Home » ‘Tri Bar’ Ford Mustang Wheels Are The Ultimate ‘Custom’ Wheels For People With No Money

‘Tri Bar’ Ford Mustang Wheels Are The Ultimate ‘Custom’ Wheels For People With No Money

A few months ago I stumbled upon a movement. While searching for a wheel that would fit our Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet, Thomas and I happened upon a set of 2000s-era Ford Mustang split tri-spoke wheels. 114.3 mm bolt spacing? Check. Big enough center bore? Check. 17 in wheels with just enough offset? Perfect. So I bought the wheels from some someone nearby for $200, only to learn that I had just bought four icons.

Known to the initiated as “Tri-Bars,” these incredible alloys were available on 1990s SN95 Ford Mustangs.

Check it out:

Ford Mustang Sn95 Tribars — *Image_Ford*

But it wasn’t the Mustang that made the Tri-Bars so legendary. In fact, if you ask many folks on the “OEM Wheels on Other Makes & Models” page, they’ll say things like this:

So weird how they look good on just about anything, but the sn95….

And

Tri bars look good on everything but what they came on

And

This is literally the best wheel Ford ever produced…

The love for the Tri-Bars is so great that “OEM Wheels on Other Makes & Models” wasn’t good enough, so some folks started a Tri-Bar specific page called “Tri Bar All the Things!” The 3,100-member group features pictures of all sorts of cars outfitted with the now-beloved aughts-era split tri-spoke wheels. Here’s a CR-V:

Screenshot 2025 09 03 At 11.07.46 am — *Image: Cal Majkowski*

Here’s an S197 Mustang with its grandpa’s wheels on:

Screenshot 2025 09 03 At 11.08.36 am — *Image: Blaine Litoborski*

Here’s a beautiful WRX:

Here’s a Honda Civic on Tri-Bars:

Screenshot 2025 09 03 At 11.19.18 am — *Image: Garrison Parks*

Someone on the “Tri-Bar All The Things!” Facebook group even found a Toyota Previa on Facebook marketplace sporting the Tri-Bars:

Screenshot 2025 09 03 At 11.16.42 am — *Image: Facebook Marketplace*

And of course, here’s our Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet:

Check out Tri-Bar All The Things! to see a Ford Ranger, a Honda Element, a PT Cruiser (!), and so many other vehicles sporting those 17-inch poor-man’s custom wheels.

As you can see, ours only took a bit of gold paint (after I painstakingly removed the Plasti-Dip), and it makes even the CrossCab — which, like many Nissans, shares the same bolt pattern as the Mustang — look thoroughly badass.

Tri-Bar All The Things, indeed.

Top graphic image: Jonny Boyd/Facebook