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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

A Gripping Ride

Staff, Friday January 24, 2003.

Page 1 of 1

With the award-winning* Falcon Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension as a base, FPV engineers developed a range of suspensions that offer an involving drive while delivering predictability, consistency and precise feedback at the limit.

On the GT and GT-P, standard traction control and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential combine with the IRS to deliver a reassuring level of safety, without detracting from the driving experience.

The switchable traction control in the GT and GT-P gently takes over when the driver has not anticipated a loss of traction but is never intrusive like other systems.

The BA Falcon's more rigid platform also allowed FPV engineers to develop a more compliant ride while retaining the crisp and balanced handling of a premium sports model.

The close working relationship between Ford and FPV engineers meant that early FPV gains were engineered into all Control Blade IRS systems during development, allowing the FPV improvements to start from a much higher base point.

FPV could then focus on tuning the suspension for the extra performance and enhancing the grip of the premium 18 inch Dunlop tyres. Tyre pressures could also be optimised for ride, handling and longevity.

The Control Blade independent rear suspension also introduces significant anti-dive characteristics that reduce weight transfer to the front under hard braking.

This allows more of the braking effort to be shared between front and rear brakes, thus improving stability.

In the Pursuit, the revised front suspension allowed FPV to fine tune the rear suspension for further handling gains. The Pursuit?s constant rear track generates outstanding grip and handling for this type of vehicle under a wide range of road conditions.

All models benefit from a reduction in friction in the steering system, strengthened steering column and mountings, increased road feel and responsiveness and fewer turns lock to lock.

The Fairmont Ghia power steering system is the starting point for FPV models with its sharper, slightly heavier feel and more direct response.

FPV GT and GT-P front suspension

The FPV range lifts the performance bar in terms of straight-line stability, steering feel and the ability of each model to hold its line through corners.

By fine-tuning the front suspension?s toe-in, camber and castor, engineers have delivered progressive linear steering, a solid on-centre feel and improved tyre life. FPV vehicles track unerringly over broken surfaces, with less sensitivity to tramlining.

The front suspension is fully adjustable for camber, castor and toe. Previous optional adjustment kits for high performance Tickford applications are now standard on all models.

The 88 per cent improvement in structural rigidity achieved by the BA program has allowed FPV engineers to dramatically increase spring stiffness while at the same time delivering more compliant damper tuning than previous performance Fords.

FPV GT and GT-P rear suspension

The new Control Blade independent rear suspension has built-in camber adjustment that allows a reduction in camber from negative 0.9 degrees for the Falcon XT down to negative 0.5 for the GT and GT-P.

The result is that front and rear camber settings are more closely aligned, creating a more integrated handling package.

The rear toe-in is reduced from 3mm in the XT to 2 mm in FPV models. Again, this brings the front and rear suspension specifications closer together.

The FPV rear spring rates are 38 Nm/mm compared to the Falcon XT?s 28 Nm/mm. The damper rebound spring in the FPV dampers is 14 Nm/mm compared to 19.5 Nm/mm in the Falcon XT as the standard car is more reliant on the rebound spring in extreme conditions.

In the FPV models, the rebound spring can be softened to allow a more progressive transition at the limit, when the heftier springs and firmer dampers cover more extreme parameters. The rear anti-roll bar is 19mm in diameter compared to the standard Falcon XT?s 18mm.

FPV Pursuit suspension

The Pursuit front suspension gains the latest BA Falcon bush revisions and FPV front spring rate without the FPV geometry changes. The Pursuit also gains the sportier Fairmont Ghia steering rack. New tuned Delphi dampers are specified front and rear.

The proven rear suspension formula from the previous Pursuit 250 of re-profiled Falcon XR8 springs and uprated dampers continues in the new FPV Pursuit.

The longer wheelbase of the ute has always endowed the Pursuit with exceptional sure-footedness and BA changes have further enhanced its exceptional straight line stability, precise steering feel and grip.

*The BA Falcon suspension system won the Silver Award at the 2002 Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia (SAE-A) Engineering Excellence Awards.

For further information, please contact:
Sinead McAlary
Ford Australia Communications
Phone: 03-9359 8498
Fax: 03-9359 8900

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