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    what size wheels/what materials

    Dear Fellow Panther drivers,
    I am hoping to ask Scott to replace my 89 CP's wheels and install rear discs in March. He suggests sixteen inch or seventeen inch because anything bigger doesn't look good.

    I am mostly concerned with handling and think the more rubber on the road, the better.

    I also do some off road driving and the higher ground clearance, the better. And Scott did mention his ambition to one day create a panther 4wd. Dunno if that'd worsen handling or not but I can dream can't I?

    So here's my questions:
    1. Would 18 inch wheels fit?
    2. Would a full size tire fit in the spare wheel well?
    3. I am indifferent to wheel appearance and mildly prefer a simple dog dish on painted wheels. What's the best material for Interstate cruising steel or aluminum.

    Thanks for your advice.

    Donald McCaig

    #2
    18's will fit. You can jack one up for higher ground clearance. Does affect the handling with real off road tires though. A tall street tire and it still handles good. Ive said it before and Ill say it again. Dont even bother with 4wd. Its not needed and its more of a headache then its worth.
    1989 Grand Marquis LS
    flat black, 650 double pumper, random cam, hei, stealth intake, Police front springs, Wagon rear, Police rear bar, wagon front ,exploder wheels, 205/60-15 fronts 275/60-15 rears, 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" offroad x pipe, Eclipse front bucket seats, Custom floor shifter, 4.10 gears, aluminum driveshaft and daily driven. 16.77@83mph

    Comment


      #3
      16" steelies would be the most affordable wheels......they will fit in the spare tire holder if you run 225/60/16's or 235/60/16's........i would think 17" mustang wheels would be too wide with a plus size tire to fit in the wagons spare holder......marauder wheels are 18" but different widths front and rear, and $599 plus shipping for 4.....maybe they would sell 5, but then again, will it fit in the spare holder

      1986 lincoln towncar signature series. 5.0 HO with thumper performance ported e7 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, warm air intake, 65mm throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, ported intakes, 3.73 rear with trac lock, 98-02 front brake conversion, 92-97 rear disc conversion, 1" rear swaybar, 1 3/16" front swaybar, 16" wheels and tires, loud ass stereo system, badass cb, best time to date 15.94 at 87 mph. lots of mods in the works 221.8 rwhp 278 rwt
      2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature. Stock for now
      1989 Ford F-250 4x4 much much more to come, sefi converted so far.
      1986 Toyota pickup with LSC wheels and 225/60/16 tires.
      2008 Hyundai Elantra future Revcon toad
      1987 TriBurner and 1986 Alaska stokers keeping me warm. (and some pesky oil heat)

      please be patient, rebuilding an empire!

      Comment


        #4
        With 17x8" wheels and 245/45 rubber I run circles around sportcars with r-comp tires. You would have to run a 16" steel spare with a 225 or less tire though. Still a full size spare, just not a matching one.
        Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

        Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

        Comment


          #5
          Dear Fellow Panthers,
          I don't like the mini spares because I'm often driving all night through rural Texas or South Dakota where nothing is open for thrity miles, sometimes not even a light. I worry that the minispare wouldn't hold up until I got my flat fixed.

          That said, what would be the effect of driving, say, 150 miles with three seventeen inch wheels and one sixteen?

          DOnald McCaig

          Comment


            #6
            If you size spare tire to have the same diameter, or close to the same diameter of the other 4, there will only be a slight decrease in handling. I am in pretty much the same boat, and have been discussing options with Scott to find a suitable spare.

            I have found tires in a 215/65/16, which are 27", the same diameter as stock. That should easily fit in the spare tire well.
            Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

            Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

            Comment


              #7
              I would suggest the 17X8s, that gives you the best selection of tire options. It also brings you into the real performance tires arena. 15" doesn't have any performance tires to speak of in the correct size for our cars. 16" has a few, but no extreme performance. 17" has pretty much everything.

              Comment


                #8
                If you're looking for inexpensive and avaliable, hard to go wrong with 16" steels from a newer police car, though they do somewhat lack in appearance. They make a fantastic spare though. I run 16" LSC wheels on my car, just like the ones on Scott's Townie. I have one for a spare too, since I'm also not a fan of mini spares, and I also really do not like mismatching wheels.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  #9
                  Don and I need a swing arm mount for the spare, like on broncos...Or toss 'em on the roof rack like the Jeep guys...LOL
                  Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

                  Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

                  Comment


                    #10
                    yes the 215/65/16 will definitely fit in the spare tire holder.........david is running that size on his superlincoln, and he loves them.....he had 235/60/16's and said the ride is much smoother with the narrower taller tires

                    1986 lincoln towncar signature series. 5.0 HO with thumper performance ported e7 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, warm air intake, 65mm throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, ported intakes, 3.73 rear with trac lock, 98-02 front brake conversion, 92-97 rear disc conversion, 1" rear swaybar, 1 3/16" front swaybar, 16" wheels and tires, loud ass stereo system, badass cb, best time to date 15.94 at 87 mph. lots of mods in the works 221.8 rwhp 278 rwt
                    2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature. Stock for now
                    1989 Ford F-250 4x4 much much more to come, sefi converted so far.
                    1986 Toyota pickup with LSC wheels and 225/60/16 tires.
                    2008 Hyundai Elantra future Revcon toad
                    1987 TriBurner and 1986 Alaska stokers keeping me warm. (and some pesky oil heat)

                    please be patient, rebuilding an empire!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by mrltd
                      Don and I need a swing arm mount for the spare, like on broncos...Or toss 'em on the roof rack like the Jeep guys...LOL
                      Before I trow my spare behind the rear bumper I was actually considering installing it on top of the trunk lid - kinda like old Land Rovers have it on the hood, only in the rear. That however would ask for reinforcing the trunk lid, and adding air-assist support cylinders to help lift the lid with the heavy wheel on it, and would also beg for a reduced visibility ticket. It would also look extremely retarded on a 4-door sedan. Now if it was a 2-door Grand Marquis a setup like that would look pretty badass, especially combined with a good cow-catcher in the front and some wide tires and a decent rake... Tom, are you up for that?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Tom, if you decide you want a cow catcher up front and a tire on the trunk, I'm taking your keys and requesting that you be submitted for a mental health evaluation.
                        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Dear Pantherers,
                          So far as I know there are only 3 semi-performance tires in 15 inch and one, the Dunlops, hydroplane. If there are more choices in 17 unch, that's a good argument. Question: is any 17 in tire small enough to fit in the spare wheel wheel? - i.e. approx 27 inches?
                          DOnald McCaig

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Oh yeah. I plan on going with a 26" tire when I get 17" wheels.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              If you mount the tire on the rack, I'd try to reinforce it somehow.
                              Save a seal, club a liberal.

                              Comment

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