Over a number of months of hard work and busted knuckles, we have bolted on a lot of go-fast bits to our Ford Muscle project 2001 Mustang Cobra, titled Project Apex. The goal of the car is to build a fun-and-fast track day toy that is still streetable. Initially, we added the Road and Track Box from Maximum Motorsports. Then we upgraded the Cobra’s IRS with Maximum Motorsports Rear Grip Package. At the track, the car was discernibly better thanks to the suspension upgrades. We pushed the car harder through the corners lap after lap, and added other upgrades like Baer Brakes and Forgeline wheels to make the car faster and faster. And once you start down the path of bettering track times, you are never satisfied. To get to the next level we headed back to the guys at Maximum Motorsports in San Luis Obispo, CA, for even more — and racier — Cobra suspension parts.
Maximum Motorsports has all sorts of track-proven, go-fast goodies for Mustangs, and our last shipment from them was the ultimate: a K-member, tubular control arms, Delrin bushings, a tie-rod end kit, coilovers, and a front sway bar relocation kit.
Chuck Schwynoch, owner of Maximum Motorsports, has been helping provide technical advice on Project Apex during the entire build. And everything Chuck said would work, worked better than expected when we hit the track. The Road and Track Box suspension kit took away a lot of the deflection in the front of the car and gave us confidence behind the wheel. But, we wanted to go even faster. So, we went back to Chuck to get our fix for more speed. He said the next step was the Maximum Motorsports Maximum Grip Box. This kit included Bilstein shocks with race valving, coilover springs with specific spring rates for the Mustang chassis on track, tubular control arms, and a full replacement of the K-member.
With a K-Member swap, the entire front suspension is coming out. Here is where a lift comes in very handy. Not only is the Maximum Motorsports K-member stiffer and lighter than the stock components, but it also has better geometry, as well.
When you have a conversation with Chuck Schwynoch you realize very quickly this dude is a lot smarter than most people when it comes to suspension setup. He talks rapidly using lingo like “wheel rates,” “Ackermann geometry,” and “three-links.” You might not understand everything he is telling you, but you quickly recognize why Maximum Motorsports has the outstanding reputation that they do and the lap records with Mustangs to prove it.
Chuck explained why our next step in lowering lap times would be to upgrade to his Grip Box, “The Maximum Grip Box changes the suspension geometry, which is a good thing because as you lower a car, you make the car worse, so we make the corrections for lowering a car and with a coilover suspension you take the friction and binding out of the suspension which makes the car work better.”
To remove the K-Member you must disconnect the steering rack. The good news was we scored a set of upgraded steering rack bushings from Maximum Motorsports along with tie-rod end links with Heim joints for an improved steering feel. The Maximum Motorsports K-Member looks stout under the car.
One of the most important things you can upgrade on a track car is the spring rate, and choosing that spring rate for most people is a bit of a guessing game. This game can be expensive and time-consuming to nail down: buying different springs, swapping them out, realigning the car, taking it back to the track and paying for a track day. Then deciding if the car loves or hates the new spring rates. With Maximum Motorsports, you can use their extensive database of knowledge. They have been improving and racing Mustangs for decades and have track records and well-proven parts on NASA road racing National Championship-winning cars in the American Iron class. Chuck knew what we wanted to accomplish with Project Apex and decided on a set of 475 lb/in front springs on coilovers and 750 lb/in rear springs to go on coilovers for the IRS.
Coilover shocks, increased spring rates (475 lb/in front and 750 lb/in rear), tie-rod end links, Bilstein shocks with race valving, sway bar relocation kit and upgraded steering rack bushings, all goodies to make Project Apex live up to its name of attacking corners.
Due to the extensive and well-written instructions provided with each part, the process for installing Maximum Motorsports Maximum Grip Box is not as challenging as you might think. As we unboxed each component we found quality welds, a nice finish, and the extra touches you want to see on a product you are going to run at ten-tenths on track. We installed the Delrin bushings into the front control arms and then swapped out the stock K-member for the geometrically advantageous one from Maximum Motorsports.
