Help please!!

[mac71ss]

We have alot of smart and talented people on this forum unfortunately for me i am not one of them. I am in the process of switching from the drag look to the pro-touring look on my 71 nova. So i first started by changing the wheels and tires. I custom order a set of American racing cl205 17x8 rear with 4.75 bs and 17x7 front with 4 in bs all was good car road great but the 4 wheel drum brakes looked like crap and the car sat like a 3/4 ton. So i order a c5 brake kit from touring classics and put qa1 coil overs on the from and let the air out of the sky jacker shocks to lower the rear. With the new brakes it pushes out the track width a little so clearances are tight. Well the brakes are stopping the car but there is a small squeak sounds like a brake squeak and sounds like the rear passenger. so i re shim the caliper and still squeak re shim again and again and again. So today i pull off the wheel and roll under the fender and i find a nice clean spot on my outer fender where my tire has been rubbing bingo my squeek. the tire is barely rubbing because in right hand turns it goes away. So my question is how yall recomend correcting the problem new offset wheels, smaller tires? new suspension and try to true up the rear end (there is more clearence on the driver side), or do i break out the BFH and beat the snot out of it? Thanks guys all help will be greatly appreciated. I can provide specs and pics if needed.
Thanks again,
Shaun

[Derek69SS]

First, what if anything has been done to your suspension? If your car still has the ass-backwards camber curve, correcting that will most likely eliminate (or at the very least REDUCE) your tire rub problem.

[baz67]

Going in the same direction as Derek here. What are your alignment settings at? If you have some negative camber and positve caster left that could help.

[mac71ss]

the suspension is stock other than my qa1 coilovers in front. I have yet to get the car to the alignment shop because i wanted to correct the squeak problem first. I also want to note again that it is the pas. rear tire that is rubbing. Don't camber and caster come in play only in front?

[pav8427]

Check to see how square the rear is in the chassis.
May be able to loosen every thing and tweak it back square and centered.

Doug

[1971novaSS]

Hey, I think i might be able to help out on this one...

With the 3rd genner novas, For some reason they have been tighter on the pass side. Both of mine have been like that.

If it is just barely touching the inner fender well then try carefully, while using a rubber mallet, slowely and lightly!!!!! tap on the area being rubbed on.

There is a small gap between the quarter panel and inner fender, most likely enough to eliminate the rubbing issue. And it is the easiest way to eliminate it. Hence try it first.

NOW, if that doesn't work i would go to the Rear end Alignment. You can tease the rear end over just enough to center it more and eliminate the problem as well.

TIDBIT OF INFO: i am doing a complete redo on my rear suspension, I measured distance of the axel to frame rail on each side, and the backingplate to frame rail on each side. Then measured the outer wheel lip to axel on each side. ... Guess what the conclusion was, When the rear end was perfectly aligned to the frame rails it was actually closer to the passenger side fender by something around .26-.27 inches. JUST THE WAY CHEVY MADE UM I GUESS.


Hope this thread helps, if not i really need to re-evaluate my communication skills.

[mac71ss]

Sounds great! I will give it a try! Oh by the way your communicaton skills are spot on. Thanks for the advice. I can't wait to get rollin again without squeaks.

Shaun

[Derek69SS]

Don't camber and caster come in play only in front?

Sorry, I misread it and thought your rub was on the front.