Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Long time lurker, just now doing something with my Fairlane...
I have a question that may seem elementary to most veterans, but be gentle. I have bracket raced for a long time, but would like to build a car that is legal for Stock eliminator. I have a 67 Fairlane, and I am trying to figure out how to fit a 9x30 slick in there, especially with 10 inch wheels which seem to be the norm. I also have a pair of 15x8 wheels if that will make it easier. I am using the entire Calvert rear suspension package, mono-leafs, shocks, etc. I have not mounted tires and wheels as I am doing rust repair to the passenger frame rail at present. A friend of mine is running the 9x30 slick in his 66 Fairlane, but he has converted it to ladder bars and coils for bracket racing. Judging by where the spring pad is in relation to the slick, I cannot see how it will clear the tire. I am totally new and green when it comes to keeping the tire in the stock wheel house and frame configuration, as I have sliced and diced in the past. I want to try to do it with what Henry gave me on this one, as it is a car my dad raced in the 70s and 80s, not really interested in cutting the car up. Any help you can give me, as far as wheel sizes and backspacing as well as tricks to actually fit the tire into the wheel house will be greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Get a hold of Billy Nees

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

RJ Sledge

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

RJ would be a better choice than me. I can't even spell FFFFord.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Chris Whitney, Robert Pond. Chris is on face book make friends.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

All you have to do is kinda spread out the rear quarters. cut or roll the wheel well lip so it folds back to the quarter. then you may have to kinda expand the quarter panel out "push it out from the frame" and make it look stock. you really don't even need to do any body work but just swell them out a little. I have always ran 9X30 on a 10" wheel. no one will ever notice...

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Hakkart is 8" in a radial
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7d5f9c03_b.jpgDSC_0225 by Bob Smith, on Flickr
Kimball is 8" in a bias
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6d7c8d20_b.jpg027 by Bob Smith, on Flickr
Pond is 10" in a bias
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed8ff946_b.jpgPond (9) by Bob Smith, on Flickr
Whitney is 10" in a bias
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3b7f72e5_b.jpgDSC_0073 by Bob Smith, on Flickr

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Good luck with your project. I for one, like the early iron. You can buy driveline parts today, that will live, and I hope NHRA will help with HP and make you competitive.
Mike A114

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Thank you, that is some of the info I was looking for. Those with the 10 inch wheels look very tight, will have to look into that before I start that. I have the wheels to do either, so that is no issue, just the whether I want to cut the car that much or not. The 10 inch wheels also look to have a 4.5 to 5 inch backspacing too, is that correct?

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

There are wheel fitment tools available for under $100 if you play around it will get you in the ballpark. You may need custom offset wheels. This does not rule out body modifications mentioned above though.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

You can't go by what others run for backspace unless you know their rear end measurements. Most racers rears aren't factory dimensions due to brake differences, wheel & tire choices.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

definitely not ruling out mods, but would like to keep them to a minimum as this car has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was and will remain a race car though, I just want to do as much pre-planning as I can to minimize irresversible mods. Thank you all for your help..

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

One thing you might also what to do is make longer bump stops so the car/ fenders can't hit the slicks on sharp turns off the track on to the return road or bumps in the shut down or pits .

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

My car is a 71 Cougar. Not the same as an earlier Fairlane but close. Mine has 10" wheels w/6.5" backspace. I used a big sledge hammer on the wheel tubs, just trimmed on the inner fender, cut the legal 2" from the leading fender edges and took a 3 foot long straight edge under the car with jack stands under the rear end housing. I took a bunch of measurements and drew out what those looked like on paper, checked slick manufacturers specs O.D. and section width of the tire , transferred those measurements to my cars wheelwells and ordered the wheels that made that tire fit.

I wouldn't bow the fenders outer lines, IMHO. Just going to a 9x29.5 Radial as opposed to a 9x30 Bias may get all the room you may need.

Does this car have any letters left on the outside of the tire?

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

47 years ago John Dee and I put 10.50s on our SS/E 67 Fairlane before narrowed rears or wheel tubs were legal on the stock width drum brake housing without cutting anything or jacking wheel wells out. It took a BFH, custom built offset Cragars and a lot of hammering and some fender lip work. It's a lot of work but it can be done so 9s couldn't be that big a problem. Id post a picture if I knew how.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

My Shelby stocker project has 9"x29" bias on 10" wheels with 5.5 backspace.
Just needed a little massage from a BFH in the front inside corners and some fender lip work.
Also the Cal-Trac leaf springs were a little narrower than stock.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

another pic

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Speedhaven you can email me or call. I'll try to answer your questions.
cwhitney167@gmail.com

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

The best way I have found to make sure the tires are in the right place is to put the rear end housing on the springs with the u-bolts and not have the housing welded to the pads with the wheels that you think would fit. Then set the car on the tires at ride height and see where there is any fitment problems. Not being welded you can move the housing around to make the tires fit the best in the wheelwells as most bodies don't sit completely square with rear axle.

Re: Stock Eliminator Fairlane
 

Between Chris and RJ Sledge I cannot imagine anyone who knows more about what you are trying to do. looking forward to seeing your car done