Fox Body Mustang 4 lug to 5 lug Conversion

[ScourgeBound]

Hey can u start makeing videos to go along with instead of images cause i started something then messed it up cause i miss understood what you said and messed up and something fell off luckily i wasnt driving :(

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I would love to make step by step videos, but I can only post up to a 15 minute video. I will try to break them down more and include information about important safety steps. I am assuming a minimum level of mechanical ability but you are right, I should be more detailed.

[zeekdavis11]

can you please message me the parts i need? im having trouble finding the parts in the video

[M14SINAL0A]

nice

[accomplishedmission]

you should re-upload this with better audio. i can hardly hear it. just a suggestion.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

You are the first to say that. I will see what I can do to fix it. Thanks

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

That is the rear brake caliper

[S3cK5hun8]

what is the name of the mechanism at 7:30?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Rear brake caliper

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Rear brake caliper

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Rear brake caliper

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Yup...take out those 2 big bolts and the frame comes off. Then started beating the rotor side to side and it will break free. Next time call me to save you some time....glad to help.

[ScooterTuck11]

Yeah that would be nice. I'm not a big fan of drums. Thanks

[ScooterTuck11]

I have a question, if a person bought 4 lug disk brakes to put on a car like this would what would have to be done? Or can you just by disk brakes and install them? Thanks

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Honestly I have never looked for a disc brake kit for a 4 lug setup. If you can find front spindles and brackets for the rear axle for the calipers to mount to I imagine you could make it work.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

There are usually 2 screws put in the rotor at the assembly plant to hold the rotor in place. If you cannot get them out, just drill out the center with a large drill and the rotors will pop right off. After you get the rotors off usually a little heat and some grip lock pliers will get the stud out. If there are no screws, thread the right size metric bolt into two opposite threaded holes and they will pop right off.....hope that helps.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

There should be 2 threaded holes in the rotor. They are metric. Get the right size bolt and screw them in and the rotor will pop right off the hub

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

After the caliper and caliper frame are off they will come off. I have done allot of them and some are really hard to get off. I have had to heat the face of the rotor in the center with a propane torch and beat it off from behind with a 5 lb hammer. Don't be afraid to beat on it....it will come off.

[TR4CY209ER]

jus in the parts?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Just the parts, $1,200 for the disc brakes, $600 for the axle, $1,600 for the K member & coil-overs, and $400 for the gears.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars thanx for da help. but do u recomend and better parts or in ur opinion is this the best way to go if im going to do the 5 lug conversiton

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I would put the tubular K member with coil-over shocks. There is no need for the complex caster/camber adjuster. I would use eurethane bushings instead of the rod ends, the rod ends are hard and don't ride smooth. The 13" disc all the way around is great and comes in kit from most manufacturers, Get dual cylinder calipers at the least. I would build a 9" rear end from scratch with bigger axles and a Detroit Trulock differential. I would also use a Tremec tranny with a dual friction clutch.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars and how much would this alternative cost me? just as how u explained it?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Depending on where you get everything I''ll estimate $5k total.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars is there no cheaper alternative? like da cheapest possible that will still function well. im only 17 and on a low budget but i want to do it the right way

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

At 17 you should be saving your money until you are in a position were you can have disposable income to do it right.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars i am . but regardless if im 17 or 46 i would still look for the cheapest alternative which would u think is the cheapest ?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

You have to choose a direction...the cheapest or the best. They are not mutually inclusive. If you are worried about cost, keep the existing parts until you can afford the best parts. Suspension parts are easy to change.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars okay now how much will the cheapest possible way to conver it to a 5 lug. not the best the cheapest possible?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I can't help you there. I do not do things the cheapest, I always do them the best. I imagine if you use all stock parts from a junk yard you could do it cheap.

[TR4CY209ER]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars thanx for ur help. uve been a great asset to my build

[TR4CY209ER]

how much would it cost to purchase everything u have used to convert the car to a full 5 lug conversition including the cobra rear end? im trying to do this to my notchback. ?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I'll go back and check the project file, but I am going to say about $3,700 for all of the parts.

[Kyntheria]

Hey, do you know if there is an adapter that would fit a four lug rim on to a five lug wheel?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I do not know of any. But if there were it would be too wide and push the wheel outside of the wheel opening.

[luis24708]

hi i need help i just threw a rod on my 1989 gt 5.0 h.o mustang engine now im buying a 1982 302 5.0 can i use the 1989 fuel injected parts to convert the 82 302 to a fuel injected engine im wanting to use all the parts i can form the 89 efi

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

The short answer is yes. Long answer is you will need to make sure the cam, valve size, head cc, compression, and heads are the same as well. Fuel injection changes many things in the valve train so it may not be a direct drop-in, but it will work.

[blindskater200]

@luis24708 Also need a plate to bolt up to where the mechanical fuel pump bolted up to the block on the 82.

[ShepperdW]

I need you to do the brakes on my 83 mustang lol

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Drive on down to the shop and we'll fix her right up!

[ShepperdW]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars How much is the parts plus labor usually on brake jobs like these? And where are you located?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

That is not an easy question to answer. If you go full out discs all the way around with an upgraded axle, tubular suspension, and basic calipers and 15" slotted & vented rotors like I did in the '85 video it can be around $3k for parts. It's all about what you want so we would need to talk. I am in Lancaster, NY which is outside of Buffalo. Feel free to call my cell anytime (716) 697-1690....Peter

[ShepperdW]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars I just want to be able to fit a 18x9 on my car. It can stay a 4 lug. I'm just curious abotu the cheapest way to do this.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Cheapest way would be to get a performance strut with a smaller diamter spring. You could probably gain 2" that way.

[ShepperdW]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars A lot of people suggested swapping the spindle from a post 86 model. Would this be cheaper than that?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Not really. I believe the spindle would need different ball joints and tie rod ends. You can get one from a salvage yard and try, but my guess is you'll have to change more than just the spindle

[ShepperdW]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars Thanks for the advice. If I didn't live in Arkansas, I would already have my car over there.

[big88foxbodyfan]

@ShepperdW you're an arkansas boy? hell yea! i'm bout to get me another fox, maybe we can help each other out in building us some badass foxes

[ShepperdW]

@big88foxbodyfan Yup, because you know how to run seafoam and I'm still clueless on how to do it other than the oil and gas lol. What part of arkansas are you from?

[big88foxbodyfan]

@ShepperdW conway area, though i'm stationed in kansas right now. but in june i'll be home for good and have time to play with my mustang i plan on getting

[ShepperdW]

@big88foxbodyfan What division of the military are you in? And I'm actually in conway a lot

[big88foxbodyfan]

@ShepperdW air force, and thats pretty awesome i live in the town right outside of conway actually, in greenbrier. but i travel all around arkansas usually

[ShepperdW]

@big88foxbodyfan You need to try to get stationed in Florida. God I love that state. Yeah, Greenbrier isn't too far. I need to get a gps in my mustang though. I was stupid and sold my gps with my other car.Never again.

[big88foxbodyfan]

@ShepperdW if i could i wuld bro but i got cutback due to the budjet cuts and shit so now i'm going to be coming home to arkansas and start looking for a job again. lol i got gps with me all the time now (yay for iphone) lol

[ShepperdW]

@big88foxbodyfan That's really shitty. It pisses me off when the government starts doing military cuts.

[big88foxbodyfan]

@ShepperdW yea but what can you do?

[ShepperdW]

@big88foxbodyfan Vote the people in office out.

[repinda561]

ok thank u i really appreciate it ill see how it goes

[repinda561]

can u tel me y my front 4 lug rims wont fit on my 93 5.0 lx? i got them from americanmuscle 17x9 there supose to fit but they dnt witout rubing agasnt the struts but the car use to be a 4 cyl somaybe i need different rotors? idk i just got the qa1k member a-arms and all that and they stil dnt fit but the only way i can hav them on it with .25 inch spacers but now the rims are like pushed out the front fender and it looks like a mexican car can help me out on wat the problem thad be great =)

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

My guess is you bought the rims with the wrong backspacing. That is a pretty wide tire up front on a '93. In order to get them flush they gave you the shallowest backspace, the result being the rub on the strut. If you have any pics it would make it easier to help you. A 1" dropped spindle may help get you the .25" needed to clear on the inside. Google Full Tilt Street Rods and give them a call. Clay is a great guy and can probably help you.

[sinisterfox5]

As far as that manual rack, would you say it's better than having a regular power steering one? Basically for using it as a daily driver but at the same time having a nice clean engine bay. Issues, concerns, warnings maybe?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

the manual rack has a different ratio so being a daily driver is not a problem. It is nice and clean without the power steeing pump and hoses and I do not see it as a concern. The only thing that may make it tough is if you have wide tires up front. I have not had any issues with the ones I have put in. If you have a small steering wheel it wont help.

[sinisterfox5]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars

Yea I noticed you said 4 turns to lock I believe so thats pretty good, I always just wondered what it would be like to have to return the wheel yourself instead of it coming back on its own like power steering. The widest tires I would go for up front would be... 245/45/17 or 245/40/17 maybe go with 18's not sure. But I would definitely only want to use the 91-93 steering wheels on foxes.

[Joint72]

I've got a question for you ? my question is in this video about the five lug conversion i see how you did it but can you fit 17x10.5 inch wheels when you are using a sn95 rear differential because the sn95 diff is 60 1/2 inches and stock foxbody measures 58 1/2 inches well with the two extra inches i think they will fit but i dont know ? i've done the 5.0 swap in my 92 lx coupe but im wanting to go with a bigger wheel. Thank you ahead of time for any thoughts or any comments

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

You can go with a bigger wheel but the rim need to have the smallest backspace you can get. Not all rims will work so you will need to choose one that has almost no backspace. That means the face of the rim will be almost flat.

[sk8insj]

theres another option to get a 8.8 axle and take two ranger driver side axles (from two axles) n stick em in the 8.8 BAM. how cheap is that

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I have heard that before. There are many ways to accomplish this. I have only done custom changes to specialized cars. If you think about it, if you are building a real powerhouse car, why would you cut corners....great comment! Thanks SK

[Collins328]

Hey, I've got a 79 Foxbody with a 2.3 Inline 4. I was gonna swap to a 5.0, but decided to try to build the 2.3, do you know if this process will work with the 79 model year? And do you have any advice on building the suspension for it? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

This will work for any engine size. All you need to do is have the correct K member and motor mounts. When you buy the front struts you need to get ones for the engine size you have. Other than that it is straight forward. Good luck and let me know if you hit any snags.

[concaveprod]

YES I HAVE A QUESTION...DRIVE LINE....WHAT DO I NEED??? I HAVE A 5.0 W/ AOD TRANNY, WHAT DRIVELINE WILL I NEED IF I CHANGE OVER TO THE 94 COBRA REAR END??IF ITS THE STOCK ONE THEN I CAN JUST ORDER FROM FFRP AN ALUMINUM DRIVELINE...BUT DOES THE STOCK DRIVELINE GET USED?????

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

By drive line do you mean drive shaft? As long as you put a Fox body rear end in and a direct replacement tranny, the drive shaft will bolt right in using the flange on the shaft and threaded holes on the axle hub. If the tranny is a bit longer or shorter there is some play with the yoke. Worst scenario is you’d have to change the yoke to match the tranny spline and length. Any Fox body rear end is a direct swap.

[concaveprod]

@CoolCarsHotGuitars

yes i mean drive shaft, and my question was kind of answerd..im getting a 94 cobra rear end(thats not fox body its sn94) so my question stands, will my stock(fox body) driveshaft bolt up with the 94cobra rear end?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

It should as long as the rear end comes out of a V8 car.

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

First of all I do what the customer wants, secondly there are many ways to do this and many opinions. I do not value negative comments, especially ones from delusional people who think they are God. You have much to learn young man.

[rp94cobra]

tubular k members are a gift from god they helped my 88 gt 100%

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

They make it very easy to work from underneath. They are really awesome!

[spuds355]

i wanna get 450-500 hp put of it im gonna get b 303 cam and i mite get 60cc afr 185 heads what u recomend afr 185 or gt40x i know how to build motors not all the specs on compressions and all that stuff

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I'm sure you know how to build a motor. The expertise is in matching components. You can lose HP by using the wrong combination of parts. Under-sizing 1 part can lead to failure. Your original question was about the crank. As I said, a forged crank will handle what you are looking to do.

[GrantEvanGriffith]

@spuds355 why would you get the b-303?

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

I recommended he get a local speed shop to help him choose components. I'm not sure that cam/head combination will get what he wants.

[spuds355]

thanks you really know what you are talking about what is the most hp you can get out of 64cc heads

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Again, there are machining considerations, cam specs, intake style, carb, rocker arm ratios. What does the manufacturer say they are capable of? If you start pushing a head to its' limits, I recommend a good dyno break in because hot spots and air flow are critical to avoid melting a piston.

[spuds355]

it will be running about 500-600 hp

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Please explain how you calculated 500-600 HP out of 64 cc heads, 8.4:1 compression with a 3" stroke. What are the stats on the cam and what ratio rocker arms are you using? Did you have a target octane to use? I'll do what I can to help you, but I hope you have a motor builder helping you choose components and getting the right machining. Either way a forged crank will handle over 800 HP. You should have a zero balance rotating assembly.

