Front/Back wheel alignment

[rjinga]

Is there a way to have the outside edges of the front and back tires line up without using spacers? I've had two different tire shop guys tell me just exactly how they feel about spacers, and it wasn't pretty.

I'm currently running 33x12.50x15s, and the rear tires are flush with the top of the wheel well (like), and the front tires stick out about 2" (not so much). However, flush or out, I'd just like them to match.

Would a pair of rims with a different back-spacing on either the front or the back, mess up anything? (I already thought about, and then dismissed, the idea of two different widths of tires) I'd like to go from my ugly aftermarket rims back to stock-looking rims anyway, so I don't mind the investment in new wheels.

Has anyone else pondered, and then solved, this problem?

 

[ODdave]

find a rear axle from a 90's body style. its gonna be some work but you will get what you are looking for.

 

[rjinga]

find a rear axle from a 90's body style. its gonna be some work....

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't want to do a lot of work. I want a quick, inexpensive, easy, but quality fix. Is that too much to ask?

 

[ODdave]

 

[DieselBob]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't want to do a lot of work. I want a quick, inexpensive, easy, but quality fix. Is that too much to ask?

Sell current truck and buy one with the front and rear track already the same.

 

[jblack6527]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't want to do a lot of work. I want a quick, inexpensive, easy, but quality fix. Is that too much to ask?

Yes. Pick any three of those.
Why do you want the wheels to line up? Just aesthetics?

 

[rjinga]

Why do you want the wheels to line up? Just aesthetics?

Yes.

 

[Mikey90744]

easiest way is like you mentioned different rim sizes, otherwise its work. only thing different size rims will do is make it so you cant rotate the tires anymore. its no different then running "staggered" wheels on a hot rod or how a lot of sports cars come from the factory

 

[rjinga]

easiest way is like you mentioned different rim sizes, otherwise its work. only thing different size rims will do is make it so you cant rotate the tires anymore....

I didn't think of that. You know, maybe it doesn't look that bad after all.

 

[rjinga]

Ok, back to the spacer idea. My local 4x4 tire shop guy said he didn't like spacers; especially if you off-road (which I want to do). A Firestone tire shop guy said they won't even work on vehicles with spacers!

Who has spacers? What's been your experience? Pros and cons. The lines are open.

 

[OL AG '89]

Stock rims will fit 33's, ask Barrman. I think he's running those on his 09.
I put 33x12.5x15's on mine with a 4.5 inch backspace. The fronts stick out enough so the truck won't fit on my trailer without putting stock tire back on front. BUMMER....
I like the look, but am considering going back to the stock rims all around so I don't have to change out fronts everytime I trailer the 09 somewhere.

 

[Mikey90744]

first off, I just thought of one thing, before you buy wheels, you better check tire to bumper and body clearance, and front leafs, I have a feeling the tires are pushed out to clear the front leaf springs

second spacers, Ive run spacers on one truck I had (S10 so a lot less weight) I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEM in about 70K miles. That being said, I also didnt want to trust them just cause the whole keep it simple stupid thing.

 

[197thhhc]

There are tons of late model trucks out there to get a donor axle from. It really isnt that hard of a swap. I think this is the best way to go.

 

[Biggles]

I've run spacers on two tucks in the past and my buddy has them on his jeep now. The S10 blazer that I had m on actually caught some air and bent A arms with no damage to the spacers and a different truck was loaned to a (no longer) friend who decided to use it to tow a twenty some odd foot car hauler with some conversion van on it that was loaded all the way up on the front of the trailer. he crushed my leaf springs driving it a couple hundred miles on the bump stops of a lifted truck that I had not lowered the bump stops on and the spacers were fine. All of that being said I'd rather not use them if I could come up with another way.

 

[Mikey90744]

There are tons of late model trucks out there to get a donor axle from. It really isnt that hard of a swap. I think this is the best way to go.

I didnt want to say it cause I dont know as a fact, but I was thinking it would be a dead easy swap, thinking might be as easy as disconnect brake lines, u bolts and drive shaft, remove replace reconnect

 

[bushhawg73]

I have always understood that trucks made in this time frame have axles that are staggered just a bit. If you follow the tracks in the sand you will plainly see that one axle tracks a bit different. The stagger of the axles should give the rear tires ground that the front tires have not disturbed thus gaining traction. As far as I know every 80 model truck that you look at is going to be staggered just a bit. If I remember correctly the front will sit to the left and the rear will set to the right. If you want to straighten it up just cut the spring perches and reweld them. Just a thought on the issue.

 

[WARWAG]

Nothing wrong with spacers if they are installed correctly and re torqued one time after a few days of off roading. Just make sure the stock hub wheel studs are long enough to fully be enclosed by the spacer lug nuts.

 

[Barrman]

The rear axle is narrower than the front to aid tight turning around things. Yes, they will track different going straight. In a turn however, they will cut less to the inside of the front tire track than a full width axle will. Basically, this makes the truck very easy to drive around trees and such. Once the drivers door handle clears, you can pretty much forget about anything in the back hitting. Unless you have antenna mounts.

Also, don't forget that the front and rear fenders have different opening higths. No matter what you do to make the truck level, the rear is always going to look like it is sagging because that wheel well is lower than the front one. It also means if you move the tires out some, it will rub sooner than the front.

 

[armytruck63]

Barrman is correct. I noticed while following a friend in his M1009. The left front tire stuck out farther than the left rear. I drifted to the right side and noticed the same thing. This was about 10 years ago when I first got into CUCV's.