ra23, home grown tubbing..

[stradlater]

I've got new slicks, and they are just a touch too wide for the wheel bay. They rub on the inside of the wheel bay. Anyone got any suggestions on home grown wheel bay tubbing?

I was thinking a rubber mallet, anyone else got any ideas?

[gearb0x]

Attack the guards with a grinder and weld in bits of a 44 gallon drum?

[stradlater]

Ouch.. I wasn't planning on doing quite that extreme... Plus I have a gas tank in the boot.

[YLD-16L]

A dolly should be able to "stretch" the inner guard a little in the spots where is is rubbing, take your time with it and you should end up with a neat job. The only area of difficulty will be across the top of the inner well where there is some structural reinforcement, forward or rear of that though will be quite easy to modify lightly.

How bad is it rubbing? Does it look like it needs a lot of work to get enough clearance or is it just light rubbing?

[30psi 4agte]

if its only just touching at the moment the mallet or hammer should do the job as long as there is no chassis rail or something solid like that in your way youll be sweet.

believe it or not you can actually get a neat finish using a ballpeen hammer. I didi a bit of "masaging"on my trans tunnel to get the W57 in. after i gave it a coat of under seal you would never even know its been modified !

[stradlater]

The wheel still spins. But it's constantly rubbing on the rear lower inner section of the guard. It'll need to be fixed, but I'm not sure it's that much of an issue.
I was just thinking almost a solid hammer. I'm not too worried about the way it looks, particularly considering the massive dent in the other side of the car, it's not exactly 'built for looks' right now.

[MS-75]

Can you pack the wheel out with a spacer-or will it touch the outer guard then instead?

[IN 05 NT]

The wheel still spins. But it's constantly rubbing on the rear lower inner section of the guard. It'll need to be fixed, but I'm not sure it's that much of an issue.
I was just thinking almost a solid hammer. I'm not too worried about the way it looks, particularly considering the massive dent in the other side of the car, it's not exactly 'built for looks' right now.

is that sitting on the ground or on a jack, dont forget that its going to SQUAT hard when you launch on these babys, so you will need a good bit of clerance...

blake

[Trent-KE30]

I'd say just give it a couple of love taps
If that doesn't work some fab places or body places have like hydralic push machines that will wack out the guard, or panel with some gentle force.

[EldarO]

mate, just get at it with the hammer, slicks are sticky, there should be shiny paint/no paint/rubber on where its touching, so just give it a fair whack until it stops rubbing, move on etc.

then, when it all stops rubbing, take it for a drive, practise a hard launch or two, and see if the problem re-presents itself.

Eldar.O.

[Turbo RG]

I've got new slicks, and they are just a touch too wide for the wheel bay. They rub on the inside of the wheel bay. Anyone got any suggestions on home grown wheel bay tubbing?

I was thinking a rubber mallet, anyone else got any ideas?

How big are the slicks you are using?..... how wide are they?
On my stock celica I could get a 10 inch wide tire in the wheel well.
If you do put spacers on you need to up grade the axle lugs.

[stradlater]

I've only got 8.5's on there, and it still rubs.. Might be the wheel, but I think if I push it too far forward, it'll rub against the front gaurd..

[SL666]

if they are full crossply style slicks remember they with grow a bit at speed..

[o_man_ra23]

Stradlater, do you mean 8.5" tyres or rims?? because a 8.5" tyre is the equivalent of a 215 in metric... which fit under the guards on my RA23 with PLENTY of room either side.... and its quite a small tyre. I would be thinking its more likely to be a 10" slick, equivalent to a 245 that will give you trouble, as there was still ample room under my guards when i chucked 225s on. If you put a watts link in instead of the panhard rod, then you will eliminate the horizontal movement of the diff, so you can centre it better, then line the wheels up properly with appropriate spacers, and it should be a breeze to massage the inner guards.

Cheers, Owen

[stradlater]

26x8.5x15


I know that 8.5's should only be 215's but for whatever reason, they aren't even close. They are wide, but I think the key is the 26" bit. a normal tire is maybe 24", so it doesn't protrude as high up into the wheel bay and to further extremitys front and back. I think that's more the problem..

I've got 225 normal tires on the back of mine now and there's no problem, but they are about 2 inches shorter(in standing height) than the slicks. i thinkthat's the problem..

So it's hammer time, so to speak.