Ok, a call out for help to those who have put steel flares on their cars, or who are familar with the process.
I am have been trying to fit the rear flares, but been fighting myself mainly. For those who don't know me, I am pretty dang particular on how stuff looks, and the flares make or a break the car to me. I have all the running gear, (wheels tires, suspesion bits) I plan to run, and have done a rough alignment on the suspension. So we can skip the talk about the correct wheels and tires and lets have this post get into the nitty gritty a bit more.
Here are the issues I am running into:
1) Flares way off from end of wheel, not just in terms of logitudal placement (wheel depth from lip), but also in terms of curvature. The curvature is a super easy fix, so no worries on that. For everyone's info, wheels are deep dish group 4s, with stock group 5 offsets, Steve W. and I talked about all this in quite some detail and this is what we settled on. Flares are from Dennis, as I wanted his rounded flare style, compared to the more "flat" flares offered by the vendors. Unfortantly I joofed, and all this combined put the wheel about 1.25" behind the lip of the flare, and while I know this is pretty common, I can't stand that look. Since I'm not in the market for another set of $5K wheels, I need spacers or will have to cut down the flares to fit. Kind of feel like I should go the spacer route (and thats what I started if you read below), just seems a shame to cut down these big ol'e flares, but not sure if I am going overboard. Basically this paragraph is asking if anyone has a the track widths, front and rear for the "average" group 4. I know these are going to vary a bunch. Please also state, fiberglass or steel flares, and if the outside of your wheels are "In Line" with the fender lip, or tucked in.
2) Suspension Cyling: Ok, this one is is what is really messing with me at the moment, I went ahead and got a .750" spacer (current wheel studs wont allow any thicker spacers than this), and mocked up both sides in slightly different styles. What I am running into is that I can't cycle the suspension worth a dang upwards. I get maybe 2.5-3" of upward travel from ride hieght (set with all LCA's parrellel to the ground) before the tire will hit the flare, so theres going to be even less tavel when I'm at speed due to tire growth, and I plan for this to be a driver, so I know its going to bottom out. Now yes, I do understand that since I moved the wheel further out its going to hit the flare sooner, but lets just ignore that. Do any of you group 4 and 5 owners have issues with full suspension cycling or with bottoming out on the flares while driving?
Path forward:
My tentative path forward to is swap in some longer wheel studs (btw does anyone know the press fit shank diameter for mark william's axles? I left my good calipers at work), and modify the flare, so I can move them up, and flatten their slope to gain more suspension travel in the upward direction. This is also going to force me to make a whole new fender lip, which ain't going to be fun.
Now, if someone thinks I'm going about this all wrong, please stop me!! I don't want an ulcer if I don't need one, and thats pretty much the point of this post.
Any help is appreciated. Been working on the car for the past 4 years, and have another 3-4 till completion, just dont want to screw it up. If you're still here, thanks for putting up with my novel, and hope my mental processes didnt scare you too much :}
Thanks,
Dave
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