Rubbing inner fender plastic

Dirmaid · Jan 27, 2015

Hey guys, I've been gone a while thanks to school. But now that I'm back, I'm sitting a little bit lower. ~3/4 inches lower to be precise. I'm running DJM drop springs with pancake bump stops in the front and a flip kit on the inner hole and my helper springs loosened a little to get it to sit level. I'm sitting on stock rims wrapped in P235/75/R15 tires all the way around. The issue is that when I take a turn a little quick or hit a sizable bump on the freeway, the front tires rub on the inner fender plastic. How are people getting around rubbing? I like the way the truck looks with the tire size so I'd like to keep that the same if possible.

Also, on a possibly unrelated note, when I give the truck gas it feels like the back end is swinging just slightly towards the driver side to the point of requiring correction with the steering wheel. I don't remember it doing that before I dropped it.

Pics for reference

Shoddy Cologne · Jan 27, 2015

I don't think you can really get around rubbing with that tire size. you could cut a hole for the tires to clear or relocate everything attached to them and remove them all together. Tires size is usually a compromise, you could go a size lower or 2 and get the same look but after lowering it you don't have much else you can do.. hope this helps.

Dirmaid · Jan 27, 2015

i was thinking about just moving the inner fender up away from the tire, but i have no idea how it is attached or how i would reattach it at a different distance. the driver side has way too much stuff in the way to get a good look at what that would entail. I've though about taking them off but the engine bay gets dirty enough as it is thanks to lovely Louisiana's constant construction. And these tires are brand new unfortunately, but I get what you're saying about going down a size or 2

stmitch · Jan 27, 2015

You can remove the plastic liners, but you'd only gain the thickness of the liner in clearance because the metal inner fender is just on the other side of the plastic liner.

The only way you're going to stop the rubbing is to lift it up a bit, get smaller tires, or start cutting out the inner fenders. The bagged guys like to cut out the stock inner fenders completely and replace them with trailer fenders in a place where they won't rub. That's a lot more time, money, and work than just getting smaller tires though.

Dirmaid · Jan 27, 2015

Didn't realize there was metal on the other side of that. Eesh, yeah i see what you mean there. So what the general consensus seems to be is that I need to steal the AM wheel combo off of my friend's mustang so I don't need to do metal work. Now to distract him long enough to swap them out...

Any thoughts about the rear end feeling like its swinging out? I'm thinking that I might slap a sway bar on it and hope for the best

Shoddy Cologne · Jan 27, 2015

check the tightness of your ubolts and other parts on the rear axle just for shits and grins

Dirmaid · Jan 28, 2015

I checked everything this morning and it all seems to be pretty tight. i have a bit of play in the driver side axle shaft, but its only 1/16th inch so I doubt that's the issue. I think ill enlist my buddy's help to measure the wheel creep with it stalled up in the driveway. I'll keep yall posted on what I find

Dirmaid · Jan 30, 2015

so there wasn't exactly a measurable difference between the 2 sides in the driveway. I'll head to the junkyard to hopefully pick up a BII sway bar Tuesday and see if that helps. Well I'm sure it will help, but maybe not this particular problem... :icon_thumby:

I do have a mustang l/s diff installed, so i guess it might be possible that may be coming into play, but highly unlikely since this started right after i dropped and aligned it. Just thought I'd give yall the whole low-down

stmitch · Jan 30, 2015

Are your rear bump stops cut down? Stock bump stops with an axle flip reduce the travel enough to cause a very bumpy ride, and can cause the rear to hop sideways over bad bumps.

Dirmaid · Jan 31, 2015

I replaced them with the ones that djm sends out with the kit

Also the ride isn't all that bad, it's just that pull with straight line acceleration that's bugging me the most right now

stmitch · Jan 31, 2015

Good.

There are a few other potential causes for the axle stepping out. Could be worn leaf spring eye bushings,or tire sidewall flex with your big tires.

What did you do to loosen the overload springs? Maybe that's contributing?

Dirmaid · Jan 31, 2015

Didn't think about the sidewalls flexing. Just went outside and rocked it side to side and I get a good bit of travel from just the tires themselves. I may actually go grab my buddies tires now just to see if that's what's causing it.

And I just loosened the u bolts that hold on the overloads a couple of turns, but there's still gobs of tension on both of them

ES894x4 · Feb 1, 2015

Its normal for the backs of these trucks to jump one way when hitting a large bump, and sway bars do help a bit but that will still happen. If its pulling one direction while accelerating on a smooth road thats a different issue. Is it possible one of your flip brackets is installed backwards and the axle isnt perfectly straight?

Dirmaid · Feb 2, 2015

Not really sure why ya'll keep talking about hitting bumps, it's just when I'm on flat ground in a straight line

. The alignment report didn't show that the back axle was skewed much, I'll post the numbers when I get home. And I triple checked everything when I was putting it together, but I'll check for ya'll a fourth time :icon_thumby:

Dirmaid · Feb 3, 2015

Alright, forgot to post the numbers last night. It was a long day :black_eye:

And I managed to score the BII swaybar thanks to pure luck. It was the only BII in the yard and was pretty much completely stripped when I got to it. But after putting it on (and replacing the rear speed sensor I broke man-handling it) the truck doesn't pull nearly as hard to the side under throttle. And looking at the alignment report, it should be pulling to the passenger side anyways thanks to my caster being off. They maxed out the caster/camber kit aligning it so I guess I'll just have to live with it. Or buy DJM uppers, but I can't spring for that right now.

Thanks guys! :icon_thumby:

Rubbing inner fender plastic

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