Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

[95BlueStallion]

DD's are just that. Get you around town, suffer through the door dings and family messes, and get traded/sold when the time comes. Our toys need to be treasured for all of eternity. While I sometimes cringe a little when my kiddos spill in my SRT, I know its function and that is life. My heart isnt broken.

In other news, no work being done on the car tonight. Wife is off work today, boys are in great moods wanting to wrestle and play, and dinner is in the oven making the house smell great. Most likely will start the rear end tomorrow night though. I am getting excited to see how it sits on the new wheels.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Havent been able to achieve more progress this week. I have had a lot going on with the fam, and my wife has not been feeling well basically rendering me single dad status. Being cold outside, the boys arent excited to come in the garage with me. In my down time, I have been pondering something. As I have stated before, a big part of the allure of this car was its bone stock status. The color combo and turbine wheels that my high school car had. Going 5 lug so I could have the better front brakes has screwed up the ability to keep the turbine wheels. I have kicked around trying to find someone to make a one off version in 17" or 18", but then stumbled on these Shelby wheels. I always liked them in a 20" on an S197, but what do think of me running them in an 18" on the fox. I think they have a SMALL resemblance to turbines (enough to keep a stockish theme), and would be much more affordable than a custom one off wheel. I had a set of 20" Shelby CS wheels on my '11, and the clear started peeling after about a year and half. That is my only real hesitation. I guess I could always get them painted or powder coated bright silver like stock turbines though.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I want those.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Personally, I have always thought of those wheels as being only marginally better than hubcaps. Wheels are reversible, so do what you want.

 

[RaggedGT]

Havent been able to achieve more progress this week. I have had a lot going on with the fam, and my wife has not been feeling well basically rendering me single dad status. Being cold outside, the boys arent excited to come in the garage with me. In my down time, I have been pondering something. As I have stated before, a big part of the allure of this car was its bone stock status. The color combo and turbine wheels that my high school car had. Going 5 lug so I could have the better front brakes has screwed up the ability to keep the turbine wheels. I have kicked around trying to find someone to make a one off version in 17" or 18", but then stumbled on these Shelby wheels. I always liked them in a 20" on an S197, but what do think of me running them in an 18" on the fox. I think they have a SMALL resemblance to turbines (enough to keep a stockish theme), and would be much more affordable than a custom one off wheel. I had a set of 20" Shelby CS wheels on my '11, and the clear started peeling after about a year and half. That is my only real hesitation. I guess I could always get them painted or powder coated bright silver like stock turbines though.

My Honest opinion-Those wheels are killer- And if you change your mind later you can put em on the charger lol

 

[95BlueStallion]

I want those.

Mike, I put in a low ball best offer on Ebay for a set of four in 18". They have black where the gray is though. If you really like them, they are priced really well versus buying them new, and I doubt my offer will be accepted.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Personally, I have always thought of those wheels as being only marginally better than hubcaps. Wheels are reversible, so do what you want.

In high school I hated the turbine wheels, but couldnt afford to upgrade. Now, they tug on my heart strings because of "the look." I agree that they are not the best looking factory wheel by a long shot though.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Any tricks for pressing in wheel studs with the axles off the vehicle? Tried using my vice with a deep socket on one side, and that didnt work very well.

 

[General karthief]

Harbor freight vice?
All jokes aside (was that a joke?) If you gots a air gun and a lug nut take a washer against the flange with some type of lube and a nut biggerr than the stud than the lugnut backwards. Now some replacement studs have a bigger shank so be carful you don't make it crown around the hole
Someone may have a better way, I'm no expert,
Oh, and wear safety glasses, gloves and don't forget to hold you tongue in the LEFT side of your mouth.

 

[mikestang63]

• take the stud and slide it through the axle flange- spray it with some WD40 or other lube
  
• take four 1/2" inch washers and slide them over the stud
• use an open end lug nug that you don't care about and spin it on the stud until it is tight on the washers
• using an air gun- you can also use a breaker bar and socket but it wil take longer- tighten down the lug nut until it pulls the stud flush with the back of the axle flange
• loosen the lug nug
• remove the washers
  
• repeat for the other studs

 

[95BlueStallion]

I actually tried that with a wheel spacer I had laying around, and the impact didnt come close to pulling them through. Looks like I need better tools. I replaced all ten studs on the ass of the charger by using a lug nut, wheel spacer, and my floor jack handle on a breaker bar. That worked well, but the axles were mounted on the car. May have to install these axles and try that method again.

 

[95BlueStallion]

BTW, thanks for replies guys. I may go buy a nice vise and impact since I am in need. If that doesnt work, then install the axles and go the breaker bar/jack handle method.

@karthief , not sure where I bought the vise years ago, but I know it was cheap. Irwin brand.

 

[General karthief]

I feel ya on the cheep, make sure those studs are the right ones, should'n be that hard to install them, where did you get the studs?

 

[95BlueStallion]

The studs came with the axles via LMR.

I got out there again for a bit, and managed to go backwards. I rotated one axle and allowed the damn center spider gears to fall out. Had a hell of a time trying to get up in there and get them aligned right, so I called it quits and cleaned up for the night. Tomorrow is another day, and I will have some rubber gloves rather than mechanics gloves to try to slip my hands in there easier. Wish the studs would have just come in the axles. Wouldve had them slipped in and done already, rather than dicking around so much and screwing stuff up.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

The studs came with the axles via LMR.

I got out there again for a bit, and managed to go backwards. I rotated one axle and allowed the damn center spider gears to fall out. Had a hell of a time trying to get up in there and get them aligned right, so I called it quits and cleaned up for the night. Tomorrow is another day, and I will have some rubber gloves rather than mechanics gloves to try to slip my hands in there easier. Wish the studs would have just come in the axles. Wouldve had them slipped in and done already, rather than dicking around so much and screwing stuff up.

Hey Nick, do what Mike suggests with the washers.

A wheel spacer will allow the torque of the wrench to spread away from pulling the lug into place.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Will do tomorrow!

 

[General karthief]

I would give lmr a call. Axel studs should not be that hard to install, if you got your old axels pop one out and compare them and the holes. If an impact didn't do it than likely wrong size.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Beat them btchs in from behind w/ a BFH.

 

[hoopty5.0]

Beat them btchs in from behind w/ a BFH.

Beat me to it.

Also - do some research of the effects of the powder coating process on wheels. Not good stuff can happen.

 

[Mustang5L5]

man those Shelby wheels look great, but also look like a PITA to keep clean.

Save your turbines, they look clean. Plus if you ever wanted to go back to stock, you always could.

I wish I kept my stock 10holes. They were prob a 9.5 out of 10, and I sold them for $100. Not that I'd ever put them back on as I'm too far gone with my brake setup now, but I would have loved to have all my original parts kept. My original LX tails are another long-gone part.