[LuisO]

Hi guys, I'm trying to plan out my wheels/tires choices. I've always read about the "pin drive arms" and thought about it as something I wouldn't need cause I didn't want pin drive wheels.

Now I'm researching putting 315s in the rear (I know I have to mod the frame) and see that a lot of guys are using the pin drive arms (David Borden, Jeff in NorCal)

So my question is, is this a preferred setup for 315s? why? can I use pin drive arms without pin drive wheels? pardon my ignorance.

 

[LuisO]

Well, I read some more and aswered some of my Q.
Pin drive is for the deep dish look, but regular arms can accomodate 315s too, right?

Also, Jeff, what kind of spindles are you using up front, and does it matter?, I might just duplicate your setup, Buying non-returnable wheels is something I don't want to screw up on.

Thanks.

 

[xracerbob]

Luis- I basically duplicated Jeff's and David's set up. You are correct, Pin drive is used for the deep dish look. It is not necessary for the 315's. I'm using regular 5 lug wheels, same sizes and offset's as Jeff. I used SN95 front spindles because I wanted to use the 13" Cobra front brakes.

 

[LuisO]

Thanks Bob,

So please detail your setup just to be sure, front and back and what would be the backspace if I go with regular arms?

Also are you using a sway bar? I just spoke with Craig Mapstone and he said they have a new setup with narrower bar that might fit the 315s

Thanks a bunch.

 

[xracerbob]

Luis- In the front I am not using pin drive suspension and my wheels are 17x9 with 6" backspace. I have 275/40-17 tires and they don't hit. They are close, but there is enough clearance. Front brakes are Cobra 13" with the sn95 spindles

In the rear, I have the pin drive irs as mentioned and 17x11 with the 315's and frame mods. I am using the sway bar from Craig and I think I was the first one using it with pin drive rear. It fits really nice and looks good. One thing you must do if using the t-bird brakes is swap the spindles from side to side, which moves the caliper to the front side of the spindle. The sway bar will interfere with the calipers if you leave it in the original location. I also highly reccommend the VP poly bushings too.

I am not sure of the backspace if using standard IRS suspension. I think it would be either 6" or 6.5". I'm using Compomotive wheels which they can change the offset if need be.

 

[David Borden]

Luis,

Thats correct, Pin drive for deap dish look. Both will work.. but deap dish rules

Bob is correct about the front. Compomotive has centers to clear the Cobra brakes. You need to ask for it when ordering. Some rims clear those brakes, some dont.

Jeff is running standard 93 spindles, I am runnign SN95. Both work with the 6" BS on 9" rim up front.

My rear wheels are 11.5" with 5 inch BS. The 11"'s would want 4.5" bs I believe. Jeff can comment to be sure.

To get none pin drive BS, add 2.5" per wheel, the diff between the two arm lengths.

You need to make the frame mods to make it work.

David

 

[LuisO]

Thanks guys.
So to summarize:

Front 17x9 6" BS
Rear 17x11 4.5" (pin drive) 7" (non pin drive 4.5" + 2.5" as per David above)

I'll have Cobra brakes all around and American Racing Torq Thrust II. Will use the yet to be released Richard Oben's brackets which leave the calipers in the rear, and I want VPM's sway bar, so by what Bob says above, I can't use pin drive.

Do you guys see any problems with this setup?
Will the Cobra brakes (from DiscBrakesRUs) interfere with tese rims?

Thanks.

 

[xracerbob]

Luis- I'm not familiar with Richards brackets, but if they utilize the existing caliper mounting holes in the spindle, I don't see why you still couldn't use them and still flip the spindles side to side and go with pin drive if you wanted to. I would check with Richard.

I don't know if those wheels will clear the front brakes. Rears are usually not a problem.

Bob

 

[Larry N. Johnson]

The pin drive arms and axles narrows an IRS by about 9". The advantage is that you can then use a smaller backspace wheel to get the deep dish (original vintage) look. You can use bolt-on wheels with pin-drive option, just don't buy pin drive wheels.

You get a similar (deep dish vintage) effect with a narrowed rear.

Even without narrowing the rear you can use wide tires like 315's. The wheels then have to have more backspace so the wheel sits in the right place. If you do not narrow, you give up deep dish vintage look. You get the updated modern look.

Here are 315's mounted on a solid Fox axle narrowed 3" per side.

There is a small mod on the alum panel in front of the tire and the quad shock brakets were swap sides and moved inboard about 10"
Car owned by SOFAST Technology
Hope this helps. --LNJ

[ November 16, 2002, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: Larry N. Johnson ]

 

[David Borden]

Larry, FYI.. the FFR Pin Drive IRS narrows the rear 2.5" per side(approximately) for a total of 5"'s narrower than the stock 90's mustang rear.

Cheers,

David

 

[Larry N. Johnson]

David,
Yes you are correct, the pin drive narrows 2.5" per side compared to Fox 59 1/2", or with the kit to 54 1/2" net.

But compared to the T-Bird stock 63 1/2", the pin drive option narrows 4 1/2 per side x 2 sides = 9" total to 54 1/2" net.

They don't say that in tha manual or anywhere else.

--LNJ

 

[LuisO]

Thanks for answering guys.
David, so if I go with 17x11.5 and regular arms, my BS would have to be 7.5" . Please confirm this number.

Thanks.

 

[LuisO]

ttt