Long time follower, just joined/first post

[Andrews24]

Hi everyone. Just joined here... I have a 91 GT that I’ve owned since 2005, live on the MI/OH border. For years I’ve always googled anything I might need help on, but recently I started the 5 lug swap and anytime I had a question or wanted to see how others might be doing something, it usually led me here... I do not mean to leave people out but one name that immediately comes to mind is @Mustang5L5. SO, tonight I thought to myself, why the F don’t I just join?!?! LOL.

So, thanks for having me, my name is Adam, and you’ll probably be hearing more from me soon - like, when I throw my sn95 rear in, will 10s with the s197 7.2” BS fit with a 10mm spacer (I’ve read PAGES on here about the rear...)

 

[Andrews24]

Current state

 

[Mstng93SSP]

Welcome. Good looking car! You will find tons of help on this site.

Chris

 

[Mustang5L5]

Nice car. Welcome

 

[Potomus Pete]

I like the clean look, and your in the right place.

 

[Andrews24]

Nice car. Welcome

Thank you... I’ve read a TON of info you’ve provided - in a weird way I feel like I’ve already been introduced to you lol. I shoulda joined long ago... it just kinda hit me last night after getting my new 18x8s for the front mounted/balanced (and wanting to show them off lol) that I should just join! I literally have 8 or 9 tabs open for reference during this build: the 20+ page one “The Ultimate 5 Lug Swap...” was the one that started it all.

I like the clean look, and your in the right place.

Thank you... like I said bought the car in 2005 for $2100 in St Clair Shores, MI... it had some rust (which I’ve ‘controlled’ over the years), was missing two ground effect pieces, damage to passenger door lock from attempted theft (plus a destroyed ignition from same attempted theft), very VERYYYYY dirty underneath (the car clearly spent some life on dirt roads - and I’m honestly proud to have the underside back to clean - I just completed that, those pics are current). Finishing up the bad, the car needed a clutch (plus synchros in the 3550 turned out to be bad) and literally every cylinder had an exhaust leak. The good... car had a build sheet, (decent shape) Long Tubes, full Trick Flow valvetrain, Windsor SE heads, Cobra R intake, etc etc. After getting the clutch and tranny sorted out (while trying to finish college), the car still had a ‘tick’ (was initially covered up by the terrible exhaust leaks). It ended up sitting at my parents for about 8 years until I FINALLY got the courage/interest (in 2014) to reach out to a man that lives 2 miles away with an also white (1990) GT. Long story short he turned out to be an engine builder on the side, and a great friend of mine to this day... we proceeded to pull my motor, and go thru every bolt. I changed from I THINK the B cam to a little bigger Comp cam, some nice Comp Gold Rockers, Comp pushrods/lifters... just went thru it all very thoroughly (he was very particular and I’m glad). The tick ended up being not that hard or spot... when pulling apart we had 15 black Comp Pushrods, and 1 silver that was a few mm different length. I know I said long story short (apologies lol) but it was such a terrific feeling, and I feel like I’m reliving it, to fire it up that day and the tick was gone.


Fast forward to modern times... I bought a TKO600 in 2019 that is ready to go in... last April I drove to Cleveland and met a guy from New York and bought a complete 8.8 from a 94 with a brand new posi and 3.73 that is in crazy good shape, that’s going in this week possibly... but I finally started working on my car again this winter because Covid finally hit me (mentally). I coach my kids in sports (I’m home all winters not working) and I was starting to go crazy... wife says ‘why don’t you do that 5 lug swap?’... I said, it’s a lot of money babe (I wanted to do it ‘right’, what I consider right), not the cheap way. She said, babe, do it. So I started back around my birthday in January - it is therapeutic in a way. I’m taking tons of pictures (as I did when we went thru my motor) and will share whatever anyone would like to see.


Lastly, thanks to you two for the kind words... I am very thrilled to have the underside cleaned up, I mean it when I say it was crazy dirty with sandy, dirt, mud crap everywhere...

Thanks for having me and reading this


EDIT: here's some pics of the suspension as I started working on it - and some parts I cleaned up and such...

 

[90sickfox]

Nice work so far !!! Welcome to the forum.

The s197 backspacing is usually 50mm...so a 10mm spacer would make them 40mm.

What year sn95 rear are you putting under the car ? There are two different widths. 94-98 and 99-04

I ask because some people call the " new edge " a sn95 too.

 

[Andrews24]

Nice work so far !!! Welcome to the forum.

The s197 backspacing is usually 50mm...so a 10mm spacer would make them 40mm.

What year sn95 rear are you putting under the car ? There are two different widths. 94-98 and 99-04

I ask because some people call the " new edge " a sn95 too.

