robbed666

Hi All

Its MOT time again! (annual vehicle inspection & test). Mine failed on a few silly things. Cracked number plate, dim number plate lights, and nearside headlamp beam pattern distorted. The big problem I had was the tyres rubbing the front wing/fender mud shields at extremes of lock. So quick and dirty method, remove them for the retest. That's OK short term, but does anyone else run with out mud shields?, are there any aftermarket ones to overcome this problem? I can't be the only one with 18's with this problem.

Thanks

Andy Roe

Hi Rob!

You need to either fit a spacer - 5mm should do it to push the wheels further out, or have the larger steering stops fitted which decrease the amount of lock available. These were standard from 92 onwards.

It's also a problem with 17's too!

Andy

robbed666

Hi Andy,

I already have what appear to be 40mm spacers upfront. The wheels are almost out of the arches, and I have Turbo front wings! I running 225 40 18's, maybe alower profile would help? Mine are are touching the centre to outer edge of the shields

Andy Roe

How wide are the rims? They only rub when on full lock? The inner edge of the wheel?

robbed666

A picture is worth a 1000 words (so they say).

Smokin

Ouch! Mine rubs a lttle upon lock... But I'd say that's a little TOO much rubbing!

chris walrod

Looks as though you have been to some drifting events I am sure you could patch that with a thin piece of aluminum sheet, riveted from the inside out, of course.

Computamedic

Rob,

My car has an aftermarket wide body conversion similar to yours but I've only got 18mm spacers on the front (with 8.5J ET52 18" wheels runing 225/40 tyres). I have no arch liners at all but I can imagine that with 40mm spacers your steering geometry must be way off, pushing the wheel too far forward on extreme lock. A lower profile tyre will do you no favours at all since it will reduce the rolling radius and give you ABS/PDAS problems. My temptation would be to fit smaller spacers and overcome the problem that way.

Regards

Dave

PS Sorry I missed you at the WP meet. I cricked my back when I got up that morning and couldn't face the agony of a drive to Raymond's and back again!!!

robbed666

Hi Dave,

Smaller spacers, that was my other thought, So you don't have arch liners fitted?, No problems with crud in the oil cooler, or AC ? How far 'in' are you wheels? Say..... with a plumb line from the arch edge, through the centre of the wheel ?

Thanks

Computamedic

Rob,

I must admit I am more than a bit nervous of driving my car in bad weather for exactly that reason. The thought of all that mud and gunge flying up into the oil cooler and condenser (not to mention horns etc) does concern me. I had thought of trying to get some turbo arch liners at some point but I strongly suspect that the dimensions of my after-market arches may be far enough out for the factory liners to not fit anyway.

I'll get the tape measure out in the morning at get back to you!!

Regards

Dave

robbed666

Thanks Dave,

I don't know if my liners are std, or Turbo. I.'ve just measured my front spacers, they are 43mm per side

Computamedic

I measured them this morning. The left side is 1.625" and the right side is 1.25". Don't ask me why they are different. I suspect some of the difference may be some diffrence in the wheel arch extensions themselves. When the extensions are welded on I suspect it's near impossible to get them positioned exactly the same.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Dave

robbed666

Thanks Dave,

I'm just off to measure mine

robbed666

Hi

Mine from the edge of the arch, to the top edge of the rim is 8mm, to the dished center of the centre cap is 18mm. both sides are +/- 2mm of each other. This is of course in the straight ahead position.

Computamedic

Rob,

Just to clarify, my measurement was also to the centre cap, not the rim.

I'm surprised you don't get contact between the tyre and the wing with that small a gap. I suspect your suspension must be near to standard - if it were lowered I'm sure you'd have a problem. My -40mm H&R springs leave the top of the tyre well inside the wheel archand I'm sure there would be contact with the wing on anything but straight ahead.

I'd be interested in what offset your front wheels are. As I said before, my fronts are ET52 which is pretty much standard 964 although I do have the 18mm spacers fitted.

Regards

Dave