exactly in factory order. If you make a mistake or lose track, you can refer to the other assembly.
Reinstall all bolts in the same orientation (i.e., up or down) as they were installed originally.
All aftermarket replacement springs for Mustangs are designed to reuse factory tubing and isolators to prevent premature wear and excessive noise. Notice any protective tubing on the factory springs and take note of its location.
Don't let the spindle or brake caliper hang from the brake line, as it can damage the line and cause premature wear or even failure.
To help prevent spring noise on rough roads, leave a 1/4" - 1/2" space between the end of the coil and the end of the spring seat pocket.
Spring isolators reduce the transmission of road noise into the passenger compartment. Age alone will deteriorate rubber isolators as much or more than mileage does. Replace the isolators whenever installing new springs. All new springs for Mustangs are designed for use with new isolator pads. Using worn pads could cause increased noise and improper ride height.
Always use a torque wrench for final tightening to factory specs. Never use an impact gun for final tightening of any bolts or nuts, as they tend to over-tighten small bolts and under-tighten large bolts.
After the first 500 miles on new springs, and after each track event, re-torque all mounting bolts.