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The "Corvette Upgrade" flares are like the ones on my 67 that were put on "back in the day".
The wheel / tire combo at the time of this picture: Appliance slotted 7", 1" POS offset. 245/60 15 Front, 255/60 15 Rear.
I'm partial to flares myself. Besides being able to run wider tires/rims, you can also lower the car. That significantly improves handling and I like the 60's road race look. Stock/original is good, modified is better (-:
I'm partial to flares myself. Besides being able to run wider tires/rims, you can also lower the car. That significantly improves handling and I like the 60's road race look. Stock/original is good, modified is better (-:
that is nice !
is this custom made or some bought parts bonded in ?
after a "spirit" drive on not always perfect country roads , passenger side fender has a crack.... first time i could realy push it now with the steering finaly sorted out .
PO had Goodyears 225/70/15 , i mounted Avon's 225/65/15 , but those have a bit wider contact pad , less rounded . Perhaps that made it happen ?
I do see paint rubbed away at the underside fender lip , driver side also but less severe.
Would like to put flares on it , as subtle as possible to avoid future problems again. Just repair it has little sense , it will happen again.
I see vendors of such flares , but that are almost complete fenders. Would like to see it less "big" . No need for wider tires , just eliminate that rubbing danger.
I asked pics of the parts here , they claim to be subtle ? https://corvetteupgrade.com/product/...fender-flares/
Any other ideas ? Thanks !
I once cracked the left front fender (along the bonding strip) in my 67 when I spun while braking hard and turning hard in an autocross, and the tires were only 215/65/15. The cause was that the original factory springs had sagged after decades of use. I replaced the front and rear springs with new F41 springs (1" lower than the standard springs) and the problem was solved. Fifteen years ago I went to 17" wheels and 245/45 tires (and lately 235/45 tires) and hundreds of autocrosses later the tires have never touched the fenders even during violent maneuvers, as seen below. I would check that your springs are suitably stiff.
@LouieM thanks for the info . Car drives quite good with the springs as now , in fact don't want it stiffer. I do have no idea how stiff they are now compared others.
What BS have your front wheels ?
Perhaps that was my problem , running 225 Avon's with only 3.76" BS ?
This isn't a response to flares exactly, but a response related to something for consideration that might provide just a little more fender well clearance. When I put my body back on my car, I put an extra 3/16" spacer at each body mount. Sort of a slight body lift. My thoughts were that it would provide just a little more clearance at the fender wells, but keep the suspension adjustments the same. My suspension is an SRRIII but would seem the same idea would work for a stock suspension. 3/16" doesn't sound like much, but it is "not nothing".
Last edited by vjjack04; 04-25-2024 at 09:26 AM.
Reason: clarity
The flares were on the car when I bought it, so I don't know the origin of them. Whoever did it was very good at what they did, the way they are grafted on looks like the body was manufactured with the flares, especially on the bottom side. I have numerous stress cracks in the paint on different body panels, but no cracking on or near the flares.
4.5" BS front seems a lot ( i assume you have 7" wide wheels ? )
I have now 3.76" , that would mean wheels 0.74" more inboard ( = 18.8 mm )
Doesn't that give "a look" with wheels deep in the fenders ?
When on the lift i will compare the contact wides of the Avon's versus the old Goodyears. ( which didn't seem to have been a problem, unless it was never driven hard ) Perhaps i can start with that difference taken at least into more BS above my 3.76".
PS i do have 4.75" BS in the rear , but on 8" wheels with 245/60/15 Avon's. ( changed the emergency brake bracket ) ( PO did shave the fenders , had 7" wheels ,3.76 BS , 225 tires ) So there all i did was going 1" wider wheel , 1" more inboard. Just fit with the trailing arms .
As Lotsacubes mentions, I run 235 or 245/45/17 tires on 17x7x4.75BS wheels. I think your basic problem is the 8"wide wheels, even if the fender lips have been shaved. I've never seen that wide a wheel successfully fitted to a stock C2 body, but I've seen two owners unsuccessfully try and end up with cracked fiberglass. One of them had shaved fender lips in the back. Here's how my 245/45 tires looked on the car.
no , i have 8" wheels only in the rear .... and those are fine with 245 tires . ( 4.75" BS )
Front i have 7" with 225 tires .... but with only 3.76" BS.
A month or so ago I pulled a front wheel off and tried on some different 1 5" and 16" and a 17" I had. Until you get a larger diameter wheel (greater than the 15) increased back space hits the upper control arm and tie rod end. My 15s were a 4.25 back space and against both. I need to try the 17 on without a tire as the 275-40-17 was too fat.
no , i have 8" wheels only in the rear .... and those are fine with 245 tires . ( 4.75" BS )
Front i have 7" with 225 tires .... but with only 3.76" BS.
If it was me..... I would get different front wheels, with more BS......
BUT, if you are interested in flares, here is an example that I think looks good, and I think it is a Forum Member.....
