solid axle conversion ?
The 1st 5th gen SS that ran at my local track sheared off one of it's axles the 1st night it ever ran at the track. I'm just hoping that this was just a case of bad luck & not bad engineering. I have a new SS on order, so I have reasons to worry, due to the fact that I like racing, but not street racing, so I want to have the strongest possible setup I can for straight line racing @ the track.
There is NO reason to buy new Mustang over a Corvette or G8/Camaro.
EVERY sports car sold today runs a IRS.
FYI:There are manual trans Vipers running 7 second passes with IRS. So, the solid axle argument is BS.
to me it seems like its even more of a challange to be quick with the irs then to just ruin a car to shave a few tenths.
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I had no idea that those cheap bastards were willing to do it for only $100 in savings. It ended up costing those dumb asses $98 more for the solid rear due to other issues.
REPORT: S197 Ford Mustang could have had independent rear suspension for $100 per car
It seems that any discussion about a modern Ford Mustang inevitably turns into a debate about its solid rear axle. While Ford has done an incredible job of optimizing the pony car's suspension, many still find it unacceptable that such an antiquated technology is used on a modern day performance car. Motor Trend boss Angus MacKenzie, however, says that the S197 Mustang platform almost received an independent rear suspension a while back – and for a lot less than you might think.
According to MacKenzie, the 2005 Mustang was set to get an independent suspension shared with the BA-series Falcon sedan built in Australia. Even when it was decided that the two cars would use different platforms, Ford designers set about designing an independent suspension specific to the Mustang. So why did it still end up with a solid rear axle? According to MacKenzie, product development executive Phil Martens convinced Bill Ford Jr. that they could save $100 per car if they dropped the IRS and went with the solid axle. For all of you non drag-racing types that wish the Mustang had an independently suspended rear, this news probably makes you sick to the stomach.
But wait... there's more! MacKenzie's sources say that the cost of sorting out the current Mustang's suspension actually cost $98 more per car than the IRS that could have gone in the car. Like Angus, we love the current Mustang but have to wonder if it could have been that much better.
Solid axels are for purpose built drag cars ONLY.
Supras, Vipers, Corvettes seem to track just fine on IRS axles. I'd rather have a beefed up IRS setup than a solid axle, unless I was building a drag-only type car.
honestly, its the same thing with the cobras. with the weight and all, the cars just work better with SRA. and honestly, there really isnt any huge, noticable differance in handling. if i had a 2010, i'd rock a solid axle. simplicity ftw.

im going to go out on a limb and say... SRA>ALL! HAH.
You can swap in aftermarket and crate motors and trannies into a 5th gen all day long....just don't touch that rear axle. Such sacrilege...
Some people on this forum work at Mickey D's and some of us make over 60K a year.
Some people like driving an old piece of **** from 1993 and some of us like the newest technology.
Many of us got the F bodies when they were new and we are tired of them. We don't care how important you think your live axle is.
You can swap in aftermarket and crate motors and trannies into a 5th gen all day long....just don't touch that rear axle. Such sacrilege...

-SS

Then what do you care if someone puts a live axle on a 5th gen? They aren't gonna come to your house and put one on YOUR 5th gen....are they? And conversely, the live axle guys don't care how important your IRS is to you....that's not what this thread was supposed to be about. I just find it funny that all the IRS fanbois came a-running when they saw the title of this thread. Guys like you are the only reason this topic has gone astray and turned into a flame war. Just because you don't want to put up with a live axle anymore doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't, or that they shouldn't be allowed to. Let the OP make his inquiries without you sticking your oh-so important 2 cents in on the subject.

Then what do you care if someone puts a live axle on a 5th gen? They aren't gonna come to your house and put one on YOUR 5th gen....are they? And conversely, the live axle guys don't care how important your IRS is to you....that's not what this thread was supposed to be about. I just find it funny that all the IRS fanbois came a-running when they saw the title of this thread. Guys like you are the only reason this topic has gone astray and turned into a flame war. Just because you don't want to put up with a live axle anymore doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't, or that they shouldn't be allowed to. Let the OP make his inquiries without you sticking your oh-so important 2 cents in on the subject.


But that's cool. I made my point....and you responded with a pointless comment.
Ford kept the live axle because it is cheaper for them to produce.
Solid Axels ONLY make sense in 2 cases:
You want a cheap drag car.
-or-
You want a bulletproofdrag car.
If you want cheap drag car, you're going to go with a used F-body or Fox body.
If you are going to do a purpose built drag car and you want it to be bulletproof, you're going to go with a custom 9" rear and a LIGHT car.
The new Camaro is a pig from the factory. So, the only way it makes sense to build it with a solid rear is to order the "body in white" to build a trailered drag car.
Bottom Line:
Solid rear cars are for drags ONLY.
I don't know why this subject is so highly debated when it is so obviously simple.
Camaro is a pony car.......Chevelle SS, GTO, GS455 are muscle cars.
Besides that is your opinion and everyone knows about opinions.
You have never put a muscle car on a road course......I have and its such a blast, so IRS and a Muscle car with IRS =

Look, I don't have anything against the new Camaro having IRS. Hell, I'm sure it's a much more stable, maneuverable car with the IRS than it would have been with a live axle. I just don't understand the dictatorship mentality that NO ONE should be doing a SRA conversion on a 5th gen. I, personally, probably wouldn't do it because of the fuss/costs....but I certainly don't see any need to talk down to someone who is considering it or is interested in it. As I said, it's their car. Maybe they intend to do alot of hardcore dragracing in the thing........maybe they want to shed some weight off the car......maybe they just want to. If someone were talking about putting a carbed crate motor in their 2010, no one would be bitching. But mention taking the IRS out, and everyone throws a pissy fit.

