Lower Control Arm Re-engineer

[barraza]

For starters, a 8.5 in wheel with 4 7/8 backspacing just ain't gonna work, unless you use a really short tire. It isn't always obvious, but the clearance at the two places you mention is damn small, and not enough offset makes it worse. Aftermarket upper control arms with more built in caster push the top of the spindle rearwards which moves the tire just enough to cause a problem also.

When you say the spring won't let you get to the ride height you want, do you mean the shock body has run out of adjustment, or the spring is coil bound?

You may be able to fudge the clearance at the back of the wheelwell a little by moving the subframe forward a fraction. The top of the inner fender can be cutout if there is no other alternative.