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Wheel Tub Installation - Widening The GapYou want wider tires? Goodmark's new wheeltubs for early Mustangs are the answer. From the December, 2011 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Steve Baur
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Since the first Mustang spun its wheels, we have been looking to stuff more rubber beneath our cars, and while we waited for tire technology to catch up, Ford slowly opened the wheelwells of the Mustangs to accommodate increased tire sizes. Unless you're at a concours restoration show, the old 14x5 wheels are simply in the minority these days, and while the tire and wheel sizes have grown, the Mustang's hindquarters have remained as Ford intended them, until now. Goodmark Industries, with the help of Graverobbers Sheetmetal, now offers a solution to Mustang owners that are looking to stuff some larger wheel/tire combinations under their cars. The new inner wheeltubs fit '64-'70 Mustangs and retail for $149.95 a side. Part numbers 3020/670/64WL and 3020/670/64WR cover the left and right sides and offer up to 13 inches of clearance from the inner fenderwell to the lip of the quarter-panel, depending on model year. Chances are, the limiting factor to wheel width will be your suspension components. To see how the Goodmark wheeltubs are installed, we loaded up a '66 Mustang fastback and headed to Graverobbers Sheetmetal in Cumming, Georgia, to have the company that designed and engineered the wheeltubs for Goodmark install the first production set. The first part of the day was spent assessing the quality of the existing metal, as there are a lot of panels that attach to the wheeltubs and they all bind together to form a single structure. "Exploratory surgery," as Graverobbers' Jeff Kipfmueller calls it, often reveals much more than what is in plain site. Case in point, we found out that the top of the passenger-side quarter-panel was not even welded to the inner framework. Both quarter-panels had been previously replaced and the poor quality of the installation was easily evident once Kipfmueller's trained eye showed us the problem areas. "Most people fail in installing the wheelwells correctly," noted Kipfmueller. This is one reason why the installation of the wheeltubs should be left to the professionals, or at least a trained garage wrencher with some experience in metal and chassis repair work. To help enthusiasts with this, Graverobbers has signed on to be the first of what is expected to be many Goodmark-certified installation centers. As such, Graverobbers performs the majority of its Mustang metal work with the vehicle set on its chassis jig. This ensures that the chassis is square and that all subsequent work is within factory tolerances. Graverobbers takes installations such as the Goodmark wheeltubs a step further. "With most restomoddders adding additional horsepower, it's important to not only secure the panels properly, but also to reinforce them beyond factory specifications," says Kipfmueller. With that in mind, Graverobbers utilizes 1/8-inch steel plate to re-box the framerails where material has been removed for added clearance. Without needing any further repair work, the Mustang wheeltub install takes about two days to accomplish, but given the age and number of owners of the average classic car, you may want to figure in a little more. One look around the Graverobbers shop and you know these guys can handle anything you can throw at them, as they regularly reassemble skeletons that at some point were deemed as "rust-free" and/or "restored" vehicles. With the new Goodmark wheeltubs installed, our '66 fastback project car easily swallowed a 295/35/18 tire. This is good news for drag racers looking to stuff larger slicks under their horses, open track enthusiasts that need all the lateral grip they can muster, or just the car show attendee looking for that wide look. Follow along to see what's involved.  1a The Goodmark wheeltub...  1a The Goodmark wheeltub on the left is noticeably wider than the factory wheeltub on the right, just check the distance from the tub to the edge of the trunk floor from side to side...  1b ...To keep the trunk area...  1b ...To keep the trunk area looking factory fresh, Goodmark incorporates all of the factory sheetmetal nuances, including the spare tire depression in the passenger-side wheeltub.  2 Graverobbers starts every...  2 Graverobbers starts every major Mustang modification by setting the vehicle on its chassis jig. This ensures that the body is sitting as it was from the factory, and that any subsequent work will be within factory specifications. Oftentimes, the jig reveals poorly performed previous repairs, as was the case with our subject Mustang.  3 We knew going in that the...  3 We knew going in that the rear framerails were rusty, but we didn't know how bad until Graverobbers removed them to show us. The rust had spread to the trunk floors and drop offs. A previous owner had fiberglassed over the rust, probably in a vain attempt to stop the corrosion and to strengthen the area, and yet you could actually put three fingers through the one rail and just ahead of the bushing mount. Just the slightest of rear impacts could have possibly folded up the back of the car.  4 We showed up with a pair...  4 We showed up with a pair of new framerails when we dropped off the car, and Graverobbers easily handled their installation. At Graverobbers’ recommendation, we also installed new trunk floors, which reside directly above the framerails and connect the framerails, wheeltubs, and quarter-panels together.  