All I want to do is fit my 275's !!!
 

So I've been on and off battling to fit my 275/40/17's on a 17x9.5 wheel in the rear of my 65 mustang. I am sick of it rubbing under hard driving conditions or just bumps in the road. I've shortened the axle housing, messed with some spacers, and adjusted my axle side to side via my panhard bar. I am just now running into the issue of having enough room between the leaf springs and the outer part of the wheel well. My fenders are rolled and could probably be rolled a little harder for a tad more clearance, but not much. Running out of ideas and would really like to not have to go the route of mini tubbing or anything like that, but I also do not want to except defeat and go with a 265 or narrower wheel. Anybody out there have or know of anyone with a 64-66 mustang who has successfully fit this combo? I know its not that wide of a tire but if you know an early mustang, this is pushing the limits sadly, especially with leaf springs still. All advice/ideas/input is welcomed and appreciated! Thanks!

Nik

Wasn't Maier runnning a 275/18 all the way around before his last redo a few years ago? I think he said something about rolling the rear lip with a baseball bat.....Whatever you end up doing, report back. I'm running 245s but it looks a bit goofy with the flared front fenders, not quite enough filler.

Car's looking good Nik!
:thumbsup:

Thanks man appreciate that! And I think he was running a 315 in a 4 corners, but I believe he had his MOD 2 rear, which I would imagine would allow for more room, because it replaces the leafs with a link arm on each side. But I'm not all that familiar with that set up so I could be wrong. Either way Mike and I have chatted about this problem briefly, so my mini sledge and I have had a date tonight with the inner corners of my wheel wells, which really sucks because the bedliner I sprayed the entire underside of the car with is flaking off where the metal is moving, but oh well now. The main concern I am having is room between the leaf and the fender lip.

You could try mounting the leafs inside the frame rails, to get that extra space, though the front inner corner of the wheel well can get in the way of anything larger than a 275.
My suggestion is tub it. DSE mini tubs worked great and give it a factory look.

You will not get 275 to fit between a stock leaf spring location and a stock quarter panel. Maier is 315 on all four corners but is running his suspension system which removes the leafs and he also has flares on wheel wells from and rear.
Sorry for the bad news but I've tried and it can't happen with out moving the springs

Mike

Mike, what size did you end up with?

Nik, let's see some pictures....where exactly are you rubbing? It sounds like out on the quarter panel, if so grab a baseball bat and have at it! How bad do you want it?:D

id give mike maier a call and double check on the 275 fitment.

He has mine and with the amount that my rear fenders are rolled said we could move into a 275 without having to go in with a minitub.

could be a backspacing / axel length.

Agree, one of the guys that works or worked for him (Johnathon) has a lil white coupe with his old rims on it. The car has shown up in Falken tire ads recently and you can see some fender rolling/flaring in the back.
:thumbsup:

Can anyone advise who makes these rims on Mike's old white car?

Look like AC-III's from Team III Wheels. http://www.team3wheels.com/ac_iii.html