Considering narrowing my rear housing...

[Geoff]

I'm considering narrowing the housing some more on my '56 project. My car is mini-tubbed and I'm using 15x10 wheels with a big back space and 13 inch wide tires under it.

Would narrowing the rear and using deep dish wheels make it easier to remove the rear wheels?

[Rick_L]

Yes it would but I think the difficulty of removing the wheels/tires is overrated. All you usually need to do is to jack the car up by the center of the axle housing and put jackstands under the frame near the front spring eye on each side and let the axle drop. (That may not help if you have a roadside flat.) Now if you have coilovers with limited travel that may be another story - but usually if you have a 4 bar and coilovers you also have a narrowed axle housing.

[Geoff]

Yeah, I have an Art Morrison tri 4 bar and rear sway bar, so the suspension doesn't drop much.
My housing is only narrowed slightly because I was going for a sleeper look, but lately I've been
thinking that I might narrow it to increase my wheel options. If narrowing made the wheels easier to get off,
that would be a bonus.

[Rick_L]

Without particulars, it's hard to say.

I like a decent clearance and I do like a bit of the "deep dish" look - but it can definitely be overdone. What I don't like, this is a personal preference, is a street driven car that's intended to look like a drag race car. If you want a drag race car, just build one and take it to the track. If you want to drive it, make it a practical driving car. Just my style, I know others vary. Coming from an ex-drag racer who still goes to the races.

[BAM55]

I have a 55 with narrowed 9 inch (58 inches mounting point to mounting point) and I have to do what Rick_L describe. I have to jack the car so that the rearend will hang enough. The I have to pull the wheel from the bottom to take it out at an angle. I have a 18x10 with a 4 1/2 inch backspace with a 285x40x18 tire with no tubs just the spring pocket kit. Narrowing does not help me much and I have leaf spring, but than again the wheel wells are different yours may have a little more wiggle room.

[Geoff]

Without particulars, it's hard to say.

I like a decent clearance and I do like a bit of the "deep dish" look - but it can definitely be overdone. What I don't like, this is a personal preference, is a street driven car that's intended to look like a drag race car. If you want a drag race car, just build one and take it to the track. If you want to drive it, make it a practical driving car. Just my style, I know others vary. Coming from an ex-drag racer who still goes to the races.

I'm with ya, the Pro Street/drag car look is not my favorite.
Im looking at 15x10 wheels with a 4.5" backspace.
Right now I have 15x10 with a 7" backspace for a sleeper/stock look.

Bam, the wheels on your car should be much easier to get off because you've got
a lot more brake clearance with the larger diameter rims.
That's a big tire in stock tubs, does it ever rub?
Your car definitely doesn't look Pro Street. Can you post a shot of the lip of the rim?

[BAM55]

Bam, the wheels on your car should be much easier to get off because you've got
a lot more brake clearance with the larger diameter rims.
That's a big tire in stock tubs, does it ever rub?
Your car definitely doesn't look Pro Street. Can you post a shot of the lip of the rim?

No it does not rub at all. The problem I have is my car sits low and with 18 and a wide tire I have to clear that sheetmetal. I have to take it out bottom first. Also the car was to be jacked up really high so that the rearend will hang enough. Is it worth it. Hell yes, because I like the look.lol

I will be going to a triangular 4 link soon. My buddy a 55 with a 4 link and removes the bottom bolt for the coil overs so the rearend will drop enough to remove the wheel. I also have to do that in my truck that has a 4 link. Once again worth it to me for the look.lol

If I get a flat I will just call AAA I don't run a spare anyway.lol
I thought I may be posting to many pics and I don't want to become a nuisance.lol I love this stuff man and sometimes I get over zealous with my pics and comments.lol

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4056/4691102336_279712675d.jpg
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1302/4690468751_a1a94eb2a3.jpg

Here are the same wheels I used for mock on my truck. I wanted to know if I liked 18's on the truck. I thought you can see the lip better on this truck pic.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4002/4658216555_4607fb5714.jpg

[Geoff]

BAM, I love this stuff,too, so post all the pics you want!

Those rims look nice and deep without looking too Pro Street.

One other issue I have with dropping the rear end to change a tire is that I have a rear sway bar. I can remove the shock mount on the 4 bar, but the sway bar
still holds it in place to a certain extent.

None of this is a huge problem...... I'm just trying to justify narrowing
the rear end.

[BAM55]

You can have a deep lip rim with out being prostreet. I like any style if done well but I'm not a prostreet person. I like the street rod look. I know that a street rod is 30's and 40's cars and truck but you can still have the look with a trifive.

Heres a 56 for ya

These are 17's the rear tire is a 275/50/17

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3595/3468429591_f4446a8101.jpg

[Rick_L]

"One other issue I have with dropping the rear end to change a tire is that I have a rear sway bar. I can remove the shock mount on the 4 bar, but the sway bar
still holds it in place to a certain extent."

If you jack up the whole rear of the car and not just one corner, you'll minimize any effect the swaybar has.

[Romax55]

I'd have to agree with Bam and RickL ; there's no place on the street for the"Pro-street" cars . They're neither Pro nor street . The narrower you go with the rear axle , and the deeper the rear wheel dish , the worse the handling gets . Those big baloneys are sloppy enough going in a straight line , but add bumps and cornering at speed and you've got a recipe for disaster . The "look" isn't everything , but if you're building a trailer queen , the ride and handling don't matter anyways . Be safe...Bob.

[Geoff]

Here's my new narrowing jig. My Dad loaned it to me.

Just trying to work up the courage to start cuttin'. :)

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j257/sg3000/10bd6083.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j257/sg3000/5bafa8fb.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j257/sg3000/385a6d42.jpg

[BAM55]

Cool I have one also. But with mine I have to do one end at a time.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7190395044_9846bd38e7.jpg

I used a chop saw to cut my axle tubes. I gave me a nice clean even cut.

[Geoff]

That's a nice case to keep it in, I should build one for my Dad.

Here's a couple of pictures of '56's with 15x10 wheels that are serving as inspiration.


http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j257/sg3000/398131876.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j257/sg3000/101_0831.jpg

[Geoff]

"One other issue I have with dropping the rear end to change a tire is that I have a rear sway bar. I can remove the shock mount on the 4 bar, but the sway bar
still holds it in place to a certain extent."

If you jack up the whole rear of the car and not just one corner, you'll minimize any effect the swaybar has.

Rick,

That doesn't help much the way my sway bar is currently connected. (Stock AME/Addco mounts and bushings) but you just gave me an idea to
build a linkage that would make it more flexible. It would be easy and inexpensive to do. Thanks.