Reply to "Group 4 Steel Flare Help Requested"

HockeyDude,

Depending how deep you are into this project ...it might pay to salvage rather then cut them off. The hammer / dolly idea is where I left off. Not sure where you bought the wheels but mine I had to have the taper entering the hole where the stud comes thru machined correctly. So we did take a little meat off because the taper was polished and didn't give us the correct seat for the lug nut and I get a full lug nut about 12 turns. Also take into consideration I have the brake hats mounted behind the axle ?

David I took your approach and agree with you ..this is the exact path I tool because the MW axles are tapped for 14mm / 1/2 studs and have holes for press in studs. The spacer we had made hub-centric with the axle and the wheel with 14mm / 1/2" studs. They fit perfect on the studs .. if need be we can TIG them onto the wheel .. but I don't think its necessary. I have a great consultant to run this type of stuff thru and he stated the same ... before I brake the SOLID MW axles and shear the studs off with the spacers ... the gear box will shatter in a million pieces.

Pantershah .. i had purchased the wheel adapters .. but the machining was sloppy and then I would have 10 lugs to worry about where here only 5 witht he same principal I chose custom spacers.

Doug ... my experience with bonding on fiberglass flairs .. with the different rates of expansion with steel and fiberglass and our extreme temps in NY below zero to 100 degrees ? You say why steel ... its seems obvious that if the panels were fabricated correctly ... it would be a no brainer ... as for the wheel spacers I wasnt a big fan either but they did a perfect job in fabrication I have the option of TIG ing them onto the wheel. Its obvious someone screwed up ... the wheel vendor states that's the correct offset which IT IS NOT because these wheels are 11/2 short of where they should be and the flair vendor charged me for a second set of flairs. After all the hours I have put into these things I could have made them in less time with round bar and sheet metal. Personally I think the TIRES 335/30/18 x 12.1/2" wheels are far short in height at 25.6" to make the entire package appearance correct . So we are over compensating and maybe a MT TIRE 30" tall would fit correctly.

As a recommendation HOCKEY DUDE .. should you decide to cut them off ... I would start by mounting the suspension and rims and tires ... run the round bar around to the contour you desire ... then create the flair ... you will find the hole you cut in the 1/4 panel far too large ... you will end up piecing in about 2-3 because the steel flairs purchased are way too large ... and as DOUG commented these cars already have increased load on the hubs from the wide wheels and tires even with double roller wheel bearings. So with use of Mickey Thompson tires 29 -30" height ... which would make the flairs mounted AS IS with no spacers appear correct.

I would have to take out all my old notes ..even the front tire recommended by the vendor where wrong ... they were not as low profile as the rears ... so I had to eat the 255/45/17 26.2" tall tires and change them to 245/40/17 24.5 tall so they didn't hit the front flair.

Is there any reason you can think why I lost momentum ? Lets just say for example I bought an entire floor pan ONE PIECE for my BOSS 302 and it fit in perfectly seam to seam it came with the seat pans all the gromits and e brake brackets and even the torque box panels all fit perfectly.

Ron