For all you guys that have strayed from original, how important is it that the rear wheels track with the front? Obviously I am asking cause mine do not track and I wonder if it is time to drop back and punt cause not only are the rear tires set wider than the front, this also adds to my other problem of the tires getting into the rear fenders. Gater
Gater, when you say that the rear wheels don't track with the front, are you asking if they should be the same distance apart from center of tread on the back tires as they are in the front? If that's what you're asking, not to worry, it's supposed to be that way. According to the resto-pak that i've got, the dimension for the front is 56 1/4 inches from the center of one tire to the center of the other tires. On the back, the dimension is 61 3/4 inches from the center on one tire to the center of the other. (And, yes this dimension is for a 3800 series, not a 1/2 ton).
Thanks, Ken, My front is 56 1/4 but my back is 66 now and will be a little wider when I put the new wheels on. The 14 bolt 10.5 inch rear spring shackles are the same distance apart as the original axle but the distance from the spring shackle to the face where the wheel attaches is more than the original. That is why I am having trouble clearing the fender with a 16 inch wheel and tire when the original had a 17 inch wheel and a taller tire. The original tire was 33 inches high and this new one is only about 31.75. So I guess I have caused my own problem. Oh well, it keeps the mind active to continually engineer something to overcome what you engineered to start with. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Gater
You're good to go ~ I thought it was ' Dog Tracking ' ~ that's where one end or t'other is offset a little bit and this isn't just a PIA , it's also dangerous if you make a suddenn steering correction , can flip your rig... Wider in the back end is good as it helps follow through curves...
