Hi, I've got a 81 Eagle 2 door coupe. I'm wondering if I'd be able to fit 35" 12.5 R15 under the car without fenders and without wheel spacer or offset rims. Just would like to know the widest I can go before it rubs on the springs without wheel spacer or rim offsets. Any ideas? The wheel wells are in the process of being modified.
That's pretty stinkin wide. I would imagine you'd need spacers.
Then the next questions would be...... has anyone made homemade spacers before? ;D
Quote from: bhaab on June 19, 2012, 06:58:52 PM
Then the next questions would be...... has anyone made homemade spacers before? ;D
You wouldnt want to if you value your life much. Unless you're a qualified machinest/engineer, best to stick with those made commercially.
Are you swapping out the front axle for a solid front axle? I don't see how they would fit with the IFS axle, plus the CV's wouldn't last very long turning 35" tires. Here's my wagon that has had EXTENSIVE modifications and lots of cutting to fit 35" tires.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/svoman2300/photobucket-45298-1333898126584.jpg)
Nicely done, I wasn't planning on swapping axles, so no solid front end. what sized spacers did you need/lift to fit those 35's on your car?
His car was done professionally with alot of time, effort, and research. To replicate that vehicle you should budget about 20 grand. Doing it totally yourself it could be done at cost, but you're talking professional tooling and crazy amounts of labor. Even then you're looking at a realistic cost at around 8 grand.
If you simply want to make the most of your stock Eagle, skinny '33's are plausible. It would be for looks only, it would be incredibly impractical. You would ruin its offroad ability, its ability to drive in any condition, and you would be accepting a very large amount of cost.
33 inch tires are a deathtrap in the rain. They are pitiful in snow. They need to be rebalanced often. They cost a fortune new. They have incredible amounts of rotational inertia, which means the vehicle will gulp gas and move like a slug. They are terribly noisy. Your brakes and your axle will fail to stop or move the vehicle for any length of time.
The perfect size for an Eagle is 235/75 R15. That's a 29 inch tire. I would also consider 31 inch tires reasonable because they are much more narrow than the 33's, which is a huge difference across the board.
That said, it is something I plan on doing. I already have 33x12.5 tires on my Scout, my Rubicon, and my CJ8 Scrambler. I'll also have one Eagle set up with IFS and skinny '33s eventually. I have lots of other Eagles that are actually roadworthy, so I can afford to ruin one of my rough ones for the sake of entertainment.
Yes, what the Captain said. The guy I bought the car from spent over $19k having it built but that also included a 5.3L Chevy engine swap. The front suspension is totally custom with a solid Dana 44 front axle. http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=38442.0
Thanks for the input! I went with 31"X10.5R15's will a small amount of modification and a slight fender trim and re-bend. I'll make a new post of my car build one of these days.
The info was great!