69 GT350 tires

[Bob Gaines]

Extra tip!  Your car probably small bearing spindle, Shelby told dealer "not" to put the wider tires on small bearing because of bearing failure.
Hense the F60x15 were part of the HD suspension upgrade to prevent that around end of May beginning of April for the production run change.

Even though most of 69 Mustangs(Shelbys or reg cars) out there are not driven daily I still shutter on all those on Facebook Mustang groups that are putting such big tires-tall and wide as well as larger rims on stock 69 Mustang suspensions(earlier years also). I wonder if any of them were doing extra curricular activity and had a failure or even rubbing issues. I think an E-70-15 equivalent(215-65-15) up front is more than enough tire to stuff inside a stock front wheel well(I've gotten 255-60-15s on 15x7 rims) to work in the rear on virgin cars) owners are hell bent on stuffing in tall fat tires up front on stock 69 suspensions.

The "official" reason for the change is often quoted as bearing failure.

When I compare the differences between the small and large spindles, just the spindle itself is thicker. The outer bearing is the same. The inner bearing is smaller.

Engineering wise, what I am reading is that it was a spindle failure rather then a inner bearing failure?


I personally am now running the "big spindles" but for 35 years ran the small '68 spindle with some serious tire combinations. I had no front bearing issues at all even after running the car hard.

Considering the possible tire combinations and hearing absolutely no talk of front end failures, I'm wondering if this was an over reaction?


I'm ok with it because it resulted in a better part but I suspect is a little bit of overkill?

What about T/A racing? Never hear much about bearing failure on the pre-big spindle cars?

Coincidentally the 68 and 69 TA cars used the beefer 1970 drum brake big bearing spindles with a special adapter for the 67 TBird 4 piston calipers so that may have helped negate the effect being discussed.