Pro Street Look (18" fat tire) without cutting frame?

[66chevy43]

Need help from the C10 gurus! I want to give my truck the pro street look without the pro street cost. Is it possible to install 15x14 weld wheels with 29x18x15 Mickey Thompson sportsman radials on a stock frame? I'm rebuilding my rear differential and will narrow it to accommodate the wheels with recommended backspacing, also going to take out the rear springs and install coilover shocks inside of frame rails and replace my stock trailing arms with tubular arms. Is this a possible to do without cutting stock frame or should I just install a new rear clip?

I done some searching and read someone has done up to 15" wide tires with stock frame, but no 18" wide meats! I measured under the truck from fender lip to frame and have over 18.5+ inches and can always roll the finder lip to increase distance if need be.

I've always like the looks of the pro street since I was kid and just want to install the wide rear wheels with fat tires. She is being used cruise around once in while, not drag racing. I think I spend more 90% of my time working on than actual driving it. She is a 1966 C10 fleetside, 12bolt limited slip rear diff with 285/40R-20 tires and 10 wide wheels.

If anyone has done this operation or came close, can you please post a picture with specs?

Thank you.

[PGSigns]

You need to look at where the tire will be at at ride height. So you need to look further up the fender. Also you will need to decide how low you want to go and figure out the wheel tubs. When looking at tires The section width is what is important and you need some room based on that measurement. For street driving I like at least an 1 1/2" as the tires will move some side to side under cornering. So based on that 17.6 plus 3 is 20.6 is about what you need.
Jimmy

[racecougar]

If you have a fleetside and are willing to go to coilovers and roll the fender lips, it should be doable. Depending on the diameter you want to run, you may need to stretch the wheel openings forward or move the trailing arm crossmember rearward. If you want photos, here's what I've done:

Stretched the front of the wheel openings forward 2", widened the tubs 5-3/4", narrowed the axle 7", and formed 1/2" roundstock to the profile of the new fender openings, then cut, rolled, and welded the lips. The tires in these photos are 33" diameter and 15" wide on 15x12's with 3.5" of backspace, and there is room for a bit more under there. The wood "tires" are also 33" diameter and were used to determine the necessary bed mods to clear our desired tire size. The truck will sit lower once fully assembled and finished.

I ended up drawing up everything in CAD before narrowing the axle, then verifying by mounting the stock bed and wooden "tires" before modifying the bed. There were no unpleasant "this doesn't fit" surprises.

[Kenfuzed]

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

[urmyboyblue]

I second PGSigns statement about ride height. Racecougar gets away with that width because his truck sits high. If you lower like mine, you won't be able to do that wide as the tire will be awfully close to rubbing the frame or bed side.

I have used a 13.5" wide section width tire on 10" wide wheels with a stock frame an no fender mods with no issues (the tubs were modified). Be sure to consider tire deflection under cornering and body roll when looking at this. I think on a lowered truck, 14" wide wheels are going to be too wide.

[urmyboyblue]

My truck is in the third post of this thread:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=660277

I used to have a fleet side bed- it was a little closer to my recollection.

[66chevy43]

Thanks for the input, all points givien are valid and makes me think I may have to go with smaller wheels and tires or modify my frame. I'm leaning towards modify my frame back half to fit my tire wheel combo.

Thank you racecougar for posting the pictures of your build, it gives me some ideas to work with. Racecougar did you make your trailing arms? They look good! I flipped thru some of your build and you have done a lot of work on that truck, I like where your going.

Yes, PGSigns my frame to fender lip is 19" could get more with rolled lip and 4" clearance from top of tire to bottom of fender side walk with a 29" tire. Thinking this would be a very tight squeeze without any tolerance for adjustment! AKA DRIVING!

Maybe I should just put on a rear 4 link clip, still undecided. Hey are trailing arms better for street driving or 4 link to much for the street, either combo I will put coil overs on it

This is my current wheel tire combo.

Thanks

[vin63]

It's possible. This is the rear of my chassis with 12" wide vintage Ansen Sprint wheels and 31x16.5 tires...as you can see there is room if you are able to get the backspacing of the wheels correct. One caveat: I built my rearend housing to a 58" width, so that I could fit the vintage Ansen wheels that had a 3.5" backspace.





I did stretch the rear wheel openings 3.5 inches to the front, and widened the wheel tubs just about 6 inches....

[66chevy43]

That Hoosier tire set up 31x16.5 15 was also high on my list! I like how you got the frame to site down over the wheels, looks real clean. I guess I will buy my wheel/tire combination that I want first and just make them fit. It's nice to see how everyone makes it work!

[vin63]

I used one of those CPP C-notch kits...

[racecougar]

Originally Posted by urmyboyblue

I second PGSigns statement about ride height. Racecougar gets away with that width because his truck sits high. If you lower like mine, you won't be able to do that wide as the tire will be awfully close to rubbing the frame or bed side.

The truck will not sit that high when it is finished.

Originally Posted by 66chevy43

Thank you racecougar for posting the pictures of your build, it gives me some ideas to work with. Racecougar did you make your trailing arms? They look good! I flipped thru some of your build and you have done a lot of work on that truck, I like where your going.

Yes, I made those. Thanks.