Testing the Mustang's biggest flaw: Solid Axle vs IRS

Опубликовано 13 ноября 2025, 15:01

The Ford Mustang gets a bad rap from two things: its old-school solid rear axle, and the number of drivers who crash them because they don't understand it. We're here to help.

In a car or truck with a solid axle, the two rear wheels are connected, so whatever is happening on one side is effecting the other. For example, if you're going through a curve and hit a bump with the inside wheel, those forces get transferred through the axle to the outside wheel.

Now, if you're speeding through a corner, the Mustang's weight shifts to the outside, so that outside rear wheel is the one giving you all the grip and power to keep going in the direction you want. But if that inside wheel hits a big bump, it can suddenly destabilize the outside wheel, whose tire is already right on the edge of what it can handle. That's how a crash happens.

Far more people are used to cars with independent rear suspension, like this Toyota FR-S, where the two wheels aren't directly connected to each other. This means that in the exact same situation, the inside wheel hitting a bump won't really do anything to the outside wheel, which will continue gripping and sending you through the curve.

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