The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Space between tire and bed side

Hello everyone -

I just got done installing a CPP leaf spring kit. (Awesome product!) It lowered the rear end 4" inches, and was a breaze to put on. I have a 1970 Chevelle 10 bolt hooked to it.

I am test fitting some 17" x 8" wheels. I ended up with about a 1" gap beteen the sidewall of the tire and the bed side.

What do you all think? Too small of a gap?

Here is a link to a picture showing the gap. http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2281443440100697713CUloSn

There are also some picts of the new suspension and the wheels as I was testing them on the truck.

Thanks!

Ross

looks close .in a perfect world with no wild terrain it would not be an issue .myself i would like about 2".

with a solid axle, 1" is close, unless you have eliminated body roll, etc. I would look at getting a wheel with a different offset.

i have about a fingers clearance on my outer fender lip. no sway bar, and although i dont go racing around corners, i have no rubbing problems.

leonard

Second Ratrodking. Mine don't rub but I have sway bars.

Thanks everyone -

I wonder if I could put a thin wheel spacer in and maybe get longer studs. Can't go to much in the other direction otherwise I will have issues with the lip of the fender.

I would imagine that I will have to keep very close tabs on the tire pressures. I don't want the tire to bulge at all.

Thanks again everyone!

Ross

You'll probably be OK. It looks like about 1/2" in the pics, but as long as you have that much you're fine. Low profile tires, (which it looks like yours are,) don't bulge much at all due to stiffer sidewalls.

Devin

Based on my own truck with a similar sidewall/box clearance, I added a rear sway bar and the bar eliminated any potential for contact, even when the bed is loaded. Of course the bars, both front and rear should be standard add-ons if you plan on hitting the open road.

Dave

Hello -

True. I have an IFS kit on the front with a sway bar.

The motor that is being built is pretty stong and I want to make sure it can hook up well, so I am planning on installing a Competition Engineering ladder bar kit that is designed to be used with leaf spring suspensions.

I see they have a panhard bar piece that can be added to the ladder bar kit. I might have to look into that.

Thanks for the advice Dave.

From my experience you will need 1 1/2" - 2" tire clearance to the bed sides or the tires will rub the bed sides. I got a '79 Camaro rear axle in my '49 Chevy 1/2 ton. I tubbed the bed with "Mini" tubs for the added tire clearance. The tubs are 1 1/2" , so now I have 2" clearance from inside of tire to bed side. Ford used a set up like this from the factory or late '40's early '50's 1 ton pick up beds. I use no rear sway bar because it made the ride to stiff.

When I put my 55 together,I had to use wheels with a lot of backspacing,in order to get clearance between the tire and the fender.I would think that one inch should be sufficient spacing,especially if you are gonna drive it sensibly.If you are not comfortable with the one inch you could also think about a narrower tire.So either wheels with less backspacing or skinnier tires.

I would have to recommend fitting the Panhard bar with that much clearance.

In this country, all parallel 4 link rears have to run a Watts linkage/Panhard rod for engineering and registration.

Will not stop tyre scrub over severely uneven ground, but will control lateral movement of the diff assembly through cornering on the road.