Not your normal wheel/tire/brakes fitment thread.

[DeathWobble]

Hi.

I've done some forum searching and I haven't found anything that fits my issue. In my defense you have a LOT of threads about it, but I hope to lean on you guys who spend a lot of time here and may know just where to look.

Or maybe someone has some knowledge they haven't shared yet that will be just what I need.

My car arrived a few days ago, and as predicted, when I put myself in the seat the car made it known where it wanted me to start work on it.

I have to put wheels and tires on it first, and the reason for that is I have to make room for brakes.

Because the only reason the brakes work at all is because there's so much rust in the system that it makes a partial seal. I mean everything. Must. Go.

I want a 17" Magnum replacement like these, or more precisely these:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-lw50-70754a/overview/

But width and backspacing is giving me fits, so I hope to pick a few brains for some been there, done that help.

I don't want to hammer the wheel wells or roll the fenders, I just want to try to get something as wide as possible for a nice summer-only tire with a good contact patch that fits without rubbing.

Then once I've made room for it I have to hand my wallet over to Baer for some brake parts and ask them to be gentle.

Once I have it stopping I can then turn my attention to the extremely tired, very saggy suspension. At which point if I haven't found any recent info I'll bug for some advice on coilover suspension kits.

Have some mercy, please, and give me some guru advice?

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

So . . . for starters what brakes are on your car?

I would recommend checking your brake lines condition as well as the master and booster before starting any work. While the factory brakes were not as robust as modern braking systems, when in good condition it is more than enough for most street driving.

Converting to rear Discs will nearly guarantee that you will not be able to use 15" wheels in the future.

255's will fit all around with the right back spacing. (wheel width will matter, but on a 9" wheel 4" works well up front and 4.5" works well in back-so that gives you a starting point)

A problem with 17's is finding a proper tire height-most everything is going to be 26" or less, so it will change your gear ratio a bit relative to factory tire sizes.

My baer rear disc conversion bracket failed and put my caliper through a wheel. Now I use a steel bracket from Mustang Steve

A conversion to a newer mustang's stock parts will make parts and servicing much cheaper. The Baer rear brake calipers I had were just later model mustang rears from 1999 cars IIRC

Factory front calipers are not bad pieces, one mistake many make is to use ceramic race pads and they find their cars don't stop well. Not enough heat and friction is generated but with metallic pads they perk right up.

You will need to choose the correct master cylinder and whether or not you want power. A manual brake pedal is necessary if you want to eliminate the booster and getting the properly sized MC goes a long way. your other choices dictate the size, so 15/16ths bore for manual brakes and 1 1/16 bore for power brakes are starting points-but multi piston calipers etc will all cause that to vary a bit.

Good luck, but if it were me, I'd look for adapter kits to use factory parts

 

[Bentworker]

It would be nice to have a cross section drawing of those wheels. With that you could see what brakes will fit. The wheel width and backspacing of the ones you showed the link to should be an easy fit - on the car. Making sure the wheel clears the calipers you choose will be the trick. Personally I have found that you can’t go wider than 8 or 8.5” up front without splitting hairs. In back wider is possible but you must increase backspacing.

This may or may not make any sense...

So wheel manufacturers talk offset in backspacing. But, on a car what we care about is “front spacing”. Because the main question is “are they going to rub on the fenders”

So on my car I have 8.5” wide 17” wheels with 4.75” BS. 8.5-4.75=3.75” “frontspacing”

No matter what wheel you choose I don’t believe you can go higher than 3.75” “frontspacing” on the front or rear of the car without rolling the fenders.

The wheels you chose are 7” with 4.25” BS. So 7-4.25” = 2.75” “frontspacing”

Those wheels will give you plenty of room, but may look a little too far “in” depending on your taste.

Also don’t overlook other brake setups.

https://www.streetortrack.com/Street-or-Track-11-Rear-Disk-Brake-Kit-pr-24725.html

https://www.mustangsteve.com/product-category/rear-disc-brake-conversion-brackets/

 

[DeathWobble]

Thank you for the advice!

The car has factory power disc brakes on the front. I was going to change the brakes to Baer later on, so since I have to do brakes now I'm just going to go ahead and get the ones I wanted to do later. I use brakes hard.

I've had experience with rust in a brake system before, and while it's overkill and I admit it, I went through so many master cylinders on one car that I want to replace everything, my brake fluid is actually gritty. So everything from the master cylinder down has to go - lines and all - or I won't feel good about the repair. I didn't have any luck with flushing brake lines last time around.

I linked that wheel without even thinking: I just wanted to show the style, I'm not married to the width, I'd try to go wider if I can. Maybe a little wider on the back.

