Ford Panther and full size LTD Spindles & Brakes

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

91-96 Panther chassis (Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis)

Front steer

Wheel bolt circle: 5 x 4.5 (114.3mm)

11”, vented, slip-on rotors with separate bearing hub (11.45" for 96)

10.5 degree SAI. 94-96 inclination not provided by Ford/lincoln but should be the same if it uses the same bearing hub and spindle.

Single, 2.87” piston calipers with sliding body (smaller bore for 96)

Short spindle height should put the ubj at tire height or less.

UBJ uses a pinch bolt at the spindle and bolts to the uca through an eccentric cam washer for adjustment of camber and caster. It is easy to get to without jacking and/or laying under the car and no adjustment needs to be built into the uca and lca pivots so non-compliant bushings can be used. Replacement of the ubj does not require a press or pickle forks.

A fabricated uca should use a .250” mounting plate with two studs pressed in from underneath. The donor uca studs and hardware should be used. Bolts could be used instead of studs but adjustment would be a bit more “sloppy”.

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

If one were to use cobra hubs to adapt a tbird irs to 5x4.5/114.3mm in order to use mustang wheels all around, concentric rings are needed on the front hubs. The wheel pilot on the hub for centering the wheel on the flange is 2.77" od, where the pilot on a mustang hub is 2.78" od. The mustang wheel will be a sloppy fit on the panther hub without a thin concentric ring to fill the gap, installed on the front wheels (no tire rotation) or on the front hubs (new rings whenever hub/bearing assy is replaced).

So why not use the mustang front hub on the panther spindle? The mustang hub does not fit the panther spindle. The panther spindle is 3.07" od. The mustangs spindle is 3.15" od. However, the tbird/VIII/cougar spindle is reported to be the same as the mustangs.

If you want to use the tbird/VIII/cougar wheels 5 x 4.25/108mm and use the IRS as-is, the panther spindles won't work with the tbird/VIII/cougar hubs but the mustang spindles should accept the tbird hubs.

For concentrically mounted (versus lug-centric) mustang wheels 5 x 4.5/114.3 with tbird IRS:

cobra rear hubs and brakes AND

mustang spindles, strut-to-ubj adapters
OR
panther spindles and concentric rings
OR
Ford Aerostar (probably need rings)
OR
Mustang II / pinto (probably need rings)
OR
Ford Ranger spindles (probably needs rings)

For "old school" lug centric wheels:

all the above without concentric rings but check interference between existing hub ring and wheel.

How do I tell if I have lug centric or hub centric wheels? If the original application hub/rotor fits tightly to the center of the wheel, then it will be hub centric. IMHO, most domestic vehicles built prior to 1985 and domestic trucks are lug centric.

If using late model 5x4.5/114.3 wheels, I'd go with the mustang spindles with ubj adapters.
If using 5 x 4.25/108 wheels, I'd go with mustang spindles, ubj adapters, and tbird hubs/brakes.

Adding the full size 80s LTD crown vic town car info.