Re: [AMC-List] Disc rear interchange/now Eagle Fender Flares

[msproviero@xxxxxxxxxxx]

  Billet ones hold up just fine under rather harsh wheeling, never mind street-duty.  Modern spacers are a different animal than yesteryear's.  They are very popular with the wheeling crown in dealing with width differences.  Most common application is usually a Ford 8.8 in an XJ or TJ, or running Moab rims on a non-Rubicon vehicle.  I run Moab's on my XJ, but I chose to adjust my steering stops instead so that i could keep the tires under the factory flares.

  I have 1.5" spacers all around on my 98 Ram in order to accomodate the larger backspacing of 2005 Ram rims and the truck is lifted 10" with 37's, a V10 and 5.13 gears.  These are not small forces I'm talking about and have not heard a peep from the spacers.  Granted, I use steel ones on the Ram.  Aluminum spacers are typically fine for up to 1/2-ton truck applications.

-Spro

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Mark Price <markprice242@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 

> As an attachment to this, IIRC, The Late model Mustang Bullit wheels run 17X8" 
> with a 5.75" Backspacing! That's why they are so popular for this swap, the 
> backspacing allows wheelspacers to be used for fine tuning if needed. Not a big 
> fan of spacers and they are illegal in many states and won't pass most safety 
> inspections, but the billet ones seem to hold up fine in street duty. 
> -- 
> Mark Price 
> markprice242ATadelphia.net 
> Morgantown, WV 
> 
> 
> ---- John Elle wrote: 
> > 
> > Ah! But! 
> > 
> > Snip 
> > But, we are talking about an XJ rear diff and not an Eagle one into the 
> > Spirit. That narrow width may be for the SX4 and not the Eagle 
> > wagon/sedans. 
> > The flares were added (and required) to cover the tires from throwing 
> > stuff 
> > onto the vehicle behind them. Front suspension was lifted to make it 4x4 
> > because that was the closest they could get to the oil pan with a diff 
> > and 
> > have the axles level. 
> > Snip 
> > 
> > The tread widths I referred to were Concord Sedan to Eagle Sedan so one 
> > could make (hopefully) an apples to apples comparison. Thus suggesting 
> > that on the rear of the Eagle Sedan and the Rear of the Concord sedan 
> > there was no need for the flares if the object of them was to keep the 
> > tires from throwing road grunge onto the sides of the car or the car 
> > behind them. Much the same that a low rider does now with the extremely 
> > widely spaced wire wheels and the comically narrow rubber tires ;-) 
> > And as you point out the object of the lift was to fit the front 
> > suspension under the engine which was relocated anyway a bit and the 
> > floor pan modified to clear the bell housing, xfer case and transmission 
> > leaving you with front seats that would not interchange between the two 
> > cars, however that is a different story. 
> > So if you have to lift the front, you there for have to lift the rear to 
> > level the car out some what anyway. 
> > Which brings back to the point I was trying to bring up. I believe the 
> > purpose of the flares were to fill in the gaps between the now raised 
> > body and the tires and ground to give the allusion of being lower to the 
> > ground as a cosmetic function pretty much only. 
> > 
> > The rear tread on a Spirit and an AMX was 57 inches in 1980. I do not 
> > have a figure for an SX4 but the 2 door, 4 door and wagon for the Eagle 
> > was 57.6 inches. 
> > The AMX of course had flares also. Supposedly I guess to cover the 
> > performance oriented rear tires which were the same tires as offered on 
> > the regular Spirit thus when so equipped looked a little funky by them 
> > self as they sort of stood out from the fenders a little like Prince 
> > Charles ears. The Standard tire for a Spirit in 1980 I believe was a 
> > P195/ 75 R 14. Even with the optional Tire of DR70 14 which I believe 
> > came with the magnum 500 style wheels, the tire did not project far 
> > enough out from the rear fenders to require the flares which were 
> > standard on the AMX. 
> > The optional optional tire of ER60 -14 for the AMX using the "Dukes of 
> > Hazard turbine type wheels filled up the wheel wells well enough to 
> > make the flare look functional. On my AMX, I am using P205 -70 -14's and 
> > the fit is still under the fender using the OEM syle Magnum 500 wheels. 
> > While on my Spirit I am using P245-60 - R 14's on aftermarket aluminum 
> > wheels and the fit nicely under the fender well with no rubbing anywhere 
> > and I do travel with the car heavily loaded when Valerie and I make a 
> > road trip as her mobility scooter is carried with us in the car. The 
> > point is there is plenty of room under the fender well for some very 
> > large wheel and tire combinations. The AMX Flare option really is 
> > strictly cosmetic for the most part but looks better with bigger wheels 
> > and tire fitted. Thus I would imagine the SX4 Eagle flare would be 
> > basically the same way. Not needed for flinging grung but needed to give 
> > the allusion the car was not raised. 
> > 
> > Thus I am suggesting maybe that with the wider axle you are 
> > contemplating installing one might take a look at Carvan wheels and 
> > tires which have a fairly deep offset that would space the wheel back 
> > towards the center of the car. I have a set of 16 inch with a tire 
> > mounted, I don't off hand remember the size of the tire but standard for 
> > a 1996 town and country. I also have a set of 15 inch Bronco wheels with 
> > a 75 series tire mounted and a 70 series tire mounted that are now on my 
> > Town and Country. The off set is not as great with these wheels but all 
> > of them mount on an AMC hub. (with minor modifications to the Bronco 
> > wheels). I would bet that one of these combinations would allow you to 
> > mount the axle in question with out having the need to raise the car up 
> > so the fenders would clear the wheels and they would fit inside the 
> > existing wheel well the negating the need to install Eagle Flares to 
> > cover the protruding wheels or what ever. 
> > 
> > If this is an experiment in what fits I would be glad to take 
> > measurements with any and all wheel combinations I have and feed them 
> > back or !!!!! you could buy a set of wire wheel hub caps, let the wheels 
> > hang out anyway and get a chrome chain steering wheel and when you drive 
> > the car, slouch so you can just see over the dash board and under the 
> > steering wheel. ;-) 
> > 
> > My thoughts on the subject anyway. 
> > Later 
> > John. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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