Dragging the gas tank - 98 Convertible

svicars · 03-19-2002, 08:17 PM

I'm a new Mustang owner (just over a week). I bought a used 1998 V-6 Convertible off a dealer lot. Car runs great except now I keep dragging the gas tank when pulling into parking lots or especially when making a right hand turn onto an incline.

I've now figured out that the aftermarket wheels and tires are not the right size. I'm not sure how wide the wheels are, but they are 16". I'm running P245/50 R16 tires. Normal specs for the car are P205/65 R15.

The front tires are rubbing against the sway bars in front when I turn the wheel all the way to the locks.

If the tires are a little shorter than spec, could this be why I keep draggin' my tail?

As far as I can tell, it looks like stock springs & shocks in the rear.

The plastic cover on the gas tank is all scratched up - it's been dragging for a while.

Any ideas?

84LX89GT · 03-20-2002, 01:48 AM

The tires you mention are approximately 25.7" in diamter, just like stock (looked up 245/50R16 BFGoodrich Radial TA....didn't know what tire you had). BUT.....having a wider wheel which is what you're likely to have and having a different offset is VERY likely to cause the rubbing you're talking about when turning. Chances are the wheel is at fault for that. As for the gas tank, unless the car is sitting lower or you're taking some pretty steep hills straight on i don't see why the tank is dragging. The tanks hang down pretty low but shouldn't scrape that much. How fast do you take the hills?

svicars · 03-20-2002, 08:46 AM

I don't take the hills fast at all. In fact, it scraped yesterday going into a parking lot at 5 mph. This happens quite a bit making right-hand turns on regular city streets here in St. Louis, which is not that hilly. And I don't drive very aggressively (can't afford the ticket). I'm beginning to suspect maybe I've got bad springs or the car has been lowered. I need to check some of the ground clearances against the specs.

84LX89GT · 03-22-2002, 12:11 AM

It could also be that the rear shocks for some reason are worn out or blown out. I had a friend with a mustang that would bottom out all the time because of that until he fixed it. Push down against the rear bumper when you have some free time and see how far it goes down and also if it rebounds an excissive amount of times. Does your suspension feel soft at all?

Jester4kicks · 03-22-2002, 01:06 AM

Been there done that, my 2000 v6's rear struts blew a month after I got her. When I pushed down on the bumper the rear would bounce up and down 6-7 times. When the car is well, the rear should rise once and stop, 2 times at the very most. Are you sure you're rubbing your gas tank? I've bottomed out a couple times lightly and when I got under there the tank was fine, it was the stock exhaust (If I remember right) and I was told by Ford that it's not that damaging unless you hit it hard.

Consider replacing the struts with a more rigid system, it'll ride tighter and bottom out less, just a little bumpier.

svicars · 03-23-2002, 11:21 AM

Well, as it turns out, it wasn't the gas tank at all. Even though it was scraped, that must have been a previous driver going over speed bumps too fast. Turns out the 245/50s were not only rubbing the sway bar in the front, they were also scraping something in the wheel wells in the back.

Took it back to the dealer and he gave me 4 new tires - 225/55 R16s. No more rubbing in front or scraping in back.

Color me happy!

84LX89GT · 03-24-2002, 06:46 PM

I'm glad to see you figured out the problem.

03-19-2002, 08:17 PM	#1
svicars Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 4	Dragging the gas tank - 98 Convertible I'm a new Mustang owner (just over a week). I bought a used 1998 V-6 Convertible off a dealer lot. Car runs great except now I keep dragging the gas tank when pulling into parking lots or especially when making a right hand turn onto an incline. I've now figured out that the aftermarket wheels and tires are not the right size. I'm not sure how wide the wheels are, but they are 16". I'm running P245/50 R16 tires. Normal specs for the car are P205/65 R15. The front tires are rubbing against the sway bars in front when I turn the wheel all the way to the locks. If the tires are a little shorter than spec, could this be why I keep draggin' my tail? As far as I can tell, it looks like stock springs & shocks in the rear. The plastic cover on the gas tank is all scratched up - it's been dragging for a while. Any ideas? __________________ 1998 Mustang Convertible 3.8L V-6 My 98 Convertible Last edited by svicars; 03-19-2002 at 11:39 PM..

