OEM MAX Angle Kit Q&A - Part 1
We often receive similar emails from potential customers asking about our angle kits. Here is a great example of one recent email, and figured it would be worth sharing publicly to help clarify things for future customers. Prepare for a long read!
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Which of your angle kits would you recommend?
I would recommend our OEM MAX angle kit. This kit has the most potential angle and geometry improvements out of the 2 kits we currently offer. Here's a link to the OEM MAX kit SN95 / New Edge Mustang OEM MAX Full Angle Kit (94-04) – Detroit Drifting Co
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How does your angle kit compare to other companies or competitors products?
The OEM MAX kit is quite possibly the most robust angle kit available for these cars. Unlike competitor products, the lower control arms in this kit are non-adjustable, which eliminates the common issues other kits have of rod ends and jam nuts constantly coming loose. The inner mount bearings we use are serviceable, and are drastically oversized to avoid play and premature wear. The main drawback (if you want to consider it that) is that our current LCA geometry is obviously fixed, but it is one of the most mild in terms of track width increase compared to other kits (+2" per side). This means you can still retain a somewhat mild amount of negative camber, and not be forced into running overfenders or needing additional components to fix other geometry issues as a result of a huge track width increase that you'll find with other kits. The drawback to this is less clearance in the wheel wells, so you're not going to see 90* of lock with this kit. BUT, with a proper wheel and tire choice that aligns with the recommended specs on our site, you will still be capable of a LOT of usable angle, great self steer characteristics, and a kit that is still very competitive if thats your thing.
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What sets your angle kit or service apart?
Our knuckle geometry is the same as it has been since we started selling angle products for Mustangs in ~2017. We source, inspect, sandblast, and modify the knuckles in house with strict attention to detail. All welding on the knuckles is done by TIG welding in a fixture, using specialty filler metal that is best suited to this application. Weld quality is something we pride ourselves in, so unlike competitor products, we do not grind down or smooth out any welds after the fact. We also use a specialized 2-step welding technique that thoroughly and properly bonds the knuckle components together with the most strength possible. The weld joint is built up with additional filler metal to create a "gusset" around the joint.
The fabricated lower control arms are currently made entirely in house using CNC plasma and milling equipment, fit into a fixture, and then TIG welded. Similar welding techniques to the knuckles are used in control arm assembly to ensure highest strength possible. Unlike other kits that are made entirely of flat plates and MIG welded, our control arms use thick wall DOM tube gussets to add dimension for rigidity. This helps give a little more clearance for the outer tie rods at extreme steering angles too. Even the bearing spacers that locate the arms in the subframe are specifically designed for this kit and are CNC machined. With the fixed geometry, we took the time during development to figure out the setup details so that the end-user can have a much simpler experience with installation and setup/alignment.
I have been personally running the prototype OEM MAX angle kit on our shop car since early 2021, and still run the exact same components to this day. This kit has seen a wide range of uses over the years, with tons and tons of drift track time, including a few unplanned off-course adventures, with zero signs of deformation or damage. This kit has been used in my personal car with the stock 4.6 engine, a coyote swap as of august 2023, and now even has the addition of our high clearance front sway bar. This combination has taken me to a 6th place finish at Drift Indy Street League in september of 2023, along with mountain drifting with Drift Appalachia. I also have 2 of 3 other competitors using Mustangs in Drift Indy competition events using the OEM MAX kit as of 2024 as well.
This is an all-around great performing and robust kit that can handle a wide variety of duties and still be extremely competitive. We are taking the time to "specialize" in the Fox/SN/New Edge platform which is proven by our other products that solve the problems other customers/companies complain about, but have done nothing to actually fix. We pride ourselves in trying to think outside the box, and not just make a slightly different copy of what other Mustang suspension companies have been selling for the past 30 years, just for the sake of making a quick sale.
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If you've made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read! I hope this answers some common questions and provides a little more information and clarity about our OEM MAX angle kit, and the thought process and care we take with our products. If you have any other questions that are not answered by this post, feel free to send us an email and we'll be happy to talk with you!