• Mustang Forums
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Wheels came in today, springs come tomorrow.

  • Thread starter Thread starter ThePumpkin
  • Start date Start date Feb 27, 2009
  • 1
  • 2
Next
1 of 2 Next Last

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 27, 2009
#1
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #1
The 315 tires and rims just came in today.
I knew they would be big, but HOLY **** these things are HUGE!
There goes all those traction problems I've been having.
Sheesh.

I also ordered 2" lowering springs last week, which are due to come in tomorrow... or later today to be technical.

I am doing the spring swap myself.
I already have the spring compressor.
other than that, any suggestions/tips?

Here are some pictures of the wheels.


My old rear tire next to the new ones.
My old ones were 235/45-17
New- 315/35-17

 

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 27, 2009
#2
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #2
I guess this should be in 94-95 talk..
Oh well... move it if you want.
 
I

inphiniti

Active Member
Mar 15, 2003
412
3
28
Providence, RI
Feb 27, 2009
#3
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #3
looks like you needed some tires bad huh? they look awesome man... get pics of them on the car..

ive never lowered the rear of my car because at the time i was too lazy to do so lol... but 315s will prob rub, so you might have to beat in the inner fender, and roll the fenders and u might have to take the quad shocks out
 

BlackVert

15 Year Member
Oct 3, 2003
5,589
9
98
Bethesda, MD
Feb 27, 2009
#4
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #4
ThePumpkin said:
There goes all those traction problems I've been having.
Click to expand...

lol ... unless you drive when it is cold out. when it gets cold, tires like that have terrible traction. i know because i just had to replace my wheels and tires after my son lost traction in my car and went over a curb. it was 25 degrees out. it also bent my k-member and it is in the shop right now to see if they can straighten it with a frame machine.

i had fr500s 18x9 with toyo r-888 summer tires. great traction when it is warm, terrible when it is cold. now i have hot wheels 17x9 with falken 452 all season tires

looks great though and i hope you love them

ThePumpkin said:
I also ordered 2" lowering springs last week, which are due to come in tomorrow... or later today to be technical.
Click to expand...

heh ... i used to have 2" lowering springs. with them, the car scraped on every speed bump and bottomed out way too often. that caused my struts to fail. they also made it impossible to align the car with stock plates so i got some used caster/camber plates from a fellow stangnetter. they made the front end rattle like a mofo. i am now back to stock springs and stock CC plates. if i were going to lower it again, i would go 1" max.

the car looked awesome though sitting in a parking lot

sorry to be pointing pitfalls, but i have been there and have learned that it is not for me
 

BlackVert

15 Year Member
Oct 3, 2003
5,589
9
98
Bethesda, MD
Feb 27, 2009
#5
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #5
inphiniti said:
looks like you needed some tires bad huh? they look awesome man... get pics of them on the car..

ive never lowered the rear of my car because at the time i was too lazy to do so lol... but 315s will prob rub, so you might have to beat in the inner fender, and roll the fenders and u might have to take the quad shocks out
Click to expand...

i have read and heard that taking the quad shocks out causes the car to be much more susceptible to wheel hop
 

KamiKaziDK

Member
May 16, 2005
555
0
17
Mesa, Az
Feb 27, 2009
#6
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #6
It can....but generally buying some aftermarket control arms will fix that
 

94-302-vert

Active Member
Aug 16, 2004
1,947
2
36
NE CT
Feb 27, 2009
#7
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #7
You will still have traction problems... I have those tires in a 315 and they are OK... even OK in the winter but defnitley not what is going back on the rims once i wear these out.... trying to do that 2 gears at a time...
 
I

inphiniti

Active Member
Mar 15, 2003
412
3
28
Providence, RI
Feb 27, 2009
#8
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #8
KamiKaziDK said:
It can....but generally buying some aftermarket control arms will fix that
Click to expand...

exactly... i forgot to add that...
 

Adam95GT

New Member
Aug 14, 2006
2,564
3
0
Burlington, NJ
Feb 27, 2009
#9
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #9
You shouldnt need a spring compressor... i just had someone push down on the a-arm with their foot... and i popped the spring in place... its way easy... i also pulled out the old ones by tieing them to a rope and running away from the car...
 
