I've been thinking about going 5-lug for awhile and may be able to get a great deal on 98 or 99 Cobra wheels (the good looking ones you rarely see). On the front, can I just use SN-95 spindles and brakes with SN-95 ball-joints in the stock control arms or are the lower control arms different?
Second...on the rear, I have a Fox-mustang 8.8 that is currently drum...If I were to convert it to a 5-lug...could I use SN-95 axles and rear brake goodies...or do I have to use axles out of something wacky?
Thanks in advance,
Don
U don't need to axle all u need is to get the Backing plate (u will need to probley modify the bracket.) U will aslo need the rotors bearings, calipers, pads and brake cable that goes from the master cylinder and u will need a master cylinder for a 4 wheel disc brakes u can probley use the SN-95 mustang brake cyling as long as if u have a 5.0 in it u use a 5.0 SN-95 master cylinder and V-6 use a V-6 master cylinder.
how would it be 5 lug if he didn't use the axels? Yes, 94-98 mustang axels and brakes, no modding, just bolting. You will also need to gut the stock prop valve and add an aftermarket unit. 87-88 Turbo coupe parking brake cables will connect your parking brake
Front, sn stuff works with your arms but will add about an inch (?? I forget the actual figure) per side.
Don, you've got it exactly right. everything you suggested should swap over to your current struts, and rear axle.
Brett, dont bother reading 88turboidiots posts.
LOL, well, hopefully at least the corrections will keep it from happening next time :D
and Don, let us know ho it goes!
Thanks guys...so the stock master cyl will be okay?...or should I step up to the likes of an SVO master?
Adding an inch in track width(per side) in the front kind of scares me a little...
It's probably going to be awhile before I can really get down to doing this...I have to start scouring the yards for cheap parts and I'll have to source another set of '99 SVT wheels cheap...with car insurance and the holidays coming up, along with the fact that I need a new engine...well, it kinda slows progress a little.
thanks again,
Don
I thought the front track width would remain about the same. Am I wrong? The Bullitt, Cobra and Mustang wheels all look about right on the Birds with the SN95 conversion. Seems to me that they'd stick out way too far if the track was increased that much.
Sick88, I have all the parts to do this conversion. I'm just waiting for the time to do it. From all that I've read, the best master cylinder to use is the SN95 master cylinder. The best power booster to use would be from a '93 Cobra (available from Advance Auto). Allegedly, that combination will give you the best pedal feel with the least amount of needed modification.
If you are currently running the Fox Mustang rear, you can use the SN95 axles. Your track will increase about 3/4 on each side.
Yeah, you'd need to go with a different MC. And yes, the track width is widened. I put my 98 cobra front brakes (v6 and gt are the same) and 94 spindles on and my 95 R's got pushed out the fenderwells. That's why I switched to the shorter mustang arms. But if you get wheels with the right offset you'll be fine.
And yes Ivy, thanks for adding that. It's true about the rear. But the reality is that you would have LOST 3/4" per side going from 'bird to mustang rear end and putting the 94-98 axels/brakes will bring you back to a turbo coupe rear width.
Don,
If you use the '94-'95 spindles, you will keep the same track width. The '96-'04 spindles will increase the width 8mm per side.
The problem most people have with width is when they put the very common 17x9 Cobra "R" rims, on or another 9" with wheel with a similar offset.
If you go with a 7" or 8" wide rim with the proper offset and you shouldn't have an issue.
Brent
:cougarsmily:
Thanks Brent, I plan to run the '99 SVT 17X8's...I think they're 8" wide...I'll have to double check.
Yes, the fox mustang rear looks a little out of place and gaining back some rear track width would be pretty sweet.
Thanks again to all who've contributed!
-Don
look in drivetrain tech , the sticky's there are more information than you could ever expect. bondocougar did a find job detailing things out and so did jim miller.
'94-'95 spindles increase track width a bit. If my math was right ~11mm per side.
'96-'04 add on another 5/8 mm - depending on which Ford engineer you listen to.
94-95 spindles with t-bird stock arms work the best,the track increase is minimal and not even noticeable.
I run stock 1994 front spindles and brakes with 18x9 24mm offset fr500's and it looks perfect in the front,no sticking out past the fender at all.
If you run the 96-04 spindles as stated above then yes you will incure more track width so the 94-95 is the way to go.
24mm offset is what you are looking for,i believe the stock offset on our cars was 22mm and the stang was 24mm,so when running stang suspension use the 24mm.
Now if you want to go deep dish in the rear then you need to run 22mm offset to allow for the dish.
Take it from the guys who have done the swap and have fitting combinations not the guys who are trying to do the math.
Real world always works in the end.
I read the NATO introustions on how to do it and yes u do need the axles I thought u didn't sorry. Here is a basic way to do it, u can use mustang parts up front too.
http://natomessageboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=018500
I had always heard that with the ’94-’95 spindles you retained the stock track width, and this is what one of the 5-lug conversion magazine articles had stated as well so I just took it as fact. But since you say otherwise, I thought I should do some measuring of my own. ;)
I took my a-arm and mounted my ’88 Turbo Coupe spindle and brake rotor on it. Then I used my level to position the face of the rotor perpendicular to the surface of the bench and with a pencil made a mark on the bench where the bottom of the level met the bench.
Then without moving the a-arm, I mounted the ’94 spindle, hub & rotor on it and repeated the same steps and it was 2 mm narrower than the ’88 set-up. If you add to that the thickness of the rotor (the last one I measured was 6mm), it would be about 4 mm.
Brent
:cougarsmily:
No,
Lincoln Mark VII parts up front. And that setup depends on what wheels you want to run holmes. Unless you have a hammer and a grinder in your toolbox. And just an FYI, that link only applies to 87-88TCs. ;)
Then my math
was teh suck (or more likely my measuring). Thanks for settling that.
I tried to be as close as I could and put the bubble at the exact same spot both times. I was going to use my 6-1/2 foot level which I believe would be more accurate but the ceiling was in the way. So I'm not going to say that this 4mm measurement is dead on 100% correct but it sure does bring some light to the subject. ;)
Brent
:cougarsmily: