Cut My Rear End

[5arnold]

I have a 2003 MM i'm planning on cutting my rear end to put some INTRO BILLET WHEELS.I want 20's on the rear with a 4 inch lip & 18's on the front with a 1 1/2 or 2 inch lip.http://www.introwheels.com/images/img_w_exposed_5/vista_5_polished_275.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:;) Tell what u guys think should i go 4 it or what! By cutting the rear axle & i dont want to use "cheater rims" that give you a false lip and by the way they don't look that great.I want a true 4 inch lip or if can go up to 5 inches even better.Theres a lot FAKE LOOK ALIKE MM'S in HOUSTON but they don't come close to one.The rims will be special order from company.My buddy ordered his with a 5 1/2 inch lip.

[RF Overlord]

What exactly do you mean by "cutting my rear end"? You mean the quarter panels? The axle?

[Grifter]

I have 20x10 on the back of mine. Fit just fine w/o modifications

[magindat]

Sized right, cutting won't be necessary. I have 20's on the rear and 18's on the front with a rim designed to give a 'false' lip. The rear is 10" wide.

To get it to fit, you need a +65 to +70 mm offset which you will likely never find unless the rim is custom made.

I have spent an enormous amount of time and research in this effort. So have detailed knowledge of the clearances, measurements and offsets involved. I am TUCKING a 30" tall 12" wide tire on 20x10's and the car is lowered 1.5". No one on this site (to my knowledge) has stuffed more wheel/tire on this car and still 'tucked'. No, it doesn't rub, either.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/5/4/8/DSCF6218.jpg

I think your proposed set up would look quite nice, ride well, and not rub if sized out properly.

[magindat]

I have 20x10 on the back of mine. Fit just fine w/o modifications

I don't think I ever saw a pic of that once you were done. Got any? What size tire did you end up with?

Lastly, where'd you find the rim and what were the specs. I never could find a high enough offset, so I got mine widened at Weldcraft!

Ended up tucking 295/45/20's.

[2,4shofast]

I have 20X10's in the back with 285/30/20's and dont have rubbing issues, I didnt adjust the rear ride height before I left but I already measured and there will be no rubbing issues.

[magindat]

I have 20X10's in the back with 285/30/20's and dont have rubbing issues, I didnt adjust the rear ride height before I left but I already measured and there will be no rubbing issues.

Based on your sig pic, they wouldn't rub on stock bump stops, but sure would if you lowered it!!

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

This is what he means by narrowing the rear:
i dont want to use "cheater rims" that give you a false lip and by the way they don't look that great.I want a true 4 inch lip or if can go up to 5 inches even better

He does not like the flat wheels that you have to use w/ these cars. Even Magindat's wheels are more or less flat across the face, because these cars use almost all backspace on the wheels. He wants a big wide 4-5" lip, like you used to be able to run with old cars that had zero offset wheels (or even more so, like a Cragar "reverse" wheel, like an SST. If you had 15X10" Cragar SST reverse wheels, the face of the wheel sunk in like a barrel. It probably had a 5-6" lip. It was like a clothes dryer.)

So yeah, if you really want a 4-5" outer lip, you would need to narrow the rear end on these cars a LOT. I don't know if you could accomplish that and not interfere with the suspension (probably not) On old leaf spring cars, you would have to move the leaf springs in to the frame rail in order to narrow the rear and run big wide wheels.

I agree and don't like the flat, all-backspace look of modern wheels. Look at the CVP steel wheels now. They are a flat piece of steel w/ no room for a wide trim ring, just a faux tacked on accent ring. They look like hell. But that is what we are stuck with.

[magindat]

This is what he means by narrowing the rear:

He does not like the flat wheels that you have to use w/ these cars. Even Magindat's wheels are more or less flat across the face, because these cars use almost all backspace on the wheels. He wants a big wide 4-5" lip, like you used to be able to run with old cars that had zero offset wheels (or even more so, like a Cragar "reverse" wheel, like an SST. If you had 15X10" Cragar SST reverse wheels, the face of the wheel sunk in like a barrel. It probably had a 5-6" lip. It was like a clothes dryer.)

So yeah, if you really want a 4-5" outer lip, you would need to narrow the rear end on these cars a LOT. I don't know if you could accomplish that and not interfere with the suspension (probably not) On old leaf spring cars, you would have to move the leaf springs in to the frame rail in order to narrow the rear and run big wide wheels.

I agree and don't like the flat, all-backspace look of modern wheels. Look at the CVP steel wheels now. They are a flat piece of steel w/ no room for a wide trim ring, just a faux tacked on accent ring. They look like hell. But that is what we are stuck with.

Yes, it's true. Mine are a 'false' lip. I think I said that. I had NO interest in cutting anything, so these were a good choice.

Rather than CUT the axle, it may be easier to look into a <2003 CV or GM axle. They should bolt up and be narrower since <2003 were mid offset wheels. I do believe the outboard shock mounting would be lost and an inboard shock mount would have to be sorted out. It may be possible to 'copy' that set-up from a <2003 car as well. Hopefully the air suspension perches and trailing arms would line up, but I don't think Ford would have invested in that many changes, so they likely will.

There may also be an ABS issue if the old axle ABS sensor is in the pumpkin rather than on the axle hubs.

Ultimately, that route should be FAR cheaper, less complicated and more reliable than narrowing the stock axle.

After the new (old) axle is in the car, face measurements (from the brake hub mounting) for wheel offset should be cake and there should be about a gazillion choices.

[sailsmen]

The Ladies like those 4" LIPS'
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/6/7/2/Mick_Jagger_August_62C_2006_-_DC3BCbendorf2C_ZH.jpg

[2,4shofast]

Based on your sig pic, they wouldn't rub on stock bump stops, but sure would if you lowered it!!

Before I bought the rims we adjusted the rear to see if I could get wider than 285's on the rear with the offset and 285's were as wide as I could go, 295 cleared the outer lip but would rub on the inner. I have about 3/8th of a inch inside of the wheel well. Im not going to try to tuck them anyhow, Im only looking to lower the rear about 3/4" so it wont be an issue.

[Grifter]

I don't think I ever saw a pic of that once you were done. Got any? What size tire did you end up with?

Lastly, where'd you find the rim and what were the specs. I never could find a high enough offset, so I got mine widened at Weldcraft!

Ended up tucking 295/45/20's.

Courtesy of TMF
http://www.cvmusclecars.com/gallery/files/2/DSC03397.JPG

Wheel Replicas is where I got mine. +50 rears
I'm only running a 275 rear tire. Its the only tire I could find at the time that was the exact same height as stock to keep that big/little look

[2,4shofast]

Beautiful car Grifter:beer:

[Grifter]

Thank you very much.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Yeah I agree getting a pre 03 chassis with the zero offset setup would be much much easier. This is all in the name of aesthetics, not function!

[Rufustelestrat]

Just so you can see stock rims with big tires, here is a shot of my daily driver with the 295 nittos on the back and the 255s on the front.
RUF
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g41/Rufustelestrat/tiresetal.jpg

[Taemian]

Just so you can see stock rims with big tires, here is a shot of my daily driver with the 295 nittos on the back and the 255s on the front.
RUF
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g41/Rufustelestrat/tiresetal.jpg

295 on stock rear rims??? Yikes! :confused:

[Blk Mamba]

Just so you can see stock rims with big tires, here is a shot of my daily driver with the 295 nittos on the back and the 255s on the front.
RUF
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g41/Rufustelestrat/tiresetal.jpg

Give me the full size of your tires please I've been looking for 295's, and 245's, but can't put together the aspect, 50, 60, 65? Beautiful, handles the road nice doesn't. I like to road race, not drag race, and need a lot of tire.

[2,4shofast]

I know Nitrous SSC is running 255/45/18 and 285/50/18 on the stock wheels, you might want to PM him as well for more info:confused:

[Rufustelestrat]

Give me the full size of your tires please I've been looking for 295's, and 245's, but can't put together the aspect, 50, 60, 65? Beautiful, handles the road nice doesn't. I like to road race, not drag race, and need a lot of tire.
i have run
245/45 18 Nitto Fronts they are
now 255/45 18 Nitto 555s
295/45 18 Nitto Rears

This setup has given me 30-40k for each set unlike the 15k on the stock tires.
RUF

[Rufustelestrat]

295 on stock rear rims??? Yikes! :confused:
Why yikes. I know the measurements that the Nitto people show, but funny thing is, this is the second set I have used having worn out the stock rubber in 15k, the nitto tires lasted 36 k the second go round, and in addition I had the front alligned for this size tire, and thrust alligned as well. It is like it is on rails, and I rarely have the TC light come on in the rain, here in SoCal. I can if I step on it too hard, but more of a factor of the road surface than the tire.

RUF

[Raudermaster]

I've heard as long as you have a lower aspect ratio than the stock tires, you should be able to fit up to 295's I thought on the stock rim.

[magindat]

Courtesy of TMF
http://www.cvmusclecars.com/gallery/files/2/DSC03397.JPG

Wheel Replicas is where I got mine. +50 rears
I'm only running a 275 rear tire. Its the only tire I could find at the time that was the exact same height as stock to keep that big/little look

Thanx, man. It looks good. I couldn't have done those offsets and lowered it like I wanted. Nice to know a 10" +50 will work, though. I remember swapping info with you a while back. Glad it worked out.

[magindat]

295 on stock rear rims??? Yikes! :confused:

Yep, totally not recommended, but can be made to work.

[magindat]

Give me the full size of your tires please I've been looking for 295's, and 245's, but can't put together the aspect, 50, 60, 65? Beautiful, handles the road nice doesn't. I like to road race, not drag race, and need a lot of tire.


I know Nitrous SSC is running 255/45/18 and 285/50/18 on the stock wheels, you might want to PM him as well for more info:confused:

Jdando seems to be the authority on road racing and tires....

[Grifter]

Thanx, man. It looks good. I couldn't have done those offsets and lowered it like I wanted. Nice to know a 10" +50 will work, though. I remember swapping info with you a while back. Glad it worked out.

Mine is lowered about 1" in the rear, front is stock. I dont think I could lower the front much w/ the offset I have in the front though.