I'm planning on doing a 5-lug conversion and have already started ordering parts. Basically I am just going to do the stock 94-95 sn95 brake setup up front and aerostar axles with drums for the rear for now. I am trying to do this as cheaply as possible at first, cobra brake upgrades will come later. Wheels... lots of questions. As of right now, I like the 2003 cobra wheels the best, but if the right deal came around I may opt for whatever wheel that is due to I just want to do this and get it done cheap right now. I figure I can always swap out wheels and brakes later. Ok here goes. What size are stock 2003 cobra wheels? I am seeing 17" and 18" sizes. Pros and cons between the two? I'm not sure which to pick. Also I want a good fit on the fox body. I don't want any rubbing issues ( one of the reasons im doing this conversion is to sort these out). What size of a tire would I have to go with for the front on a 9" wheel? If i stuck with the 17" wheels, I have some spare 245/45/17 tires, would they fit for the front or is that too small for a 9" wheel? Will an 18x9" wheel fit ok up front and then what size tire? In the rear what size tire will fit? What's the max I can put on a 17x9 without rubbing? And if i got the x10.5" what could i put on the rear without rubbing? I don't want to roll the fenders or change the quad shocks. Unless flipping the quad shocks is relatively easy, then I may consider it. Also where would the best place be to get the 2003 wheels and possibly tires already mounted be? I mean best as in the cheapest but quality as well. I just need help determining sizes for wheels and tires for my fox. I appreciate any and all help. Thanks!
Stock 2003 SVTs are 17x9. You really wouldn't have a problem fitting the 18" version, but you would probably have to roll the fender lips. The pro to a 17" wheel is that there are more companies that make good drag radials for a 17" wheel... I only know of 2 companies that manufacture a d/r for an 18" diameter. The pro to an 18".... well, it's an 18. They look sweet and turn many heads. The cons? Everyone has 17" wheels and they're about a dime a dozen. 18s? Sometimes finding the correct backspacing is tough, because many 18" wheels are much too wide for the cars they go on. Plus, upgrading your shocks/struts may be necessary because you'll feel just about every pebble you run over when riding on 18s. The way your car rolls will change. A 245/45 is a little small for a 9" width wheel. Yeah the bead might fit, but the sidewalls will be angled in and that is neither safe nor appealing to the eye. For a 9" with in the front you could run about a 275 or 285, depending upon the money you'd like to spend. In the rear my advice for a match would be to go slightly bigger. Some people think it's a bad idea but I like it. On a 10.5 you could probably fit up to a 315, but wheels/tires that wide will also force the quad-shock elimination and/or rolling the fenders. Hope this helped, dude.
That did, thanks. It answered a lot of questions. I am probably going to go with the 17x9" up front and probably 17x10.5" in the rear. I just want to know what max tire I can run on the rear without rubbing.
Well the wheel itself will be huge, therefore calling for a tire to compensate for that width. I suggest you run a 17X9 in the rear as well if you want to avoid all rubbing issues... even with a 9" you're cutting it close... but if you really want a 10.5, try a 295.
Alright I'm not going to be too picky. I think the 17x9" would be fine. I'm moving up from the 17x7.5" anyways. So a 275 will fit on 17x9" fine? And does anyone else have any opinions? Anyone else have 2003 cobra rims on a fox?
I just want to see a picture when their on! I was also thinking of putting these wheels on my fox. johnt1785@hotmail.com
The 275 will fit for sure and they look great I had a 17x9 on my covertible with the cobra brake kit.
The 275 will fit for sure and they look great I had a 17x9 on my covertible with the cobra brake kit.
The 275 will fit for sure and they look great I had a 17x9 on my covertible with the cobra brake kit.
The 275 will fit for sure and they look great I had a 17x9 on my covertible with the cobra brake kit.
