Rear tire clearance

[vet57air]

Was wondering how little tire clearance guys have gotten away with on the rear tire to fleetside box sheet metal? My tires are 31" tall and I have my truck very low. Being so due to the shape of the box side I want to get it as close as possible to the box as some of the slammed trucks I have seen look a little odd with a narrow track width back there.

[The Rocknrod]

Stepside? If so heres a thread on the subject - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ce#post8027842

[vet57air]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Stepside? If so heres a thread on the subject - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ce#post8027842

For a fleetside. The tightest spot is where the seam runs down the box side horizontally. Normally stock tires are under this so there is no issue. My large diameter tire along with being so low it is.
I believe I could be as close as a 1/4" as I have a 4 bar suspension and really only have about 3 1/2" of total suspension travel. But would like to hear of others experience.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by vet57air

For a fleetside. The tightest spot is where the seam runs down the box side horizontally. Normally stock tires are under this so there is no issue. My large diameter tire along with being so low it is.
I believe I could be as close as a 1/4" as I have a 4 bar suspension and really only have about 3 1/2" of total suspension travel. But would like to hear of others experience.

I don't remember.... Is the seam between the upper/lower bedside halves trimmed @ all or untouched on yours? 1/4" is pretty tight. If you leave it @ that gap, is the seam visually exposed within your bed set-up?

I plan to trim mine back 1/4" so the spot welds are still intact but allows the tire to be as far out as I can w/an extra 1/4" of clearance (mine measures out @ about an 1/8" gap w/the seam untouched). My seam in that area will be hidden by the tubs though.

[vet57air]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I don't remember.... Is the seam between the upper/lower bedside halves trimmed @ all or untouched on yours? 1/4" is pretty tight. If you leave it @ that gap, is the seam visually exposed within your bed set-up?

I plan to trim mine back 1/4" so the spot welds are still intact but allows the tire to be as far out as I can w/an extra 1/4" of clearance (mine measures out @ about an 1/8" gap w/the seam untouched). My seam in that area will be hidden by the tubs though.

I did trim my seam. There is about 1/2" remaining which I added material to for strength, then welded all along. It is hidden under the tubs. The long story is there are a set of the same wheels available cheap that have 1" less of backspace than mine. I just got the wheels in and have 1 1/16" of clearance to the seam with the present wheels. Thought I had more. When I measured for my wheels I had not cut the seam and had 1/2" of clearance. I like the wheels out as far as I can. I would be happy with 1/2" of clearance but to use the other wheels it looks like I would have to narrow my rearend. Or just leave it.

[vet57air]

So this is my rear tire in place with the 1" clearance. To give some perspective the tire is 2 1/2" from the box wheel lip at the top center. They are 22" x 12" with a 325/35 tire. Is it to far in, should I leave it or.... OMG I going to give myself an ulser.

[vin63]

In my case, I narrowed my rear end housing so that my wheel/tire combo cleared the inner bedside where the wheel tub bolts to it. For me, that was the limiting obstacle to getting the bedside down, clearing the tire. Just for a little extra room for removing the wheel/tire, I trimmed the inner bedside up an inch when I raised the bed floor up an inch.

[vet57air]

Originally Posted by vin63

In my case, I narrowed my rear end housing so that my wheel/tire combo cleared the inner bedside where the wheel tub bolts to it. For me, that was the limiting obstacle to getting the bedside down, clearing the tire. Just for a little extra room for removing the wheel/tire, I trimmed the inner bedside up an inch when I raised the bed floor up an inch.

I have always liked the look of your truck. Particularily the way your rear wheels look. My bed floor is raised along way. I am concerned with how far my wheels are "in". I would be interested in how far the extreme outside (bulge) of your rear tire is from the inner portion of the wheel lip (top/center) and how much you trimmed from the bed side and how much clearance you have there to your tire?

[vin63]

Thanks. Here's an old photo of when I finished widening the wheel tubs and was onto mocking up the wheel/tire combo for narrowing the rearend housing and figuring out how much I needed to trim the bedwood. You can see where the top of the inner bedside wheel opening would land on top of the tire (31" tall tire). I ended trimming up the top of the wheel opening to the outline of the unpainted area when I raised the bedfloor. I re-drilled the mounting holes in the inner bedside for the wheel tubs

Originally Posted by vet57air

I have always liked the look of your truck. Particularily the way your rear wheels look. My bed floor is raised along way. I am concerned with how far my wheels are "in". I would be interested in how far the extreme outside (bulge) of your rear tire is from the inner portion of the wheel lip (top/center) and how much you trimmed from the bed side and how much clearance you have there to your tire?

[vet57air]

Originally Posted by vin63

Thanks. Here's an old photo of when I finished widening the wheel tubs and was onto mocking up the wheel/tire combo for narrowing the rearend housing and figuring out how much I needed to trim the bedwood. You can see where the top of the inner bedside wheel opening would land on top of the tire (31" tall tire). I ended trimming up the top of the wheel opening to the outline of the unpainted area when I raised the bedfloor. I re-drilled the mounting holes in the inner bedside for the wheel tubs

I have access to another set of the same wheels with 1" less backspace but it will be close. How much clearance did you have from the tire to the box side (where you trimmed) and how much did you trim?

[vin63]

I ended up with the tire clearing to the inside of the inner bedside by 1" so I can drive it in case of an air suspension failure. I trimmed the opening of the inner bedside up 1" to match the bed floor (I didn't shorten the wheel tubs when I widened them).

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by vet57air

I have access to another set of the same wheels with 1" less backspace but it will be close. How much clearance did you have from the tire to the box side (where you trimmed) and how much did you trim?

Attachment 2081958

He's not as low as you & I so clearances are different @ that height. If you can get close to .500" clearance you'll be 'ok' but I would expect occasional rubbing on weird/steep angle changes on the road surface. Any less than that & the rub will just happen that much sooner.

[SkinnyG]

Give us a picture of a front 3/4 view, so we can see the "offset" in front AND in back.

From this view, I think it's perfect. But I need to see the wheel placement front AND back.

[vet57air]

Originally Posted by skinnyg

give us a picture of a front 3/4 view, so we can see the "offset" in front and in back.

From this view, i think it's perfect. But i need to see the wheel placement front and back.

This is from mockup

[SkinnyG]

I think it works with the front. If you pull the rear wheels out more, the fronts will really look shoved in. The fronts still need to steer, so they kinda need to be where they are.

If you pull the rear wheels out more, it might be harder to remove a wheel, if you don't have enough droop travel.

I like it the way it is.

[vin63]

I have 2-inch bump stops front and rear so I can drive it just in case. Otherwise, the rear wheel tubs and the front inner fenders rest on top of the tires.

Originally Posted by vet57air

This is from mockup
Attachment 2082154