1979 – 2004 Ford Mustang Launch Basics With Video
If you're looking for maximum acceleration from your pony, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of getting off the line. This means understanding 1979 – 2004 Ford Mustang Launch Basics. The Fox-body and Fox-4 (1979 – 2004) Ford Mustang is perfect for the task and there are many excellent parts available to give you traction and make you quick and consistent.
The front of these Mustangs is equipped from Ford with a modified MacPherson Strut setup. This includes a separate spring and strut, connected to a lower A-arm. It's actually a pretty good deal for drag racing and it's easy to modify. A hard drag racing launch requires the nose of the car to lift and Brothers Performance offers a variety of spring and strut combinations to enhance performance.
As you can see in the attached video, Eibach, a leader in spring technology, offers a specific Drag Launch kit. This includes new front and rear springs and an airbag designed to be installed in the passenger-side rear spring. The soft front springs are designed to store energy when the car is static, while sitting on the starting line. Upon launch, they allow the nose to pop up, giving you extra traction.
The rear includes four lower control arms (also called trailing arms), two springs, main shocks and quad shocks and an anti-roll bar. The Eibach springs are also softer than stock, and work in unison with the Eibach front coils. Fox Mustangs have a tendency to roll rotate (twist) on launch. This can be counteracted by inflating the airbag included in the kit to the recommended setting, or by added a drag racing-specific anti-roll bar in place of the stock unit.
Any time you change springs you should consider your struts and shocks, as they may or may not be suited to the new spring rates. This goes for drag racing, and when installing lowering springs designed for handling. For drag racing, a common choice is the Lakewood 70/30 front struts and the 50/50 rear shocks. These will compliment the Eibach Drag Launch kit and help you get the most lift and best traction for a street / strip Mustang.
If you’re looking for a more aggressive setup, we offer the popular Moroso Trick Front and rear springs. These are mainly designed for racing, and will work best with Lakewood 90/10 front struts, or an adjustable strut. We also recommend going with aftermarket rear control arms, frame connectors and a driveshaft safety loop.
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