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Messages - Aerocoupe

2431
Drivetrain Tech / Ranger/Aerostar axles- the other sides
The Ranger left hand side and Aerostar right hand side is 29-5/32" long (Fox Mustang length) on the 2WD models.  The Ranger right hand side is 26-1/4" long on the 2WD models and the Aerostar left hand side is 32-1/4" long on the 2WD models.  The 94-98 SN95 Mustang axles are 30" long which is identical to the TC disc rears.  With all of that I would say that you cannot use the leftovers from the Rangers and Aerostar axles for a TC rear once the Mustang length axle has been robbed.

Darren
2432
Drivetrain Tech / 8.8" rear end questions
I was able to get an SN95 rear end out of a 95 GT and it was $175 brake to brake.  They were nice enough to include the ABS sensors without cutting the wires and the soft lines to the calipers.  This has been an average price from what I have seen on the Mustang boards.  These rear ends are the same on the GT's from 1994 thru 1998.  In 1999 the overall width increased and the housing got wider as well as the axles getting longer.  The housings on the 86-93 GT's and the housing on the 94-98 GT's are identical.  What is different is that the axles on the 94-98 GT's are longer to accommodate for the ABS sensors and exciter rings on the axles.

With all of that being said if a person wanted to use an existing Fox 8.8 rear but convert it over to the 94-98 GT/V6 rear disc brakes (they are identical as are the axles) but keep the track width of the Fox rear you would want to use the caliper brackets under SN95 and brackets only:

http://www.northracecars.com/Brakes.html

The GT/V6 rear brakes are more than adequate for our cars and are very abundant in the salvage yards which makes them pretty cheap to install.  They also have the brackets for the Turbo Coupe rears and the Cobra rears.  I have their Cobra brackets on my 83 Bird and the quality and fitment is really good.  One thing you will need is a set of the hubcentric rings with the SN95 brakes if you are going to use Fox style 8.8 five lug axles like those in a Ranger pickup.  This is due to the rotors lining up on the axle hub which causes them to be hubcentric.  The hub on the Fox style axles is smaller than the hub on the SN95 style axles thus making these adapter rings necessary.  These guys have them here:

http://www.discbrakesrus.com/make/ford/hardware.htm

The flip side is if you are going to order a set of axles then just order the kit from North Race Cars which includes axles that are the Fox length but have the SN95 style hubs.

Darren
2433
Suspension/Steering / Mustang Subframe Connectors On T-bird/Cougar?
Thanks for the catch Chuck.  I have them on both cars and yes the ones on the Bird are modified.  Had to think about that one for a few as the car is not in the garage.  My buddy Mike split them and welded them up to make them work.  I had to call him to see if he remembered what he did to make them work and he said it would have been about as hard to make a set as it was to modify the Mustang units.  Mike remembered installing the seat brackets before we went to the 1999 Mobil 1 World Ford Challenge.  The subframes were installed before that but I could not remember when so I had to take a trip down memory lane otherwise known as the receipt file.  I dug up the old receipt from GW and it was from 95 and the subframe connectors were $118 for the pair...I noticed they have gone up a little since then.

If you are really worried about tweaking the chassis then you should look at installing some of the upper subframes.  I have the Griggs units on my car but they can be made for a lot less than I paid and I believe there is a thread on it here somewhere.  If not here I know there are several on the Mustang websites and the only differece according to the folks at Griggs is that the T-Bird uppers are 2" longer.  I patterned everything off of the T-Bird units and made a set for my Coupe and the only thing I did different was make the upper 2" square tube 2" shorter.

Darren
2434
Suspension/Steering / Mustang Subframe Connectors On T-bird/Cougar?
If you do not want to fabricate a set I would recommend Global West's subframes.  I have them on my 83 and the fit and finish was and still is very good.  They are a full length subframe and the driver's side even has the bracket to relocate the e-brake cable.  I also used their seat reinforcement for the Fox Mustang and it worked like a champ.  The subframes on are this page (P/N 918):

http://www.globalwest.net/1980-88thunderbird.html

and the seat reinforcements are on this page (P/N 920):

http://www.globalwest.net/1979-93mustang.html

Darren
2437
Drivetrain Tech / 8.8" rear end questions
I am wondering if the 87-88 cars have a different rear wheel well than the 83-86 cars, anyone?  I cannot even see how I could stuff a 305 under my car without mini tubing the car and that is something I am still considering.

Darren
2439
Drivetrain Tech / 8.8" rear end questions
I have zero room left in the wheel wells with the 275's in my 83.  If I rolled the fender lip and relocated the rear coil overs I might squeeze a 295 but its just not worth it to me.  A set of good drag radials in a 275 would most likely stick all rwhp the car has anyhow.

Darren
2440
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / F/S: 85-86 Mustang GT Halo Seats - Custom Covered
These are a pair of 85 Mustang GT seats with the Halo head rests that I am selling for $300. I had them recovered by a shop in OK several years ago. They have been in the 83 Bird and I am pulling them out selling them to go a different direction with the interior. I am keeping the manual seat tracks for whatever seats I go with. I would prefer not to ship but would consider it for another $100 as these will not be cheap to ship packaged the right way. I am only willing to ship to the lower 48 states. The pictures are of the driver seat as the passenger seat is still in the car.  The seats are in a shop in Lawton, OK right now so anyone close to there or my house in Longview, TX would be ideal.  I have them posted on two other Mustang sites but someone here may find them ideal for their project.

       

Darren
2441
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / 2 new arrivals- 1986 t/c and 1988 t/c
No worries just wanted to make sure I did not miss an email or message from you.  I am patient so take your time.  There is a yard back home that I am going to visit when I am there in two weeks.  They still have a few of the Fox Cougars and Birds so I will see if they have a set.

Darren
2443
Engine Tech / Check Engine Lights Flashes-The Saga Continues 2/10
I looked up what each of the codes mean from the two sources I have and this is what they are:

Code 67 (KOEO) shows to be a Neutral Drive Switch (NDS) circuit failure, circuit open, or A/C input high
Code 63 (Continuous Memeory) shows to be a Throttle Position (TP) circuit fault, below minimum voltage
Code 33 (Continuous Memeory) shows to be the EGR vavle not opening properly

Clear the codes out like softtouch suggested above and post back with what you find.  On another note, a code scanner for one of these cars is about $30 at AutoZone and is a whole lot easier than the paper clip trick and it comes with a book that lists the codes.

Darren
2445
Drivetrain Tech / 8.8" rear end questions
Just to make sure, the SN95 rear is in my 93 Fox Mustang Coupe car not a T-Bird.  However, having the Fox Mustang rear in my 83 T-bird and having had a Fox Mustang rear in the Coupe I am 100% sure the SN95 rear will work in a T-Bird with the correct offset on the wheels and/or spacers.

Another note, I am running 17 X 8 with a 30 mm offset on the front of the Bird and I would not push anymore than a 245/40/17 on that wheel combo but I do have the SN95 96+ spindles up front which will push the tires out an additional 8mm per side so if I was running the 94-95 SN95 spindles a 255/40/17 would most likely work.

Darren