Rear tire clearence problem
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New User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 13
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From: Jacksonville pulaski
Rear tire clearence problem
Hey guys I have a little problem that I hope you can help me with. I have A '70 F-100 that I put the front discs and rear end out of a '78 F-100, I have 60's mounted on 8 1/2" centerlines at all four corners. The problem is the rear end is four inches wider than the one that came out of it so when I get over 500 pounds in the bed the fenders rub my tires. I am tring to decide between air ride suspension or highjacker air shocks.All I need is something to help out the rear when loaded. Which would be the best choice?
The air shocks I found have a 72 month warranty but the air ride suspension has less than a year warranty. Any advise would be helpful
Thanks:+
The air shocks I found have a 72 month warranty but the air ride suspension has less than a year warranty. Any advise would be helpful
Thanks:+
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 143
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Rear tire clearence problem
air shocks arent has capable of a load as airbags. THis is because the shock mounts were never designed to hold a load, just absorb spring rebound. You can use the shocks up to a certain point, but the air bags can hold the load better,unfortunately i have the bags, and they tend to weep air, so once a month i need to fill them. I think this is due to the plastic lines and fittings, not the bags themselves.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 5,374
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From: Palm Bay, Florida
Rear tire clearence problem
Is there some reason that you swapped rears?? why not put your original housing back in,(I wasn't aware of the common Ford Truck 9" being a different width)but if you must keep the '78 housing my suggestion is to not rely on any type of air suspension, air shochs when carrying a load, as a line can rupture, or a bag can blowout, then your down on your tires until you take the weight off.
I would get a set of overload/helper springs these are a full length spring (leaf) that you put on top of your original springs, they are somewhat adjustable, inexpensive, and do what you need them to do, if you snug the adjustment all the way down it will make your truck ride just a little harder empty.
Plus you might want to also get what I call overload shocks, they have a heavy spring around them, these too will make an empty truck ride just a little rougher.
I would get a set of overload/helper springs these are a full length spring (leaf) that you put on top of your original springs, they are somewhat adjustable, inexpensive, and do what you need them to do, if you snug the adjustment all the way down it will make your truck ride just a little harder empty.
Plus you might want to also get what I call overload shocks, they have a heavy spring around them, these too will make an empty truck ride just a little rougher.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,613
Likes: 2
From: Gainesville, FL
Rear tire clearence problem
ky,
You have made a poor decision. Remove the inappropriate rear end and replace it with the correct equipment. You will do yourself a great service and the rest of us that have to look at bad decisions like that every day. I imagine the next thing you'll be telling us is you want to lower your truck down so it "looks cool."
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher
You have made a poor decision. Remove the inappropriate rear end and replace it with the correct equipment. You will do yourself a great service and the rest of us that have to look at bad decisions like that every day. I imagine the next thing you'll be telling us is you want to lower your truck down so it "looks cool."
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher
Senior User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 166
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Rear tire clearence problem
dfisher is right on.It may be a pain but you need to put the proper rear housing back into the truck or you'll always have problems.One other note to dfisher though.You've got to give us "lowered ford guys" a break.I think all fords are cool but that doesn't mean I'll like all the things you do to yours.That's what makes it so cool,it's your interpretation of what looks good that matters for your truck.As far as the "myths"about bad riding and not being able to haul anything,that is reserved for people who went cheap and lowered wrong.We all love the same trucks,but we all have different ideas of what looks or runs good.
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New User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 13
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From: Jacksonville pulaski
Rear tire clearence problem
Kingfisher ,
There were a few factors in my decision to use the '78 rear end ,one was the fact that the origanal rear end had very small tubes,about 2" in diameter" the '78 is about 3" also someone had already made a bad decision on the origanal rear end by welding all over one of the tubes before I got it and I just didn't feel good about trusting the 'over welded' housing. Plus the wider rear brought the tires out to match the front end that got the disc brake setup from the same truck. So far I am very pleased with the way it has worked and I haven't had any trouble out of it.
So I don't realy think that I made the wrong choice ,But thanks for the input .
There were a few factors in my decision to use the '78 rear end ,one was the fact that the origanal rear end had very small tubes,about 2" in diameter" the '78 is about 3" also someone had already made a bad decision on the origanal rear end by welding all over one of the tubes before I got it and I just didn't feel good about trusting the 'over welded' housing. Plus the wider rear brought the tires out to match the front end that got the disc brake setup from the same truck. So far I am very pleased with the way it has worked and I haven't had any trouble out of it.
So I don't realy think that I made the wrong choice ,But thanks for the input .
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 861
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From: SE PA
Rear tire clearence problem
If you don't haul that often, then you might look into either the helpers that bolt on the spring or the type that is "active" and mounts from the spring eye to the mount plate. Never used this type, but one who has, my Pop, is extremely pleased with the performance loaded and unloaded. When I haul with the 2wd Ranger, I just bolt on a $30 set of helpers, this is maybe 3 times a year and takes about 10 min. per side to get on or off(much quicker if I take the air tools out to them-almost as much time to get the air tools out and put away again!). These really help with 1200#'s of coal in the back.
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