5 Trying to remove the rusty...  5 Trying to remove the rusty framerails from the nearly-as-bad trunk floors would have been an effort in futility, and with the relatively inexpensive nature of the trunk floors that we sourced from Goodmark, it made sense to replace them now and provide a perfect foundation to attach the rest of the Mustang’s rear sheetmetal to. The metalsmiths at this Cumming, Georgia, facility truly are robbing the graves, saving the classics from returning to the earth.  6 Before Graverobbers removes...  6 Before Graverobbers removes anything, it takes numerous measurements inside and outside of the vehicle to make sure that everything goes back together properly. Proper planning prevents poor performance, as the saying goes.  7 While the passenger-side...  7 While the passenger-side inner wheeltub had been replaced at some point, the repair quality was poor, not to mention we were going wide with the wheels as well, so it had to go. Here, Berlin Lopez attacks the wheeltub with an air chisel. Lopez finds it better to cut the wheeltub out without separating the flanges, as it’s easier to accomplish the latter once the main piece of metal is out of the way.  8 Here, you can see the cut...  8 Here, you can see the cut line on the old wheeltub. The passenger-side inner and outer tubs, as we found out during this install, were split in three pieces and glued together with a non-automotive adhesive.  9 With the tub out, the flanges...  9 With the tub out, the flanges and edges can be more easily addressed. We also found out that the quarter-panel, which had been replaced by a previous owner, was not attached properly to the chassis of the car.  10 Our axle snubbers were...  10 Our axle snubbers were rotted out and needed to be removed anyway.  11 Since Graverobbers is...  11 Since Graverobbers is an approved Goodmark installation center, it has a few tricks to make the jobs that come in easier. Here, Lopez utilizes a template that he made that accurately indicates the amount of metal that needs to be removed to fit the wider wheeltubs.  12 Another template is used...  12 Another template is used to remove the metal from the seatback area. You can cut and fit and cut and fit, but the template gets you in the ballpark, and darn near in your seat.  13 Here you can see just...  13 Here you can see just how much metal was actually taken out. When Graverobbers completes the installation, it will look factory, and yet be stronger than when it came off the assembly line. This is of particular importance to restomods, as most of the powerplants offer increased power levels, and increased demand from the chassis.  14 The frame is sectioned...  14 The frame is sectioned next, using a cut-off wheel.  15 A reciprocating saw is...  15 A reciprocating saw is used to get into the framerail where the cut-off cannot reach.  16 Rather than just cutting...  16 Rather than just cutting out the excess metal, Lopez turns it inward and welds it in to provide added strength and torsional rigidity. The inside of the framerail is then painted with a rust-preventive paint before it’s closed up.  17 As you might imagine,...  17 As you might imagine, Lopez has a template for the framerail piece. These are made out of 11-gauge (1⁄8-inch) steel plate, as opposed to the stock framerails’ 16-gauge metal.  18 The flat stock will have...  18 The flat stock will have to be bent into position before welding.  19 The framerail plate is...  19 The framerail plate is first tacked in, and then seam welded for optimum strength.  20 Lopez then fabricates...  20 Lopez then fabricates this flange which the wheeltub will be spot welded to.  21 Here, you can see that...  21 Here, you can see that a good 3⁄8- to 1/2-inch of framerail width is sacrificed to accommodate the wider wheeltubs. You can see we have some patching to do as well.  22 Next, Lopez punches holes...  22 Next, Lopez punches holes in the flange of the wheelhouse for spot welding.  23 To account for differences...  23 To account for differences in model years and production tolerances, some fine-tuning of the wheeltubs might be required. Here, Lopez uses a hammer and dolly to form the wheeltub to fit properly in place.  24 With the final fitment...  24 With the final fitment complete, the wheeltub is clamped in place in preparation for final welding. The e-coat will need to be ground off for a clean weld.  25 It’s important that you...  25 It’s important that you verify that the wheeltub fits properly prior to welding. You’ll need lots of clamps.  26 The finish-welded product...  26 The finish-welded product is ready for a little primer/sealer, paint, or whatever else you would like to coat it with. You can see how the wheeltub lays flat against the framerail now, offering more clearance for larger wheels and tires.  27 For mock-up purposes,...  27 For mock-up purposes, we called around and found this Corvette wheel that wore a 295/35/18 tire. It fit perfectly in the wheelwell with room to spare. Depending on ride height and suspension, you could probably squeeze a 305 in there as well. For you drag racers, this is good. Even more clearance is available on ’67-’70 Mustangs.  28 As you can see, our fastback...  28 As you can see, our fastback project is looking pretty mean with the big hides out back. We'll be covering rolling the fender lips for more clearance in a future issue, but for now, the Goodmark wheeltubs as installed by Graverobbers Sheet Metal should offer plenty of room for most mustang enthusiasts.
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