I'm finishing up the work I've been doing on my rear suspension, and now that I'm putting it back together I've run into a slight problem. My drivers side shock will not clear the axle without some sort of spacer. I believe this is because I have a 70 Mav (non staggered shock mounts) and a later axle with staggered lower mount plates. Whats the best way to go about fixing this? Should I look for a driver's side lower shock mount from a 70 so both shocks are in front of the axle (to the front of the car). Or is it best to just use a spacer and a longer bolt and have one shock in front and one in the rear?
I honestly don't know HOW to do it, but it can't be too difficult. Remove the top shock mount from the car, mount it to the top of the shock. Mount the shock to the bottom plate and see where one would need to drill the new holes for the top mount.
I thought about that, but the problem is the shock mount now goes through the crossmember. If I moved it to have staggered shocks then it would just be in the trunk floor and I'd have to do some fabricating to reinforce the area. I don't have the shock mount because I didn't do the swap, and the guy who did just put a spacer on the shock and called it good. The other problem I've now realized is that I can't put the shock in front of the axle ala 1970 style because the exhaust runs right through where the shock needs to go. Not a big deal since I plan on getting new exhaust, but I'm not swapping exhaust right now. So it looks like I need to find a new lower shock mount and then move/remove my exhaust. I would just pull it off and run glasspacks off the headers for now, but the trans crossmember is single hump, so I don't think it'll clear a glasspack on the drivers side. I had a double hump, but I chopped it up to build my T5 mount. More motivation to hurry up and get my T5 in I guess.
yah i put my stock mav 72 8'' under my 69.5 mav and i just cut the mount and added some steel and some welding and done
Kind of funny that Boss Mustangs bragged that they had staggered shocks. I have actually sold staggered shock plates off of a Maverick to Mustang guys so they could make this "upgrade". Probably more of a visual thing they can brag about at shows maybe.
staggered shocks helps with wheel hop problems. caltrax bars eliminate this by eliminating leaf spring wrap up. that then nulls the staggered shock benifits.