When I was a kid I had some 15x10s with L-60s on them and they looked good but they rubbed on every bump. You know, after my air shocks died and I never bothered replacing them. *cough*

 

[donkost]

Ah the good old days of L-60's sticking way out. I remember some cars that had bodywork on the wheel openings and it would get cracked up from hitting the tires after some mean bumps. Well it was like a rubber bump stop, right?

 

[DeathWobble]

Ah the good old days of L-60's sticking way out.  I remember some cars that had bodywork on the wheel openings and it would get cracked up from hitting the tires after some mean bumps.  Well it was like a rubber bump stop, right? 

I always considered it a razor blade using a balloon as a trampoline, but your description would have probably helped me sleep better at night.

 

[TommyK]

I have Nitto 255/50r17 tires which are 27" diameter on the rear of my vert. Fills up the wheel well pretty nicely.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Someone had mentioned the diameter of the master cylinder piston and had said that PB was larger. On the factory brake systems the drum brakes have a 1" diameter master cylinder and the PDB has a 15/16". I am 100% positive of this have rebuilt many over the years and just did two in last year and sold a set off parts car also. 

When you go with aftermarket brakes the wheels clearing on the inside become a gamble unless you can physically put one on to check. 

Not too long ago I was going to mover cars around in garage and I had a set of SVO wheels laying there 16" and was going to put on to move the car. They would not clear the front calipers even though an SVO has the calipers and discs off the Lincoln on them. The 73 caliper would not clear. 

You can cut you a disc out of plywood to put on the front and rear the same diameter of the tire you want to run and do some measuring from that to get close. A straight edge will work most of the time for getting measurements.

 

[DeathWobble]

I have Nitto 255/50r17 tires which are 27" diameter on the rear of my vert. Fills up the wheel well pretty nicely.

Thank you!

 

[DeathWobble]

Someone had mentioned the diameter of the master cylinder piston and had said that PB was larger. On the factory brake systems the drum brakes have a 1" diameter master cylinder and the PDB has a 15/16". I am 100% positive of this have rebuilt many over the years and just did two in last year and sold a set off parts car also. 

When you go with aftermarket brakes the wheels clearing on the inside become a gamble unless you can physically put one on to check. 

Not too long ago I was going to mover cars around in garage and I had a set of SVO wheels laying there 16" and was going to put on to move the car. They would not clear the front calipers even though an SVO has the calipers and discs off the Lincoln on them. The 73 caliper would not clear. 

You can cut you a disc out of plywood to put on the front and rear the same diameter of the tire you want to run and do some measuring from that to get close. A straight edge will work most of the time for getting measurements.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Someone had mentioned the diameter of the master cylinder piston and had said that PB was larger. On the factory brake systems the drum brakes have a 1" diameter master cylinder and the PDB has a 15/16". I am 100% positive of this have rebuilt many over the years and just did two in last year and sold a set off parts car also. 

When you go with aftermarket brakes the wheels clearing on the inside become a gamble unless you can physically put one on to check. 

Not too long ago I was going to mover cars around in garage and I had a set of SVO wheels laying there 16" and was going to put on to move the car. They would not clear the front calipers even though an SVO has the calipers and discs off the Lincoln on them. The 73 caliper would not clear. 

You can cut you a disc out of plywood to put on the front and rear the same diameter of the tire you want to run and do some measuring from that to get close. A straight edge will work most of the time for getting measurements.

You are taking what I said out of context. We are discussing a custom brake set up, not a factory set up. He's not looking to run 4 wheel drum brakes. A car with manual brakes has a pedal with a different ratio and therefore more stroke. If running 4 wheel disc brakes without a booster 15/16th is the preferred diameter. If using a PDB booster, then the larger diameter is necessary to maintain the necessary fluid volume required of rear disc brakes.

Your recollection of Ford parts not withstanding, I stand by the accuracy of the information I provided. You write nice long explanations-they are quite impressive at times, but this time you read with a bias towards keeping cars original, which the OP made very clear was not his intent.

 

[mustang7173]

DeathWobble,

I have the 17 inch Bullitt wheels on my 1973 coupe with the Eibach 1 inch Pro Sport spacers. I was not crazy about this setup. I popped out the existing studs on both the spacer and wheel hubs. Inserted back into the wheel hubs ARP wheel studs and slid the spacers onto the studs.

Per Jeff73Mach1 statement on the 255 tires, I am running the 245/45 ZR17 tires. The fit really nice.





