What is the right gear for my Fox Body Mustang?
- FoxStang.com What is the Right Gear for my Fox Body Mustang? Factory V8 Fox Body Mustangs (those that came with the 8.8 rear-end starting from 1986) came with 2.73 gear ratio for 5-speed manuals and 3.08 or 3.27 for the automatics.
Are Fox bodies good for drag racing?
Whether you want to go drag racing, autocrossing, or road racing, they are an excellent platform. The Fox Body may not seem that old, but the last one rolled off the assembly line almost 30 years ago!
How long did the Ford Mustang Fox body last?
The Ford Mustang Fox Body was produced from 1979 to 1993, a span of 14 years. These cars are small, lightweight and versatile. Whether you want to go drag racing, autocrossing, or road racing, they are an excellent platform. The Fox Body may not seem that old, but the last one rolled off the assembly line almost 30 years ago!
What are the most popular Fox body Saleen wheels?
The most popular is the satin or silver "Cobra R" wheels on Fox Body that are patterned after the 1995 Mustang Cobra R factory race car only with a 4 lug pattern. The SC wheel is designed to look like a Fox Body Saleen wheel and is a customer favorite.

How much horsepower can a stock 5.0 handle?
But the "experts" say the stock powdered metal connecting rods won't handle much over 600-650 rwhp.
How much HP can a Ford 9 inch handle?
"They're good only to 400hp max," says Tom at Tom's Differentials. "Anything above that should use today's beefed-up, redesigned, nodular-iron aftermarket cases. They're good to 800 hp, if built properly.
What is the biggest tire that will fit on a Fox Body?
The aftermarket has learned the largest wheel a Foxbody can accommodate on all four corners without any rubbing or clearance issues is a 16 or 17 inch wheel shod with 245-width tires (ex: 245/50/R16). Running a larger tire/wheel combo can certainly be done, but not without modifying your Foxbody.
How much HP does a stock Fox Body have?
LMR's dyno run shows that even after 180,000 miles of use and 20 years of constant use the Fox Body remains stout. The dyno run shows 223 horsepower (166 kW) and 295 lb-ft (399Nm) of torque, which is right in line with Ford's stock claim.
What is the strongest rear end?
Dana 60 Rear End Assemblies If you want a big brute of a rear end under your car, look no further than a Dana 60. Even in the heyday of muscle cars, Dana 60 rear differentials were renowned for their strength, along with their difficulty to locate.
How much HP can 35-spline axles handle?
Pro Race 35-Spline Axles (up to 1000 hp1) Recommended for drag-race-only use. Requires 3.250”-bore case with appropriate gear carrier; locker or spool.
How wide of a wheel can I fit on a Foxbody?
Without clearance problems or tire rub, the best appearing and performing set up here is to run a 17x8 front wheel with a 245/45/17 tire and for the rear, you can run a 17x9 wheel with a 275/40/17 tire with no clearance problems. If you want to run a 17x10.
What size are stock Mustang wheels?
Chart: Stock Mustang Wheel Sizes by YearYearWheel SizeCenter Bore2018 GT8x18, 8.5x1970.5mm2017 EcoBoost7.5x17, 8x1870.5mm2017 V62017 GT8x18, 8.5x194 more rows
What is the wheel offset on a Mustang?
Mustang Wheel Offset ChartYear/ModelFactory Wheel SizeOffset2015-2021 Mustang (EcoBoost & GT)17-20"35-50mm (H)2010-2014 Mustang (including GT)17-19"35-50mm (H)2005-2009 Mustang (including GT)16-18"35-50mm (H)1994-2004 Mustang (including GT & Cobra)15-18"35-50mm (H)2 more rows•Apr 13, 2022
What Fox Body Mustang is the fastest?
Don Burton made history in his Proline Racing Hemi-powered Fox Body Mustang by completing the quarter-mile in 5.88 seconds. He also hit a trap speed of 228 mph (367 kph). Not only the world's quickest pass on 275 drag radials, but Burton's run was also the first to cover the quarter-mile in less than six seconds.
How can I get more power out of my Foxbody?
Get More Air to the Engine. One of the easiest ways to increase the horsepower of your Fox Body is to improve the airflow. ... Overhaul Your Exhaust System. ... Improve Engine Air Quality. ... Do an Engine Swap. ... Upgrade Existing Suspension Components. ... Add Coilovers. ... Stiffen the Chassis and Suspension. ... Replace Your Old Seats.More items...•
How much HP does a Foxbody 5.0 have?
Fox Body Mustang And 5.0 HO Engine Are A Classic Combination Now equipped with a high-output or "HO" 5.0L engine, 1982 Mustang GTs enjoy 157 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque handled through a four-speed manual transmission.
Starting with the details
To calculate the right gear scenarios, in the simplest terms, you need to know what your tire diameter is, what the final gear ratio is, what speeds you are trying to reach and what your powerband is. For example, if you want to be at 6500RPM at 130MPH in 4th gear (T5) with a 26″ tire, you may want to look at a 3.90 gear set for your 8.8.
What is powerband?
Simply put, a powerband is the RPM range around peak power output. A lot of modifications (specifically heads/ cam /intake) will increase your engine’s max output but at the cost of the lower-end power.
What others are recommending
In general, people often suggest going with 4.10’s if you have an auto fox to really “wake it up”. And 3.55/3.73 for T5 equipped fox body Mustangs. However, these suggestions may not work for what you want to do and how your drivetrain is setup. But we will try and break it down below.
In conclusion
If you look at individual modifications and not “the big picture”, you are in for a world of hurt and possible mismatched performance parts that may make your fox body slower than stock.
