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Modern style wheels and 10" wide fronts

Boom

Boom

Well-Known Member
Donator
Howdy everyone. I've been looking at potentially getting SoTs new billet drop spindle, one of the perk is it allows 17" and 18" wheels to clear the steering arm and the upper ball joint. That said, on my 68 their site says i could run 10" wide wheels up front with the proper backspacing.

When looking for wheels with that backspacing and such, I initially stumbled onto lots of custom ($$$$) options. Then through some luck I looked at wheels options for the 94-04 crowd and noticed that a bunch of the 10" rear options for them fit the criteria I was looking for. Just need to check and verify a bit more.

The other issue, not wholly specific to our vintages, are the lack of different styled wheels. Go on any if the big vendors and you'll see 37 different styles of the "Bullitt" style wheels and not much else. There are a few that look nice-ish in the newer models but not too many that seem like they'd fit the body of a classic like my 68 fastback.

I found a wheel that I really like. It is a modern style wheel, so it probably won't win too many admirers ere or on the other forum, but I think it might fit the overall vibe I'm going for with my car. Am I crazy? Should I just stick to the classic depe lip styles?
 
If it can help you. I have 17x8 TTII with the correct b/s on my 67 fastback and to me , the front rims are too wide . For good looks I would go to 17x7 rims.
In the rear you can go 17x9 without altering the body panels front and rear.
CMAYNA here built a 68 fastback and choosed for 16" rims and to me the perfect seize.
16" minilite rims, 16x7 and 16x9 would give you a classic yet aggressive look to your car . It has a nice deep dish in the rear.
Something like this : https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-ford-mustang-29/
Here you can buy sets that would fit : https://vintagewheelsus.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=48_50
just my 2 eurocent.
 
I have to run at least 17s to clear the brakes I have. I'm running SoT brakes and suspension front and (soon to be) rear.

The car currently has a set of traditional 5 spoke deep dish wheels 17x9.5 and 17x8 I believe. Had them for so long. The tires will probably need replaced before actually driving the car when it's ready.

I do like the sidewall aspect ratio of the 17s, 18s probably wouldn't be too bad depending on style and color to me.

I'm aiming for the pro street look. With the capability to actually do autocross style events and such down the road.

I'll give that site a look and see what they have.
 
Ooh, american autocross , like chasing on a parking lot , that change the situation.
Then you probably better off with 18's to have better performance and keep the cost of tires to a minimum. Thats what I am thinking.
Keep in mind that wheel aligment is set different for autocross and thereby the choice of width of rims (rubbing).
 
I run 17"s to clear the brakes. Run 8" front 9" rear.

It's all about personal choice but I think 18" look to big on old school cars.
 
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I definitely am looking to stay between 17s or 18s. I think with a gunmetal or similar color wheel it wouldn't be as off-putting with the sidewall ratio on 18s.

What do you guys think about wheel styling? Do our cars look out of place without the deep dish lip or the generic 5 spoke wheels?

Most modern wheel designs don't have a lip like the ones we traditionally see on these cars. I'm not against either style with the right combo. Just haven't seen modern style wheels on our vintage much.
 
Here's one of the wheels I was looking at. Still has the 5 spokes, but instead of the traditional lip, it brings the spokes out to the edge of the wheel and has a deeper center. The wheel is marketed torward the 94-04 crowd, I'd have to see how everything would fit. They only offer this wheel in 18" which is a bit of a bummer.

sve-mustang-nvx-wheel-18x10-gloss-graphite-94-04_f8f7c363.jpg

Here's a side by side of my current wheels and the ones above on a 01 ish car The plan is to paint my car grabber blue, so a bit brighter then the other car

20230305_134233.jpg
 
So let's get this out of the way. I am a bit opinionated. The new wagon spoke look doesn't fit the car. You already know it or wouldn't be questioning it. I also don't see it possible to run a 10" wide wheel up front without serious modification including cutting out some inner metal and likely a flare or wheel arch modification. Especially if doing any kind of serious driving. That space fills up quickly. You start playing with the type of camber and caster for a real competitive set -up it will get hairy.

Good news is with today's tire compounds you don't need near the contact patch you once did to get good grip. You gain far more dialing in the mechanics of your chassis than an extra inch or even two of rubber on the pavement.

Lastly, its your car. Pick a wheel you like. I spent forever looking for mine. Was set to have a fully custom wheel made when dumb luck had me find the wheel I eventually decided on. Call the custom wheel makers. Not everything they can provide shows up in their catalogs.
 
Fitting a 10" wheel is the easy part. Finding a wheel I like that has the right parameters is the kicker.

SoT came out with a new set of spindles that has a smaller profile and different steering arm angle to allow a 17 or 18" to go over them.

I know its all personal preference. I could get a set of torque thrusts in the size and call it a day, but I feel like something different would look good too.

I've looked into custom wheels before these spindles even came out because I wasn't satisfied with the usual options we have.

Might just have to bite the bullet and try one out.

Now I remember why I was looking at 18s, seems like for some reason all the 17 options are 10.5 instead of just 10.
 
You'll have to share some pics. I can't picture how a wheel that wide can fit and move through its full arc without interference inside the stock metal. I run a 17" wheel with a lower profile tire on a 7" wheel up front. Granted its a '65 but I don't think there is much difference between the years. The car is wider but that is between the inner fenders as far as I know.
 
Been looking at a few different options. Most 17" wheels skip right over 10" wide and go right for 10.5" That would fit on 69-70s, but not on my 68. Also, when looking at tires, the 17" sizing is very odd and the only tires I find are very expensive and track oriented. The 18" tire options are much more reasonable. In fact, the recommended size, 295/35R18 is stock on some vehicles. That makes 18x10's the most likely choice to run in my setup.

I did ask Shaun about the wheels I posted above and he agrees that they fit all the parameters for running on a 67-68 with his Spindles and Coilover kit.
 
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