Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I don't like seeing my rear wheels not centered or close to it in the rear fender opening. I lowered the rear 6" and moved the bed closer to the cab which added to the off centering of the rear axle in the opening.

Now the question, does someone make a shorter trailing arm for coil springs, not air bags?

Thanks for the help.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I would think you can take a section out of the trailing arms. Don't forget to take some from the driveshaft too.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Or move the trailing arm crossmember forward.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

That's unusual, These trucks naturally have the rear wheels off center toward the front. Something isn't right. What exactly has been done to your trucks suspension and/or frame?

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

you dont need to (and really shouldnt) section the control arms. move the axle mounting pin forward the required amount and let the extra stick out the back.

I say dont section the trailing arms because they are two pieces of c channel joined in a way to allow them to twist torsionally when one wheel goes up over a bump.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I agree

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

are you trailing arms from the 78?. They may be longer than the 66. the w/base is longer in the 68. looking back at your build thread where it shows your frame and rear axle it does seem to be to far back. it is located at the back of the raised section of the frame section where the axle resides
I do not know whether or not that they are of the same length, but there has to be a reason
ron

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I believe all trailing arms are the same length. The difference between a swb and a lwb is the placement of the crossmember

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I used the stock 66 arms. The only thing I changed was the trailing arm cross member. I used one from Early Classic because is gave more ground clearance for lowered trucks. And yes I installed it correctly.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I just emailed Early Classic asking them about my problem with attached pictures. I will see what they have to say.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Not knowing all this, I shortened mine & moved my diff'l forward between 1 and 2 inches. Been done about 3 years with no adverse effects. Surely did make it look better!
Sam

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Yeah, mine on my stepside are off centered toward the front.
I suggest he move his early classic crossmember forward.
And then his shaft may also need to be shortened.
But do not cut the trailing arms.
Move the ece crossmember forward.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

other than having to take the cab off again, looks pretty straight forward, drill some new holes and move the whole unit forward, shorten the driveshaft, but what about the spring mounts?
is the crossmember too far back, and are your springs leaning to the front a little bit?

I agree with the couple of people that said it is safer to move that crossmember than shorten the stock trailing arms

I guess the other question is how close to 115 is your wheelbase right now?

just checked out your build, looks nice!

another thought.. cpp ads that I have seen show aftermarket trailing arms.. I wonder if those could be ordered , or retro fitted for what you need.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I think it was Kieth who suggested putting spacer blocks between front of your trail arms and their x-member--simple way to move your diff'l rearwards.
Sam

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Move the bed back

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Where in the arms did you shortened them. And is your truck lowered if so how much. Could you post a picture I would really like to see the difference.
Thanks

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I really don't want to move the cross member it would be a PITA plus I think the spring would be misaligned.
I moved the bed forward to make it look better which it did, know I'm paying the price.
I'm going to measure the wheel base. I will post my findings.

ECC emailed me back, they see this a lot in lowered step sides. They would build me shorter arms. I asked where are you making them shorter (spring forward or spring back)

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Moving the trailing arm crossmember forward, would require you to redrill the upper hole in the frame, for the spring retainer bolt.
I don't see that as much of an issue.
Porterbuilt Fabrication makes tubular trailing arm crossmembers with a series of mounting holes to adjust the crossmember forward for the stepside trucks and rearward for the fleetside truck.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I talked to Dave at Porterbuilt today he's going to get back to me. I don't want to move the cross member because of the exhaust.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Cut them about 1/3 of distance from spring-seat toward front-mounts. Made new pockets for coil springs, afterwards, to reset rear to a net of about 2.5 inches down--had earlier lowered it 3.0 inches, using springs: did this to help with changing tires, due to fender well clearance, as well as looks. Sorry, do not have pics of before-and-after. The pockets/cups added will make it easy to alter height in future, if desired, by simply swapping different-height cup(s) on the bottom of coils.
Was careful to cut the arms using the common "ZEE-CUT" for strength.
Hope some of this helps.
Sam

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

this is probably your best bet, getting them custom made, that way the springs stay in the right spot, and it should just be a bolt in affair... things to think about: the panhard bar (I think its called), will that have to be moved forward as well, and will you have to shorten the drive shaft, or is there enough slip play now that that is not needed? also what about he brake line? will it reach? , or maybe you could just move the mount on that as well.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Reposition guards would be the simple answer if you don't want to move the whole bed back. Just a thought

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Moving drivetrain components sounds like a bunch of work to an already superb chassis. Maybe pick up a couple of fenders and experiment with moving the wheel openings. I've seen it done on front fenders, I would think it could be done on rear step fenders.:metal:

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Thanks for the info

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

The panhard bar and the upper shock mounts will have to be moved. And the drive line will have to be shortened. The brake line should be easy move.

