So with the rear tubs done and the wheels purchased we measure the wheels against the tubs and that gave us a 55.5 axle length when measuring from one WMS to the other. I called DSE and they said that there should be at minimum 1 inch between the rim and tub so we add 2 inches to the axle length for either side making it 57.5 - this gives us a 4 inch lip in the back when widening the wheels to 12 inches (currently 10 inches with a 2 inch lip).
We also measured the distance from the fender lip to the rim and 1 side gave us 3.5 inches and the other gave us 4.0 inches due to one of the lips being rolled. Once the trunk is done we'll move to stage three of the car which is tunnel modification (if needed) once the sub frame arrives, widening/fixing/evening the rear fenders, and any type or roll bar.
So at the minimum we had 3.5 inches of clearance - 1 for inner tub the wheel clearance - 2 for going to a 12 inch wheel leaving a half inch of clearance from the outer edge of the wheel to the factory fender lip. We'll be reviewing later if we want to go wider and if there are any obstacles we may hit.
With the axle size and math figured out I got in contact with Ken Sapper at Speedway Engineering and we went thru the process of building a custom floater 9 inch rear end with the DSE brackets welded on. Starting with choosing the style of the center section so it keeps the fluid where it needs to be, custom bracing and baffling from the center section to the axle tubes, 31 spline axles, and mod light hubs in 5x4.75 - I already have a braced iron center section and Eaton True Trac. This thing is built tough and light...
The housing:
The hubs:
