Mini tub with fold down rear seat?

[BlackMachOne 1]

Has anyone done a small mini tub and retained the fold down rear seat?

[Rsanter 152]

We are doing this with a friends car now. You can only go in about 2" on each side before you will run out of room. We actually discussed narrowing the seats and fold down but didn't want to do,it

 

Bob

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

i don't see how it's possible.

 

the interior quarter panel sits almost flush with the inner wheel house (maybe in about a quarter inch for the one fastener). then the fold down seat only has about a 1/4 to 1/2 of space from the inner quarters.

 

you could reshape the inner wheel house to gain clearance. it gets really close to the wheel towards the front side near the bottom.

[mustangstofear 608]

I get that question asked a lot. best thing to do is install your lower interior panels and don't go any further in with your mini tube. As long as you don't go past your factory mounting brackets you'll be fine.

[BlackMachOne 1]

I get that question asked a lot. best thing to do is install your lower interior panels and don't go any further in with your mini tube. As long as you don't go past your factory mounting brackets you'll be fine.

 

Thats what I am hoping to do. Just trying to get some opinions until I pull the car out of storage this week

[55Mach1 10]

We did my car over 3 inches per side which is. Bit more than the dse tubs allowed but i wanted the biggest tire possible without affecting the exterior bodywork.

 

I ditched my rear seat for many reasons,

 

I never have passengers in any of my cars sit in the rear

Rear seat does nothing but make rattles and noise that drove me nuts

Pretty hefty weight savings removing i as well.

 

I dont miss mine one bit so OP ask yourself if you really cant live without it.

[Rsanter 152]

Take a look at the mounting tabs for the interior fiberglass and you will see that they come in from the factory tubs.

You can move the inner tub in till you reach that point but there is also some reinforcements inside the fiberglass that will have to be removed so that they will sit flat against the tub. You don't gain much but there is a little to gain.

With that said, I could be wrong and we could be in big trouble on what were are going with his car. But that is what it looked like to us so we started to move foreword.

 

Bob

[BlackMachOne 1]

We did my car over 3 inches per side which is. Bit more than the dse tubs allowed but i wanted the biggest tire possible without affecting the exterior bodywork.

 

I ditched my rear seat for many reasons,

 

I never have passengers in any of my cars sit in the rear

Rear seat does nothing but make rattles and noise that drove me nuts

Pretty hefty weight savings removing i as well.

 

I dont miss mine one bit so OP ask yourself if you really cant live without it.

 

I have thought about it long and hard. I don't need it, but in my opinion, the fold-down rear seat is one of the coolest features is a fastback mustang, and I want to keep that in place. I'm rather have slightly skinnier wheels than ditch the fold down...i think

[55Mach1 10]

I have thought about it long and hard. I don't need it, but in my opinion, the fold-down rear seat is one of the coolest features is a fastback mustang, and I want to keep that in place. I'm rather have slightly skinnier wheels than ditch the fold down...i think

 

Ok fyi you can easily fit 295 tires out back with 11 wide rims without doing the tubs, ive done two cars like,this. Unless your upgrading to serious engine power and need huge rubber like i got then save the grief and stick with 295 out back and a 255 up front this is beyond plenty for the street.

 

All you really need to do is get a bolt in 4 link from ridetech or total control and properly measure the offsets and get the tires you want and go from there its easy. Save yourself thr tear down, welding and risk of damage plus everything would need to be welded, seam sealed, primed, painted etc. this can be a pita for most.

[BlackMachOne 1]

Ok fyi you can easily fit 295 tires out back with 11 wide rims without doing the tubs, ive done two cars like,this. Unless your upgrading to serious engine power and need huge rubber like i got then save the grief and stick with 295 out back and a 255 up front this is beyond plenty for the street.

 

All you really need to do is get a bolt in 4 link from ridetech or total control and properly measure the offsets and get the tires you want and go from there its easy. Save yourself thr tear down, welding and risk of damage plus everything would need to be welded, seam sealed, primed, painted etc. this can be a pita for most.

 

 

I talked to a guy over at CCW and he also told me I could run an 18x11 with a 295. I have just never seen it done myself. I need to just do the measurements

[BlackMachOne 1]

Well after doing the measurements it looks like I could tub the car about 1 1/4" and still keep full function of the fold down. I will have to relocate the rear seat belt bracket and thats about it.

 

I'll be buying factory wheel wells from Dallas Mustang for $50 each to do the mini-tub. I bet it can be done in 1 day.

 

This way I can fit an 18x11 with 315's on the back easily.

 

I may even narrow the axle to have a larger outer dish on the rear wheel.

[RPM 1,190]

One day? Wow, you must be younger and have more energy than me.

 

Bob

[69cat&stang 10]

sorry to hijack this thread but can someone please give more detail to running 18"x11"rims in the back with 295's in a stock wheel housing. Is that on a stock suspension and if so what offset and tire profiles? same goes for the front, 255's where mentioned but what size rims, tires and offset.

 

thanks

[BlackMachOne 1]

One day? Wow, you must be younger and have more energy than me.

 

Bob

 

I'll be a stretch, but I work fast. I'll probably do one side while my dad does the other, then I bet it'll be done in less than a day.

 

 

sorry to hijack this thread but can someone please give more detail to running 18"x11"rims in the back with 295's in a stock wheel housing. Is that on a stock suspension and if so what offset and tire profiles? same goes for the front, 255's where mentioned but what size rims, tires and offset.

 

thanks

 

I have spoken to a lot of people about this. I am told with rolled lips and beating the inside wheel well, you can fit an 18x11 with 295's, but they MUST be Michelin's. I have been told that every other tire bulges too much. I was told this by a guy with unlimited funds, so he tried every tire.

 

CCW also told me I could run 295's on a 11 inch rim, but didn't know for sure.

 

I decided to do the mini-tub because in the long run it is not very costly or time consuming and I know I will never have to worry about rubbing.

 

If you run stock leafs, you may have a problem with clearance. You need to run a 4 link to ensure you do not rub. Most 4 links give you an extra .75" of clearance over leafs.

[buening 63]

I'm running 315s on 17x10.5 with the stock wheelhousings and rolled lips. Just needed massaging in the lower front inner wheelwells. It rubs under mild cornering, but likely due to rubber leaf bushings or my weak 4-leaf springs. Tires are Sumitomos and wheels are American Muscle's anthracite Bullits.

 

Clearance to front inner wheelhouse before massaging:

 

Clearance to front inner wheelhouse after massaging:

 

Clearance to leaf springs:

 

 

 

The mini-tub is typically bound by the little tab shown in the below pic, which is for the fiberglass inner quarter trim. You could eliminate this tab and put a nut-sert through the wheelwell (use thread sealant on bolt), as well as removing the brace portion on the back of the fiberglass inner quarter trim.

 

 

 

I have no experience with these, but they claim you don't have to modify your back seat (doesn't mention trim panels though!)

http://www.autoworksparts.com/wheel_tub_kit.htm

[stangnet33 88]

I have been told that every other tire bulges too much. I was told this by a guy with unlimited funds, so he tried every tire.

 

Must be nice I can't even afford tires lol. That's alot of tires.

[stangnet33 88]

buening, great write-up with pic's to support what you're talking about. Wish I had this earlier would of save a lot of searching. Thx :001_cool:

[BlackMachOne 1]

I found this Mustang the other day on Google. From the pics, it looks like he retained the fold down rear seat with obtaining 18x12" wheels on the back with 335's with a 1" mini-tub!

 

Gateway Classic Mustang is the builder

 

[buening 63]

http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mump-1202-1969-gateway-classic-mustang-coyote-wild/

 

You could always call Gateway and ask them if they recall how they handled the rear interior panels and bracketry.

[buening 63]

Also keep in mind the constraints of wheel width and the stock leaf springs. Their rear suspension doesn't have the leaf springs, so it will allow the 12" wide rims. Without body flares you won't fit that much wheel or tire under there with leafs on the car. Just look at my pics of my 10.5" wide rims ;)

[BlackMachOne 1]

http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mump-1202-1969-gateway-classic-mustang-coyote-wild/

 

You could always call Gateway and ask them if they recall how they handled the rear interior panels and bracketry.

 

haha, I tried, they are out of the office until tomorrow

 

Also keep in mind the constraints of wheel width and the stock leaf springs. Their rear suspension doesn't have the leaf springs, so it will allow the 12" wide rims. Without body flares you won't fit that much wheel or tire under there with leafs on the car. Just look at my pics of my 10.5" wide rims ;)

 

I'm doing a 4-link in the back, so no issue with the leafs :001_smile:

[Bossed 10]

Did you come up with a solution? I'm curious

[SWPruett 83]

We did my car over 3 inches per side which is. Bit more than the dse tubs allowed but i wanted the biggest tire possible without affecting the exterior bodywork.

 

I ditched my rear seat for many reasons,

 

I never have passengers in any of my cars sit in the rear

Rear seat does nothing but make rattles and noise that drove me nuts

Pretty hefty weight savings removing i as well.

 

I dont miss mine one bit so OP ask yourself if you really cant live without it.

 

I would appreciate seeing your rear seat delete treatment now that your car is done. Any pics available?

[Bossed 10]

^ X's 2

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

I found this Mustang the other day on Google. From the pics, it looks like he retained the fold down rear seat with obtaining 18x12" wheels on the back with 335's with a 1" mini-tub!

 

Gateway Classic Mustang is the builder

 

 

the two pictures are of two different cars. looks like BFG's on the Shelby (interior photo) car.