It's from a 94, 3/4" longer per side, c clip eliminated - Friday I measured Flange to Flange and it was 1/16 of a inch less than the factory width... so... I wanna run a 10" rear, I've been running 17x9 4 lug Cobra Rs forever in the rear (+24mm) on a 275/40... that rim is like 5.94 backspacing... my thought process has been if I slapped that rear in it'd give 3/4 inch more inner fender room so I could now go to ~6.7... I can beat the inner in and get to ~7 (and if anyone is reading this and disagrees or has opinions/knowledge please speak)... and I could run a spacer to get a little more inner room. By my math "itd work"... then I'd have to look into the outer fender.

Ok, I'll shut up now and listen to you all. Thank you

 

[90sickfox]

You could put aftermarket fox 5 lug axles in there and you'd be back to a factory backspace wheel in the rear. There a brackets made to mount the sn95 calipers to the fox length axles. The rear housing length is the same as a fox rear. It's the axles that push the length out. Might have to remove the c clip eliminators ( they are prone to leaks on a street car ). I'd go this route so I could get a nice deep face wheel in the back. There are tons of threads about putting 10 inch wheels and up to 315s on a stock width 5 lug rear.

 

[90sickfox]

This link is to a place that sells brackets to make the rear disc's work with fox length sn95 axles and C clip eliminators.

North Racecars – Page Not Found

Your Fox Mustang and Factory Five Performance Parts Connection

www.northracecars.com

 

[Rdub6]

Just catching up here...... awesome job so far, and welcome aboard!
I’m currently doing a 5lug and suspension upgrade myself, but you’re a little further along.
Just last night I was cleaning years of power steering grease off my k-member. I have to ask, did you drop yours down, or were you able to get it that clean as it sits?

 

[Andrews24]

Just catching up here...... awesome job so far, and welcome aboard!
I’m currently doing a 5lug and suspension upgrade myself, but you’re a little further along.
Just last night I was cleaning years of power steering grease off my k-member. I have to ask, did you drop yours down, or were you able to get it that clean as it sits?

Oh no I replaced it with an 03/04 Terminator rack and MM Hybrid Steering Shaft.. in Jan I came across @Mustang5L5 post about the Rack upgrade and went that route.
My underside was so disgusting so I know exactly what you’re going thru... I replaced everything up front except the K Member... replaced the PS lines, Pump...
The boots on the rack were completely full of fluid, pump shaft had play... yuck. I rarely drive my car (and as I said above it did sit for years), but still, this project I started as a 5 lug swap - has turned into a massive build BUT needed done in retrospect

EDIT... did I remove the K member? No, I did all that with it on stands in those pics... I used wire wheels on my drill, rubbing alcohol, primer, paint, clear coat... and a heater - dude, some of those days it was when it was cooooold outside.
As for the engine, I got that looking nice back when we pulled it in 2014 (but because I was impatient I didn’t clean all the crap up that I just did this time around)

 

[Rdub6]

Oh no I replaced it with an 03/04 Terminator rack and MM Hybrid Steering Shaft.. in Jan I came across @Mustang5L5 post about the Rack upgrade and went that route.
My underside was so disgusting so I know exactly what you’re going thru... I replaced everything up front except the K Member... replaced the PS lines, Pump...
The boots on the rack were completely full of fluid, pump shaft had play... yuck. I rarely drive my car (and as I said above it did sit for years), but still, this project I started as a 5 lug swap - has turned into a massive build BUT needed done in retrospect

EDIT... did I remove the K member? No, I did all that with it on stands in those pics... I used wire wheels on my drill, rubbing alcohol, primer, paint, clear coat... and a heater - dude, some of those days it was when it was cooooold outside.
As for the engine, I got that looking nice back when we pulled it in 2014 (but because I was impatient I didn’t clean all the crap up that I just did this time around)

I know how the projects spiral for sure.
My five lug swap has also turned into a, clean everything, replace everything job (except control arms for now). Those I refinished and painted, and they’re waiting for new ball joints and bushings to be installed.

 

[Andrews24]

I know how the projects spiral for sure.
My five lug swap has also turned into a, clean everything, replace everything job (except control arms for now). Those I refinished and painted, and they’re waiting for new ball joints and bushings to be installed.

See, once I priced things out for CA bushings and ball joints, I was happy to spend $230 on a (barely) scratched set of BMR Control Arms

 

[Rdub6]

See, once I priced things out for CA bushings and ball joints, I was happy to spend $230 on a (barely) scratched set of BMR Control Arms

If I found them for 230, I’d have done the same thing. Good score!

 

[Andrews24]

Just wrapped up the front end... car is back on the *ground*, with the new rims and tires...

Onto the rear...

 

[Rdub6]

Nice man! Lookin good!
Cool to see others working around the confines of the toys, sports equipment, strollers, etc! Lol
(I really, really need a three car garage)

 

[Andrews24]

(Thumbs up)... I’ve lost count how many times I’ve hit my head on the hanging bike (over the RF) as I step over my new rear axle (in that black bag), trying not to trip on the *step* of the garage, not falling into the tractor... lol. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way lol (although that 3 car garage does sound nice)...

 

[General karthief]

You get a 3 car garage then you get more 'stuff'. Vicious circle.

 

[Andrews24]

That’s the point... hahaha