Is there a difference between an svo front end and a mustang gt?

[joenardo]

i read the front suspensions were different between the svo and a mustang gt besides the koni shocks? i just bought one of these cars and i am trying to learn as much as i can about them? thakns to all that reply

[svo90mustang]

Re: Is there a difference between an svo front end and a mustang gt?

Originally posted by joenardo
i read the front suspensions were different between the svo and a mustang gt besides the koni shocks? i just bought one of these cars and i am trying to learn as much as i can about them? thakns to all that replay

The control arm and ball joint assembly are a one pice unit amd therefore if you need to replace a ball joint you have to replace the whole control arm. I think the front track is also wider than all other fox stangs, except for maybe the 93 cobras may be the same. However i think very few suspension parts are the same

If I'm wrong i'm sure somebody will correct me
Darryl

[svobud]

Lower Control Arms
Spindles
Brakes
Struts
K-member (not 100% on that one) - never pulled one for comparison
Sway Bars (dia)

The overall track width is wider.

[SVOtaxi]

K-members are different

Yes, the K-members are definitely different.

In fact, the guy at slot-car mustangs measured the different K-members and published the results in his book (which of course, I don't have anymore).

He found that the SVO actually has the WORST geometry of all the K-members, including the v-8 ones. Oh well...

[Ken Potter]

Dimensional Differences?

As far as dimensional differences go there is no difference between a 90 LX 5.0 and an 84 SVO K-members that I could find. I have currently a 90 LX that I performed this conversion. I had to modify / open up the shock towers to accomodate the "Onion Head" Koni's and the inner tie rods on the LX rack were shorter so I had to make up custom outer tie rod ends. I used Eibach lowering 620 LB springs with all urethane bushings ( including offset rack bushings ). I had to pull the wheel well liners to get clearance but otherwise there is no rubbing anywhere and the suspension has never bottomed out. This is even at the bottom of the hill before the bridge off ( turn 10A ? ) the back straight at Road Atlanta. I believe there are some additional mounting points for the vibration dampeners for the SVO engine but since I didn't use them I'm not 100% sure. The car is a little nose heavy on the brakes but otherwise handles quite well. As far as the wider track is concerned this is due to the control arms being longer from bushings to ball joints. I'm also running SVO wheels with 225's.

[frankiesaysrelax]

Ken, did the SVO arms bolt right into the 5.0 K-frame with no problems? I thought the SVO arms had bigger bushings and wouldn't fit?

[SVOeric]

nope -- they will bolt right on -- but the gemotry will be all messed up unless you change spindals too, then you will need a alignment.

[SVOeric]

oh yea... according to the mustang performance handbook 2 -- the SVO k-member is 53.36 inches wide from ball-joint to ball joint--

the SVO k-member is also 23.75 inches wide from center of the front a-arm mounting holes in the front, and 29.5 inches wide in the back

other pre-88 mustangs are 51.37 inches wide from ball-joint to ball joint.

and front hole to hole is 22.75 in the front, and 30.125 in the back.

I haven't personally verified these, and the book does not list a year of the SVO that was measured.

[Ken Potter]

As I've said before I measured everything three times before bolting anything up and I could find NO dimensional differences between the SVO and the 90 LX 5.0 k-mems. The SVO LCA's went right in the 90LX k-mem with no mods whatsoever. The only mods were to the shock tower openings to allow the onion heads to pass through and I "laid back" the 3 mounting holes 1/8". Since I retained the original 15:1 LX rack which has shorter inner tie rods and the SVO LCA's are longer than the LX LCA's I had to custom make longer outers. Also the ball joint "stud" on SVO's has a sort of shoulder near the base so it is incompatible with the LX spindles. The LX spindles are 4 lug 10.5" crapola discs anyway so I gladly pitched them. You can get 5 lug discs for the front but they're still only 10.5" so why bother.

[SVOeric]

Just reporting what was in the book Ken --

I have a 82 GT crossmember at my Dad's house, with a 85 SVO sitting 10 feet from it, so I may measure them next time I go down

[frankiesaysrelax]

This is all very interesting. Thanks. Ken you are right the brake selection for the '87-'93 spindles is not spectacular. SN95 spindles are the hot ticket for big brake swaps on V8 cars but obviously they won't work with the SVO ball joints either.

I had always thought the SVO k-member was very different from the NA4cyl/V8 k-members. I guess the only one that is really all that different is the 3.3L I6 K-member.

These are the numbers I have for 4cyl/V8 K-frames
79-87 the back is 30.125" and the front is 22.75"
88-93 the back is 31.125" and the front is 23.75"

[Ken Potter]

Didn't mean to come across as being mad, sorry Eric. I guess I'm just a little tense... My job as production manager ends tomorrow after nearly 30 years... Back to sweeping the floor and loading trucks till 6/30. Then my employment ends for good or until I find another job...

[frankiesaysrelax]

Sorry to hear about it Ken. I hope you find a new job right away.

[SVOeric]

I didn't think you were Ken.

I know it can be frustrating when you have posted something 10 times, and it still gets questioned ---