I put some larger tires and rims on my 67 coupe, and I have pneumatic shocks on the rear. I aired up the shocks quite a bit to allow the tires to fit, but as time goes on, they gradualy deflate. Today, I was dirving and hit a pretty big bump. The back drivers side tire is now severly damaged from hitting the wheel well. There is strip of body metal that points towards the tire in the wheel well that I think I could pound down to provide more clearance. Is this a good idea?

 

Well before I did that hammering to the car, I would get your shocks checked for a leak, I was having the same prob with my monroe airshocks, so one was leaking, so I had them both replaced and now no problems. But the real question is how big of a tire are you going with, b/c if you are going really big you may have to do some modifications to the car.

 

Two thing are wrong. Your tires and wheels are too big for the wheel well, and secondly you are running air shocks. Both cause handling problems, and the air shocks will eventually punch through the shock tower when you hit a bump real hard. Consider looking at the wheel and tire fitment chart at the top under FAQ, and get some more reasonable sized wheels and tires, then replace the air shocks with KYB gas adjust shocks. Other than that, you are going to have to tub the inner wheel well.

 

yeah my 72 fastback did that the shock went thru the floor pan just go and buy the correct backspaced wheels or higher lift springs

 

The tires are not too huge, and I like them alot. I think the best temporary fix would be to tub the wheel well. How would I go about doing that? I'll try to post pics this after noon.

 

[sm=chairshot.gif] There is nothing temporary about tubbing wheel wells. However what you have suggested doing is not tubbing the wheel wells. You simply want to roll the outter fender lips flat and trim the inner wheel well lips, which is quite common. However, there is no certainty that this will solve your problems. Pictures will be good, but lets start with more information...

1. What size tires are you running
2. What size rims are you running them on (need backspacing info too)
3. Where are you contacting (picture will answer this)...is it hard contact on the vertical plain of the fender or are you catching on lips?

 

If you like the tires on your ride, keep them. I agree with what everyone else is saying about the air shocks. rear springs with a 1" lift (sounds funny lifting a car, I know) aren't that expensive at all, and that should help your problem significantly. Rolling the fender lip is a good idea, and if you're not too attached to the rims you may want to swap some in that will bring the spacing in a little bit. Just make sure you don't rub the inner wheel well. Good luck with getting it to work!

 

well crap, my car came with air shocks on the back and now you're telling me this is a bad thing?

I had the rub thing, too, went grocery shopping and hit a bump and the lip on the outer edge of the fender hot the side of the tire, small rub, not bad, but it does look like they get lower after the car has sit for awhile...do they all leak?

 

Most likely, your problem are sagging rear leaf springs and bad shocks. Replace the rear leaf springs with 4 1/2 leaf new springs, and put on some decent gas adjust shocks like KYB's. Koni's are great, but expensive.

 

thanks, that's another thing I need to add to my Christmas list...lol