Passenger Front Tire Rub

krazy86t

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Inside top side wall of my passenger side front tire rubs the inner plastic fender well near downpipe when the front suspension goes into compression. front tires are not particularly large - 225/60-15.

car appears sits fine and drives ok as long as it never hits a dip/rise at speed. lots of space between the tire and wheel well when parked. does not do this on drivers side tire :confused:
 
My car did the same thing especially when making the turn into my driveway. When I pulled the front clip off once I started my restoration I noticed it rubbed through the inner fender. Once I took an even closer look it had just started to rub through the insulation on the ECM harness that comes through the firewall.

Add some water and road grime and that could have been troubleshooting from hell.
 
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Here are some pictures.
 

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Most likely from the A arm bushings being beat from the heat off the down pipe. They all tend to droop a pinch on that side due to those bushings getting hammered from the heat. Check those might be what it is.
 
My car did the same thing especially when making the turn into my driveway. When I pulled the front clip off once I started my restoration I noticed it rubbed through the inner fender. Once I took an even closer look it had just started to rub through the insulation on the ECM harness that comes through the firewall.

Add some water and road grime and that could have been troubleshooting from hell.


wow, good thing you caught that. how did you fix the tire rub problem?

Hey, my 86t came with a set of snow tires too! had to put them on last week with all the snow around here.
 
I am going through the entire suspension, new bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc as part of the restoration.

Oh yeah new inner fender also.
 
Bumping up an old thread, because this is exactly my problem. On compression, passenger side tire rubs the top of the wheel well. I have after market wheels, but front tires are the stock size (Backs are a little bigger than stock). I have brand new Billstein shocks up front and that did not solve the problem.

I think the prior owner installed Moog 5608 springs within the last 5 years. (Along with other new suspension parts, ball joints, tie rod ends and control arm bushings.)

I never have a problem with the drivers side.

What should I check? Anything I can try short of going to Kirban's 20% stronger springs?

What about these things called 'Coil Spring Adjusters'? What do they do? Would they help?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...,1419566,suspension,coil+spring+adjuster,7508
 
Hello are you sure the control arm bushings are still good?
I would also check the body bushings especially at the front under the rad support.
Have you measured from the ground to the center of the wheel well?
Is that side lower?
 
I am at 25.5 on the driver's side and 25.25 on the passenger side at the center of the opening. I have not checked the body bushings. Is there a procedure for that? Thanks.
 
Same issue here but I have installed 1" drop springs in the front and GNX rims.
My frame measures the same left to right but the fender measures lower on the right side by 5/8". I think that the front sheetmetal needs to be adjusted and have yet to try to adjust it.
 
I changed the body bushings and knock on wood it appears that my tire rub problem is gone. Passenger side fender sits almost an inch higher now.
 
I recently changed tire sizing from 215/45-17 to 235/45-17 on the front.

Passenger side front tire now rubs when backing out & turning left. Plus it rubs on dips in the road.
 
I am at 25.5 on the driver's side and 25.25 on the passenger side at the center of the opening. I have not checked the body bushings. Is there a procedure for that? Thanks.

Not the body bushings, the control arm bushings.

the downpipe cooks the rear UCA bushing, and it ends up flopping around. Pull the arms off and check the bushings.
 
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