[mrbb]

sounds like you got the wrong off set for the wheels to fit right
MOVING the exhaust location on the pipe might change the way it fits to the motor, or add a bunch of stress to it??
WHY not just get correct wheels??
or add wheel spacers?
rather than trying to mod the way the pipe is??

 

[mrbb]

typically a ATV will handle better with a WIDER front than rear, look at any race ATV

but again back to wheels
HONDA wheels can be different on off set, from a sold rear axle to a IRS rear axle

so MAYBE just getting two correct rear wheels , would be a lot cheaper than buying spacers and having to worry about wheel spacers coming loose(*which can happen)
you will also maybe save your atv from some added wear and tear on drive train parts buy not having more weight on things due to a wider stance!
take off wheels tend to be found rather cheap if you look for them, and could solve your problems fast and easy

a 1 inch taller tire should't be a issue on your ATV to be honest
I say you have wrong rear wheels on the ATV now, and that is your problem 100% here

ONLY time I ever seen an atv have rub issue on a 1 inch taller tire would be on the FRONT tires when at full lock, and even then, its RARE , and normally ONLY rubs a NON vital parts, like a fender liner or?? NOT a hard part like exhaust

IF you have the wrong rear wheels on NOW< your actually most likely 1-2 inches narrower than your stock set up, adding spacers will ONLY get you back to stock, at a price WAY more than a set of cheap correct rear wheels is going to run you

DO you still have the OLD wheels you took off to add these new tire/wheel package??
IF sop, why not just swap tires off new wheels onto OLD wheels and be done here too?? not having to modify anything them, or really buy anything, just swap tires to old wheels??
just trying to help here??

 

[mrbb]

hey also keep in mind that as that rear suspension flexes, its going to HAVE to have room to allow tires to be lifted UP and inwards as it works
so, if your rubbing standing still like, a 1 inch spacer MIGHT solve THAT< but once the suspension flexs, it might rub again due to wrong off set on wheels, spacer or NOT! unless you get some super thick spacers??

 

[mrbb]

if you still have your old wheels, you can still measure the off set on them and see if its the same as on your new wheels?


24- to 26, is 2 inches, that makes more sense on a slight rub then LOL

but again remember that once the suspension is at full extent on either side, its driving that tire upwards into things

you can measure this too my extending things fully to see how much room you have or DON"T and go from there

I still run 11 inch wheels, so, I know that limits your tire selections, but work fine for me, I only run a 25 inch tire!

 

[mrbb]

two things to keep in mind, a lift kit won'tr make it any wider, will just raise things!, if anything Ir could make it more narrow, as some might RAISE the angles on a arms and that will suck the wheels IN some rather than push them out!

next is IF you get spacers MAKE sure you use good lock tight on the treads when mounting them and CHECK them every so often, they are known to walk loose, its why there illegal on ON road cars and trucks in most places!
and NOT saying to DO this, But lift kits are simple things, MOST machine shops can make them for a SMALL fee, if you BUY a pre made one, you could (WINK WINK)
take the parts to a machine shop, have them copy(or in my case make stronger parts) and then return the kit ?? IF you wished to be this way!

I saved my kit, but I did have a friend with a machine shop, make me all parts out of stainless steel and MUCH thicker and stronger design on all parts, been on 15+ yrs and holding up, the KIT parts I bought were cheesy and I doubt they would have lasted 5 yrs with all the abuse I gave this atv and overloaded it so many times

SO food for thought maybe??
ain't much to these kits to be honest!

 

[mrbb]

the rear being a solid axle(or guessing your is) it won't make that any more narrow, but will on the front end on the IRS side of things, MAYBE, but again NOT much! LOL

and I again used stainless steel to make my lift brackets, so NO worries of rusting out over time, think I used 1/4 inch too if I recall , factory lift brackets were like 1/8 inch think seems WAY cheesy at the time!

even with Loc tite, you will still have to check every so often,