John,
Nice work and thanks for bringing these ideas to the community. I have 2 4Dr/4WD Gen2 vehicles I am currently working on and need to know more details about what you did to your 2Dr. First, what model year range on the Ford Focus wagon coil springs? I think the wagon was a Gen1 vehicle only so, this should correspond to the 2000-2005 model years for the North American (NA) market. I am uncertain about the model year range in other markets around the world but, it it apparent the Focus was initially introduced in the European market. I found some information that suggests the Focus wagon may have been produced for the NA market until 2007 but, I need to confirm this.
The rear Grand Prix McPherson struts appear to be used on other vehicles. Are you able to comment on this?
The steel wheels you mounted the 265/75R16 Goodyear's on are the 16" OE wheels for the Vitara or Grand Vitara in North America. I doubt they have the offset or, backspacing necessary to clear these wider tires. I saw a set of these at one of the local U-Pull salvage yards last weekend so, I will return there to measure offset/BS of these to see if I can answer this question on a broader scale. I think tires in this size range require 8" rim so, this is likely to result in aftermarket wheel BS choices of 3.75" or 4." Not many options here. My only concern is if these BS measures result in contacting the front fender or rear quarter panel under full suspension flex. I think your YT video stated you used bump stops on the knuckle to prevent contact with the frame at full lock? This is what I would suspect might be required given contact on the frame as you approach full lock. I am considering slightly smaller tires (i.e., 265/75R15 or 265/70R15) coupled to a small lift and your project gives me hope I might be able to make this idea work. These tires are 1" and 2" shorter, respectively, than the 265/75R16 Goodyear's you began your build with. This configuration is for the first vehicle, which will become my wife's so, she does not need rock crawling capability.
I know what the Fox body Mustang is so, this info helped. A co-worker at my previous employer owns one.
After the experience you have gained with driving this offroad do you still think it is balanced well? Meaning, as one example, did you ever consider looking into improved struts or shocks for these same vechile applications to improve the capability or your vehicle or the longevity of these parts?
Thanks again. This is good information.