Several Forum members went with the rear disc brake conversions.I went this way to say money and conversion issues. I choose to go with the Master Powers Rear 11 inch Drum kit.  

https://www.mpbrakes.com/rear-brake-conversion-kit/1972-ford-mustang-legend-series-rear-drum.asp?catid=A2C991A2534F45D994A41D46270A89AE



Here is my thread!

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-big-ford-11-inch-brake-kit?highlight=drum

Wheel spacing information

 

[DeathWobble]

DeathWobble,

I have the 17 inch Bullitt wheels on my 1973 coupe with the Eibach 1 inch Pro Sport spacers. I was not crazy about this setup. I popped out the existing studs on both the spacer and wheel hubs. Inserted back into the wheel hubs ARP wheel studs and slid the spacers onto the studs.

Per Jeff73Mach1 statement on the 255 tires, I am running the 245/45 ZR17 tires. The fit really nice.





Several Forum members went with the rear disc brake conversions.I went this way to say money and conversion issues. I choose to go with the Master Powers Rear 11 inch Drum kit.  

https://www.mpbrakes.com/rear-brake-conversion-kit/1972-ford-mustang-legend-series-rear-drum.asp?catid=A2C991A2534F45D994A41D46270A89AE



Here is my thread!

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-big-ford-11-inch-brake-kit?highlight=drum

Wheel spacing information

Thank you!

 

[DeathWobble]

Hi.

So a Wilwood 4-wheel brake conversion and some 17x8s on the front and 18x9.5s on the back (235/45/17 and 265/40/18) later along with some Chris Alston bolt on coilovers, leafs, adjustable shocks, various replacement suspension parts, a new sway bar and a quick ratio box later, this is what I have so far (as it sits at the alignment shop):





Before you ask for details, full disclosure: I spent a ton of money on my garage so I'd have the tools and conveniences I never had when I did all my own work when I was a kid.

And then discovered that having all that stuff still didn't make new hours in the day for me to have time to do it myself, so a very patient, very talented shop did it all for me. So I can't answer any 'how did you do its' because I didn't do it myself.

I think it could stand going up an inch in the back but it's growing on me to be honest.

Next: Saving up for a radiator to differential power train upgrade.

Thank you everyone for the advice, help and photos.

 

[73429mach]

Those wheels look very nice with the white and black! Ryan

 

[DeathWobble]

Those wheels look very nice with the white and black! Ryan

Thanks!

I was not sold on them until I saw them on the car, but until I change the color (it's the factory correct white now, but I'm a medium gold metallic guy) they'll be perfect.

Once I go gold I'll see how they look but I may go chrome at that point.

 

[B229218]

Hi.

So a Wilwood 4-wheel brake conversion and some 17x8s on the front and 18x9.5s on the back (235/45/17 and 265/40/18) later along with some Chris Alston bolt on coilovers, leafs, adjustable shocks, various replacement suspension parts, a new sway bar and a quick ratio box later, this is what I have so far (as it sits at the alignment shop):





Before you ask for details, full disclosure: I spent a ton of money on my garage so I'd have the tools and conveniences I never had when I did all my own work when I was a kid.

And then discovered that having all that stuff still didn't make new hours in the day for me to have time to do it myself, so a very patient, very talented shop did it all for me. So I can't answer any 'how did you do its' because I didn't do it myself.

I think it could stand going up an inch in the back but it's growing on me to be honest.

Next: Saving up for a radiator to differential power train upgrade.

Thank you everyone for the advice, help and photos.

Needs taller tires out back. That would bring the back up too. Overall, an outstanding ride. ::thumb::

 

[DeathWobble]

Hi.

So a Wilwood 4-wheel brake conversion and some 17x8s on the front and 18x9.5s on the back (235/45/17 and 265/40/18) later along with some Chris Alston bolt on coilovers, leafs, adjustable shocks, various replacement suspension parts, a new sway bar and a quick ratio box later, this is what I have so far (as it sits at the alignment shop):





Before you ask for details, full disclosure: I spent a ton of money on my garage so I'd have the tools and conveniences I never had when I did all my own work when I was a kid.

And then discovered that having all that stuff still didn't make new hours in the day for me to have time to do it myself, so a very patient, very talented shop did it all for me. So I can't answer any 'how did you do its' because I didn't do it myself.

I think it could stand going up an inch in the back but it's growing on me to be honest.

Next: Saving up for a radiator to differential power train upgrade.

Thank you everyone for the advice, help and photos.

Needs taller tires out back. That would bring the back up too. Overall, an outstanding ride. ::thumb::

I'm a little torn about raising the rear up. On the one had I feel like it could stand it, on the other it's growing on me as-is.

Now that the nose is out of the air I'm a lot more happy with the stance.

And thank you!