Since we're only notching...
Since we're only notching the framerail, it must be reboxed for strength.
Rondeau welded in plates to...
Rondeau welded in plates to square the framerail.
A plate was welded into the...
A plate was welded into the corner where the framerail meets the floor section. Anywhere the framerail or floor was cut away, the DMC crew welded plates into place.
That includes the front and...
That includes the front and rear of the wheelwell openings. The welded plates stiffen and support the structure since we removed large portions of it.
Here's the framerail as it...
Here's the framerail as it appears, notched and boxed. You can see how much material was removed in order to make the opening square and provide adequate tire clearance.
Clean off all the coatings...
Clean off all the coatings and paint from the inside lip.
The lip is rolled and wel...
The lip is rolled and welded.
The high-quality replacement...
The high-quality replacement mini tubs are made by DMC.
Pricing is a reasonable $...
Pricing is a reasonable $130.
Tubs are installed from the...
Tubs are installed from the bottom side.
The tub fits nicely, and we...
The tub fits nicely, and we only had to trim this corner piece to get it to fit perfectly.
Once the tub is installed,...
Once the tub is installed, it's tack-welded to the body and frame. The tubs are sealed using caulk, which is applied when the car is finished.
The completed product fits...
The completed product fits nicely and cleanly. We thought about tossing in a convertible rear seat, which measures 40 inches across. The wheel tubs measure 38 inches side to side, so if you want to have a back seat, you'll have to cut open the seat, remove material, and trim it 2 inches.
Here's a finished drag-race...
Here's a finished drag-race Mustang that was at DMC Racing. It has mini tubs, a 25.5 cage, a rear firewall, and fuel and ice/water cells.
Here's Another angle of the...
Here's Another angle of the wheeltub in the race car.
We mocked up a set of 20x10...
We mocked up a set of 20x10 wheels and tires. We haven't lost our minds, and we have no intention of running these wheels. It made the LX look like a Hot Wheels car. We just wanted to show how much clearance there is by adding a set of mini-tub wheels. These billet wheels came off of a '40 Ford street rod that was in the shop.
MM&FF's Steve Baur provided...
MM&FF's Steve Baur provided some pictures of Michael Minor's '93 Cobra. It's the perfect example of mini tubs in a street application. Those are ginormous BFG 345/30-18 tires on 18x13 wheels.
Weldcraft Wheels was given...
Weldcraft Wheels was given the task of widening the wheels from 9 inches to the aforementioned 13 inches.
This rear's end-to-end size permits the use of 15x12-inch drag-race-style rims with a 5-inch backspacing. The larger wheel tubs enable us to fit 29.5x10.5-inch slicks without any clearance issues. MacPherson told us that it was the largest tire that fits without trimming the body. The mini tubs can handle tires that check in at 30x12-or basically 29.5x10.5W slicks or the popular 315/60-15 drag radials. The only requirement is minor trimming of the lower portion of the body.
Street enthusiasts can benefit from mini tubbing their Mustang simply for great looks. A narrowed rearend permits the use of a wide wheel along with a smaller backspace. The less backspace on the rim, the deeper the dish (area from outer lip to the center-section of the rim), and this just looks tough. A pair of beefy tires, or rubber-band-sized ones, can be slung onto a set of 18s or 20s, fit comfort-ably, and look proper in a Fox-body or SN-95. In the end, cutting out the puny, old tubs and installing a larger set will undoubtedly enhance the appearance of your Mustang and add quite a bit of traction, too.
Strange Rear
The ultimate rearend is the Ford 9-inch, and we tossed the 8.8 in favor of one. Strange Engineering was tapped to build us a fortified and narrowed 9-inch housing. The company cut down a housing and added a back brace. It was then filled with some of the strongest parts the company makes. Strange offers complete bolt-in rearends as well as custom-fabbed ones, such as the one shown here, for all applications.
The Ultra Case is a lightweight...
The Ultra Case is a lightweight centersection that houses the gears and spool. It comes fully assembled. Weight savings is considerable over a nodular-iron centersection, but those savings come with an additional cost.
We disassembled the housing...
We disassembled the housing so it could be sent out to be powdercoated. We highly suggest painting or powdercoating the rearend housing to prevent it from rusting.
Strange welded the upper control...
Strange welded the upper control arm mounts to the housing. DMC chose to weld the lower control arm mounts since this car will use an offset control arm. Strange can set up the rear with the upper and lower mounts installed and ready to bolt on your Stang.
The Ultra Case holds a 40-spline...
The Ultra Case holds a 40-spline spool and a 3.55 gearset.
Forty-spline axles are capable...
Forty-spline axles are capable of enduring just about anything you can throw at them. These axles are gun drilled-a technique used to lighten them up. Strange reports that gun-drilled 40-spline axles are 54 percent stronger and 10 percent lighter than 35-spline axles.
The axles are equipped with...
The axles are equipped with 1/2-inch wheel studs.