I would not do what you are suggesting. I have had 3 blowouts, and if they were a result of scraping against the wheel well, the wheel well would show it -- there would actually be alot of damage there. The wheel well is a flimsy piece of sheet metal (or plastic in later model TMs), and it is no match for a steel-belted thick rubber tire spinning several hundred times per minute. So it should be easy to tell on your TM if that is a problem. How do the wheel wells look? If they are not torn apart, I seriously doubt there is any contact. Dimples and dents from pebbles, dirt, and other road debris, sure.
My TM has comparable clearance -- about 1.25" at its smallest gap.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=6078
Furthermore, the gap on one side of the tire actually gets larger when you hit a bump due to the torsion arm of the axle.
Dave