mustang wheels on my ex

[prozac]

ok so i already bought wheels off a mustang and i know they fit. its a 2001 ex sport 2wd
it is lowered with torsion keys in the front and blocks in the rear

I just had upper and lower ball joints on bith sides replaced and had it aligned , problem is the front "dust caps" wont allow the center caps of the mustang wheels to go on.

anybody know of a trick? maybe a flat cap or a way around it so i can install my center caps.

thanks a lot

 

[ranger7ltr]

Which wheels are you running? What year are they?

I have a set of 16" 1995 Mustang GT and a set of 18" 2000 Mustang Cobras that I have run on my 99 Sport...Both sets have let me install the center caps...

Are your wheels newer than 2004? Ford did change the offset on the Mustang and the wheels fit further into the wheelwell... That could be why the caps won't fit...

 

[slammed98z]

I have aftermarket S197 (05-10) Wheels on my Explorer. Required 1 inch spacers all the way around to correct clearance problems with the upper ball joints in the front and the inner fender in the back.

 

[prozac]

i love those wheels! that is what i wanted but i had bad luck with spacers on a previous truck i owned. how much you pay for them?

anyhow to ranger7ltr. I am familiar with the spacing issues. the wheels are off of a 98 or a 95 gt cant remember what one but i know from this site they are the correct spacing. i think when i had my front wheel bearings repacked they used differnet than stock dust caps because they stick out about an inch and if they were flat it would not be a problem. i would take a pic but the truck is still at the shop from the ball joint install and alignment.

does that make sense?

 

[gijoecam]

Dust caps are pretty standard. I'd be surprised if they used anything out of the ordinary.

 

[techboj]

i love those wheels! that is what i wanted but i had bad luck with spacers on a previous truck i owned. how much you pay for them?

anyhow to ranger7ltr. I am familiar with the spacing issues. the wheels are off of a 98 or a 95 gt cant remember what one but i know from this site they are the correct spacing. i think when i had my front wheel bearings repacked they used differnet than stock dust caps because they stick out about an inch and if they were flat it would not be a problem. i would take a pic but the truck is still at the shop from the ball joint install and alignment.

does that make sense?

Try and pry off one of the dustcaps with a large screwdriver. See how much clearance there is between the axle nut and the inside of the cap itself. Most generic dustcaps are domed. If there is enough clearance, I've seen people flatten the domed portion. If this can't be done (because the cap would deform) but there is enough free space, try and find a lower profile dust cap or modify the current ones by cutting the domed area and welding a flat piece to cover. If you are going to do this carefully measure how much space you are going to gain if you get them flattened and whether the wheel center caps will fit. If they still wont fit then you may need at least half inch wheel spacers to move the wheels farther out.

 

[99SportX]

This is only a problem on the 2wd explorers. I am pretty sure napa offers different style dust caps. I am not 100% sure there is enough clearance to use such a cap or how much you need to gain to get the center cap to fit. Just a hammer to dent the cap in may be enough.

I have also heard of folks running a small spacer to overcome this problem. Maybe a 1/4" thick one was all that was required.

 

[slammed98z]

i love those wheels! that is what i wanted but i had bad luck with spacers on a previous truck i owned. how much you pay for them?

anyhow to ranger7ltr. I am familiar with the spacing issues. the wheels are off of a 98 or a 95 gt cant remember what one but i know from this site they are the correct spacing. i think when i had my front wheel bearings repacked they used differnet than stock dust caps because they stick out about an inch and if they were flat it would not be a problem. i would take a pic but the truck is still at the shop from the ball joint install and alignment.

does that make sense?

I got one hell of a deal on them, but i do happen to know the owner of the company. They are Carol Shelby CS68's and run about $500 a piece if you had to purchase them.

 

[prozac]

ok so temporarily until (if i decide to) buy 1/2" spacers i cut the front two center caps, one was cracked in two spots already and the other one cracked in one spot.
im going to buy two more center caps but until then this works.

i also am due to them being in good shape going to run these tires until there dead. then to acheive the look i want am going to put a 55 or 60 series tire because these obviously are too small.

oh, they will be painted black as well!

what ya think?

 

[prozac]

I have aftermarket S197 (05-10) Wheels on my Explorer. Required 1 inch spacers all the way around to correct clearance problems with the upper ball joints in the front and the inner fender in the back.

where did you buy the spacers? got a link?

any problems youve had with them?

ive seen the 1/4" spacers. im def gonna need 1" because i am rubbing on hard turns and it will look better with a slightly wider stance.

 

[slammed98z]

My mistake on the spacers. They are 1.25" not 1.00". Ive never had any problems with them, i do tend to take the wheels off once a month or so and check the inner wheel nuts.

I purchased my spacers off of Ebay, alot cheaper than i could find locally.

Here is a link to them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1182wt_868

 

[prozac]

My mistake on the spacers. They are 1.25" not 1.00". Ive never had any problems with them, i do tend to take the wheels off once a month or so and check the inner wheel nuts.

I purchased my spacers off of Ebay, alot cheaper than i could find locally.

Here is a link to them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1182wt_868

thanks for the link, i actually already bid on some 1" spacers so if i get them i guess i hope it fits! by my calc i think they will jsut fit we'll see.

 

[LilRoush]

I run 17" Mustang Tribars on mine and the dust cap fits behind the center cap. (Same kinda deal, Craigslist steal and I couldn't pass them up - Just need a bit larger profile tire on them.)
However, to put my 18" Roush wheels on, I take the front dust caps off. The design of the wheel will keep dust out enough for my purposes.