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The brace is well-made out of 4120 chromoly and utilizes factory bolt holes. This makes it very easy to install and completely reversible.
With the bushings and braces installed we were ready for a test drive.
ROAD TEST
The changes from the Steeda Autosports Ultimate “Stop the Hop” Package and Adjustable Differential Bushing Insert System were immediately noticeable the first time I gently released the clutch to get the car rolling. The drivetrain is far more responsive, immediate and eager to leave the line from a stop than before, even under normal driving conditions. When you release the clutch with the stock bushings, there is a lot of wasted time and energy from twisting the diff bushings, then twisting the subframe bushings before the car even starts to move. Granted, we are talking a fraction of a second, but it becomes apparent how much the factory bushings are deflecting and causing a vagueness from the drivetrain after adding the Steeda Anti-Wheel Hop Kit.
By stiffening the diff and subframe bushings, throttle commands for accelerating, decelerating, throttle tip-in, and modulation rolling in and out of the throttle are crisper and more accurate because the engine’s response to your foot is not filtered and muddied though bushing slop in the rear of the car. Just go back and look at the Steeda video, all of that wasted energy from the bushings deflecting and rocking the subframe is eliminated and translated into immediate reaction from the tires.
TRACK TEST
We took our Mustang to Homestead-Miami Speedway to see what effect increasing the bushing stiffness had. Wheel hop is virtually eliminated and the rear of the car no longer feels like it’s going to drop out and fall off the back of the car when launching, doing a burnout, or even a 180-degree U-turn. When the rear tires do lose traction, the breakaway is smooth and does not upset the chassis.
We were impressed with the improved precision on track. In the corners, the rear of the car feels more responsive, predictable, and ‘in-phase’ with the front of the car. At corner entry, the rear now takes ‘a set’ in the corner at the same time as the front and carves through the corner without lagging behind due to deflecting subframe bushings. On throttle, the rear of the car is a lot sharper and feels as if the rear spring rates are stiffer, but rear grip was actually increased slightly from turn-in, mid-corner, and track-out.
On track, the Steeda’s Ultimate “Stop the Hop” Package and Differential Bushing Insert System greatly improved the car’s handling response, precision, and increased rear grip.There was no perceivable increase in NVH when driving or when stopped, but a significant increase in drivetrain response and thus, throttle response was noticeable. I will, however, note that under a certain condition, I noticed a bit of a clunk from the rear of the car. When in stop and go traffic, slipping the clutch (not fully releasing it) then quickly pushing the clutch back in, and repeating, it’s possible to load the ring and pinion quickly from acceleration to deceleration and get a clunk from the diff. I suspect that the stiffer drivetrain bushings and lack of play exaggerates the lash in the ring and pinion during this transition from acceleration to deceleration. I rarely encounter this and don’t feel it’s a problem.
Overall, we were very impressed with Steeda Autosports’s Ultimate “Stop the Hop” Package and Adjustable Differential Bushing Insert System in eliminating wheel hop and greatly improving the drivetrain response and handling of our 2016 Mustang. We feel that the Mustang should have been like this from the factory since there is virtually no increase in NVH, but the car is substantially more responsive and precise than before. We highly recommend installing these components for any drag racer, road racer, or your average driving enthusiast for the daily driver due to the significant improvements with zero downsides.
In addition, Steeda asked us to try their S550 Replacement Clutch Spring (p/n: 555-7022) which addresses the common complaint of the Mustang having too light of a clutch pedal by using a softer spring than the OEM clutch spring.
Steeda’s S550 Replacement Clutch Spring is well-packaged with step by step instructions that include a lot of pictures.