X

XxFaceYourFear

15 Year Member
Jun 9, 2007
39
0
6
Feb 27, 2009
#10
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #10
Adam95GT said:
i also pulled out the old ones by tieing them to a rope and running away from the car...
Click to expand...

That paints a funny picture in my mind. I used a long crow bar to pry it out slowly so that it wouldn't shoot out and hit me or the car.
 

BlackVert

15 Year Member
Oct 3, 2003
5,589
9
98
Bethesda, MD
Feb 27, 2009
#11
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #11
XxFaceYourFear said:
That paints a funny picture in my mind. I used a long crow bar to pry it out slowly so that it wouldn't shoot out and hit me or the car.
Click to expand...

I'd be extremely nervous doing it that way. Seems to me spring compressors are a good thing to use for this project.
 

1987Rock

Member
May 2, 2007
114
0
16
Feb 27, 2009
#12
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #12
I just sold my old 2" drop springs. You definitely wanna look into getting some Fox struts and shocks because they're about 1" shorter than the ones for our cars. Loved the way the car looked and it handled great on a SMOOTH track, but on any kinda public road, it was like a buck board.

Definitely not good for dates either

I've got 1.5" drop springs now with Fox struts and shocks and it's an awesome setup. Looks great with aftermarket wheels, just low enough, but still clears speedbumps.

Hopefully the roads around you are alot smoother...enjoy!

Seeing those makes me wish I'd gone 17s w/315 instead of 18s w/275...oh well

Post up some pics when you get em installed!!:SNSign:
 

95BlueStallion

My assy trans to myself
15 Year Member
Feb 22, 2007
5,126
3,091
214
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Feb 27, 2009
#13
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #13
I have the same size wheels and tires sitting in my spare bedroom waiting for winter to come to an end. They are huge, and Im kinda glad I didnt stick with 275's! Should look awesome!
 

99FiveOh

15 Year Member
May 20, 2006
2,051
20
99
J-Ville, FL
Feb 27, 2009
#14
  • Feb 27, 2009
  • #14
When you let the A arm all the way down, the spring will have little to no load left on it, so prying it out with something is not dangerous whatsoever! Now, don't try to pry it out of there until the A arm is ALL THE WAY DOWN!!! Meaning, when you can remove the floor jack from under it with ease.

The rear can be kinda tricky, but a come along can really simplify the process of reinstalling the lower control arm after you swap the new spring on. Good luck!
 

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 28, 2009
#15
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #15
1987Rock said:
I just sold my old 2" drop springs. You definitely wanna look into getting some Fox struts and shocks because they're about 1" shorter than the ones for our cars. Loved the way the car looked and it handled great on a SMOOTH track, but on any kinda public road, it was like a buck board.

Definitely not good for dates either

I've got 1.5" drop springs now with Fox struts and shocks and it's an awesome setup. :
Click to expand...


They're actually good for 1.5"-2" drop... so we'll say 1.75" to be fair.
it said 2" but when I read the reviews it said that some poeple had 1.5 inch drop... Could that be because of engine size?
The springs are for a large number of year Mustangs including ALL engine types.
LoTech (spelling?) is the brand.
I know they're not the best brand, but Im trying to get my tax refund to stretch as far as i can... Plus they come with a lifetime warranty.
So if I dont like them, they're going back


As for the spring compressor, Im gonna go ahead and use it anyway. hell, its free... so why not be safe?

The weather in Missouri is looking like snow for today.. which is the day I picked to put on the springs and tires. But if its going to snow, Im just going to leave the stock rims on for now. I guess its going to have to wait a week
and i'll definitely have pictures up
Hopefully the tires wont rub, rolling the wheel-well doesn't sound like fun.
Thanks for the input.
And more would be greatly appreciated.
 

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 28, 2009
#16
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #16
Adam95GT said:
... i also pulled out the old ones by tieing them to a rope and running away from the car...
Click to expand...

HAHA!
I'll pass.
That sounds like some fun though
Back in my shop class in High school, there was a kid who completely forgot about the compressor (we were required to use one)... and when he undid the center bolt on the strut, the spring went clear up to the roof, and made a good sized dent.
After seeing that, Im too hesitant to be that cavalier.

Maybe after I toss down a few.... I mean hell, thats what the whole college experience is all about
doing the dumbest **** one can think of while trashed.
HA!
I love my car too much for that
 

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 28, 2009
#17
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #17
BlackVert said:
sorry to be pointing pitfalls, but i have been there and have learned that it is not for me
Click to expand...


