Using SN95 spindles is a popular upgrade for Fox Body owners wanting to get better wheel options for their 5-lug swap. LMR breaks down what SN95 spindles are and why people use them for their 5-lug conversion.
Introduced in 1994, the SN95 platform took over for the previous Fox chassis. With the many changes Ford made for the new platform, the suspension, and the brakes were one area they concentrated on heavily. With many Fox owners complaining about the anemic brake setups that came factory on the Fox Body, Ford gave the 1994-2004 owners a much better option with the SN-95 spindle.
Previous Fox models used the outdated traditional style braking system with a castle nut and greaseable bearing option. Starting in 1994, Ford changed over to the sealed front hub and slip-on style rotor configuration. These were quickly adapted to the 79-93 vehicles, which opened up many different upgrades on these cars, including newer updated brakes and wheel offerings for the Fox.
Using the SN-95 spindle is a pretty easy swap for most Fox owners. Any 87-93 factory 5.0L V8 platform can utilize these spindles as a simple bolt-on. For the 79-93 four-cylinder and 79-86 V8 Mustangs, you will need to swap over the factory strut from the 87-93 5.0L applications to adapt these to this chassis. On factory 1987-1993 5.0 cars, you can bolt on a SN-95 spindle with the factory strut.
There will be three primary options from the SN95 models concerning the braking systems. First, the 94-98 GT/V6 offered a slightly larger single-piston caliper and an 11" rotor sizing. 99-04 GV/V6's have an upgraded dual-piston design, and the same 11" rotor. 94-04 Cobra models will have the dual-piston caliper and a much larger 13" rotor for better cooling while doing more spirited driving. These swap overs became very popular early on due to these added benefits, from daily street driving to autocross/road racing applications. Especially with the stronger stopping capabilities being one of the best benefits overall.
Wheels are another factor in this equation. The 5-lug wheel options for the SN95 spindles are almost limitless compared to the four-lug Fox Body wheels of the past. Comparing the SN95 spindle to the popular five-lug replacement rotors offered for the Fox is also a night and day difference.
Aesthetics are key with most Fox owners. While there are many options for factory replacement wheels for the purists and restoration gurus, many Fox owners want something different to stand out from the crowd. Many of the 94-04 wheels will also broaden your sizing availability. Most of these wheels will be 17" or 18' designs. With the larger brakes found on SN-95 Mustangs, you will usually have to upgrade to these larger wheels.
There will be slight differences between the 94-04 spindle offerings. These will be broken down into two primary groups, the 94-95 and the 96-04 spindles. The 94-95 will be the best overall option in most cases. These will be the closest overall geometry to the Fox and keep the overall track width roughly the same. The 96-04 spindle can still be easily used, but these will have a slightly different position for the outer tie rod end and may cause bumpsteer in some cases. These will also kick the wheel out around 8 mm.
Overall, the SN95 spindle swap is an excellent route for any Fox owner that wants to go bigger and better with their Fox. When it comes to looks and performance, the SN95 spindle should be one of the first swaps that should be on your list.
