How do you define 'Muscle Car'?

[YF19pilot]

But didn't the track pack equipped Mustang with the solid axle out handle the new Camaro with it's vaunted IRS?

From what I understand, a properly set up solid axle can devistate an IRS on a smooth surface, but IRS will win out on an uneven surface. Axle hop or some such.

 

[MadCat360]

But didn't the track pack equipped Mustang with the solid axle out handle the new Camaro with it's vaunted IRS?

The benefit of a live axle is the camber characteristics are very predictable and it does keep the two rear tires fairly well planted on a flat surface. But the problem with that is suspension is designed to keep the tires on the road with bumps added, otherwise we'd all have go karts. Mustangs and other live axle cars really struggle to put the power down on a corner exit with any irregularities from one side of the car to the other. There's also that whole unsprung weight thing. But I'd be verging on witchcraft by discussing it. The performance benefit of reduced unsprung mass is hard to quantify beyond spinning brake rotors and wheels.

 

[Hbriz]

All I can say about live axles is I recently drove behind a Falcon station wagon police car on a road with many annoyingly large speed humps, and that thing bounced around like a kid on a spacehopper when the rear went over the hump. So from a ride comfort level, the setup's really not ideal.

 

[hercman]

All I can say about live axles is I recently drove behind a Falcon station wagon police car on a road with many annoyingly large speed humps, and that thing bounced around like a kid on a spacehopper when the rear went over the hump. So from a ride comfort level, the setup's really not ideal.

I'd put money on it that the shocks on that thing were toast.

 

[CAPT_Howdy]

All I can say about live axles is I recently drove behind a Falcon station wagon police car on a road with many annoyingly large speed humps, and that thing bounced around like a kid on a spacehopper when the rear went over the hump. So from a ride comfort level, the setup's really not ideal.

I remember back in the 80's when I worked for an Oldsmobile dealer. We had a large speedbump in front of the Parts Department. When I drove over that bump in one of our W body Cutlass Supremes (IRS) the car handled the bump smoothly. In an A body Ciera (beam rear axle), it felt like someone picked up the rear end and dropped it onto the pavement. A huge difference.