1968 Rear Axle Alignment

[Mosesatm]

When Bill built his car we noticed that the passenger side wheel/tire was 1/2" farther out than the driver side. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal but with his wide tires it became a rubbing issue.

Recently I installed lowering blocks on my car and wouldn't you know it, my passenger side wheel/tire is 1" farther out than the driver side, and it is also a rubbing problem!!!

What the heck is going on? Is this a common problem with our cars? Is there any way to move the rear housing left or right?

It bolts directly to the springs so I don't see any way to move it. Maybe I could put the right spring on the left and the left spring on the right to see if that makes a difference???

 

[robert campbell]

When Arlie stopped by we looked at my car also. It also is a bit closer on the passenger side. My gut is that this is very common. With stock wheels and 1960's thin tires, centering was not a problem.

Arlie, you could take your lowering blocks down to a local fabricator of somekind. Have some made a bit wider with an offset hole and new wider and thicker plates for the u-bolts to go through to compensate for the shift. Also need to weld tabs for the shock mounts on these new plates.

Or find an 8 inch rear end housing and move the spring mounting plates to match your car better. A much cleaner idea than above and no one would notice. Or remove yours and have it done to it.

I can't think of anything else?? Moving the spring mounts is alot cheaper than buying new tires and wheels!!!

Rob

 

[nfrntau]

My plans today were to remove the rearend from my car to play with this issue. I ended up cleaning the garage and playing cards with my wife. Yep, no cussing my car today.
My plan is to mill out the holes in the spring perches so I can move the rearend to the drivers side a touch. Hopefully this will not give me rubbing issues on both sides.
Arlie, we can measure the spacing on the eight inch that came out of my car against the one on your car. Hopefully the one I have is 1/2" different than yours in the right (left) direction.
I'm also interested to see if anyone else has other ideas and the same issue.

 

[Mosesatm]

Most of the offset seems to be in the quarter panel opening. The distance from the frame to the fender lip is over 1/2" different between one side of the car and the other. There isn't much I can do about it so that project is finished.

I did learn something interesting today. Our gas tanks are not centered in our cars. Of course, I figured that out after trying to use the gas tank as a left/right reference point:frust:

 

[rvrtrash]

Sounds like you need to have one axle and axle tube shortened. Measure twice, cut once.

Steve