Originally Posted by the_student

I posted in the other 5.0 thread that I thought was closed. It may be more appropriate here.

Just wondering how the mustang feels over rough road. How is the live axle? Is the live axle shudder pretty well controlled? I haven't read anything about this.

I would like to test drive one someday. I am getting rid of my Z so it may be an option lol. My car looks so sad stock now compared to how it used to be.

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

I drive mine on some pretty messed up roads. I alternate between the 5.0, S2000, and CLK500 for commuting. And previously I had the 370.

There is really no appreciable difference in how the cars handle rough surfaces. They have to be really, really rough to really feel the live axle. So rough that you're concerned about going a little slowly so you don't damage a wheel or tire.

Now, with a watts linkage, I have no panhard arc during travel so a big mid-corner bump doesn't do anything to upset the car at all.

I'm not defending the live axle at all... or promoting it over a good IRS setup, anyways. But the people that complain about it make it seem like it can't handle at all and if you're on some rough road you're just going to die. This isn't the case. Yes, it's old school, and yes, it's not the ideal setup, but it's not as big of a crutch as many would like you to believe.

I'd prefer a good IRS setup to a good live axle setup, but not for reasons of bumpy road performance. The main benefits of a good IRS over the Mustang's present live axle setup are (1) significantly less un-sprung weight, (2) the ability to adjust rear camber, and (3) no-longer having to have conversations like these.

If we were talking about the old four-link live axle setups, then yes, I'd say an IRS would definitely be an improvement on rough surfaces. I had an '03 and those were definitely skittish on those surfaces. The '11 that I have experience with... not so much.

So, in summary, the live axle is old and tired, but it works. It's not as bad as most people say it is. It's just obviously not an ideal setup. I'd love to be able to dial in some negative camber to help with more rear grip and generally have a bit more of a dynamic experience at the rear (that's what she said).

That said, with the watts linkage and 275 width Pilot Super Sports, I am able to get WOT coming out of a 2nd gear corner and flat hook up. With ~450hp that's a pretty good feeling. But I know it could be better. Everything can always be better.

2014 will be interesting. Sub 3,350lbs, 450hp stock, and a (hopefully) good IRS package? Could be a real ringer.