Had the pleasure of driving a 5.0...

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by builder11150

IRS does nothing except on bumpy roads. Not only is it weaker, but it is also more expensive. The Mustang does handle better, and several car magazines back it up. IRS isn't as great as everyone thinks it is.

The IRS function goes well beyond bumpy roads. In a hard turn the Mustang struggles to keep both rear wheels in contact with the pavement. The harder you turn, the more the Mustang picks up the inside rear wheel. That makes it very difficult to put power down when you want it in a corner. When you corner weight a Mustang the solid rear axle fights you every step of the way. Good balance must be sacrificed because of the solid rear axle requirements for travel in turns.

There is no rear wheel alignment adju8stment with a Mustang. This is an issue because the rear toe is never right from the factory. Using adjustable lower arms, the toe can be evened out, but it can never be dead nuts spot on right.

The front control arms rock back and forth on the Mustang creating far too much front end lift and dive. which is why the OP described the steering as a lot of play in weight transfer and it just seemed squirrely to me.

As the onwer of both a Camaro and a Mustang as well as having been involved in the design of our suspensions for both vehicles I find the OE Camaro to be the better drive out of the showroom. Built to the max our data logging shows them in a dead heat. The Mustang out accelerates and out brakes the Camaro. The Camaro is faster in the turns.

[08-G35s/6MT]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

The IRS function goes well beyond bumpy roads. In a hard turn the Mustang struggles to keep both rear wheels in contact with the pavement. The harder you turn, the more the Mustang picks up the inside rear wheel. That makes it very difficult to put power down when you want it in a corner. When you corner weight a Mustang the solid rear axle fights you every step of the way. Good balance must be sacrificed because of the solid rear axle requirements for travel in turns.

There is no rear wheel alignment adju8stment with a Mustang. This is an issue because the rear toe is never right from the factory. Using adjustable lower arms, the toe can be evened out, but it can never be dead nuts spot on right.

The front control arms rock back and forth on the Mustang creating far too much front end lift and dive. which is why the OP described the steering as a lot of play in weight transfer and it just seemed squirrely to me.

As the onwer of both a Camaro and a Mustang as well as having been involved in the design of our suspensions for both vehicles I find the OE Camaro to be the better drive out of the showroom. Built to the max our data logging shows them in a dead heat. The Mustang out accelerates and out brakes the Camaro. The Camaro is faster in the turns.

Oversteer is funner than understeer(I have driven both, the Camaro has more of the latter and Stang the former), if I wanted understeer I would buy a civic(I acknowledge 90% of the cars on the market are tuned this way though). IRS has more issues with axle hop then LRA.... I have an IRS G35 with a VLSD and a LRA Cherokee(used to be stock now it has 4.6 Hesco Stroker with ARB Air Locker), I have never had any issues with axle hop on the latter but have with my G when accelerating mildly quick on uneven surfaces.... Why don't you mention price and durability in the long term, upkeep for IRS costs $100's more than SRA. Or look at another example of how live axle is better than IS, my buddy was always replacing ball joints and was constantly having issues with his IFS Blazer, and now his IFS Liberty.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by 08-G35s/6MT

Oversteer is funner than understeer(I have driven both, the Camaro has more of the latter and Stang the former), if I wanted understeer I would buy a civic(I acknowledge 90% of the cars on the market are tuned this way though). IRS has more issues with axle hop then LRA.... I have an IRS G35 with a VLSD and a LRA Cherokee(used to be stock now it has 4.6 Hesco Stroker with ARB Air Locker), I have never had any issues with axle hop on the latter but have with my G when accelerating mildly quick on uneven surfaces.... Why don't you mention price and durability in the long term, upkeep for IRS costs $100's more than SRA. Or look at another example of how live axle is better than IS, my buddy was always replacing ball joints and was constantly having issues with his IFS Blazer, and now his IFS Liberty.

I like a loose car as well

Both the Mustang and Camaro understeer from the factory. There are no ball joints in the 5th Gen IRS. The best handling Mustang was the SVT Cobra with IRS. There isn't one premium performance car being built today with a live axle, not one. The Lexus IRS. 911 IRS. AMG IRS. Exotics all IRS. Nothing I can post will make any difference, but isn't interesting that the gossip about the next Mustang have it on and IRS?

[8cd03gro]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

I like a loose car as well

Both the Mustang and Camaro understeer from the factory. There are no ball joints in the 5th Gen IRS. The best handling Mustang was the SVT Cobra with IRS. There isn't one premium performance car being built today with a live axle, not one. The Lexus IRS. 911 IRS. AMG IRS. Exotics all IRS. Nothing I can post will make any difference, but isn't interesting that the gossip about the next Mustang have it on and IRS?

