Minor setback or the big kickoff of the project?

[Hopeless02]

So today I pulled up to a stoplight and when the light turns green I get on it... not more than ten feet later my car makes a loud popping noise from the front end passenger side and I'm at a dead stop. The car acts like it wants to go but feels like the tires are both facing outward like a tie rod went. I shut the car off and get out but the wheels are both straight... be advised I'm in the middle of the road and I'm not a mechanic but have a basic knowledge of most things about my car. Put the car in neutral and it rolls backward off to the side of the road so I'm assuming its the cv axle. I have a new cv axle here so I can fix the car myself if I get it towed to my house. I feel like this is my oppurtunity to get a good bit of work in on the car though and make some aftermarket modifications to the brakes and suspension... plus I got a ride home in a firetruck...

[Hopeless02]

Anyone with suggestions on trusted sport suspension modifications or fabricated models advice would be great

[spridget]

Is the car MTX or ATX?

I've had the BAT Euro suspension in my old '97 Contour and currently in the '02 Cougar. I think it's a very good kit. Inspect the front lower control arm bushings for wear/play. Also inspect the tie rods, ball joints, and endlinks.

[Tumuerte]

Is the car MTX or ATX?

I've had the BAT Euro suspension in my old '97 Contour and currently in the '02 Cougar. I think it's a very good kit. Inspect the front lower control arm bushings for wear/play. Also inspect the tie rods, ball joints, and endlinks.

Sort of on-topic, but do you have any photos of your Cougar's stance with the Euro kit?

[spridget]

Sort of on-topic, but do you have any photos of your Cougar's stance with the Euro kit?

I like the way the car rides with this kit. It's cliche, but it has that sporty Euro feel.... soft and compliant over normal surfaces and highway cruising, but firm and responsive when pushing fast through the twisties.

Pic is from last year shortly after the kit was installed. It may have settled a tiny bit more since. BAT says the Euro kit is 3/4" lower than stock.



and the '97 with the BAT kit

SNC00053 by Spridget, on Flickr

[Tumuerte]

Thanks! How's the ride on the Cougar?

[BlackBetty]

Suspension mods eh?

A nice set of springs/struts would be nice, the BAT rear sway bar and some TZT or Massive rear toe arms with a Jaged RSTB and your golden. Front strut bar wouldn't hurt either.

I'm not sure how much you would want to do though.. You can see my full list of suspension mods which is basically every bolt on we can get. I love how the car handles, but it is a pretty rough ride.. the girlfriend complains about it sometimes

[Hopeless02]

I saw that someone had come across a 22mm RSB... any info on those yet? Turns out the car was fine, what had happened was when I changed the brakes apparently I didnt tighten the top bolt on the front passenger caliper and it came loose and locked the wheel up... $10 fix woohoo!!! lol

P.s... Shox.com is the site he mentioned and addco makes a 22mm rsb for the contour. just wondering if anyone had heard anything abt those yet?

[BBOX]

Thanks! How's the ride on the Cougar?

Seriously?

I like the way the car rides with this kit. It's cliche, but it has that sporty Euro feel.... soft and compliant over normal surfaces and highway cruising, but firm and responsive when pushing fast through the twisties.

Pic is from last year shortly after the kit was installed. It may have settled a tiny bit more since. BAT says the Euro kit is 3/4" lower than stock.

Spridget, how would you say the BAT kit is in comparison the stock SVT suspension? I picked it up for my Cougar since I will be DDing it and know it will have a smaller performance envelope than most of the other suspension kits available, but do you feel like it exceeds the performance of the stock SVT suspension or is it pretty much on par with it?

[spridget]

Hmm... it's been a while since I drove a stock SVTC. My '98 SVTC has 140k miles on original parts... suspension is a bit soft these days.

IMO the BAT kit is very comparable to the SVT kit. I feel like the BAT kit is just a little firmer. I think there is a little too much rebound in the front struts when it's pushed hard, but otherwise under DD conditions, no complaints at all. I've learned to expect an unsettling bounce when the road surface is lumpy. It's only caught me out one time... car stepped slightly sideways mid corner from a bulge in the asphalt. But I was driving quite fast too.