A great way to fit a larger rear tire on a pro-touring, drag race, or restomod Mustang, Camaro, or other Muscle Car is to perform a mini tub install. Mini tubs are larger rear wheel houses that allow for wider rear tires which provide more traction when you’ve added more power to the engine. We install lots of mini tubs at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop, and we share some mini tub install tips in this video.
One way to widen the rear wheel tub is to slice it down the middle, narrow the trunk floor, move the inner tub inboard, and weld in a steel strip to close the gap in the wheel houses. Today, pre-made mini tubs are available from companies like Detroit Speed for the following cars:
- 1967 to 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
- 1967 to 1969 Pontiac Firebird
- 1970 to 1981 Chevrolet Camaro
- 1970 to 1981 Pontiac Firebird
- 1979 to 1993 Ford Mustang
- 1979 to 1986 Mercury Capri
- 1964.5 to 1970 Ford Mustang
- 1962 to 1967 Chevy II
- 1968 to 1974 Chevy Nova
Drilling, cutting, trimming, and welding skills and tools are required to install mini tubs, along with a complete disassembly of the interior and trunk items. Rear leaf springs need to be moved inboard to accommodate wider tires, or a 4-link suspension system can be installed.
If you are having a traction problem and want larger tires to make your muscle car launch harder or stick in the turns, we can help! We invite you to contact the V8 Speed and Resto Shop anytime at 314.783.8325 for a mini tub install or any other rust repair, metal fabrication, or custom work your car needs!