The good news...my new tires and wheels came today...they look awesome! The REALLY crappy news...they don't fit. Dammit! They rub on the springs in the front, I haven't even tried the rear yet. I should have listened to the salesman. I'll try spacing them, but I'm pretty sure I'll have problems with the fender then. Dammit!

Rich

 

Zoom out a bit and lets see the car.


Use a baseball bat on the fender.

 

I'm still looking for the good news Rich but I sure do share your disappointment, those would have been really nice wheels. Fitting even of a 1st gen. When I was a kid we used to put the back wheels on our VWs on backwards, kind of had a dune buggy effect. Have you tried that?

Ray

 

+1 on old school fender flairs

 

This is the best I can do for now...I can take mroe later if you want me to. If you're looking to see how they look on the car, well the car needs painting, so they won't look that good right now.

Rich

 

Rich, remind me, what size/offset wheels, and tire size. I know you posted it, but I can't remember. I'm old, brain farts are a way of life.......

 

16x7 40mm offset on the wheels, Kumho Ecsta SJT 205/50-16 tires.

Rich

 

dude can u put thin tires on instead of chunky ones? i put 17" simmons on my RX7 but it required really really thin tires. now they look really nice.

 

Ahhh, might be from the tires being a tad too tall. I *think* 205/45-16 is closer to stock height, but I can't see that little bit causing this much problem.
You have SE suspension, correct?

 

the paint on that fender looks good to me

now there more reason for fender flares unless your the stock type member

 

sorry to hear rich. told you i,thought it would be really close with that offset. how about rolling the lip in.

 

man that really suks they dont fit

 

Wheels are pretty bling for an old guy, aren't they. lol How close to the springs are they and will they clear the fender lips when you push them out?

 

If you get a ground control front coil-over kit you will have more room for a wider tire. I have 215/40-17 on the front and I could still go wider. However my wheels are 17x7 with a 38mm offset which moves them out alittle more than yours.

Good luck,
kevin

 

Where did you get your ground control coil over kit...that might be the way to go.

Thanks,
Rich

 

BY the way, what is it about the ground control coil-overs that allows the wheels/tires to fit? Are the coils smaller in diameter? Mounted farther up the strut housing? Something else?

Thanks,
Rich

 

Rich,

Where does the tire hit the spring? This will determine if a CO kit will help or not. It may not. A CO kit will used a 2.5" ID spring. The OD of the spring will be larger diameter than the stock spring down at the perch where the spring winds down. If you are hitting at or near the smaller part of the stock spring then a CO kit will make it worse. If you are hitting at the large part of the stock spring then a CO kit will give you miles of room.

Give us a shot of the wheel hitting.

-billy

 

Thanks Billy -

It's hitting on the second coil from the bottom, not the real small one in the perch, and not the first full diameter one...it's in between. I'll try to get some pictures, but it may be Sunday before I can do that. Damned work...

Rich

 

extended wheel studs and small spacers?

 

Here is the site http://www.ground-control-store.com/...tion.php/II=40 It should do the trick for you.

Good luck,
kevin

 

Thats a pic of the groundcontrol kit... my wheels are 16x7 (40mm offset) aswell and I can lower my car but not more than what it is because my tire will rub the spring when it is close to the bottom.

 

Here are some better pictures of the rub. It looks like it would have to be spacedd out between 1/2" and 1", and I'm pretty sure I'd have problems with the fender then.

Rich

 

I just measured a 2.5" ID 300 pound spring. The OD of the spring is aprox 3.5".
You would need to see if the spring where you are hitting is more than 3.5" to see if it will clear. Or use a CO kit with a short spring so you can run the collar up past the tire.

-billy

 

Hey Rich,
I think your problem is probably the tire size. If you go with a 205-40-16 it will give you a lower sidewall and possibly the room you need for clearance. Also, you could get a small spacer to help you out with the rub as well. A friend of mine has a shop down here in Fl. that has a 2mm spacer that should kick out the wheels enough to clear. If you need them I could get them for you and send them your way. Let me know...
L8R
Joe

 

Thanks Joe...but the guy that had the parts car that this suspension came off of had 205/40-16 tires on it (but with 8" wheels), and they were all destroyed by the rub on the spring. Plus, that made the front end way low...I couldn't even get the jack under the crossmember to jack it up. I'm pretty sure I'm just screwed and will have to take a big loss and find some other tires and wheels.

Rich