Does this mean I can fit a 17x9 wheel up front?

wicked93gs · Mar 7, 2009

Well, I would like to put a set of FR500 style wheels on my 66, but they only come in 17x9(at the smallest) while thats fine for the back, up front I understand on stock mustangs wider wheels will hit the spindle or UCA, is this correct?

Well, today I finished the initial install of my Mustang II front suspension(I say initial because I'll have to take it all back apart to paint it, grind welds, sand the engine bay, etc etc, so its only together to be rolled around) anyway, heres a picture that makes me believe with I might be able to fit 17x9s

now this is a 15x7(I think its 7" wide) wheel, as you can see the entire LCA, UCA, tie rod, etc fits inside the rim....so I am thinking I could run 17x9s(being even larger and having more room without hitting anything

latamud · Mar 7, 2009

You and I have discussed this before. I know your picture might look like your 17x9s will work, and you are running a non stock suspension. Let's start with what we know, 17x8 with 4.75 bs will work on the front of a 66. You want to run a 17x9 with 6" of bs. On a stock suspension you would need to space that wheel out 1.25" so the tire doesn't rub the frame rails when the steering is turned lock to lock. But, since the wheel is 1" wider, and the 275 wide tire is also 1/2" wider per side than a 245 wide tire, it would be similar to slapping 1.5" to the outward side of a 17x8 with a 245 tire. Without flaring I see 2 other ways to get a 17x9 up front.
If your MII suspension changes the track width, which is the distance center to center of the tires, that only affects the thickness of spacer you're might or might not need. The minimum distance from the inner edges of the tires should remain regardless of what suspension and/or wheels/tires you use. This minimum distance is the point to where if you go narrower the tires will rub the frame at full turn of the steering. So 1 other way to get a 17x9 without flaring the fender would be to do something similar to a mini-tub. You make more inner clearance so the tires don't hit the frame rails. So, to keep the outer edge of the 17x9 the frame rails and fender aprons would need to move closer together about 1.5" per side, or 3" total narrower. I think at that point you wouldn't have space for headers.
I imagine your MII suspension stays somewhere close to stock track width.
The second way to get a 17x9 up front without flaring the fender would be to raise the front end allowing the tires to stick out of the fender lips.
But, I'm the type of guy that likes to do what people tell me can't be done. Maybe I'm missing something. I've been wrong before.
I did some research on this myself for my 17x9 on my 66.
You could have an FR500 narrowed.

latamud · Mar 7, 2009

Maybe if you used a 245 or narrower tire up front, may need to limit your turning radius a little too.

wicked93gs · Mar 7, 2009

ah well, worth a shot....I'll go for new mach 1 wheels instead since I don't want to mess with narrowing wheels....also the MII suspension has the same track as stock(or close enough to make no difference...I could trim the frame rail and gain maybe 1 inch on the inside(I had to trim them for the boxing plates anyway, but I could have trimmed them further up and further back for wheel clearance...may still end up doing it depending

Does this mean I can fit a 17x9 wheel up front?

wicked93gs

latamud

latamud

wicked93gs

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