1994 Mustang GT, My Front Tires are pushed back.

TravisCadello · 10-03-2009

Well I bought the 94 mustang 5.0 the way it is. it has had front end damage because it has a new unpainted front Bumper and the radiator support is wrinkled all bad.

Well i noticed it with some v6 rims a little, But when i got my new 03/04 Cobra R Wheel 17 inch i noticed it really bad. Before I lowered it the tires would rub badly on fender only on one side.

It looks like the tires both in front are push back wards towards the rear of the car. i don't think this is because the wreck cause i looked under the car and it looks normal on rack n pinion.

Is their away to adjust this or what? someone said it might just need to be adjusted not sure tho.

Thanks Guys!

mustangmadman33 · 10-03-2009

it could be from damage. it sounds like toe and heel to me. im not sure if cc plates would help you out or not. could the fender be pushed.

**EagleAutosports** · 10-03-2009

I'd suspect it's from the wreck. You cannot always tell if it's within spec from the visual standpoint. Get the car on an alignment rack and they should be able to tell you what the deal is.

There's an adjustment called caster, that's where the top of the shock (looking from the side of the car) is angled more to the rear of the car. You want some positive caster, as it aids in high speed stability. If the caster gets close to zero (straight up) or negative (angled towards the front), you'll have a lot of front end bounce but be able to make turns quicker. If the caster goes too far positive, you'll have a smooth ride at speed but have a hard time turning.

TravisCadello · 10-03-2009

Right now i have hard time turning really bad. if i turn the wheel all the way left it barely makes it into driveway from the road going straight lol.

My buddy at Brake Check said get a Caster Camber kit and come back to get a alignment and he could align it good and it maybe pull the tire to the center again.

Is this what i should do??^^^ I work at a body shop so if it is the frame ill pull it but i dont think it is.

TravisCadello · 10-03-2009

So maybe if i buy caster camber plates it will fix the tire being so far back?

**EagleAutosports** · 10-04-2009

They'll allow you to adjust it to improve the caster a bit, the question is how much does it actually need? They may not allow enough to get it correct.

ccs94gt · 10-04-2009

Its the K-member being shoved toward the rear of the car and is sitting crooked. If you can get the car up off the ground on 4 corners, try to measure(extra hands will be helpful) from any point near the left rear to the right front and then from right rear to left front. Your trying to measure if the k-member is sitting square in the car. Make sure you find a point to measure from that is in the same spot on both sides. If the diagonal measurement is different from side to side, then the k-member might be able to be loosened(support the engine with a crane first) and straightened out. The k-member has slotted holes where it bolts to the car. Its a process you go through when installing an aftermarket tubular piece like the ones Maximum Motorsports make.

TravisCadello · 10-04-2009

its I'd say 2 or 3 inchs away from where the tires should be on both sides of the front tires. so its pushed back evenly.

It sucks ass because i had new tires in front on my Cobra Rims and when i turn the wheel either way the two front tires would rub the fender and leave rubber ALL down the side of my car.

I can wash the car and go 15 miles driving and get home and it would look like i did a Front wheel drive burnout to 4th gear. the rubber would be ALL on my drivers door and fender and same on passenger side.

TravisCadello · 10-04-2009

Well after 3 weeks the front tires were COMPLETELY bald from all the tread being scraped off!

lol.

I did burnout alot and the back tires still look new while the front one already popped from being bald and stichs out them.

ccs94gt · 10-05-2009

Sell the car... get another one. From what I've read of your questions, it sounds like more work than I would want to try to fix. And I like wrenching. I'm just trying to make things easier on you. Having a good foundation to build from makes hot rodding a Mustang so much funner and easier. You don't want something that you have to do a ton of work to just to make it the way it should be from factory. But, if you wanna learn all the details of your car and have a good amount of patience, and a bit of cash, then keep at it. I just know how fustrating things can get sometimes... I don't want to discourage you, but it sounds like there are some problems with the car that you shouldn't have to deal with at this point.

TravisCadello · 10-05-2009

I thought about that but the only thing wrong with car is the tires problem. once i fix that and get caster camber plates thats done with it. It runs great and is pretty quick. I love it put it like that im not selling it lol.

All this work is easy for me tho. I had a Honda i did WAAY more work on. i changed it from automatic to standard just cause i loved it.

ccs94gt · 10-05-2009

Well good to hear your happy with the the car anyways.... I love mine, I've had it for 11 years and put over 250 000 on it before I did the motor up. Its been in 4 accidents. I keep fixing it up and keep driving the crap out of it. That's what they are for. Its not like its a $100 000 show car.

Any ways, an ideal popped into my head. If you can't get the stock K-member straightened out look into an after market piece. Most of them have revised geometry that moves the a-arm mounting location forward. This would move your wheels forward 1-2 inches. They aren't very expensive either. Q-A1 has one for $300 or so. That's less than new tires lol. Maximum Motosports is supposed to be one of the best. I put one in a fox body in half a day with a crane for the motor. It sure cleans out the engine bay and gives you a lot of clearance for headers and what not. Look into if they are compatible with stock A-arms or if they require tubular ones. Tubular arms usually require a coil over kit due to lack of spring mounts. The Q-A1 let us use stock arms, so it was just a bolt on installation.

TravisCadello · 10-06-2009

I'll check those out ^^^ Thanks!

TravisCadello · 10-23-2009

is it possible that i just need to replace the control arms? my friend said one his was worn and the tires was pushed back rubbing the car.

Htwheeler · 10-24-2009

If you work at a body shop you should be able to get someone to check your frame, but if your tires are that far back just getting camber/caster plates is not going to adjust your tires 2" forward. You do have a serious problem with your front end. Check your front end like ccs94GT said above. You may end up replacing front end parts but they are fairly easy and not too expensive.