Importing Wheels from Japan

[Alvin]

Here’s the view from the top. I see a little bit of sidewall from this angle.

Looks like it might rub on full-lock/compression, maybe a 195/55 would be better?

How is the back clearance now with the spring shackles corrected?

EDIT: none of this matters if you are just cruising around!

In the process of correcting one thing at a time. Just finished the hub fitment project, next will be suspension. After a quick poke around, it seems the sidewall and width of the tires should fit all around. My plan is to get some Mike Young springs and then flip the shackles and potentially get the leafs re-arched. I don’t have a level or large garage for the shackle work, but I’m hoping to move into a new place in the next few months. Just going to drive and enjoy for now until I have a place to do the suspension work.

If you can change out wheel/tires (not sure if you did this yourself), it's super simple to flip the shackles back to factory location.
Loosen these two bolts, rotate. Done.


For reference, flipped shackles:

[Matthew 69-2000]

Looks like it might rub on full-lock/compression, maybe a 195/55 would be better?

How is the back clearance now with the spring shackles corrected?

EDIT: none of this matters if you are just cruising around!

In the process of correcting one thing at a time. Just finished the hub fitment project, next will be suspension. After a quick poke around, it seems the sidewall and width of the tires should fit all around. My plan is to get some Mike Young springs and then flip the shackles and potentially get the leafs re-arched. I don’t have a level or large garage for the shackle work, but I’m hoping to move into a new place in the next few months. Just going to drive and enjoy for now until I have a place to do the suspension work.

If you can change out wheel/tires (not sure if you did this yourself), it's super simple to flip the shackles back to factory location.
Loosen these two bolts, rotate. Done.


For reference, flipped shackles:

Thanks for the photos Alvin- very helpful. If it’s that easy, I’ll give it a shot this weekend.

[Alvin]

Thanks for the photos Alvin- very helpful. If it’s that easy, I’ll give it a shot this weekend.

No problem, looking forward to the results!

[Matthew 69-2000]

Finally got around to switching the shackles on the car. Looks much better, but now I need to address the front to balance out the stance. 205s clear the fenders and internal bits. I was a little concerned about the fuel lines running along the passenger side frame rail, but clearance looks fine now that everything is resting on the ground.

I didn’t find a process for flipping shackles on the forum, but here’s how I did it. I’m sure there might be other ways as well.

1. Jack the car up
2. Put jack stands on the frame (leave enough room for springs to swing forward)
3. Loosen rear spring bolts
4. Loosen nuts on u-bolts holding spring pack to axle to allow the springs to move within the rubber bushing
5. Remove the front spring mount bolt (spring will drop)
6. Push the spring forward from the rear of the car (I kicked mine into place)
7. Jack up rear spring mount to ensure it’s totally flipped up.
8. Jack the bell housing up to align free spring with the mount (push/pull rear spring mount to align the hole with the mount)
9. Bolt it back together

Here’s a few before and after shots along with clearance photos.

Before

B7FD7A49-7A6A-481D-BEF3-787EFBAD377F.jpeg

After

38CE40FF-2835-4665-99F6-CD9CCBD3E39F.jpeg

Fitment

C36967E5-B89F-49C6-A9EC-C07A07363012.jpeg

C513B1F3-8EC4-4E2A-9730-648DE2E9D6EC.jpeg

[cbez]

Good info. Have you tested the rear for rub?

[Matthew 69-2000]

Good info. Have you tested the rear for rub?

Not on a drive yet, but it’s looking good so far sitting static. Will report back after running it around a bit. I also took some photos of the inner fenders on both sides when everything was resting.

Drivers side

BA7D2CC1-6FF1-4999-BF2E-A5C773C9B7E4.jpeg

Passenger side

C556EDA0-C97A-4616-9BC7-99193AC0FE35.jpeg

[gbraydon]

Any rubbing in the rear?

[Gregs672000]

Depending on how close you are and what springs/shocks you have up front, you may want to roll your inner fender lip a bit to keep the tire from pulling it down while in a corner and hitting a bump. I run 205/50/15, and lately noticed that I can hit the inner lip on the passenger side in a corner if I hit a bigger than average bump while aggressively turning. I heard it, then later confirmed I had pulled the lip down a bit. It's an easy fix however.

What you need is a large wooden dowel, several feet long and about twice as thick as a broom handle. Fit the dowel between the fender lip and the tire, and carefully and gently apply force downward or upward (depending on the location of the dowel) against the tire to push up against the lip while you roll the dowel against the tire. This slowly bends the inner lip upward without damaging your fender and will create the clearance you need without changing the look. Take your time and observe your progress, and you'll find its pretty easy.

[Matthew 69-2000]

Any rubbing in the rear?

No rubbing with this setup currently. I’ve driven it hard through the canyons and cruised down the Highway and all seems fine. I’d like to upgrade my front suspension to the Mike young springs and shocks this year, so I may need to roll the fronts after that.