Update and a strange situation..

[mopower440]

In a previous post, here, need more tire somehow i was asking what was the biggest tire i could get on the back of my '72 dart swinger with the stock A-body 8 3/4 rear. (Currently running the 14" ralleys with 235/60/14)..SO, i bought the wheel vintiques mopar rally which are 15x7 with 4.25" backspacing and installed 255/60/15 tires on them. So stuck one on the passenger side and the tire is up against the front part of the leaf spring, but not touching the rear of the leafspring. Crap. So i bolt the drivers side up and there is plenty of room...! I can literally put my finger between the leafspring and the tire on the drivers side, YET the tire is up against the front part of the leafspring on the passenger side...I immediately thought the rear end must be over to one side, but its not, its perfectly straight. Not understanding how there can be that much of a difference from one side to the other...? That is the only thing keeping me from bolting them on is that side rubbing the front of the leafspring. There is plenty of room between the tire and fender on both sides. It HAS to be the axles..one has to be out further than the other im guessing..is there a way i can space the other one out 1/4" somehow? Im trying to keep from doing the spring relocation kit because i can not weld and have no welder to do the perches. Here is a picture of the space it has on the drivers side:

 

[junkyardhero]

loosen the U-bolts and give it a shimmy shake and see if that does it.

no love? then throw a 1/4" billet wheel spacer on there and send it

 

[33IMP]

Skinny wheel spacer on the side that needs it. Billet please, NO cast crap!
(Might be hard to find for 5 on 4 )
I'd try JYH's solution first.

Looks like you won't find spacers (adapters yes, spacers no, at least not GOOD ones) for 5 on 4, BUT..... spacers for 5 on 100mm are close enough.

 

[mopower440]

loosen the U-bolts and give it a shimmy shake and see if that does it.

no love? then throw a 1/4" billet wheel spacer on there and send it

well, the leaf springs are sitting perfectly centered on the perches..do you think it would still be ok to try this? If it doesnt work, do yall know anyone who maybe makes the billet spacers? Not sure where i would ever find the 5x4

 

[CFD244]

You can use an adjustable axle retainer on both sides (normally only on 1 side) to center the axles and and maintain the total axle end-play needed. Will it be enough? Try the solutions mentioned above.

Edit: Maybe just try putting the adjustable on the D/S and see if it pushes the P/S out enough.

 

[jos51700]

What's the clearance to the fenders with that setup?

 

[matthon]

It's a Mopar thing, have a few like this.

 

[mopower440]

What's the clearance to the fenders with that setup?

I didnt measure but id say still close to an inch

 

[mopower440]

You can use an adjustable axle retainer on both sides (normally only on 1 side) to center the axles and and maintain the total axle end-play needed. Will it be enough? Try the solutions mentioned above.

Edit: Maybe just try putting the adjustable on the D/S and see if it pushes the P/S out enough.

You mean just take both axles out and switch sides?

 

[CFD244]

You mean just take both axles out and switch sides?

I would try what JYH suggested first. If that doesn't work, this is an option. In effect, when you adjust axle bearing preload, you tighten the adjuster on the passenger side pushing both axles to the D/S seating the bearings, then back the the adjuster off to gain the desired end play.

When the adjuster is on the D/S, you are pushing both axles towards the pass side as you tighten it to seat the bearings thus increasing the pass wheel/spring clearance and decreasing the D/S clearance. If you do this don't forget to back it off to gain the desired end play.

One more tool in the bag. Good luck.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The FIRST thing I would do is measure the back spacing of the rear wheels. Just eliminate that as a possibility.

 

[matthon]

So stuck one on the passenger side and the tire is up against the front part of the leaf spring, but not touching the rear of the leafspring.

I missed this the first time.

I've had the passenger side closer to the spring than the driver, but never the front of the passenger touching and not touching the rear.

Anyone else?

Did you spin the wheel when it was off the ground?

 

[Dana67Dart]

If you can't get it figured out...

I can make you a CAD file and you can send it to an online company who can plasma cut it out of what ever thickness plate steel you need.

 

[mopower440]

I missed this the first time.

I've had the passenger side closer to the spring than the driver, but never the front of the passenger touching and not touching the rear.

Anyone else?

Did you spin the wheel when it was off the ground?

No, it was up against the spring so wouldnt spin. I did mount them and balance them myself at work though and the wheels are straight

 

[Dana67Dart]

Not likely but you could have a bent axle flange. Loosen the lug nuts then rotate the wheel.




My dart got hit in the rear quarter and the rear wheel. It moved the wheel enough to run it on the inner fender well momentarily.

BUT... The leaf pack is twisted. If I unbolted it from the housing and unbolted the center bolt, I could recenter the leafs on each other.

That could have happened on your car.

As a test you could put a couple washer between the wheel and the flange on each lug studs ( DO NOT DRIVE IT THAT WAY)

 

[junkyardhero]

well, the leaf springs are sitting perfectly centered on the perches..do you think it would still be ok to try this? If it doesnt work, do yall know anyone who maybe makes the billet spacers? Not sure where i would ever find the 5x4

i would try it, there isn't anything to lose.

a less ideal play would be to drill/file out the "centering" holes on the leaf perches and cheat it over that little bit. again, not ideal, but an option.

here's some spacers, not cheap but neither is losing a wheel...

5x4.00 Wheel Spacer

Adapt It USA gives you the option to use a 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, or 12mm flat wheel spacer for your ride. Using 6061-T6 billet aircraft aluminum guarantees you get a quality product.

store.gaugemagazine.com

 

[matthon]

Not likely but you could have a bent axle flange.

I had a bent one on a truck, I caused it, actually bent the rim and the axle flange.

Something is out of wack.

 

[toolmanmike]

That is a strange situation. A spacer would fix the problem but not the cause. Rear end housing bent? If it were mine I would take it to a good alignment shop and have them check it. Thrust angle check

 

[tom999w]

Unless you only drive in a straight line, either of those spacings might rub around turns. I had a car a few years ago that had the bigger spacing similar to yours and the over-size tires still rubbed the suspension and fender lip around somewhat hard cornering.

 

[Swinger 340]

I missed this the first time.

I've had the passenger side closer to the spring than the driver, but never the front of the passenger touching and not touching the rear.

Anyone else?

Did you spin the wheel when it was off the ground?

My 69 Dart has an offset on the tires as well. One side I can place two fingers between the tire and fender and the other side, just one finger. You would think, offset perch plates could be bought to compensate and even give a little rise in the rear.

 

[mopower440]

so, i bought the offset spring relocation kit AND new leaf springs. Even with the new springs and the relocation kit, there is still more clearance between the axle housing end and leaf springs on one side than the other..very weird. BUT, from the axle housing to the rolled lip of the fender is equal on both sides!..Very strange! I was thinking about making the axle ends perfectly equal from the ends to the leaf springs before welding the leaf spring perches on, but then it would be different from side to side on the meausrement from the axle ends to the fenders..

 

[jbc426]

Wilwood makes a steel spacer. Aluminum is a distant second choice. It's too soft. Make sure your lug nuts are long enough too.

If that the clearance you posted a picture of, that should be plenty of room...says the man with 325/50-15's on an E-Body. Drive it around some good corners and check to see if it's rubbing.

Dr Diff sells a 1/2" inset hanger kit that bolts on too. Heck, I've even ground some extra clearance in my leaf springs to gain another 1/4" or so.

 

[str12-340]

You can use an adjustable axle retainer on both sides (normally only on 1 side) to center the axles and and maintain the total axle end-play needed. Will it be enough? Try the solutions mentioned above.

I really like this solution and have used it a few times. You can just mount the adjuster kit on the existing fixed axle as the axles are the same. You really can get the spacing just the same on both sides by going back and forth from side to side. If you have the kind of spacing you mentioned on the other side, seems like this could be a winner for you.

 

[matthon]

If you want an adjuster on the driver side, as well as the passenger side, you gotta cut the bearings/retainer off the driver side and press on new ones with an adjuster.

Bearings come as a kit, both sides.

Could just get green bearings.

 

[mopower440]

no, the space is fine now with the offset spring hanger kit, i was just updating yall that there is still a difference between the 2 sides between the leaf springs and axle housing ends, but the space from the axle housing ends and the fender lip is the same on each side..