LUVTruck.com

Just wanted to check and see what size tire you were able to fit under your stock luv. Also looking for back space and axle width suggestions. I'm getting ready to cut this rear axle and any information would be a great help. I tried to fit a 275/60/15 on a 15x8 4 " back space and it sticks out to far. I'm thinking 235/60/15 M/t street drag radial on a 15x7 4" back space. look forward to comments.

Also any gear ratio suggestions with th-350 and 26" tall tire 2800-3200 stall.

275/60-15 fits perfect under mine. also fit a 28x10.5 slick under it and it all tucks. my 9 was custom narrowed to my spec which i cant remember how wide it is off the top of my head but yeah that tire fits with a 15x8 weld wheel and 4.5 rear space

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

What year is yours? Step or fleet side? If you remember what width it is that would be great. Mine is a fleet and I measure 11" from the frame to the wheel lip. I don't want to put any extended shackes on it or jack it up in the rear. I intend to drive it on the street.

1978 Fleet. If i recall correctly I was going to have my 9" narrowed to either the width of a stock rear end or I was going to go 1" narrower back when i had it done. (sorry i narrowed this year end 13 years ago). I'll try to get you a measurement shortly.

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

luvsadrag u da man! thanks for the 13 year caring word. In 1987 my fastest drag strip pass was 12.20. that is the fastest i've ever been and that feeling i will never duplicate. I went 13.20 in the Camaro just a couple of months age. Tomorrow I'll make 3 to 4 passes with my diesel. The motor is at the balancer, I should have it back soon. Do you remember the first 11.75 . I'm working towards that.

oooooooo 1987 that was a great year. I was 17 and a senior in high school and had my LUV for few months. It was a 74 and had a roller (.612") 13.5:1 Aluminum rodded, Brodix headed, victor Jr intake with an 850 DP, TH350 and Ford 8" rear. when i bought it was lifted with 31" mudders. i whipped out the body shift, put 15x8 welds in the back with 15x3.5 skinnies up front and clicked off an 11.69 at 119 on a 3.00 gear!!!. I later swapped a 9" 3.70 rear into it and clicked off a 11.05 on a good air day. that motor is still around (my backup motor) although its only 12.5:1 and a .570" roller. Its in my friends 64 Nova (that i used to own too). its been known to appear out of nowhere on foggy nights and clean up a lot of cars at the street races. anyway i will be taking my backup motor out of my friends Nova and be putting it back in my 78 LUV while I wait for my new heads to get built for my 450 motor.

It sounds like you're out there having a ton of fun which is more than i can say for myself at the moment.

I hate to say it but 10's, 9's 8's are great and all but you cant beat the affordability mixed with the fun factor of a good solid 11 second car. it is by far the best bang for the buck

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

I hate to say it but 10's, 9's 8's are great and all but you cant beat the affordability mixed with the fun factor of a good solid 11 second car. it is by far the best bang for the buck

I think you hit the nail right on the head with that one, thats exactly what i'm trying to do. I might even have a/c when i'm done.

So whats the word on the length? I need to decide what I am going to do with the rears I just picked up...

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Resident lurker

Factory width wheel mount surface to wheel mount surface seems to be 52". With a 15x7 4" back space 255/60/15 this works great, and has about 1 7/8 " between the leaf spring and the tire. I will probably go 52"s and run what i have. If I go to a 15x8 I will run a 4 7/8" back space and the tire should only move out 1/8" Which probably won't hurt me with a 235/60/15 mickey thompson drag radial or 26/8/15 slick. The only thing I don't know is how much power I can put to a small tire like this. The street tires can't hold 325 to the ground. But drag radials in my 3700# camaro could. I really don't want to cut the frame at this time, as funds are being directed to the new house like crazy. I know 74luv383 Is running low 11's on M/t's. Just trying to get something more solid. This is alot of work and It is only fun once.

Sorry man between work and me thrashin to get my bike ready for the Laughlin River Run bike rally, I haven't had time to measure it. Ive been working on my bike right next to the LUV too!. I'll try man. I'll try to get a pic of my leafs to so you can see where i buzzed a little notch in it for some extra clearance so i could put the tire as close to the leafs as possible. I think theres 1/2-3/4" clearance between the tire and leaf.

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

I run a dana 44 rear in my luv and it is stock width and i put a 28/9/15 under my truck and i have 1/2 an inch on the in side and the out side and i have 4inch drop blocks in mine and they tuck under the fender real nice.

Just an update. I got the call friday the rear is narrowed and ready to be picked up. I had it narrowed to 52" factory and ordered 15 x 8 5" back space rally wheels.

Id like to see that after you install it...
I need to figure up some #s as well and wheel fit too!

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72 L.U.V.
427 SBC-700R4
SE 9-3/8 4P TracLoc, 6-lug rear discs,
custom rear leafs, custom made aluminum radiator,
Mustang II front suspension
LUV perf parts manufacturing
My Devotion to Karl :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmXc4F78 ... re=related

Ok i just measured the housing best as I could after about 8 beers, in the dark and it being fully assembled (easier to measure it with no center chunk) and it's 46.5" so somebody correct me if I'm wrong but i believe the 9" brake assemblies are 4" wide each so that would put total overalll width at 54.5"

I will see if i can get a decent picture of my 28x10.5 slicks tucked up underneath later this week.

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

cool. thanks man!

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Resident lurker

Finally got the shock plate hole elongated, bluemeanie wasn't kidding these are thick. Had a machine shop do it for $30. I got it mocked up in the hole.