Lateral Control

BMR Suspension’s new 2005-2014 Mustang Watt’s link will corral your 8.8

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of BMR Suspension

Ford engineers were able to right a lot of engineering wrongs with a platform that was built for Mustang from the start. Rather than trying to make the most of what they could with the Fox platform, the S197 let them take some new paths. They ended up opting for a three-link rear suspension augmented by a Panhard bar.

While the three-link geometry is superior to the compromised four-link in the Fox and the Panhard bar offers great improvements in lateral control, there is still room for improvement. Not only are the factory parts isolated with soft bushings, but a Panhard bar is not the best way to corral the lateral movement of a solid rear axle.

Because the Panhard bar is attached to one side of the chassis, is movement is restricted. A Watt’s link is essentially two Panhard bars attached to a central pivot bar. This design allows for a more consistent movement through the suspension’s full movement. There are a few Watt’s options on the market for the 2005-2014 Mustangs, but the latest is from BMR Suspension.

“Manufactured from heavy-duty 1 x2-inch rectangular steel tubing and 3/16-inch laser-cut steel plate, BMR’s Watts link is the ultimate in strength. The BMR Body Mount Watts Link features a fabricated center pivot with a grease-able Delrin bushing for smooth, bind-free movement,” says the company. “The links are built with left and right hand threaded 5/8-inch rod ends for easy on-car adjustability…”

Besides the adjustable links, the BMR Watt’s link offers six roll center adjustments via its fabricated center pivot.

“BMR’s center pivot is fabricated from ¼-inch laser-cut plate steel with 1 5/8-inch, DOM steel tubing. It uses a double-sheer mount to the crossmember with a grease-able Delrin bushing for smooth, bind-free movement. The links are built from heavy-duty aluminum with left and right hand threaded 5/8-inch rod ends for easy on-car adjustability,” BMR explained. “The WL005 features zinc-plated, X-series, heat-treated, chrome-moly, self-lubricating, Teflon-lined rod ends and 95-durometer polyurethane bushings. It also features 304 stainless steel, custom designed rod-end spacers.”

According to BMR you should be able to install its new Watt’s Link in three to four hours, and we hope to document that process in the near future.

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