Chevy S-10 - Fantastic Firewall Fix

So you've finally 'bagged your truck and gotten it to lay perfectly flat on the ground. Now it's time to bolt up those new 20-inch rollers and toss your old 18s to a fellow club member. But there is just one tiny problem you must contend with: the firewall in your truck.

No mini will lay out on 20s without at least some modification to the firewall. In the past, this has meant many hours of cutting and fabricating mini-tubs to recess into the firewall so the wheels do not contact it when the truck is laid out. This is no easy task -- and one that takes quite some time. While visiting Devious Customs one day, we watched the crew recess the firewall of a Chevy S-10 in less than an hour using an unlikely tool: a wheelbarrow.

The guys at Devious cut out the curved sections of the wheel barrow using a plasma cutter and welded them perfectly into the firewall, providing a beautifully contoured recess for the tires to fit into. The beauty of this technique is that it's cheap and easy. A standard wheelbarrow costs about $30 at your local Home Depot store, and the time you save not having to fabricate your own tubs is outstanding. For more information on this cool mod, give Devious Customs a call using the information listed in the source box.

After laying the truck out...        read full caption After laying the truck out and determining how much of the firewall had to be cut and recessed to clear the front tires, the wheelbarrow was measured and marked out.

Using a plasma cutter, the...        read full caption Using a plasma cutter, the wheelbarrow is carefully cut along the predrawn pattern. Two sections will be cut out; each one will cover the bottom and curved side of the tub.

Here is one of our newly...        read full caption Here is one of our newly constructed firewall tubs.

Our new tubs are then lined...        read full caption Our new tubs are then lined up to the firewall and welded into place. Note the small sections of open area that will be patched next.

Hard to believe we did all...        read full caption Hard to believe we did all that in just 20 minutes.

For the small sections that...        read full caption For the small sections that need patchwork, Devious makes templates out of cardboard before going to steel.

The cardboard is used to make...        read full caption The cardboard is used to make steel patches that fit perfectly and are ready to be welded into place.

Here is a really cool-looking...        read full caption Here is a really cool-looking photo of a Devious employee welding on the firewall that really doesn't need to be here.

This photo shows the patchwork...        read full caption This photo shows the patchwork completed on the passenger side of this S-10 with the truck lifted off the ground.

With the truck laid out, you...        read full caption With the truck laid out, you can see the new 20-inch wheel and tire combo fits perfectly with just enough room to roll.

And here is a real bonus,...        read full caption And here is a real bonus, a shot of the driver side of the truck. This photo shows off the Corvette brake booster that Devious installed to give the dubs enough room in the wheelwell. Without the new booster, the tire would hit the stock booster before the truck even came close to laying out.