How much to narrow rear?

andy i havnt done it, but ive contemplated it since the 20s rubbed the body line on my ranger. mite have to do it to gumps truck since his 20s are an 1/8th inch away from the body line. also the tranny is in there pretty close to center and the rear end is off set cuz of the factory ginormus gas tank...

well on gumps truck you are using a toyota front clip right? I assume that it centers the motor in the clip or at least you plan to. now is the output of the tranny where it's offsetted at? as in the motor in our trucks is centered but the tranny output is offset?

I would think that the tranny output is not any more centered than the rear end. For best performance they would be inline with each other.

actually for best performance, they would be on parallel planes with each other not in a direct line, or that would destroy u joints. not just up and down but side to side angles affect the drive shaft. the front end is toyota style but its all 2x3 and hand built arms w/ toyota spindels and aerostar rack n pinon.





we havnt remounted the motor yet but when the did the drive shaft and tranny xmember the stock clip was in th front w/ stock motor mounts.

So on a factory ranger, looking from a purely vertical standpoint the rear end and output from the tranny are offset? I'm not arguing, trying to learn. I just thought otherwise. Typically in a spinning application I thought that you would want them to be in line with each other.

I don't see how you would ruin a u-joint if it spun without pivoting, if that makes sense. What does it do? throw grease or something, and wear itself out that way?

if you try and narrow it yourself you have to make damn sure all your cuts are straight as f&*@. its better to take it to a racing shop or something like that and have it done. i had a ford nine narrowed 17 inches for my truck for all around 650. new axles, new seals, whole nine yards. seriously think before you try and do it yourself.

Edited: 11/10/2006 2:46:22 PM by bagged85

Edited: 11/10/2006 2:43:22 PM by bagged85



that help any mike?

when the drive shaft is strait and the rear axle isnt fixed(irs)that is maximum length and would push the drive shaft into the tranny or cause premature u joint failure.

theroeticaly(sp) if you moved the rear end to center w/ the trans, as long as the working angle of the drive shaft/rear end is higher/lower then the center of the trans the u joints would be fine till the 2 planes crossed on the same parallel, it would push the drive shaft furthest 4 ward and cause bad vibrations/break stuff at the worst.

the working angle of the drive shaft is also at ride height.

hope that helps