Thats the exact advice Im looking for.
Thanks!

We'll see how the springs go

 

deftsound

Please ask me how much my supercharger cost
Apr 6, 2004
945
1
39
Texas City TX
Feb 28, 2009
#18
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #18
haha, you'll still have traction problems if you are making any kind of decent power. Even with my 315 BF dr's i still spin in my 99, of course its s/c....

I have 315's on my 94 and they don't seem to rub at all....
 

99FiveOh

15 Year Member
May 20, 2006
2,051
20
99
J-Ville, FL
Feb 28, 2009
#19
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #19
I'm telling you from experience, the spring compressors are a waste of time. They're very cumbersome devices and you'll be there all day trying to get them to fit in there good and it's just a big PITA. I rented a compressor from Autozone and was out there for 30 minutes fiddling with it and my friend came out and had the spring out and on the ground in 2 minutes. It didnt' come flying out or anything like that. Once the spring is decompressed, all the stored energy is released, so there's nothing to make it fly out at you.

If you afraid of it flying out, tie a rope or wrap a chain around it while working with it. That's alot quicker than messing with the spring compressor.

Just my .02
 

ThePumpkin

New Member
Jan 26, 2009
55
0
0
Missouri
Feb 28, 2009
#20
  • Feb 28, 2009
  • #20
The_Mustang said:
I'm telling you from experience, the spring compressors are a waste of time. They're very cumbersome devices and you'll be there all day trying to get them to fit in there good and it's just a big PITA. I rented a compressor from Autozone and was out there for 30 minutes fiddling with it and my friend came out and had the spring out and on the ground in 2 minutes. It didnt' come flying out or anything like that. Once the spring is decompressed, all the stored energy is released, so there's nothing to make it fly out at you.

If you afraid of it flying out, tie a rope or wrap a chain around it while working with it. That's alot quicker than messing with the spring compressor.

Just my .02
Click to expand...


The last time I did anything with springs was about 2 years ago in shop class back in highschool.
I know I know Im young, but I have done it multiple times before.
The spring compressor just seems like a matter of opinion.
Im sure I could do just fine without it.
And I will try to, but if I need it, its going to be right next to me the whole time.


Myabe i can get my car buddies together, toss back a few , tie a rope to the spring, and run like hell, see what heppens.

Honestly i dont see how you can do it without the compressor. How am I supposed to take it off the strut without it flying off?
I thought the front was coil on strut... or mcPhrearson (spelling?)
and I thought that needed a spring compressor.
Even if Im wrong, Im not worried about it. I've done work with all types of suspension without any problems thus far, but I've always used the compressor.
Getting it done is not what im worried about... just after, like the wheel rubbing. Which apparently has a great chance of happening.
If you can provide pictures or a play-by-play of how to get it done without the compressor, that would be nice.

And just in case anyone was wondering, I am a College at the moment.
My major is Areospace engineering At Mizzou
I've only had the car since the beginning of November so I still have a lot to learn about it.
Although i have done a good amount of engine work in my time, so dont think too down of me. im just not that familiar with my car yet
 
  • 1
  • 2
Next
1 of 2 Next Last
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

305-45-17 tires on Pony wheels (17")?
  • TTSaleen
  • Mar 1, 2026
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
4
Views
501
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Mar 1, 2026
limp
18” vs. 17” wheels on fox
  • dz01
  • Nov 14, 2024
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
  • 2
Replies
26
Views
2K
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Nov 28, 2024
2000xp8
E
2007 GT Stalls when lights or a/c turned on
  • ejscarfo
  • Jun 22, 2026
  • 2005 - 2009 Specific Tech
Replies
2
Views
138
2005 - 2009 Specific Tech Jun 29, 2026
ejscarfo
E
Progress Thread The Mach Returns - Update/build thread
  • squeak93
  • Feb 20, 2026
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
Replies
5
Views
350
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk- Jun 1, 2026
squeak93
A
2001 Mustang GT, scorched metal smell and noise from trans/diff?
  • AndyE2255
  • Dec 1, 2025
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
Replies
4
Views
467
SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech Dec 28, 2025
gkomo
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Mustang Forums
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?