Cobra or T-bird IRS?

Edited: 3/31/2008 12:22:41 PM by slammed x on air

has anybody used a mustang cobra IRS in a mini? i have a customer that i am working with on a full chassis build and we were debating on the t bird or the cobra. the truck is going to have a high hp motor the rear end needs to be an 8.8 and 3.73 posi but if its just a 8.8 whatever it can be modded at the motor shop.
does anybody know the track with compaired to the t bird and any pics lifted and layed out with stock arm diminsons? any info is appreciated. thanks everybody

2000 Cobra track width was 59.8", and the T-bird was 60.2"

thanks for the dimensions. has anybody used a cobra rear end before? from the pics ive seen the geometry looks good and close tot he t-bird but that dont mean anything. thanks

i would think the tbird is easier to find and cheaper.

yea were still going to have to change the hubs over. hes concerned with the gearing and brakes, and i'm conserned with the tucking and handeling lol. so were kind of working on the whole thing together. and its just different as well. but if i can find the t-bird and find the right stuff then it probably would be the cheeper way to go as long as he can get the brakes and gearing he wants.

the center is probably a drop out pumpkin style, and cop car crown vics and lots of v6 rangers have them. im sure he could get a center he wants. bigger brakes might need to be custom done, but thats just brackets and some bigger baer/brembo/wilwood rotors and calipers.

If you can find a SuperCoupe, they had bigger brakes and posi IRS, I think there is one in the pull-a-part here in Louisville. Next time I go out there I will see if it still there

cobra and t-bird are almost identical...i am using a mark 8 irs myself and it aluminum just like the cobra is i believe...they are much more comman and significantly cheaper...you could easily get a mark viii irs and rear gear and still probably end up cheaper than a cobra irs...the mark viii and t-bird however were 5x4.25 bolt circles and the cobra is a 5x4.5...the cobra knuckles are also different than the t-bird or mark's.....the cobra uses a triangular upper arm and the t-bird and mark use a single bar for upper arms

is there many brake upgrades for the mark xiii or t-bird because if having the hubs changed is the only problem it might be cheeper to go that route if i can find the right gearing. all of the arms are probably going to be custom built. i just have some more research to do. just didnt know if anybody has used the cobra rear before.

cobra hubs can be pressed into the t-bird/mark viii knuckles....the big brakes wont work i dont think since the knuckles vary....but i am going to have some caliper adapters front and rear machined by a friend....but i havent done a lot of research into brake upgrades yet....just isnt a priority right now