I once cracked the left front fender (along the bonding strip) in my 67 when I spun while braking hard and turning hard in an autocross, and the tires were only 215/65/15. The cause was that the original factory springs had sagged after decades of use. I replaced the front and rear springs with new F41 springs (1" lower than the standard springs) and the problem was solved. Fifteen years ago I went to 17" wheels and 245/45 tires (and lately 235/45 tires) and hundreds of autocrosses later the tires have never touched the fenders even during violent maneuvers, as seen below. I would check that your springs are suitably stiff.
i compared my springs with +/- 17 mm wire diameter , with some i could find on CC . Those are 15 , 15.2 or 20 mm. Mine are not listed there .
Meanwhile i could "repair" the crack ( aligned the body panel over the crack ) , can now exopy it from behind , and just live with a fine paint crack as is.
Measured the tire contact pad , old Goodyears 175 mm , Avons 185 mm . So those run 5 mm closer the fender.
I probably made a mistake : struggling with stiff steering i tried all kind of stuff , and dialed in max caster at cost of negative camber to almost zero. In the end it was a stupid plastic bushing in the Flaming River steering column. So i can undo that and put in again more negative camber.
I also can change my 3 piece wheels to + 5 mm BS. That will at least compensate the difference in shoulder between the old tires and the Avons now.
Think i go that way and forget for the moment "flares" .
i compared my springs with +/- 17 mm wire diameter , with some i could find on CC . Those are 15 , 15.2 or 20 mm. Mine are not listed there .
Meanwhile i could "repair" the crack ( aligned the body panel over the crack ) , can now exopy it from behind , and just live with a fine paint crack as is.
Measured the tire contact pad , old Goodyears 175 mm , Avons 185 mm . So those run 5 mm closer the fender.
I probably made a mistake : struggling with stiff steering i tried all kind of stuff , and dialed in max caster at cost of negative camber to almost zero. In the end it was a stupid plastic bushing in the Flaming River steering column. So i can undo that and put in again more negative camber.
I also can change my 3 piece wheels to + 5 mm BS. That will at least compensate the difference in shoulder between the old tires and the Avons now.
Think i go that way and forget for the moment "flares" .
Sounds like you've found several interesting things to look into. Like someone here said, wheels (and springs) are a lot cheaper than fiberglass and paint! Always keep in mind that proper negative camber is your friend for handling (and saving your fenders).
No , changing my wheels with + 5 mm BS won't do much.
my 3.75" BS gives 30 mm to contact
a 4.50" would give 38 mm
a 4.75" 43 mm
Take those numbers relative , but certain is a 4.50 would almost tolerate 30 % more suspension compression , a 4.75 40%.
Difficult to measure but at the moment of contact as now , the tire corner has already rotated 3/4" inwards. As if we have then theoretical 4.5" BS ....with 38 mm compression.
That isn't much , don't know what the shocks allow , but the bump stops give 60 mm to chassis , that is 120 mm outside wheel movement !
So turning in and 1/3 suspension compression , i have already contact as now.
We can only lessen the danger with more BS , but in theorie not eliminate it with reasonable tire wides.
Extra problem : with new wheels i can only go 4.25" BS , as far i see with 4.5" BS , tire would touch steering rod end .....upper arm seems no problem. 4.25" would give only a good 10% safety. Of course , all is welcome.....
Last edited by belgiumbarry; 05-03-2024 at 01:56 AM.
Reason: typo
i'm thinking now to disable 2 coil windings with rubber inserts. That will put the car a little bit higher on his wheels ( extra safety ) and give 1.xx stiffer spring rate. To test drive of course if that feels OK..... Hard to count the coils , but i estimate 7 . 2 coils less active would be x 1.4 stiffness. That would reduce compression in corners of course.
Last edited by belgiumbarry; 04-29-2024 at 12:44 PM.
Reason: pic
Put in the springs the rubber inserts but have static no gain ( as already seen : 25 mm between coils , massive rubber between U profiled ends 25 mm. ) I disabled 2 coils. So the only profit must come now from stiffer spring rates. If 7 coils , that will be x 1.4 . If 8 coils still x 1.33 .
Norbert,
This would be a more expensive route, but QA1 makes an adjustable front coil that seems to use the stock spring configuration. These would allow height adjustment and some "ride" adjustment from hard to soft. Obviously more expensive but could be a solution.
thanks for the link Johnny , i had seen those when buying QA1 shocks for the front.
What i "doubt/fear " a bit on those coilovers , is that the spring force is on those 2 little bolts who "normaly" only see shock force.
Perhaps it's enough with longer bolts and counter nuts above the welded nuts in the lower arm ?
I bought those shocks as they have at least decent brackets with slotted holes. Most shocks i have seen have to short brackets with U holes that barely take the bolts ,sometimes only half , even if you center them perfect .
I will now first see how the car handles with the "stiffer" springs.
Last edited by belgiumbarry; 05-03-2024 at 10:05 AM.
I’ve kind of lost track as to where you are on all of the suggestions to date. Have you cranked in (or shimmed in more correctly) some negative camber?
04-24-2024, 01:42 PM