What is the difference between a Foxbody clutch and a SN95?
Foxbody Mustangs (1983-1993) used a clutch fork at the 9 o'clock position, whereas SN95 Mustangs used a clutch fork position of 7 o'clock.
Which is better, TKO 500 or TKO 500?
A TKO-500 is better suited for 3.55 and higher (3.27, 3.08 etc). If you will be using a TKO-500, it is recommended to opt for the 26-spline input shaft version. Even though this necessitates changing the clutch, overall it is stronger and less likely to strip.
What is a TKO 500?
The TKO-500 is a 5 speed overdrive transmission introduced in 2004 to replace the TR-3550. Rated for 500 ft-lbs of torque, the TKO-500 is very stout. There are two models available. One comes with a 10-spline input shaft and one with a 26-spline input shaft.
Does a Ford Cobra T56 have a clutch?
This means a Ford/Co bra T56 is compatible with your stock clutch setup (10-spline, 10.5" clutch). If you buy a T56 Magnum, you will need to change your clutch for one with a disc that has 26-splines to match the input shaft. However, Ford DOES sell an aftermarket T56 transmission - this is the Magnum version.
Does a Foxbody need maintenance?
Keeping your Foxbody rolling requires maintenance to the drivetrain. Considering the age of the Foxbody, if you haven't upgraded your various systems, replacing the old with the new will net you longevity and better general performance.
What is the most popular wheel on Fox Body?
There are still several great choices out there if you choose to stay with a 4-lug rotor/axle/wheel. The most popular is the satin or silver "Cobra R" wheels on Fox Body that are patterned after the 1995 Mustang Cobra R factory race car only with a 4 lug pattern.
What is a steering rack limiter for a Mustang?
Mustang Steering Rack Limiters can aid in allowing a larger wheel and tire combination on the front of your Fox Body. They limit the travel of the rack, sometimes preventing tire or wheel rub on full-lock turns. Just don't use too many of them, or your turning radius will suffer!
What size front wheel does a 79-86 Mustang have?
Earlier (79-86) Fox Body Mustangs, as well as 4-cylinder Mustangs won't typically accept greater than an 8"-wide front wheel due to strut-to-wheel clearance. An upgrade to 87-93 5.0 brakes, or SN95 brakes may be required if a wider front wheel is desired on a four cylinder or 4-eyed Mustang.
When did the Mustang go to a front hub?
In 1994 the Mustang went to a front hub assembly, which did away with an outer bearing that caused problems in attaching late-model wheels to your mustang! There are tons of other aftermarket wheels that will work with our 5.0Resto 5-lug swap kit.
Is the pony wheel still available on a 1991 Mustang?
As factory-standard equipment on the 1991-93 Mustangs, this wheel still looks great after all of these years. The pony wheel is no longer available from Ford but thanks to 5.0Resto, you can still pick up a pony wheel in either silver or chrome with a real Ford licensed center cap with the tri-bar running pony emblem!!
Can you run a 17x9 on a 275/40/17?
These generally require the same as the 1979–90 Mustang, but remember that 1991–93 has a larger front fender opening, so it’s possible that you’ll be able to run a 17x9 wheel with a 275/40/17 front tire. We say "possible" here, again, because every car differs.
How to improve Fox body handling?
The next major upgrade to improve the handling of your Fox Body is to look at control arms. Factory control arms have rubber bushings that don’t handle the extra stresses on them and deflect. The arms themselves are heavy and made of weak stamped steel.
How long has the Mustang Fox Body been around?
The Ford Mustang Fox Body was produced from 1979 to 1993, a span of 14 years. These cars are small, lightweight, and versatile. Whether you want to go drag racing, autocrossing, or road racing, they are an excellent platform. The Fox Body may not seem that old, but the last one rolled off the assembly line almost 30 years ago! That means your Fox Body could use some suspension upgrades. Instead of tackling it all at once, here’s a guide on how to upgrade your Fox Body suspension to get the most bang for the buck.
What is the best complement to front control arms?
The perfect complement to your new front control arms is to upgrade the rear trailing arms. The factory arms and bushings can bind and flex, which leads to unpredictable cornering or launching.
Do factory sway bars work on Fox body?
QA1’s sway bars have carefully selected bar sizes that are optimized for the Fox Body platform.

Starting with The Details
What Is Powerband?
- Simply put, a powerband is the RPM range around peak power output. A lot of modifications (specifically heads/cam/intake) will increase your engine’s max output but at the cost of the lower-end power. Below is a sample dyno graph of a typical stock 5.0, you wouldn’t want to change your gear ratio that will force you to shift past 6000RPM in this case.
Rpm Chart @ 60mph with Different Gears
- The chart below will help you estimate your RPM at cruising speed (60MPH), numbers are calculated with a 25.74″ tire diameter. Same chart but at 80MPH (who cruises at 60?) Below is an interesting chart of a Fox Body Mustang equipped with a Z-spec T5, 4.10 gears, and 25.74″ tire size, shifting at 6200RPM. Here’s the website that allows you to play around with the data, prett…
What Others Are Recommending
- In general, people often suggest going with 4.10’s if you have an auto fox to really “wake it up”. And 3.55/3.73 for T5 equipped fox body Mustangs. However, these suggestions may not work for what you want to do and how your drivetrain is setup. But we will try and break it down below.
in Conclusion
- If you look at individual modifications and not “the big picture”, you are in for a world of hurt and possible mismatched performance parts that may make your fox body slower than stock. Even with gears, you need to think about what you want to get out of your fox and how the gear will bring the power to the ground by matching it with your engine’s powerband. If you have lots of lo…