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Front tires rubbing on fender


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I finally got spacers so I can mount my new front wheels and tires.  I will be running ZG flares and the spacers push the wheels outboard so the tires are close to flush with the flares.  Tires are 235 60 R15 (26" tall). 

 

The tires hit the bottom of the front fenders when they just start to turn outward.   I still need to mount the flares and cut the metal which should free up space but I was just wondering if this was normal and if anyone uses an adjustable tension rod to pull the wheel back.

 

Also, does anyone know why Nissan had both front and rear wheels not centered in the wheel wells?  

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60 is a big aspect ratio for a 235 tire on a Z. Was this for aesthetic reasons? 

That large of a tire will rub in my experience without removing the OEM fender lip after your flares are mounted.

I suppose you have already heard the downsides of putting on wheel spacers vs. having the right offset on your wheels. 

Even after you eliminate static rubbing, you are likely to have rubbing when your suspension travels. Coilovers will allow you to make micro adjustments on your ride height. You will need to limit suspension travel if you want the wheel in a super-tight fit. I suppose you could try a heavier spring or make a custom bump-stop, but either will effect your ride quality. You will have some performance sacrifices in making it look precisely the way you want it (like the wheel spacers) but that may not be a concern for you.

 

In the rear, you can center the tire in the wheel-well by adjusting the bushings on either side of the bolt/spindle on adjustable lower control arms. As Jon said, I don't know anyway to adjust the wheel position forward/aft without changing your caster. 

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I went with 15" wheels so I can run a taller sidewall on the back for traction.  This put me in a bit of a bind for front tire selection.  I could either go with 26" tall or 24" tall.  I chose 26, and it's a bit tight.  

 

I am planning on cutting the lip on the fenders when I install the flares.  But I'll have to cut back the air dam as well, and I'm worried it will look funny with the tires being very close to the front of the wheel well, and a much larger gap in the back of the wheel well.  Maybe this is really common with Z cars, I'm not sure.  I'm not worried about rubbing on the top of the tire, just the front where it gets really close to the fender and air dam 

 

Is it common to use an adjustable tension rod to pull the wheel back?  How far back can I reasonably expect to move it?  How much does it affect driving stability?  This is a street car, no road racing or autocross.  Just trying to get a feel for what it really means for a street car.

 

I could run a 24" tire up front, but don't love the look of a 2" difference in tire diameter.

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20 hours ago, fusion said:

Is it common to use an adjustable tension rod to pull the wheel back?  How far back can I reasonably expect to move it?  How much does it affect driving stability?  This is a street car, no road racing or autocross.  Just trying to get a feel for what it really means for a street car.

 

No, it's not IME.  As Jon mentioned, it generally results in a performance decrease.  Most people with adjustable TC rods use them to increase caster; which improves straightline stability and allows one to run less static camber (for better straightline braking) while still demonstrating good dynamic camber characteristics while turning (when the additional negative camber is most needed).  Keep in mind that adjustable TC rods are designed to run in conjunction with adjustable front lower control arms, which use monoball heim joints for frictionless freedom of movement through multiple axes.  The stock front LCAs, which use OEM rubber bushings or aftermarket Delrin bushings, do not enjoy such freedom of motion and will bind if stressed beyond their intended range of motion.

 

You didn't say what width wheel spacers you're using....but keep in mind that the thicker you go, the more they will affect your effective spring rate (results in a softer effective spring rate).  If you are using "thick" spacers (1" or thicker), you should be using "wheel adapter spacers", which incorporate their own wheel studs.  https://www.ezaccessory.com/Hub_Centric_Wheel_Adapters_4x4_5_To_4s4_5_p/4450-4450ha.htm.

 

If you're worried about the asthetics of the wheels not being centered in the wheel well; you can always factor that in when selecting your mounting locations for the new flares.

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NCRAs are another method of obtaining additional track width (on the front) without resorting to wheel spacers.  But they can result in interference between the LCA and the wheel, depending on what size/style/material wheels you're running.  It's all a bunch of trade-offs.....just have to decide which setup will work best for your particular application.

 

https://technotoytuning.com/nissan/240z/evolved-roll-center-adjusters-datsun-240260280z

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  • 2 months later...

It won't help too much, but it will give you more caster if you drill 3 new holes in the shock towers.

 

It's a tight fit but this particular car ended up with 4.5 degrees of caster, and thats with doing a 2014 mustang spindle swap up front, which we chose to move his balljoints back half an inch to offset the bearing center being forward.

 

You should get even more caster with stock datsun spindles and will also allow you to freely use an adjustable tension rod without performance losses.

 

For example, my own rusty pile of junk has over 8 degrees of caster, but i sectioned and opened up my shock tower tops and moved the top back over an inch.  My bottom balljoint is moved back half an inch as well.  

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Edited by Invincibleextremes
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