The refinement of a BMW 5-Series and 1G cornering can now be yours.
07-31-08: Up until now, one of the main attractions to the Roush Stage 3 Mustang was its exclusive suspension package. Only available on the Roush Stage 3 models, the suspension had been deliberately kept off the aftermarket shelves to make the $60,000 Roush Mustang that much more of a special investment.
While Roush has offered many suspension packages over the years, this one had been off limits to those wanting to add one of the most tested, researched and engineered set ups in the business to their Mustang. No free milk, you had to buy the whole cow. In a surprise move this week Roush has announced to the strong ire of many Roush Stage 3 owners, the true blue suspension package to the open market.
Developed by what Roush says is some of the top chassis engineers in the industry, the
Stage 3 Suspension Package is the result of hundreds of hours of testing and thousands of miles on both the street and racetracks across the country. OEM level testing and proving was done including the use of data captured and evaluated using a DIVAS Data Acquisition System, the same equipment used by the Ford vehicle engineers. Overall, it took more than six months of non-stop research and development to create the unique driving experience the set up offers.
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Having driven the Stage 3 on a number of occasions, we can only say that it offers the refinement and feel of a BMW 5-Series sport sedan, and the all-out grip of a race car - attaining up to 1G on skid pad tests.
The complete kit includes springs, dampers, jounce bumpers and anti-roll bars which work together in harmony and provide optimum performance on the street or track. The suggested retail is $1,499 and it lowers the car about one inch. Like any suspension installation, it is best completed with a front end alignment.
To achieve the performance, the solid front anti-roll bar is more than 45 percent stiffer than the stock bar. The bar ends are forged and machined so that all the joints are parallel and surfaces match for joint integrity. The rear anti-sway bar is also solid and is heavier to help balance the vehicle and remove some of the under-steer that is a characteristic of the
Mustang.
The twin-tube shocks have a unique valving which is exclusive to Roush. The valving was developed in part with an advanced 7-post shaker riglike many of the NASCAR teams now utilize to hone their chassis setups. Like all the metal components in the Stage 3 Suspension Package, the shocks are powder coated for corrosion resistance.
The springs
themselves are cold wound and made from high chrome silicone steel. They are pre-set so they won’t sag.
Roush says that engineers paid particular attention to the bushings and jounce bumpers, areas other companies tend to overlook. The bushings, though stiffer than OEM, are a bit softer than other third-party pieces which allows for more compliance over low speed bumps. There is a unique spiral groove cut in the front and rear bushings which helps to keep the grease in place and quiets the unit. The jounce bumpers were actually
designed to act as a spring assist, and are constructed from an OEM-quality, micro-cellular material.
The Stage 3 Suspension Kit works with any type of wheel combinations, but for optimum performance but Roush suggests you use their forged 18” wheels for the best balance as the suspension was set up for their specific weights. We say use them or don’t, you will be happy either way.
While current Stage 3 owners are steaming mad that one of the exclusive ingredients that made their cars special and sought after is no longer so exclusive, now you too can tap into the $60,000 driving experience for about $1500. Just be sure to keep it to yourself at the next Roush gathering.
