Help me get my stance right (lots of pics)

[Gellpak]

My plans are for 17x8 Smoothie II's, but I want to make sure I get the right look. I like a slightly higher riding car, more muscular looking. I like the wheel/tires to almost exactly match the vertical lines of the car (where fender flare ends, drop down a bit and wheel should be on the same vertical line, if not a bit further out from the car)

I don't want to end up with wheels that are very much tucked towards the center of the car with a lot of fender overhang, but I realize I'll have to - to an extent - to get good clearance and prevent rubbing. I'm planning 4.5 backspacing.

Here's some pics of what I like (a lot of which are from members here)... any advice? I want 17s to fit my planned 13 inch cobra brakes, but I'd rather tweak the wheel size to get the right look than use 17s just to fit the brakes.

<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance01.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance02.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance03.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance04.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance05.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance06.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance07.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance08.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance09.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance10.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance11.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance12.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance13.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance14.jpg">

 

[grego37]

Im assuming you have a 65/66 ?

Id go to some car shows, or find a car on this website of a members that your happy with and ask him/her what size wheels/tires/backspace they're running.

If you do have a 65/66, then look at 65/66.
Dont compare to 67/68 or 69/70 Mustangs , They can afford much bigger sizes and different backspacing.

Then if you're not happy with your ride height,
either lower / raise the car to your preference
good luck

 

[Opentracker]

It takes a while to cut the front springs 1/4 coil or less each step to get the front to sit right. The rear takes time with lowering blocks or new/rebuilt leaf springs to get that right. I spend a lot of time getting the cars to sit right, though you can put them together and hit the front or rear stance on the first try.

John

 

[gsxrken]

Yep, stance is important, and backspacing gets expensive if you want something non-standard.

John, everytime I see those wheels I try to remember why I didn't get them. Future brake plans, I guess. I may just go out and get them anyway next year until I do/if I get the brakes.

 

[Gellpak]

Does anyone know who the owners of any of the cars below are, or what setup they're running?

<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance11.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance13.jpg">
<img src="http://www.gellpak.com/images/mustangs/stance/goodstance14.jpg">

 

[2bav8]

Opentracker, that's by far the best stance out of all the other cars on this thread!

 

[MDinDestin]

Opentracker, that's by far the best stance out of all the other cars on this thread!

I agree that where the tire is sitting inside the fenderwell is damn near perfect. Also, the ride height is excellent.

Even so, this set-up would look far better if it had 17s or 18s.

 

[dodgestang]

Just as an FYI the vast majority of the 17 inch wheels pictured in this thread so far have 4.75 backspacing. Only using a wheel with 4.5 BS will restrict the tire choice a bit (translation, you can fit a wider tire with the larger backspacing)

 

[latamud]

This photo was taken the day after John painted it. Never looked as good. I cut the stock coils and used the opentracker rear leaf mod to get that stance, no lowering blocks. Those are the ever so popular 17x8 toqur thrust IIs with 4.75 bs and 245/40zr17 tires all around. No rubbing, not even when turning and hit a bump or dip. Fender lips tightly rolled.

This is my other car befor I finished it. Same suspension as above. The rims are a set of Moon Eyes(never seen them before) 17x7s, rear has 3 bs 235/40-17, fronts are 3.75 bs 205/40-17s.

 

[Gellpak]

Just as an FYI the vast majority of the 17 inch wheels pictured in this thread so far have 4.75 backspacing. Only using a wheel with 4.5 BS will restrict the tire choice a bit (translation, you can fit a wider tire with the larger backspacing)

I like the setup you have, but if only the front wheels would push a small bit farther out to match the rears.

I was going to go with the 4.5bs since - as I understand it - that would push the wheels that extra quarter inch outward. Plus, 4.5bs is much easier to find (and cheaper)... are you saying this won't work out so well? I will be rolling my fenders for this, just to be safe.

 

[2bav8]

Even so, this set-up would look far better if it had 17s or 18s.

It would also handle worse and be slower at the track

 

[dodgestang]

I like the setup you have, but if only the front wheels would push a small bit farther out to match the rears.

I was going to go with the 4.5bs since - as I understand it - that would push the wheels that extra quarter inch outward. Plus, 4.5bs is much easier to find (and cheaper)... are you saying this won't work out so well? I will be rolling my fenders for this, just to be safe.

uhhhh...I have 245 40 17 on the front. I have a road course supension and alignment setup on the car. In pic one the car is at full launch on the drag strip and you are seeing my blistering 1 - 2 inches of lift Pic 2 shows how the car sits during standard driving conditions

If I put a less agreesive alignment on the front the tops would be much closer to the lips of the fender. Here are better 'everyday' shots

 

[Gellpak]

It looks like I'll be going with the 4.75 bs then if it allows the larger tires... your setup looks about as close to perfect as I could hope to get.

What about 7" width on the front? Is there any benefit to that?

 

[dodgestang]

What about 7" width on the front? Is there any benefit to that?

Not IMO when you are looking at 17s

 

[Vinyl66]

I've also got the Torq Thrust 17 x 8's with 4.75 BS all around. I have 225/45 in front and 245/45 in the rear. They fit perfectly with no rubbing anywhere. Fender lips are not rolled. Stock sagging leafs in the rear and 1" lowering springs in the front. I get lots of compliments on the stance.

 

[DarkoStoj]

I want THIS on my 66

so you have

620lb springs
shelby drop
open tracker roller perches
5 leaf mid eye rear springs?
4.75" bs 17.8 TT2's
245/40/17 front tires

what size on the rear tire?

This is the exact same stance I want, except I don't want to go as aggressive on the front alignment

 

[dodgestang]

rear tires are 255 40 17

And the shelby a arm mod

 

[MDinDestin]

It would also handle worse

I've got an open mind, but it would be hard to convince me that 17" low profile tires makes a lowered and modified stang handle worse.

 

[Opentracker]

I think what 2bav8 was getting at is that the 17" wheels are a lot heavier than the 14" or 15" wheels. That weight alone will hurt the cars performance. The wheels I'm using on my '64 Falcon weigh 11lbs each up front and 13lbs each out back. The 17" wheels can weigh 25lbs each or more. A low profile tire will help on any size wheel, even a 14".

John

 

[DukeGnarley]

people who actually know can correct me if i'm wrong here... but low profile tires reduce the ammount of power oversteer, which would slow you down on a twisty track.