[spuds355]

64cc heads gt40x heads 8.4:1 compression je dish top pistions stock bore 5.090' rod length 3.000' stoke h beam manley rods 20 lb of boost

[spuds355]

im building a 302 ford now and i got je pistions and manley rods what crank do your recomend its going to be 15-20 lb of boost i was looking at crower

what do you think about je and manley

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

what shape pistons, H or I beam rods, what compression, how many cc's in the heads, brand of heads?

[spuds355]

thank for all the help you really know your fox bodys i always buy parts made in the usa i was looking at the mm and pa racing k member the car is a daily driver i just a k member for the weight reduction and more room is maximum motosports better then pa racing

[spuds355]

what is the best brand for k members for street racing and general use

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

It really depends on how you define best. For light weight and strength I like the QA1 I put in this project. There are many brands, but I would avoid Chinese steel as much as possible. The nickel content is lower making it softer and more prone to rust.

[spuds355]

upr is the brand

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Ok, now I got ya....yes, you need 94-95 control arms that will hold the correct ball joint for the 94-95 spindle....sorry for the confusion

[spuds355]

they are 94-04 upr control arms im not going to use stock becasue you need different ball joints with using sn-95 spindles

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Why do you have upper control arms? Do you not have struts?

[spuds355]

i asked about the conversion can i use 94-95 spindles and 94-04 control arms

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

They should work as long as they cam from a V8 car.

[spuds355]

i got the upr kit for a 87-93 mustang do i need the 94-95 control arms with the sway bar mount

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Yes. You'll need to change the spindle to a 94-95 for disc bake mounting. You'll also have to change the lower control arms because the ball joints are different. I'm not sure if the upper kit will work with the 94-95 spindle. The lower control arms should have the sway bar mount.

[iwasatoad]

nice video but it dosent cost that much new front hub will do you do not need new k member but would be nice if you all ready have 8.8 rear all you need is the right rear axel shafts 5 lug of course and then new rotors calipers and rims tires if changing sizes cost less than1,300 if you shop around..

once agin you do not need new front K member or struts or shocks would be nice to have but is not needed.

his set up would be nice for racing app or show car..........

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

No doubt it can be done for less. That is why I say it's a conversion and performance upgrade. You are correct with all of your observations. Thanks for the clarifications.

But, if you're going to upgrade to 5 lug with nice wheels, why not get nicer brakes and suspension parts at the same time? I just do what the customer asks for. Thanks again!

[iwasatoad]

I would agree with nice breakes as you would need new rotors (5 lug rotors) and i would as well up grade 2 no less the 4 pistion calipers in the front but would proebely go to 6 pistion my self for bore break power all though even with the 1 pistion stok caliper can lock the tire up but with 6 pistion you would be applying more even pressure over the break pad as you would with 4 (more even ware and serface contact) for syspension the stock is good enougfh for your daily drivers but how ever

[iwasatoad]

is not the greatest for stearing there is not alot of caster camber and more ability to counter steer is much wanted for horse play and track driving more caster can camber will also alow for better traction with tire turned would be a nice up grade as for the new K member and rack and pinyon be weiry on what you go with as some people like fast stearing some dont (turn ratio) i my self want fast stear (requires more accurate hand weel use and can kick the car over 2 quick and break the rear out

[iwasatoad]

for k member tublar is no dought a good idea as it will lighten it up but be carful some replacement k members allow for the oil pan to hit the ground before the frame also depends on syspension (shocks and spring rate) as for rear breaks since buying new at least get dual pistion it dosent due much breaking but once agin applys more even pressure but with out adjustment it will change break balance that where new break pressure dsturibtor comes in and that about does it for my input

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Excellent input, thank you for taking the time to help everyone out on the subject !

[iwasatoad]

not a problem theay cars are only one step away from a ford GT lol so un-till i get the K's for that ill keep modifying mine lol

[456maze]

Very cool video.. I have a question i am converting my 84 to 5 lug, and from your video u said us a 94-95 rear axle, can i use a 96? i found one on a GT for 100 bucks. if so is it the same size as a 94-95?

thanks for your help..

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Measure the hub hub length, if it's 60.5" or less and has the same conrol arms do it. Google "mustang axle combatability chart" and see what you come up with.

[NYConnoisseur]

Absolutely awesome tutorial...

[CoolCarsHotGuitars]

Thank you so much. When I have an opportunity to make a helpful video I try to get it done. It takes a couple hours, but as long as it helps. Doing the narrations is not as easy as you think, especially without a script...rock on!