Debating on not mini tubbing

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jefflock

jefflock

69 Dart 408 10.08 best pass so far
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Currently I am doing a over the rear seat hump and trunk floor replacement along with inner wheel houses. I have moved the springs into the frame rails. The plan is to narrow the rear end also although I'm not sure how much yet.
If I don't minitub how much tire can I stuff into a 68 Dart wheel well?
How much would you shorten the rear end?? I have a c body rear to narrow.
Thanks,
Jeff
 
Choose your wheels and tires that you like setting in the wells and measure between them
for overall axle width.
Moving inner fenders gets you more room and since you have the car apart anyway...
 
I would suggest doing the mini-tubs now. How much to narrow the rear axle depends on the rims and tires you are going to use.
 
With the stock wheel tubs the widest tire you'll be able to run out back is a 275, even with the spring relocated to the frame. The stock quarter lip to the inner wheel tub is only about 12" on a Dart. With room for clearance that only gives you about 11" for the section width at the most, which pretty much means a 275 wide tire is the best you can do.

As far as the width of the rear axle goes, figure out what wheels you want to run first, then use that backspace to figure out the axle width.
 
I fit 325/50-15s into the stock 68 barracuda wheelwells, at a lowered ride height, and the 3/4" offset hangers. Normal driving is ok, but I can't fly thru the 90*s at 30mph anymore. There is about 1/2 inch clearance at the sides. I had to move the rear end back as far as it could go using spacers at the front spring hangers. I had to beat the frame side inner liner a tiny bit so it wouldn't eat those DRs on the speed bumps, which I love to hammer over whilst those tuner guys do the crab-crawl over them. Hah!
My regular street tires are 295/50-15s, and there is plenty of room to fit those with just the offset hangers. I can hammer thru/over anything, including jumping it,without fear.
Oh crap! I see you have a Dart. So sorry for you.I missed it. I mean I read it, but it didn't register. I hate getting older. So sorry for me.What'd that guy say? Oh yeah; drive thru.....
In hi-school I had a 70 Swinger340.Not a bad car. Just couldn't put much tire under it. Plenty of power, but no way to put make it stick. So while my Mopar small-block classmates where modding their engines for more power, I was concentrating on making the horses I had, actually stick. I think they never could figure out that the race was lost at the line, cuz they never could catch me......
 
jefflock said:
Currently I am doing a over the rear seat hump and trunk floor replacement along with inner wheel houses. I have moved the springs into the frame rails.

The plan is to narrow the rear end also although I'm not sure how much yet.

If I don't minitub how much tire can I stuff into a 68 Dart wheel well?

How much would you shorten the rear end?? I have a c body rear to narrow.
Thanks,
Jeff
Click to expand...

1. Why would you move the spring and not mini tub? Especially in your situation.

2. You need to choose your wheels before you can figure your rear end width.

3. Without mini tub, with the springs moved only, you can fit 10.5" of section width. With the mini tub you can fit 13" at least. I say at least because I run 13.1" section width tires (28x12.50x15's) which are measured on a 10" rim but I run 11.25" rims.

Last, if you want to run my setup which is a narrowed rear with 3.5" backspacing on the wheels in a 67-69 dart with a mini tub. Call strange and ask them for the overall width of the rear they built for me. James Farina is the name on the account. That is the absolute narrowest you can go in an Abody with leaf springs.
 

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The car is a GTS and I've been dragging my feet on the mini tub job.
Can you still run the original backseat if you minitub it?
What about the outside seat belt mounts can you still use them?
 
when i did my 67 dart minitub. I did not have to modify anything with the backseat. It fit back in like stock.

I did move the seat belt mounts.
 
With what you already have to replace and the sound of the plan moving forward. There is really no good reason not to do it. Sounds like maybe your pro's out way your con's. But keep in mind. Budget (not just for the tubbing, ie: tires, wheels, axle), time, skill, planned outcome, and most important lost (unfinished) enthusiasm. The average home car project can take from 5 to 7 years and they are never ever complete. Lots of things can change in that time period, LOTS!!! Anything and everything that you do that either extends that time period or hampers your ill conceived budget can place the mark of death squarely on your rides future. But I'd still say damn the torpedoes.
 
I've decided to go ahead and do the mini tub with all you folks helping me. At this point it would be silly/stupid not to. So far I've replaced about every piece of sheet metal on the car because of rust/rot. This car came from back east. It still has 75-80 dragway decals in the quarter windows and they appear to be original.
 
jefflock said:
I've decided to go ahead and do the mini tub with all you folks helping me. At this point it would be silly/stupid not to. So far I've replaced about every piece of sheet metal on the car because of rust/rot. This car came from back east. It still has 75-80 dragway decals in the quarter windows and they appear to be original.
Click to expand...

Glad to see you going to mini tub. I can fit 28x13.50s under My Scamp. Now I did have to do some work on the rear seat frame.
 
I've read that moving the rear towards the rear of the car will give room for taller tires. Also looks better. Will probably change the pinion angle.
 
furyus2 said:
I've read that moving the rear towards the rear of the car will give room for taller tires. Also looks better. Will probably change the pinion angle.
Click to expand...

It will or you can stretch the quarters. Depending on how tall you want to go you may need to do both.

Once upon a time I was concerned with lengthening the wheelbase and fretted about it hurting the cars ability to hookup. Trust me when I tell you it doesn't. The pinion angle isn't changed enough to matter either and you could always use pinion shims to correct it if you were really anal about it.

One of the cars below has stretched quarters and one has the rear moved back 1.5". They both have 28" tires on them.
 

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