315 Tires - Minimum clearance to lower control arm

JC6715

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Oct 24, 2005
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Hillsboro, Oregon
Hey guys, just got most of my TCP G-Bar installed. I'm sizing up the largest rubber I can fit and was curious: What is the minimum clearance you want between a stationary part (lower control arm, spring) and the tire? There shouldn't be much run out as I want to run the BFG T/A Drag Radials in a 315/35/17 on 11" wide custom backspaced wheels (yet to be ordered).

How close can I get without worrying about rubbing. I'm not worried about the fender clearance, just the inboard tire to spring clearance.

Thanks guys.

Background: street car 98% of the time, maybe drag strip to she what she can do a couple times...
 
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That is a pretty wide tire for a 67/68 car. I don't think you will get it to fit without flares or mini tub. I have 275's and think I could go to 285's and not have problems. To answer your question I would leave 3/8" min clearance. If you want to look at my setup with a Gbar to judge how much space you have left to play with I live in Camas and you can come over and take a look if you want.
 
70 w//315's
brakes121a-1.jpg
 

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Thanks Grabber.

I found this pic online:

<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v687/jczj15/?action=view&current=richards-1967-ford-mustang-super-sn.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/jczj15/richards-1967-ford-mustang-super-sn.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
comparing a 69/70 to a 67/68 isn't really a great comaprison since the 69/70 have more room in the wheel wells by a good bit. i've seen as large as a 335 section width tire on the back of a 69/70 with no tubbing, only minor clearancing, mainly by removing and/or relocating the bump stops, rolling the lips and some reshaping of the front inside corners of the inner wheel house.

you'll gain a little bit of room with the G-Bar over leafs but it's probably less than 1/2" or so. if you use the same size wheel and offset as 12sec67 you should have more than enough clearance.
 
comparing a 69/70 to a 67/68 isn't really a great comaprison since the 69/70 have more room in the wheel wells by a good bit.


I will have to respectfully disagree with you there. I used to believe this also, until I compiled the charts, review the data extensively and talked to people who own both body styles. 67-70 have the same size wheel wells. 65/6 are much smaller. 71-73 are larger.
 
I will have to respectfully disagree with you there. I used to believe this also, until I compiled the charts, review the data extensively and talked to people who own both body styles. 67-70 have the same size wheel wells. 65/6 are much smaller. 71-73 are larger.



if that were so then they would reasonably use the same wheel house panels, which they do use the same inner but the outer panels are different. the 69/70 outer wheel house is wider than the 67/68 outer wheel house and also the 69/70 outer is flatter at the top than the 67/68 effectively allowing a larger tire with less fitment issues and less chance of rubbing. i know of guys who replace the outer wheel houses on their 67/68 race cars with the 69/70 outer and they also push the quarter panel to make them fit, not much, it's less than an inch but wider is wider.

69/70 wheel house
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy01.asp?T1=7895+01&Category=&catkey=EMUSTANG

67/68 whel house
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy01.asp?T1=77895+01&Category=&catkey=EMUSTANG