wider front axle for a 69 g10

im looking for a front axle for my 69 g10. im putting 17 inch rims on it and they have a 6.25 inch back spacing but i need my front axle 3 inches wider ..... any suggestions other than using 1.5 inch wheel spacers ? i had though of cutting the axle and welding up a new axle to make it the 3 inches i need. i am going to use a 4th gen camaro/firebird rearend to get them on the back the rims i have now are 15 inches with 3.5 inch back spacing AND i have at least 2 inches of clearence so i figure the 3.5 inches on the rims plus 1.5 inches of clearence equals 5 inches but the new rims have 6.25 back spacing so if i had to use 1.5 inch wheel spacers that could give me what i need but i dont want to use them if theres another way .... thanks in advance guys !!

The wheel spacer would be safer than cutting an axle.  You might check out some step van axles and see if they have the width you need.  Thry the stepvan thread at the HAMB.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282902&highlight=step+van+thread&page=1

I get curious as to when anyone  wants to extend any wheel  further out?????????????
for what reason? looks? Ive seen many with trucks that have extended wheels & all just sling debris outside & ruin the paint & trim anyways. Its not for any stabilization of a wider trac or  vehicle roll?  Maybe i just see things diff &  am clueless?? Style?? beauty? Purpose? Im not ever knocking anyones choices at all-i just dont understand why?? If a wider trac is wanted -get the proper wheels as any manuf will make them usually. IF not -id ask why didnt they??

Twin, he's considering a wheel with a lot of positive offset.
This means if bolted up as-is (without clearance issues) the width or track is actually going to get narrower.


You have to look at where the pivot for the steering ends up. You want it as close to the center of the tire footprint as possible.
I couldn't find a straight axle drawing, but this one should show the idea.

If you just get a wider axle with a positive offset wheel, it will move the pivot outside of the center of the tire.
I'd agree that a proper spacer is the right way to go with a modern positive offset wheel.

true rod i understand all that = what im get at is why just settle for that wheel instead of finding a wheel that actually fits the purpose hes wanting to accomplish?weve all been thru with heres whats available ive found on sale yet now how can i use it?? As = experiences has taught me over the years is do it right the 1st time -get the correct parts to be safe & do the job & dont mess aroung with safety items>.it will bit us in the butts usually! 

sometimes we fall into a deal on something that we like the look of but just doesn`t fit, and we try oh so hard to make it fit whatever the cost cause the part we like the look of was cheap.
I think they call that a vanner thing.

When I first started building mine I ran across a cool set at a yard sale. Mucho backspacing, they actually hit the shocks before they bottomed out on the hub. You may run into several stoppers or head scratchers, one is you won't be able to turn it enough to steer, the other is by spacing them out it throws the outer turn radius of the tire into the wheel arch. Its not just the wheel but the tire adding to the issues.

i got the rims and new tires for $50 off of a 2005 GTO plus if i widen everything ill have a wider stance and be more stable plus im droppin in a 350 with a 700r4 and a 3.73 posi .... drop it about 3 inches all the way around .... lookin for attitude from my van .....

I don't think there is any easy way to make those fit on the front

i have went down this road on other vehicles. save $500.00 on a set of cool wheels, and spend a thousand to make them work. smartest move would be to sell them and buy something else.

Havent we all at one time or another??   

This.  This is why I run almost all steel wheels on almost all my vehicles. Because no matter what offset Im looking for, or what axle width im "stuck" with, the shop by my place will make me custom offset wheels for REAL reasonable. That "offsets" any funky things going on with any vehicle Im working on, and theres ALWAYS tons of center cap trim ring options to make them all seem different.

Save a few bucks and buy more gas for a nice long scenic drive somewhere. Have fun!

Twinpilot001 wrote:true rod i understand all that = what im get at is why just settle for that wheel instead of finding a wheel that actually fits the purpose hes wanting to accomplish?weve all been thru with heres whats available ive found on sale yet now how can i use it?? As = experiences has taught me over the years is do it right the 1st time -get the correct parts to be safe & do the job & dont mess aroung with safety items>.it will bit us in the butts usually! 

Some of us never learn from experience.

(This isn't safety related, but....)

I've got nearly all the parts I need for my van. It was converted to a 4 x 4 when I bought it, using a set of 1/2 Chevy axles off a Blazer or pickup. Soon after purchase, I bought a set of 4 rims for it....old-skool 6 lug aluminum Cragar Turbines that used to be so popular, and  a set of 31" tires.

Now, you don't know me, so I'll tell you, I don't care what-so-ever about having the  "correct" OEM (-style) parts on any of my projects. The way I feel about it, is why would I want everything to be "original", what's the sense in that, as it doesn't show off anything "me"...at all.

So when I ran across a rear axle from a 2003 Silverado on C/L with disc brakes, I was intrigued. How many early vanners have disc-brake rear axles? Of course, the price was too high originally, at $350. I didn't want to invest in it for $300+, as I'd need to (want to) replace the rotors, calipers, e-brake shoes and pads, which added up to about $250 on it's own....I've already got the brake-drum rearend tha tis still good, doesn't need drums, so I'd blast those, and do a spring/hardware kit, which would have cost far less total with no base cost for the rearend and the parts would cost less.

Fast forward 6 months...the axle hasn't sold, it's kind of an oddball ratio...as far as modern Chevy pickups go....and the price is now down to $125.

So, I finally bite the bullet, and decided, I want this rear end. At $125 + parts, I now see it as being reasonably priced for my budget, even having to buy an adjustable prop. valve, rather than just use the standard one that I have that was on the older Chevy 1/2 tons with solid axle disc front w/drum rears.

When I went to check it out however, I knew, so I took one of my rims with it. I didn't measure anything first, first I checked to see of the rim fit...and it didn't. The later Chevy trucks came with 16" wheels, and these Turbine rims are 15"....the caliper didn't clear...by like 3/32's of an inch.

So I passed. I have these Turbine rims. I wanted these Turbine rims, I'm going to use these Turbine rims. Sure......I could sell them and the tires, and get some new 16" rims, but.....

Someone else in/near my area (Western NY) may want to sheck out this axle....it's a great deal...

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/search/pta?query=axle&zoomToPosting=&minAsk=&maxAsk=

Not too many original thoughts left to be had so when you have one, hold on to it, it may be your last and only!

Wheel spacers are going to be the cheapest way out. Sids drop axles(on the internet) has a chart on straight axles, you might find something with a little extra width. Antoher thing to think about is the extra width is going to make it a B^7ch to turn.

ncbkr2002 wrote:i got the rims and new tires for $50 off of a 2005 GTO plus if i widen everything ill have a wider stance and be more stable plus im droppin in a 350 with a 700r4 and a 3.73 posi .... drop it about 3 inches all the way around .... lookin for attitude from my van .....

This all the attitude I need, hehehe

I own a brake and tire shop in Florida and been in the business 32 years I know we all have good intentions and try to find the Cheapest and Best way out but the axles were made to fit that Van from the factory for a reason... The Camaro,Gto,and Firebird, all have a 6 to 7 inch back spacing almost as much as a front wheel drive car and might work with spacers but the drive-ability will be highly affected and will be a lot of strain on the wheel bearings. Spacers are intended for off road use only and you have a GOOD chance of the lug nuts coming loose or breaking the studs the cheapest and safest way out in the long run is get the right rims for the van and save a future disaster from happening.!!!! either way...........GOOD LUCK. ........