Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Hey all,
Installed my rear drop this weekend. Loving the new height.

6" springs, trailing arms, shock relocators.

Now my rear tires rub on the inner guards (both sides). I'm still using the stock panhard bar as I haven't got an adjustable one yet, will that make a difference? See below pics.

My tires are: 255/70r15 on 15x8 rallys

Has anyone folded in the inner lip from the guard? Or cut it out? Or do I have to go thinner tire?

Any advice? Thanks in advance!
Fraser

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

I was running the same tire size, same wheels, same problem. I decided to try 235/70 tires, and got no rubbing. Didn't really want to downsize or cut fenders, but they look ok. There's just not a lot of room in there.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

If you get wheels with correct back-space it wouldn't rub. Which is good news for you as you can tell the wife you need new wheels. :)
Stock rear end housing, 64 stepside backspace measurements I took had 6" inches on each side of the wheel mounting surface. Although I think I remember having the body shop remove a little lip from the inner fender maybe?

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Back in the old days I recall guys used to take a bat and slowly roll the small end across the top of the tire, inside the fender, for that extra room.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Thanks for the advice!

It is pretty tight in there, the thinner tires sounds a good quick fix. The decrease in overall diameter of the tire didn't change the height of the drop?

Haha, might get thinner tires as a temp fix, then be on the look out for some new wheels. Dropping the front in a couple of weeks, so will see how that goes too (2" springs plus drop spindles)

Yea I've been searching fender rolling and seen people do that! Might be a last resort

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

I have tried rolling my fender once and I bent the wheel well. I tried making the fenders wider by extending the fender braces and ended up cracking the paint. If you have room in between the bed side and tire I would try new wheels.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Yep. Increase backspacing.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

what diff is in this truck?

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

The new panhard bar will not make a difference for the problem you are having if it is happening on both sides. But you will still need to get one because it will cause problems. Have you tried driving it yet? Are you bottoming out with a 6 inch drop in the rear?

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Just got the factory diff whatever that is (12 bolt?)

Yea rolling the guards is prob a last resort. I've been looking it over and I think slightly smaller tires would make it work. Looking at the 235/70/15 size.
Bump stops have about 2-3 inches of travel before hitting the axle. I never haul anything in the rear.

Have only driven it in and out of the garage (rubbing noise is horrible haha). Installing the front drop in the next few weeks when the weather improves, so will see how that sits

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

When I lowered my truck 7", I had 235/75-15s on Rally wheels and had to roll the passenger side fender even with an adjustable panhard bar. We used a piece of scrap tube laying around and when I went to 275s on different wheels, I ended up having to roll both sides and they still rub on hard corners.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

If your 8-inchers give problems on only 1 end, it may be quicker & cheaper to find 2 newer wheels from a van--like a G-20--there are many different width wheels in that style; and the vans have identical ones except some whose width is 7". This lets you keep your fatter tires but also gives some relief between both sides of the mounted tires. I'd say those wheels come in at least 3-5 different widths. When beauty rings are on, the diff. between 7" and 8" wheels doesn't show all that much. Lastly, you could get 4 rally wheels w/all being 7 inch. **Watch this: my '66 truck would not clear using your same size tires mounted on 8-inch rally's like yours; but it got happy with the 7" X 15", circa 89-92/454 stock Chevy "SS/Dale Earnhardt" chrome wheels: the ones having 5 holes with center caps held on with inner- and outer-threaded lug nuts and black plastic center cap retainers.
Good luck,
Sam

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

And you have no spacers bolted to the drums? This is totally odd. 8" fit, unless these were reversed or are 10"... but I put a set of 22" transports under a 60 step and had to run 1" spacers to get them to fit right and they have 1" front and 2" rear space.

Re: Rear tire rub after lowering
 

Thanks for the advice guys, I managed to borrow a 8" rally with a 235-70-15 tire on it and it fits like a glove.

So will get a set of those tires and sell my 255-70-15 (near new).

Think i'll slightly bend the inner lip of my guard a couple of mm just for piece of mind. mainly to take the sharp edge away

Cheers!