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1966 galaxie 16" vs 17" wheel and brake combo

23K views 75 replies 13 participants last post by  70XL 
#1 · (Edited)
Planning ahead for wheels, tires, and disc brake conversion. I read a bunch of threads but again can't quite find the exact answer I'm looking for. I'm hesitant to post anything after my debacle in the stroker motor threads but hopefully this goes well. the goal is for the car to not ride like a yacht and for it to stop like a more modern vehicle.

right now the 66 convertible has the original drum brakes and 15" wheels (hopefully I can take a pic with the car on the ground a post it over the weekend). Current suspension upgrades include Hotchkis TVS supsension kit, Bilstein comfort shocks, 190lb heavy duty moog springs in rear, 411lb moog front springs with 3/4 coil removed for a 1 to 1.5" drop in front (looking for a slightly raked look).

my step dad asked if I could keep a retro look (he donated the car), so I'm thinking magnum 500s with the ford crown logo center caps should look sporty yet period correct. I'm leaning towards one of two combos for wheels and brakes...
1. Scott Drake Magnum 500, 16x8, 4.50" backspace, 1mm offset.
235/60r16 tires (27.17" tire diam).
Wilwood Dynalite front brake kit 140-13653-D, 11.3" rotor diameter, 4 piston caliper.

2. Scott Drake Magnum 500, 17x8, 4.75" backspace, 6mm offset.
235/55r17 tires (27.10" tire diam).
Willwood Superlite front brake kit 140-13654-D, 12.88" rotor diameter, 6 piston caliper.

Cost: The 16" wheel/tire combo with the 11.3" front rotor kit costs $850 less than the 17" setup. (Edit: Plus another $600+ if I convert the rear end. The smaller setup with wilwood smaller kit front and back saves $1400+)

Wheel Selection: this may sound silly but I like the Scott Drake wheels because they are the only ones that offer the Ford Crown logo on a center cap. and the installation of the center cap is specific to their wheels so it can't be applied to an American Racing wheel, etc.

Fit: The 11.3" rotors would supposedly fit behind 14" wheels so the 16s should definitely fit around them, but 17" wheels would be needed for the 12.88" rotors. However, are the backspacing and offset dimensions of the Scott Drake wheels ok for the 66 galaxie? I noticed the backspacing and offset were different for the 16" wheels versus the 17" wheels. Also, I'm not sure how this is affected by the Hotchkis suspension kit since the car has new upper and lower A arms. I emailed hotchkis to see what size wheels and tires they used in their test videos, but there's been no response.

Stopping Distance: I have read there is a large advantage in going to the 11.3" rotor over keeping the stock front drums... but is there a huge advantage in going up to the 12.88" rotor from the 11.3" rotor? for the 4500lb car, would I notice the difference between the two setups when slowing from 65mph?

Comfort: I have also read that when upsizing from OEM 15" wheels, folks feel that 17" wheels provide more responsive steering and a better look but they are also much rougher and noisier. for daily driving, would the 16" setup be a good middle of the ground compromise? has anyone gone this route? if so, what's your feedback?

Visual: with the magnum 500s, the windows are so small I don't think anyone will see slotted and drilled rotors or colorful calipers, so the wheels and tires will be the visual impact. I have seen pictures that are close but no pics of the 235/60R16 or 235/55R17 for comparison on 65 to 68 galaxies. Is anyone running one of these sizes? Can you post a picture?
 
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#2 ·
here are a few pics of the current setup. you can see the old drums in a couple of the pics
  1. rear shock and coil
  2. rear lower control arms
  3. panhard bar
  4. rear upper control arm
  5. rear sway bar
  6. front sway bar, control arms, strut rods, end links
 

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#3 · (Edited)
the galaxie is still on jackstands from the suspension install. hopefully I can find time to put the wheels back on and push it out of the garage for a picture on the ground.
the original bias ply tires were 28" diameter. see the attached picture when I first towed the car to the house.
I sandblasted and repainted the 15" wheel and used a touring tires (see attached), but they haven't been bolted up yet. after cutting 3/4 of a coil on the new front springs (should give that 1 to 1.5" drop in the front), i was hoping for a 26.5" tall tire for the OEM wheels but in a wider width than original. that would have been a 225/65r15 which apparently isn't available, so my tire guy put on the next size down. 225/60r15. I'm afraid the 25.6" tall tires will look awefully small in the wheel wells and haven't taken the time to find out.
 

