Rear axle mounting
I have removed the rubber sandwich and related parts on Alpha Cat. I made it resemble the Mustang setup (that doesn't use the rubber), mounting the axle pads directly on the springs, but I had to retain the angle wedges to keep the correct pinion angle. For most street driven Cougars this is not necessary, but for serious race duty, it may be required.
I was getting a rear end shudder that mimicked a rapid wheel hop as that rubber protested a dragstrip launch with slicks. I was also experiencing a shift of the rear end. It was trying to climb through the rubber, sliding front to back, and that angles the rear end housing in relation to the chassis, making the car take off in weird directions. Changing over to the Mustang-style axle mounting also simplified running my J-bolt traction bars, although I had to lengthen them so the snubber indexes on the front spring eye.