The new meat on the ol’ 54 is awesome, I mean what eighteen year old doesn’t love chrome spoke wheels and eight inch tires. I know I do.
After the tires were mounted on the wheels, the next step was to put the wheels on the front wheel hubs to see how they fit. The chrome eight inch rim slips on over the brake drum just like it was meant to be, but then I discover a problem. The front tie rod ends rub against the rims. This is not good, no clearance.
Now I begin to understand the meaning of “Clearance” and how non-stock parts could have unintended consequences. Well the parts store where I bought the rims were not interested in a return or anything of that ilk, however they were glad to sell me a ¼ inch spacer that goes between the wheel and the wheel hub. This spacer will move the wheel away from the tie rod end. Next, I put two washers between the steering knuckle and the steering linkage arm, this moved the wheel out another ¼ of an inch.
Can you see the difference?
I wanted a second opinion on my “engineering” modifications and once again ask Richard Pella to come over and assess the situation. He gave me a clean bill of health on the use of the washers and the spacer, but asked if I had checked the clearance of the tire inside the wheel well. Well now that you bring it up, it seems like an obvious thing to consider, except that of course I hadn’t even thought about it. Remember the eighteen year old kid, nothing could be better than 8 inch meats, what do you mean it has to fit in the wheel wells.
Okay so I put on the inner fender skirt, reattach the front fender, and much to my relief everything fits. Yo, I got Clearance to spare.
It took a few extra steps, but all-in-all another happy ending.
What could be better.
Brimmer Sherman
Huntsville, Alabama
bandssherman@comcast.net
Check out the blog to see the pictures.
http://1954chevytruckevconversion.blogspot.com