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#4 ·
Tires were flat from being on jacks for so long. Aired them up and got them on the car. All four wheels turned ok in the air. Brakes sounded a little rusty but not too bad. Got the car on the ground but couldn’t push it out the garage. So no pics on the ground yet. Ran out of time to play with the old gal. Will try again next weekend.
 
#6 ·
Have you purchased a disc brake conversion kit yet?
In my opinion, I would simply find a set of disc brake spindle assemblies from a '70-'72 Galaxie. They are a straight swap. That way you will have all Ford parts, Galaxie calipers and 12" factory rotors.
That's what I ended up doing to my '63 Galaxie, and more recently with a friend's '66.
 
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#8 ·
I like this idea better than the aftermarket stuff. Thanks, DANV!!! Do you have pics of the swap on either cars?
Only one caveat with the later spindles, hubs, etc...

The later hubs need a larger center hole in the rims, compared to 66 parts.
Can't use stock 66 wheels.

Not an issue if you are using aftermarket wheels.

Sounds like aftermarket wheels are in your plans,
but thought I'd point it out in case anyone else is reading this,
and planning to use stock wheels with the brake swap.
 
#9 ·
#11 · (Edited)
I found conflicting info on the web. Some sites say that from 1965 to 1972 the full size ford cars had 15x6 wheels, 5x114.3 bolt pattern, 1/2” RH bolts, and 70.3mm hub center bore. Others say the 1971 has the same 5x114.3 bolt pattern but a 72.6mm center bore.
Dan, can you confirm the size of the 1971 center bore?
Sounds like I would need to swap the rear also so I can rotate tires. (I misread the article. This is only if going to 5 on 5 front and rear bolt pattern)
 
#12 ·
I have zero experience with the scarebird brackets but In step by step threads, I saw folks using a hodgepodge of parts from various years of mustangs, galaxies, etc. most of my car is turning into a hodgepodge of stuff but for some reason I would like to avoid this approach to the disc brakes, rotors, etc.

The Wilwood kits were somewhat intriguing because of the name recognition and having everything needed in a box set. But after more thinking, my problem with the kits... PST, Wilwood, etc... is that I have no idea of what’s in the kit. So I could see me scratching my head when buying individual replacement parts in the future.

I like DANVs idea if the fronts and rears are all galaxie parts from the same year. Seems easier for future maintenance. I do wish someone had a genuine Ford parts list needed for the front and back in order to make the full conversion to the 1971 discs.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I can only speak to your concern regarding the Wilwood brake kits. I had the Wilwood disc brake conversion done on both the front and rear wheels and the kits have everything you need for a bolt-on application with the exception of brake lines/hoses. The included instructions are comprehensive and have every part and part number listed in the kit. Wilwood isn't going anywhere and should you need any replacement parts in the future, you can order them simply by referencing the illustration and part numbers provided.

You don't have to buy directly from Wilwood as their kits and/or individual parts are available through multiple vendors such as Summit Racing, Jegs, etc..

If you look at the second and third pages of these instructions you'll see all the parts and numbers.

Wilwood Assembly Instructions
 
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#14 · (Edited)
289, Do you remember which size kit you got? 11.3” or 12.8” rotor? And how’s it working for you?

just curious, does anyone know if Wilwood is a one off type product or is it a Ford aftermarket or is it like a Chevy aftermarket adapted to fit our Fords? In the end, it probably doesn’t matter because I do have a Hotchkis suspension kit, edelbrock RPM intake and heads, and other nonstock items.

In the end, I’m not really sure of the best way to go and I’m sure they all have pros and cons
 

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#15 · (Edited)
I’m not sold on a way to go yet (new kit versus 71/72 OEM swap) but I did a little more reading about Dans idea and found this article...
https://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2004/07/12inchBrakeConversion/index.php

Sounds like a 1972 thunderbird rotor is 1” larger than the 69-72 galaxie and uses all the other same parts. Not sure if they’re any harder to find. The article confirms what GalaxieX says about the larger center hole in the wheels. The conversion matches the 5x114.3 bolt pattern of my 66 galaxie but the center bore is 72mm so I would need new wheels
 
#16 ·
I've just measured one of my rotors which came from a '71 Galaxie kit, and a spare rotor which came off my '70 Galaxie. They are 11 5/8" diameter.
The hub sizes are a fraction away from 70mm diameter.
 
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#19 · (Edited)
Based on what y’all are running, 11”+ rotors and 4 piston calipers should do fine (edit: I misread previous threads. The 71 conversion uses a single piston caliper). And now I have two viable solutions to make that work.

Now I have to decide on wheel and tire size. Guess now I’m considering three options for new wheels...
*stock style 15x8s. Maybe a chrome barrel with black insert and the original dog dish caps. From DANVs thread on his conversion, this would work with a 4” backspace. This would be a more comfy ride and I already have new 15” tires, but would it feel too bouncy and lead to understeer vs 16 and 17” wheels?
*16x8 drake mag 500. Will 4.5” backspace work with the discs? is this a good balance between the shock dampening of the 15s and the performance of the 17s? Maybe someone has experience and pics of something similar.
*17x8 drake mag 500. Will 4.75” backspace work with discs? is the performance worth the noise and rough ride? It’s a three hour drive to cruising the coast... Will this make me want to pull over and call a tow truck? Haha
 
#20 ·
If you are going to use 15" rims, then avoid the 4 piston calipers. The factory 4 piston calipers as used on the '66 and '67 Galaxies required different rims to clear the calipers, and probably one of the reasons why Ford then went to single piston calipers from 1968 in their Galaxies and other cars.
 
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#24 ·
Hi ,here's some pics of my car .The Magnum 500 15 in where on the car when I hauled it home.. and then purchase a four-wheel disc brake kit from Auto Crafters which turned out to be a disaster Granada front spindles 1 piston calipers the car wouldn't stop very well at all..The Magnum 500 would not go on over the calipers either.. Since I'm decided to do a frame off restore to the car completely I went to Wilwood site and looked up what I wanted for the fornt and rear..then bought them form Summit racing. I went with the 4- piston 12.88 front rotors and I believe it's a 12in rear.. since I had to buy larger rims because of the first system I put on it the first time I have a 18.8 235x50x18 and the rears are 235x55x18. I'm having trouble posting the pics of my car before I took it apart.
I believe Jay Leno is responsible for Wilwood disc brake kits that fit the 66 Galaxie and the Hotchkis suspension which they set up for a 16 in rim here's the link to YouTube
https://youtu.be/V-BL7G5m98M
Hope I have use punctuation and capitalization and then all can understand this post.
 

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#25 · (Edited)
Ragtopxl, that’s a nifty looking brake kit and a sweet looking car. Thanks for sharing.

Your write up says you used the 4 piston kit but your pic of the frameoff restoration is the 6 piston kit. Can you confirm which one you used and give some info on how it performs?

I think both the 15s and 18s look really good on your car. How is the ride with the 18s — road noise, steering response, road feel, etc?

By the way, I have watched that jay leno video at least a dozen times over the last couple of years but I am about to watch it again. The Hotchkis production kit doesn’t quite match what they built custom for Leno but I am glad they released a kit to the public (I bought most of the kit and installed it last year). I forgot that he made the bracket on a cnc for the wilwood brakes. Thanks for reminding me!
 
#26 ·
Isugmral24 sorry .It is the 12.88 rotor and 6 piston caliper on the front kit #140-13654.The back Is the 12.19 rotor 4 piston caliper kit # 140-9282.. Install was for the most part simple and easy I did purchase there brake lines for the front. The car still isn't on the road so I can't tell you as to the performance of them yet. Still doing body work had to put quarters on it which is a bit difficult because the quarters I put on it or 53 years old also LOL... and do another body and bumper mods..
As far as the handling the 15's on the magnum 500's handled like I remember it did when I was 16 ( a boat). I had to redo the brakes on it because the power drum brakes or going bad. And the front-end bushings were shot no I rebuilt the front end put on an inch and 1/8 sway bar and this breaks. Which it like I said after putting on the 11 inch rotors with the big single-piston caliper the Magnums with no longer fit,,so I new rims ! I liked the look of the magnums,but real like the ones I got... after putting on the big sway bar changing all the bushings up front it was a very very noticeable difference in the handling I still had a little body roll in the corners,but a rear sway bar I believe will help that.Also the rear trailing arms bushings were worn I put the spohn adjustable tubular trailing arms on.Oh really did notice any more road noise with the 18's and I have enough sidewall still with the tires so the feel of the road isn't a factor...I understand that the low profile tires I'll give you more of a feel for the little things that you might hit or run over in the road... tire noise I believe the mostly in the brand and type of tired you put on.
 
