Axle width/body width questions

[jaredpears]

So this has been itching me for a while but why do the wheels sit so far inside the body on these squarebodys. I have some 15x8 Steelies and they still sit about 3 inches inside the fenders, are the axles just that skinny? Is the body that wide?

 

[Originalthor]

Are you 4x4? They made the front axle wider for turning radius. I've been on a hunt for a g30 van axle cause they are supposed to be a few inches wider. Same with some select gmt400 axles that are 6 lug are wider. Not the easiest to find either.

 

[Bennyt]

Are you 4x4? They made the front axle wider for turning radius. I've been on a hunt for a g30 van axle cause they are supposed to be a few inches wider. Same with some select gmt400 axles that are 6 lug are wider. Not the easiest to find either.

There is a downside to swapping to the van rear axle though. If you ever have to place your truck on a trailer and have wider tires, you can back in to make it fit between the wells. Once you swap to the wider axle, the truck won't fit on most of the 8k trailers.

Additionally, the narrow track in the rear makes the truck drive straighter and more stable and speed. Not an issue on a 'burb but on the K5 and shortbed trucks, the narrow rear helps.

 

[TotalyHucked]

That's just how they were designed. Look at any car from the 80s-back and 98% of them tuck the wheels way under the body from the factory. Even the "Wide-Track" Pontiacs of the late '50s were still tucked under

 

[Shorty81]

....also tucked in wheels keep mud and stones off your paint.

 

[jaredpears]

I have an 83 burb and it is 4x4, it just seems like even compared to 90’s trucks the wheels are just stuffed inwards so it just got thinking on actually why it’s so inboard, according to measurements the axles aren’t that much narrower than newer ones, and the body doesn’t really seem that much wider, I mean look at a new f250, even with stock wheels they pretty much at the body line. There are plenty of squarbodys running around where I’m at and there’s a real nice k5 with like 35’s or 37 on what looks to be wider 15’s and they don’t even stick out. I’m just curious on the actual logistics of it

 

[FireTruck1984]

So this has been itching me for a while but why do the wheels sit so far inside the body on these squarebodys. I have some 15x8 Steelies and they still sit about 3 inches inside the fenders, are the axles just that skinny? Is the body that wide?

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[jaredpears]

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Interesting, when I tried researching the front 10 bolt width all I could find was a few saying 67ish inches which seemed like the standard 1/2 ton width on most trucks

 

[FireTruck1984]

Interesting, when I tried researching the front 10 bolt width all I could find was a few saying 67ish inches which seemed like the standard 1/2 ton width on most trucks

I didn’t like the look of the narrow rear axle on my C1500.
I added 1 1/2” spacers to give it a more pleasing stance.
although it looks great, you do lose some turning radius. But that’s something I can live with.

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