Roush Offers Stage 3 Suspension

ROUSH(R) STAGE 3™ SUSPENSION AVAILABLE TO ALL 2005+ MUSTANG OWNERS WHO WANT TO PULL Gs

One of the things that sets the ROUSH(R) Stage 3™ Mustang apart from the competition is the road-hugging, highly-tuned suspension package. Previously, this vaunted suspension package was only available as part of a ROUSH Stage 3 vehicle build, but now anyone with a 2005 to 2009 Ford Mustang can feel what a 1G lateral skid pad rating can give you on the daily drive.

Developed by some of the top chassis engineers in the industry, the ROUSH 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. Tests, including slalom, lane change, skid pad, and were performed on a wide variety of road surfaces to provide the best combination of ride comfort and road handling. Data was 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 one of the finest suspensions available today.

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 $1,499.00 (part number 401761), and when installed will lower the car approximately one inch for a more aggressive stance. All instructions and necessary OEM-grade hardware is included.

The front anti-roll bar is more than 45 percent stiffer than the stock unit and is a solid material, unlike most others on the market which are hollow. This helps to significantly reduce body roll, and ROUSH takes the additional step to forge and machine the bar ends 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 understeer that is a characteristic of the Mustang.

The twin-tube shocks have a unique valving and will keep the maximum tire contact patch on the ground, even while driving over uneven terrain. They were developed in part with an advanced 7-post shaker rig like 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.

The ROUSH 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.

"ROUSH has always been known for being the best in powertrain components, but we also have some of the most knowledgeable chassis engineers in the auto industry on staff," said Jack Roush. "I continually challenge them to design suspension pieces that offer tremendous performance enhancements yet don't make sacrifices when it comes to ride comfort. With the ROUSH Stage 3 Suspension Package they have met this challenge, and even exceeded my expectations for what a performance enthusiast would want on his Mustang."

The Stage 3 Suspension Kit works with any type of wheel combinations, but for optimum performance it is suggested that the ROUSH RR03 forged wheels (part number 402422) and ROUSHcharger™ be utilized as well. The suspension was specifically designed with the weight of these components in mind.

Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes place at ROUSH Performance. To get a look behind the scenes at what goes on at ROUSH and how the vehicles and parts are designed, manufactured, tested and produced logon to www.ROUSHtv.com.