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Pros Vs Cons When it comes to Narrowing a Rearend?

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Old 11-02-2008, 12:44 AM
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Default Pros Vs Cons When it comes to Narrowing a Rearend?

Wondering What the benefits to Narrowing a Rearend vs Leaving it stock length.

I Will soon be ordering a 9'' and I'm wondering if I should have it narrowed or not. I just sold my Only set of wheels for the car so having to replace them if i went narrow wouldn't be a issue.

Also I would like to know what is the most that can be taken off before running offset LCA's or running into clearance issues with the inner fender?

Need some Opinions before I order. Thanks guys
Old 11-02-2008, 10:06 AM
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Don't have any experience w/ narrowing however I've seen a bunch of tubbed out Fbody's w/ the narrowed rears......one benefit I can tell ya is that the stance looks absolutely menacing
Old 11-02-2008, 01:16 PM
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Yeah the Offset will be great if I decide to go that route.
Old 11-07-2008, 06:23 AM
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ttt ( i have the same questions / problem )
Old 11-07-2008, 09:02 AM
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you can go 2.5" per side and run the correct offset wheels and be fine without tubbing. mine is actually 2 5/8" per side and i'm running 15x10 draglites at the moment with 325/50/15 with no rubbing issues but i do have offset lca's because i planned on running a wider tire from the begining. my offset is 4.5 but i'm going to try a set 5.5 bs prostars to see if they will clear with the same tires this weekend, i want them to tuck a little further under the car.
Old 11-07-2008, 09:39 AM
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Couple plus's to it. Housing is lighter, axles are lighter, stronger because they're shorter too, and it will allow you to pull the tires in if you'd like as well.

You can only narrow it x amount without changing the rim offset without minitubbing the car, but if offset isn't a concern because you are buying new rims, I would narrow it so that you can run a common offset wheel, like a 5.5 backspace or whatever so that your rim choices are better.


I want to chop mine alot, I mean ALOT, like 5.5 inches per side, just have the control arm bracket wide enough for the rod end, etc.etc, minitub the car as well, so I can tucka 29.5x10x15 et drag on the car, with a 15x12 inch rim, so I can flatten the contact patch out too.
Old 11-08-2008, 05:46 AM
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You can go up to 3.00" per side and keep your stock locating points. On my '99 Z28 I went 1" narrower on each side and went with 15 x 10 wheels with a 6.5" backspacing. I put 325/50/R15 M/T drag radials on these wheels and after a little inner wheelwell clearancing they fit just fine. This combination hooks too! Bob

Old 11-08-2008, 08:06 AM
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It is easy to build a housing that is 3" per side narrowed. We can set them up with 5" per side but that is out housing. The Moser will only go 3".

The benefits have been explained and are correct. Wheel choice is one of the big ones. At 3" per side a 4.5" BS is stock. a 5" bs will tuck the wheel 1/2" and looks good.
Old 11-08-2008, 08:32 AM
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I want to go to a 15x12 inth rim to try something different, gonna do beadlocks at the same time and go to a 229.5x10.5S et drag... with the S tire and a beadlock the sidewall's should be real stiff, and spreading the tire out should help the contact patch a bunch too. That being said, a minitub is a must, moving the control arms in with a different bushing for the rod ends is a must as well.

My thoughts are, that if a 7.5 backspace wheel is stock for a 15x10, for a 15x12 I would need a 9.5 backspace to have the tires sit at ths same spot. I want to pull them in an inch while, I'm at it, so that's 10.5 backspace, which I knwo isn't made. So, narrow the rear 5 inches per side, and have a 5.5 backspace 15x14 inch wheel, it should pull the tire in about an inch and fit right, and look killer.
Old 11-08-2008, 12:29 PM
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not trying to steal the thread, but lets say i ordered my new rear narrowed i understand the benifits of it making the axles shorter making them stronger and giving me the option of more offsets / brands of wheels. but the question still remains even if the new rear has been narrowed does this mean i will still have to grind on the calipers if i dont use a cutom wheels / ( bogart ) and what happens to my stock rims can i use them for spares / weekend warrior time or will they no longer fit whitout rubbing the inner fender.
Old 11-08-2008, 01:58 PM
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I will say the stock wheels will probably not fit without rubbing depending on how much you cut off.

As for the wheel question Im curious as well. If I go 2'' off each side can I run a pro star wheel with a 5.5bs and not grind to clear the brakes or is that still necessary?
Old 11-09-2008, 07:33 AM
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The stock wheels won't work anymore.

As for te grinding, the less offset (lower #) you have, the more likly that the brakes won't have to be ground down.

But, unless you're dead set that you have to kep your tcs and abs, you can put a set of drag brakes on the back of the car, like the aerospace ones for not a huge investment. The brakes are like 450 bucks, and you can sell the stock calipers brackets and backign plates for 100 bucks NO problem, you won't have an E-brake anymore either, but again, depends on what you really need. Put those brakes on and you can run any wheel you want with no rubbing issues.
Old 11-09-2008, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by JL ws-6

My thoughts are, that if a 7.5 backspace wheel is stock for a 15x10, for a 15x12 I would need a 9.5 backspace to have the tires sit at ths same spot. I want to pull them in an inch while, I'm at it, so that's 10.5 backspace, which I knwo isn't made. So, narrow the rear 5 inches per side, and have a 5.5 backspace 15x14 inch wheel, it should pull the tire in about an inch and fit right, and look killer.
i believe you mean 8.5" would be for a 15x12 in the same spot, and a 9.5" bs would pull them in 1 more inch tucked.
Old 11-09-2008, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by SmokedOutZ28
Wondering What the benefits to Narrowing a Rearend vs Leaving it stock length.
cause you could look like this




/photowhore
Old 11-09-2008, 06:52 PM
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^how deep is that lip?
Old 11-09-2008, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by dsmawd350
cause you could look like this




/photowhore
Don't tease hahaha... I believe I have read a few post about your car is that a 4'' narrowed rear with all the offset suspension parts? I Love the look but really want to keep my suspension parts in the same location and not go through the hassle of offset stuff.

I want to do something like that with a set of TT2's!

BTW: It looks awsome.
Old 11-09-2008, 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted by xpndbl3
i believe you mean 8.5" would be for a 15x12 in the same spot, and a 9.5" bs would pull them in 1 more inch tucked.
8.5 backspace would push the outer lip of the rim out one inch, I want to pull them in 1 inch as well as go with another 2 inches of rim.
Old 11-09-2008, 09:05 PM
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Originally Posted by jrob56
^how deep is that lip?
its exactly the width of a dolar bill long ways
Attached Images  
Old 11-09-2008, 09:20 PM
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yeah im tring to make up my mind if im going 2"-3" Im a m6 car so I want to keep my e-break so i was told if i go 3" i would have to loose the e-break????? If not what do i have to do to keep it??
Old 11-09-2008, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by dsmawd350
its exactly the width of a dolar bill long ways
that is f*ckin bad*ss!


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