learn me mustang II suspension (ChumpCar): Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

April 18, 2011 12:19 a.m. pstrbrc New Reader

I'm scratching out a plan for a ChumpCar, starting with a Peugeot 403.

Now, the car is just cool beyond belief, but certainly not racin' ready. After the full roll cage/tube frame, I'm planning on using a Ford 3.8 (probably out of a Windstar, 'cause Windstar engines make 200hp and are so darned cheap), a T5, and a Ford 8" axle out of a Maverick, because with fwd wheel, I think it'll just barely fit. OK, maybe some rear wheel flares. But anyway, the front suspension looks like this:

Yep, that's right. Behind the rack and pinion is a leaf spring for a lower arm and a lever shock for an upper arm. Kinda MG meets Opel GT. But I digress. I'm looking at the front suspension, and as I squint I see Mustang II components floating there in place of this. So, knowing that this is a chumpcar, so everything has to be JY, here's the Q:

The M2 hubs were in unit with the brake disc, and those only came in ~9" sizes. If I want to run a larger brake, I'm gonna have to find a hub that'll fit the M2 spindle that can hang a larger disc, right? What other cars have hubs that'll fit the M2 spindle and allow me 10" to 11" discs?
April 18, 2011 1:12 a.m. novaderrik HalfDork

i think you can use Granada spindles on Mustang 2 arms..
April 18, 2011 7:19 a.m. Rob_Mopar HalfDork

Granada rotors on a MII spindle are pretty common in street rods. Don't know if it's a direct swap or if there's a conversion bearing/race setup to make it work. Hit the news stands and flip through a street rod mag. I've seen ads for the rotors in there.

I did see Speedway has a 4.5" x 5 rotor available cheap for the MII spindle, but it's the stock MII diameter.

For your rear wheels, early Dakotas have 4.5" bolt pattern and 5" back spacing. Jeeps have the same bolt pattern but 5 1/2" back spacing. Don't know what Rangers use, but they have the right bolt pattern as well.

The more I'm typing, the more a Granada donor sounds better for you. IIRC, they came with 8" rears standard, and are close to the same width as the Maverick. If the Granada spindles do work on the MII suspension you're set.
April 18, 2011 7:28 a.m. Thinkkker SuperDork

You dont need the granada spindles. You can use the granada rotors on the car and then buy a adapter to fit the stock caliper same on Mustang II and granade on the 11" granada rotor.

Where are you at? Ill have a II front end out of a car in a couple months.... :)
April 18, 2011 9:47 a.m. pstrbrc New Reader

OK, here's some details: I've got a '77 Maverick 4-door donor out in one of the team principals' pasture. It has the same front as the Grenade, so I'm using that rear end because it's the right size and it's free. But that also means that I already have the hub/disc from the front suspension! Cool. More free parts. Now I need a pinto/M2 spindle and the caliper hanger. Where I live? Corner of Kansas, Colorado, and the Oklahoma panhandle. Betcha didn't know anybody lived here, didja?
April 18, 2011 9:48 a.m. pstrbrc New Reader

OH, and thanks on the Jeep backspacing. That'll work!
April 18, 2011 10:44 a.m. oldtin Dork

I've got m2 spindles on my mg - granada rotors (11" mustangs are 10"), gm small metric calipers. The caliper adapters are about $15 from misc hot rod shops on line. Have an 8" in the rear. Cut out a couple of pieces of 1/4" steel and made a bracket to hang more metric calipers since they're like $2 in the pick n pull. Used the Mk vII rear hubs from the donor.
April 19, 2011 3:13 a.m. novaderrik HalfDork

there are a lot of potential donors for a wheel with a lot of backspacing with the 5X4.5 bolt pattern- all the Chrysler LH cars (Intrepid, etc) and even the newer Chargers and what not.. also, every Ford Mustang newer than '94. i think they made the backspacing deeper in '99 or so, and they went to a really deep backspacing when they redesigned them in '05.
April 19, 2011 1:41 p.m. jimbbski Reader

novaderrik wrote:

there are a lot of potential donors for a wheel with a lot of backspacing with the 5X4.5 bolt pattern- all the Chrysler LH cars (Intrepid, etc) and even the newer Chargers and what not.. also, every Ford Mustang newer than '94. i think they made the backspacing deeper in '99 or so, and they went to a really deep backspacing when they redesigned them in '05.

Ford Rangers have the same bolt pattern if that helps.
April 20, 2011 5:47 a.m. novaderrik HalfDork

jimbbski wrote:

novaderrik wrote:

there are a lot of potential donors for a wheel with a lot of backspacing with the 5X4.5 bolt pattern- all the Chrysler LH cars (Intrepid, etc) and even the newer Chargers and what not.. also, every Ford Mustang newer than '94. i think they made the backspacing deeper in '99 or so, and they went to a really deep backspacing when they redesigned them in '05.

Ford Rangers have the same bolt pattern if that helps.

but not a lot of backspacing.
April 20, 2011 9:20 a.m. pstrbrc New Reader

OK, last night I was talking this over with my welder/body man (Whose granddad was the original owner of the car, and he's pumped about what I'm doing with it, and he's volunteering all labor!!!) and we crawled under an Aerostar front end. Did I mention that the Peugeot chassis was designed by the McPherson guy, and the front suspension crossmember was meant to unbolt so you could roll the front suspension out from under the car to service it? Anyway, looking at the Aero front suspension (which, except for the swaybar mounts, is all attached to the crossmember) it has almost everything I want. It's the right track to match the rear axle I'm using. Except the spindles are smaller than the M2, which means the bearings are, which means they burn up sooner. And you can't use hubs w/11" discs. So we are gonna see how a M2 knuckle/spindle will fit between the Aero A-arms. Might need to move the top A-arm mounting point a little, will need to rotate the steering rack, so the steering shaft points less vertically. And everything is still all JY!