BS. Both the modern boss and 2011+ gt500 will smoke the terminator around any road course and it's not just because of power or braking. I have taken all three out at mid-ohio and both the boss and 2011+ gt500 are much more confidence inspiring, controlled, and better gripped on track than the 03-04 cobra. That's not to say IRS doesn't have handling advantages over SRA, but to say the 03-04 cobra is the best handling mustang ever is just wrong. Maybe the Cobra R, but then again you'd have to compare that to the 302 S and R. . .

[ffrcobra_65]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

I like a loose car as well

Both the Mustang and Camaro understeer from the factory. There are no ball joints in the 5th Gen IRS. The best handling Mustang was the SVT Cobra with IRS. There isn't one premium performance car being built today with a live axle, not one. The Lexus IRS. 911 IRS. AMG IRS. Exotics all IRS. Nothing I can post will make any difference, but isn't interesting that the gossip about the next Mustang have it on and IRS?

I have no idea what year mustang you have but you are sorely mistaken is all your assessments regarding your basis on the new Mustang's handling despite its "old tech" live axle set up. I watched my buddies in their fancy 911s and M3 get passed time and time again by current 11-12 GT500s with SVTPP option and new Boss....after 10 laps at Laguna Seca, these IRS cars, even got lapped by a live axle Boss Laguna Seca. The stock 5.0 Mustang even is on par with the new BMW M3 around a road course which the stock Camaro can not touch! I understand you might have to say all you have to say about the Camaro handles better because it is good for business and you are on a Camaro site but for those who own both cars, like me, I know stock for stock, the Camaro is crap on road course compared to the
"live axle" Mustangs you keep putting down.

Originally Posted by 8cd03gro

BS. Both the modern boss and 2011+ gt500 will smoke the terminator around any road course and it's not just because of power or braking. I have taken all three out at mid-ohio and both the boss and 2011+ gt500 are much more confidence inspiring, controlled, and better gripped on track than the 03-04 cobra. That's not to say IRS doesn't have handling advantages over SRA, but to say the 03-04 cobra is the best handling mustang ever is just wrong. Maybe the Cobra R, but then again you'd have to compare that to the 302 S and R. . .

thank you!

[Brutal SS]

[RedRooster]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

The best handling Mustang was the SVT Cobra with IRS.

With all due respect, you sounded like you knew what you were talking about until you made this statement. The IRS under the Terminators was a garbage set up - it wasn't good at handling and it certainly wasn't good at straight line speed either. So much so that a lot of Terminator guys that are making good power usually end up switching back to the SRA because the IRS is that fragile.

Let's not make the erroneous assumption that ALL IRSes are better than ALL SRA set ups. That simply isn't true. The Boss will hang with cars that cost four times what it does with its archaic, antique SRA set up.

I understand you might have to say all you have to say about the Camaro handles better because it is good for business and you are on a Camaro site but for those who own both cars, like me, I know stock for stock, the Camaro is crap on road course compared to the
"live axle" Mustangs you keep putting down.

Exactly. You can debate the merits of the SRA all you care to, certainly. But you can't argue with the empirical results and those results suggest that the Mustang is simply the better handler, with its third world SRA and all.

I wouldn't go as far to say the Camaro will be "crap on a road course", but I certainly think the Mustang is going to have an advantage on a smooth, prepared road course.

[08-G35s/6MT]

Originally Posted by MBK

hahaha flexing is awesome

Yet another reason why I prefer SA over IS....

[a_Username]

Originally Posted by 08-G35s/6MT

Yet another reason why I prefer SA over IS....

weaksauce.

[mikeSS]

Originally Posted by ffrcobra_65

I have no idea what year mustang you have but you are sorely mistaken is all your assessments regarding your basis on the new Mustang's handling despite its "old tech" live axle set up. I watched my buddies in their fancy 911s and M3 get passed time and time again by current 11-12 GT500s with SVTPP option and new Boss....after 10 laps at Laguna Seca, these IRS cars, even got lapped by a live axle Boss Laguna Seca. The stock 5.0 Mustang even is on par with the new BMW M3 around a road course which the stock Camaro can not touch! I understand you might have to say all you have to say about the Camaro handles better because it is good for business and you are on a Camaro site but for those who own both cars, like me, I know stock for stock, the Camaro is crap on road course compared to the
"live axle" Mustangs you keep putting down.



thank you!

[SSGUNNER]

This was a good read.