Maximum Motorsports uses Delrin bushings in its tubular control arms to reduce friction and reduce flex in the suspension system. Before you install these, pop them in the freezer to shrink them down a touch.
Pro tip from our garage, always check the spring rates and ensure you are putting them on the correct strut or shock (front or rear). The difference between 475 lb/in springs and 750 lb/in springs is considerable and if you put the wrong ones on the front of the car you will know it the first time you take a corner. Remember, check and double-check as you assemble, or you will get to do part of this project all over again.
We built our front coilover shocks by installing the ride height adjustment collars under the 475 pound/inch springs and then adding the hats to the top of the shock. The threaded collars on the bottom of the shock allow us to adjust the ride height and corner balance the car.
We installed our new off-set control arms in the front and upgraded the steering rack and front sway bar with new more robust end links. Then we installed our coilovers and went about setting the ride height of the car. A lower center of mass is advantageous for a car going through a corner, which is why the adjustable height coilovers, along with the new suspension geometry (allowing the car to work correctly at a lower stance) are a big part of the Maximum Grip Box design.
The tubular lower offset control arms from Maximum Motorsports are a huge upgrade as they improve the suspension geometry of the car as well as limit the flex of the components over the stock pieces.
Once we set the ride height, we aligned the car to some specific track settings (lots of camber and caster) and began to salivate at the idea of getting the improved Cobra onto the track. We were able to secure a two-day track session at Barber Motorsports Park to test out our new Maximum Grip Box setup with Ivan Korda driving. Ivan had already driven the car there in various stages of modifications as Project Apex took shape to compare our lap times.
We previously installed the Rear Grip Box into Project Apex. All we had to do to finalize the rear of the car was to add the coilover shocks with the upgraded spring rates. You can see the white Delrin bushings on the lower control arm from our earlier project.
Ivan hit the track and could immediately feel that the car had improved immensely. “The Cobra felt flat and stable at all times, which is the opposite of how they come from the factory,” says Ivan. “The front end went where you asked it to go and the rear did the same. It was amazing to see how compliant the rear end was now with the Maximum Grip Box. Before, it would try to come around at speed while turning in. Resulting in unpredictable oversteer which is a scary feeling.” While on track the better handling car gave Ivan the confidence to push harder and harder and find the car’s new limit.
Finally, all of our hard work was paying off. Less time in the garage and more time behind the wheel at the track. Ivan Korda put the upgraded Maximum Motorsports suspension to the test and came out of the car all smiles!
Just watching the car go around course it was obvious the car was much more stable through the corners. Ivan felt it behind the wheel as well, “With the Maximum Motorsports race dampers and springs, the body roll was hardly there and the car was very compliant over curbs, high-speed turns, turn-in, mid-corner, and exit. Braking was greatly improved with the addition of the new Baer brakes.” Ivan absolutely destroyed the OEM braking components during a previous track day so he was extremely happy the car was slowing as it should. “With the additional stopping power, I expected the typical Mustang nosedive into the braking zone, but thanks to the properly selected spring rates the car didn’t show a lot of front weight transfer.”
At Barber Motorsports Park, Ivan in the Cobra ran a lap time of 1:41.13, a considerable improvement over the last time the car went around that track. Remember this car ran a 1:47 on its maiden voyage and shaved off about a second each time we returned — until this dramatic drop. Garmin’s optimal lap said if Ivan connected all of his best corners/segments from the session together he would have run a 1:39.64 lap around Barber.
With all the improvements to the car’s suspension came improvements in the lap times. Ivan posted a 1:41.13 lap around Barber Motorsports Park embarrassing some BMWs, Corvettes, and Porsches in the process. “This car is a serious track weapon now and a lot of fun to drive quickly,” says Ivan after he climbed out of the Cobra with a huge smile on his face. “Finally, it feels like I was in control of the car versus the car going where it wanted to go and me having to wrestle it back into compliance. I could carry so much more velocity through the high-speed areas without feeling like I was on the limit.” Maximum Grip Box for the win!