I was going to remove the bed anyway this winter to do a C notch. I want to lower the rear just a little more.
I guess I just can't stop working on this truck. (I think I need to see a doctor)

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

What guard are you referring to

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I know this is a lot to do for 2" and maybe the fender would be easier but if I do a fender rework I would have to repaint. I will do anything to stay away from painting.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

You said, "I guess I just can't stop working on this truck. (I think I need to see a doctor)". Well, I think most of us will agree that these trucks are ALWAYS a work in progress; and whenever a 'new' idea pops into mind, our trucks are the ready outlet for the inspiration!
Sam

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I mean the fenders , sorry in Oz we call them guards.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Just for kicks I measured the wheel base it's 114 5/8". I tried to talk to Porterbuild but I can't get them to call me back. EC told me that they only can shorten the trailing arms by 1" .I need more.
After looking at a old trailing arm I think I could take 2 to 2.5" out between the axle and spring.
Has anyone done this?

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I dont think there would be an issue to shorten it like that, It boils down to someone who can properly modify it and then you have the liability issue.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

the mystery deepens and I hope that I am looking at this rationally. there is a problem somewhere and it does not seem to be the trailing arms but yet it could be a part of it. was this truck once upon a time a 127" w/base truck? you have just measured your w/base and you claim 114 3/4"( I am not mocking you, but just putting the facts down) which is 1/4" shorter than what the called w/base should be yet the axle is set back what where it should be sitting. there has to be a reason for that variance somewhere else. thee are 2 options here to check. 1 recheck your measured w/base or 2 there has been a modification somewhere else that is causing this.
sometimes we look and look at things and can't see them for looking at them and it is staing one right in the face all of the time. can be frustrating. truck frames do not stretch or contract on their own.
in woodworking there is or should say was an English woodworker by the name of David Pye who wrote a book called, "The Nature and Art Of Workmanship", and one of the main points that he discusses, " the workmanship of risk and the workmanship of certainty" the workmanship of risk is the person who is doing one off type of thing; the other workmanship of certainty belongs to the frame in your truck or any part really thereof. they all come out of the same stamp that makes all the frames for that model of truck.
looking at your last picture it does look like the axle is sitting back from where is should by looking at the rise in the frame. it may be possible that it is in the right place according to your w/base measurements?? that would mean then that perhaps the box has been altered.
definitely the relationship of the axle to the fender opening has been altered and it will just take careful measuring of everything involved to see what is out of whack. everybody can guess at what the problem is, but guessing from far afield usually doesn't solve to many things
sorry for the rambling but those can be the variables
ron

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I see 3 different thinks that caused this problem.

1. I moved the bed forward. To close the gap between bed to cab.
2. I lowered the rear of the truck 6". Which push the axle to the rear.
3. I used EC cross member which maybe is not located in the stock position

As for the wheel base 114 5/8" I'm close. I didn't think I would be 115" because the front end is out of a 1978. And I did lower it 6"

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

Shortening the arm's I would do myself

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I did not see my axle go rearward in the wheelhouses but forward with bags. I went with 1/2" longer arms from PorterBuilt. I would look at box length.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

your rear axle won't go much further back by lowering it 6".. look at the the centre of the front pivot pin and the centre of the axle. at stock level they are more than likely at 180 degrees(straight line) . say you have a big compass(I do which I can get a radius of 42". using the centre of that front pin and make a circle on which the centre of the axle will be situated on the diameter. if you lower the frame 6" the arc of the circl should show you the axle actually moving forward at stock height it should be close to being as far back as it will go. in my simple math that is how it appears.. when you loer the car that front pin just goes straight down and the back end of the trailing arm may raise and appear that it is longer, but we are not measuring the trailing arm but the centre of the axle and it is just traveling in an arc.
ron

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

How do your axle tubes line up with the factory bump stops? That might provide a good reference point. I can't tell from the photo from above but it looks like the rearend is further back but it may just be the angle of the pic.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

By using a spare trailing arm I did some measuring. By lowering the rear of the truck 6" which pushed the axle back 1 3/8". I moved the bed forward by approx.
3\4" so I'm going to shorten the arms 2" between the axle and the spring.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

I really think it would be less of a PITA (and safer) to move the crossmember forward. You are going to have deal with resizing the driveshaft either way and the only other thing you may have to move is the spring perches (which I can't figure out why they would be correct now with the wheels so far back). Another thing that I have heard of is switching and flipping the trailing arm brackets on the crossmember which would do more for pinion angle than moving the rear-end back and it might also get in the way of your exhaust.

Re: Rear wheels not centered in fender opening
 

[QUOTE=Slow Build;6386403]I really think it would be less of a PITA (and safer) to move the crossmember forward. You are going to have deal with resizing the driveshaft either way and the only other thing you may have to move is the spring perches (which I can't figure out why they would be correct now with the wheels so far back). Another thing that I have heard of is switching and flipping the trailing arm brackets on the crossmember which would do more for pinion angle than moving the rear-end back and it might also get in the way of your exhaust.

You have a good point. My only reservation is I'm not sure if I can drill new holes in the upper frame flange with the cab in place and the exhaust goes through the cross member. Next week I'm going to remove the bed and I should get a better look at the problem.

Thanks