03-20-2002, 01:48 AM	#2
84LX89GT Mustangs Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,938	The tires you mention are approximately 25.7" in diamter, just like stock (looked up 245/50R16 BFGoodrich Radial TA....didn't know what tire you had). BUT.....having a wider wheel which is what you're likely to have and having a different offset is VERY likely to cause the rubbing you're talking about when turning. Chances are the wheel is at fault for that. As for the gas tank, unless the car is sitting lower or you're taking some pretty steep hills straight on i don't see why the tank is dragging. The tanks hang down pretty low but shouldn't scrape that much. How fast do you take the hills? __________________ 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300-R 1980 Ford Thunderbird - 255 V8 ported heads, 5.0L ported stock headers, O.R. H-pipe and Flowmaster 2-chambers, dual roller timing chain hi-po Mack Truck hood emblem 1985 Mustang GT 5.0L T5, F-303, GT40p, headers, off-road h, flowmasters, MSD stuff, etc. Sold 02/06/04 1989 Mustang GT ET: 13.304@102.29 mph (5-24-03) Sold - 1998 Mustang Cobra coupe, 1/4 mile - street tires: 13.843@103.41 (bone stock)

03-20-2002, 08:46 AM	#3
svicars Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 4	I don't take the hills fast at all. In fact, it scraped yesterday going into a parking lot at 5 mph. This happens quite a bit making right-hand turns on regular city streets here in St. Louis, which is not that hilly. And I don't drive very aggressively (can't afford the ticket). I'm beginning to suspect maybe I've got bad springs or the car has been lowered. I need to check some of the ground clearances against the specs. __________________ 1998 Mustang Convertible 3.8L V-6 My 98 Convertible

03-22-2002, 12:11 AM	#4
84LX89GT Mustangs Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,938	It could also be that the rear shocks for some reason are worn out or blown out. I had a friend with a mustang that would bottom out all the time because of that until he fixed it. Push down against the rear bumper when you have some free time and see how far it goes down and also if it rebounds an excissive amount of times. Does your suspension feel soft at all? __________________ 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300-R 1980 Ford Thunderbird - 255 V8 ported heads, 5.0L ported stock headers, O.R. H-pipe and Flowmaster 2-chambers, dual roller timing chain hi-po Mack Truck hood emblem 1985 Mustang GT 5.0L T5, F-303, GT40p, headers, off-road h, flowmasters, MSD stuff, etc. Sold 02/06/04 1989 Mustang GT ET: 13.304@102.29 mph (5-24-03) Sold - 1998 Mustang Cobra coupe, 1/4 mile - street tires: 13.843@103.41 (bone stock)

03-23-2002, 11:21 AM	#6
svicars Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 4	Well, as it turns out, it wasn't the gas tank at all. Even though it was scraped, that must have been a previous driver going over speed bumps too fast. Turns out the 245/50s were not only rubbing the sway bar in the front, they were also scraping something in the wheel wells in the back. Took it back to the dealer and he gave me 4 new tires - 225/55 R16s. No more rubbing in front or scraping in back. Color me happy! __________________ 1998 Mustang Convertible 3.8L V-6 My 98 Convertible

03-22-2002, 01:06 AM	#5
Jester4kicks Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 30	Been there done that, my 2000 v6's rear struts blew a month after I got her. When I pushed down on the bumper the rear would bounce up and down 6-7 times. When the car is well, the rear should rise once and stop, 2 times at the very most. Are you sure you're rubbing your gas tank? I've bottomed out a couple times lightly and when I got under there the tank was fine, it was the stock exhaust (If I remember right) and I was told by Ford that it's not that damaging unless you hit it hard. Consider replacing the struts with a more rigid system, it'll ride tighter and bottom out less, just a little bumpier.

03-24-2002, 06:46 PM	#7
84LX89GT Mustangs Join Date: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,938	I'm glad to see you figured out the problem. __________________ 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300-R 1980 Ford Thunderbird - 255 V8 ported heads, 5.0L ported stock headers, O.R. H-pipe and Flowmaster 2-chambers, dual roller timing chain hi-po Mack Truck hood emblem 1985 Mustang GT 5.0L T5, F-303, GT40p, headers, off-road h, flowmasters, MSD stuff, etc. Sold 02/06/04 1989 Mustang GT ET: 13.304@102.29 mph (5-24-03) Sold - 1998 Mustang Cobra coupe, 1/4 mile - street tires: 13.843@103.41 (bone stock)

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