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  1. #1

    Default 83 Capri -tire wheel plans must be nailed down before paint... and we are sanding now

    Currently we are working on bodywork before painting my 1983 Mercury Capri RS turbo. 2 years ago while on the Hot Rod power tour my wife won a set of continental tires. I looked around and forums seemed to indicate 275/40R17’s for the rear and 245/45r17 for the front would clear without messing with the rear suspension. Without doing any other measuring, I ordered the size of tires in continental contact extreme.

    I was planning on getting some mesh 17 inch mesh wheels off of eBay to give it an old school look.

    Yesterday I set the 275 tires up in the rear fenders without rims and noticed that they will not fit up in the wheel well very far without contact. I was hoping to lower the car some and yet not roll the fender lips. Am I dreaming or can this be done?

    My plan was to put 94 Mustang spindles on the front for a five lug conversion and run ranger axles in the 8.8 rear. I do not have quad shocks.

    Oh and one other question...I have three kids which will be riding in the back. It currently is running all stock springs. In order to get these tires to clear should I leave the stock springs and put in air shocks so the suspension can’t travel down low enough to rub the fenders? Or is it really not a practical answer?

  2. #2
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    First congrats on winning the tires.

    A 275 will fit the rear of a Fox, but will generally require some persuasion in certain areas for added clearance and safety. I will guarantee you will want and need to roll the rear fender lips. Not only for general clearance, but also because the rear axle shifts side to side during cornering and can contact the metal lip and destroy a tire in no time. The Eastwood Fender Roller is a great option for getting this done. https://www.eastwood.com/ew-fender-r...UaAttyEALw_wcB

    The early Foxes also generally have a little less rear wheel well clearance than the later Aero models. Not a huge difference, but again enough that a BFH will most likely be needed to clearance some areas on the inner wheel well for enough clearance for the 275 to not rub. The installation of a Panhard rod would be an excellent choice for any Fox, but definitely one running wide rear tires. I recommend the Maximum Motorsports unit. https://www.maximummotorsports.com/P...tang-P480.aspx That will center the rear axle to the body of the Capri and prevent the large side to side movement during driving and cornering.

    Keep in mind with the 94/95 SN95 spindles the front track will be wider, so make sure to account for that when purchasing your new wheels as that will affect your offset/backspacing. Generally a 17X8 with @ 30mm offset up front with the SN95 spindles works well.

    Spring choice will be determined by your desires on ride stance and use. I would start with the stock springs first and see how things sit with the new wheels and tires and go from there. You can go up with your rear spring rate if you plan on having the kids or more weight in the back of the car most of the time to prevent the suspension from setting down as much. This can increase the ride harshness, so keep that in mind. You may find that the car sits a bit high for your taste with the stock springs, but with the kids in there the stance is right and hopefully you don't have rubbing issues. I don't generally recommend most air shocks as the ride quality and suspension dynamics are terrible. If going that is the only option then something like RideTech would be what I would consider. https://www.ridetech.com/ I am considering a complete air ride suspension for one of my Foxes that is more of a fun cruiser and driver than a full on Hot Rod/Road Racer. Nice setup and there are plenty of options as to how much $$ you want to spend. Good Luck!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  3. #3

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    Any FourEyedPride brothers in the Columbus oh or Dayton oh metro area with one of these fender rollers from Eastwood a guy could use?

  4. #4
    Last edited by foot2floor; 01-06-2020 at 08:41 PM.

  5. #5

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    I ordered a fender roller kit today. It should be delivered the end of next week.

  6. #6
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by foot2floor View Post
    I like the look of the first one. Not a bad looking wheel for a decent price. Although I am not sure that the +20mm offset will work with the 5 lug conversion. It might work, but you may have a clearance issue at the wheel lip depending on tire size, brand, alignment, etc. I run a +24mm offset with my 17x9 up front with the SN95 spindles.

    The second wheel I like the style also, but never been a huge fan of multi-lug wheels when the lugs are exposed. Just my .02 worth. I don't have a properly with a dual pattern whee, but if so I want the lug nuts covered so I don't see the extra holes.
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by wraithracing View Post
    I like the look of the first one. Not a bad looking wheel for a decent price. Although I am not sure that the +20mm offset will work with the 5 lug conversion. It might work, but you may have a clearance issue at the wheel lip depending on tire size, brand, alignment, etc. I run a +24mm offset with my 17x9 up front with the SN95 spindles.

    The second wheel I like the style also, but never been a huge fan of multi-lug wheels when the lugs are exposed. Just my .02 worth. I don't have a properly with a dual pattern whee, but if so I want the lug nuts covered so I don't see the extra holes.
    I like the first one better than the second as well for the same reasons. Tell me more about your setup? Do you run the same rims front and back? What size tires do you have front and back? Since 4mm is less then 1/4 of an inch I’m hopeful we might be on the right track.

  8. #8
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by foot2floor View Post
    I like the first one better than the second as well for the same reasons. Tell me more about your setup? Do you run the same rims front and back? What size tires do you have front and back? Since 4mm is less then 1/4 of an inch I’m hopeful we might be on the right track.
    My setup is on my 79 PC, I run the Fox length front control arms, 94/95 SN95 spindles, 03/04 Cobra brakes with a 24mm offset 17x9 shod in a 255/40/17. I also run Maximum Motorsports CC Plates as well as H&R lowering springs.

    The rear on my PC probably won't help you much. 03/04 Cobra IRS with the Cobra brakes. The rear wheels are 17x9 with 36mm offset again in 255/40/17. The additional offset is due to the additional width of the IRS.

    I have run the 24mm offset front and rear on another Fox using the SVO rear axles and 5 lug conversion. The wheel lips were rolled and clearance was still tight with a 255/40/17 due again to the width of the rear axles. If running a Fox length axle, the wheel/tire combo might actually be tucked in a bit, so either less offset or possible a space to bring the wheels out a bit for a better look. Good Luck!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  9. #9

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    THANK YOU for being so helpful! So I need to find someone who is running Ranger Axles in their Fox 8.8 with 17x9" wheels with 275/40r-17's... to find the offset they are using. That's probably a small crowd to survey???

    I'm super excited to be restoring my first car with the help of my 15 year old son and 12 year old daughter! Memories relived and memories made every weekend!

  10. #10
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by foot2floor View Post
    THANK YOU for being so helpful! So I need to find someone who is running Ranger Axles in their Fox 8.8 with 17x9" wheels with 275/40r-17's... to find the offset they are using. That's probably a small crowd to survey???

    I'm super excited to be restoring my first car with the help of my 15 year old son and 12 year old daughter! Memories relived and memories made every weekend!
    I don't believe that is necessary. If running the Ranger axles, you will be stock Fox length, so the offset for a 9" wheel with 4 lugs should work just fine. The standard offset for the rear of most Foxes is 18-20mm for a 9" wide wheel. So that should work. As I stated before the 24mm was recommended with the ole M2300K brake kit due to the wider track with rear disc. It can work with drum brakes, but you might want to run a spacer and longer studs to push the wheel out further for a better look compared to the rear wheel wells. Hope that helps!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  11. #11

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    I ordered the wheels yesterday only to find today that there is only three in stock across the nation. The manufacturer has stopped making them!

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