#27 ·
You make a good point about tire quality. The guy at my local shop suggested 225 Fuzion protouring tires for my wheels. I haven’t driven on the road yet but the tires look way too wide for the wheels and I notice a ton of sidewall flex even with 40 lbs of air pressure. If I stand on the front bumper and jump up and down, the suspension only flexes about a quarter to half inch while the tires flex so much they look like they’re about to bust. Almost like they can’t handle the weight of the car. I’ve never seen tires flex like this before.
 
#28 · (Edited)
In the pics it looks like the top of the outer wheel wells are exactly even, but measuring inside the wells reveals a slight rake to the stance. There’s 9” above the rear tires and 7-1/2 inches above the front tires. I do wish the front end was slightly lower because looking at a front angle gives a slight gasser appearance

Yesterday I measured the tightest tolerances for the wheel diameter. In the back wheel well, There is 1-3/4” between the front of the tire and the outer wheel well. In the front wheel well, with the tire turned outward, there is 3-1/2” between the front of the tire and the outer wheel well. The tires are 25-2/3” so Based on these measurements I could go back up to 28” oem size tires. To get a more raked look, I may either cut another 1/4 coil in the front or put a 27” tire up front and a 28” tire in the back.

After doing some more reading, I’m leaning toward the 4piston wilwood kit that reuses the existing galaxie spindles. Seems like an easy retrofit. Thanks again for everyone’s input... it was very helpful.

I’m leaning toward the magnum 500s but still not sure about the 16x8 or 17x8 wheels. Seems like there’s more tire options for 16s than 15s and even more for 17” wheels these days.
 
#29 · (Edited)
one of my initial questions was about performance difference between 15 vs 16 vs 17 inch wheels (something I haven't settled for myself) on the 65 to 68 galaxies, but I'm now doing quite a bit of reading on what width and diameter wheels/tires will fit. sounds like I can use up to the following sizes...
front: maximum 8" wheel, 4.5" backspace, 235mm tire. height ratio depends on what has been done to the suspension. looks like quite a few folks are using 25.5" to 26.5" dia tires regardless of wheel dia.
rear: maximum 10" wheel, 5.0 or 5.5" backspace, 275mm tire. 28" dia if stock suspension height.

I know other folks can use the search function the same as I can, but thought it might help to group some of these articles together as quick reference for other folks...
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/541002-1966-ford-galaxie-500xl-wheel-options.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/529345-galaxie-wheels-what-fits.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/463122-1966-galaxie-wheels-tires.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/587098-will-these-wheels-fit.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/534561-tire-wheel-fit-66-galaxie-2dr-hardtop.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/ga...-know-what-wheels-i-can-get-away-7-litre.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/502142-whats-widest-tires-will-fit-65-galaxie.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/500786-my-1965-galaxie-500-fb-needs-wheels.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/500786-my-1965-galaxie-500-fb-needs-wheels-3.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/564066-17x7-5-wheels.html
https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/503049-better-fit-disc-brake-conversion.html
 
#30 · (Edited)
thought it also may help to group pics of a few Gals with 15s, 16s, and 17s. Details are as per the postings in other threads...
  1. 1966 Galaxie 225-70r15x7 front, 275-60r15x8 rear, magnum 500s
  2. 1966 Galaxie 225-70r15x7 front and back, magnum 500s
  3. 1965 Galaxie 15x7 front, 15x8 back, fast fives (no tire size info provided)
  4. 1965 Galaxie 225-60r16x7 front and back, crown vic (this is the only pic of 16s on a Galaxie that I could find)
  5. 1965 Galaxie 225-50r17x8 front, 255-50r17x8 back, Cragars
  6. 1967 Galaxie 245-45r17 front, 275-40R17 rear, 2009 mustang bullitt (my guess is 8" wide wheels)
 

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