My wheels are backspaced like 2.5 inches. It's a reversed wheel meaning the front is the back and the back is the front, with the center "dish" flipped 180 degrees. I had to go this route because of the 8-lug conversion on the D44 which has a larger brake rotor, and the run-of-the-mill Chevy large single-piston caliper. And soo, the typical 4" or so backspaced 15" wheel causes interference between the wheel and the caliper.
So to answer your question, no it wasnt to clear the lower link but to clear the calipers.