Just purchased an MY96 with 17" wheels and on dips and bumps the arches are hitting the tyres even on gentle driving. I'm assuming the suspension is probably original and at 28 years old will be knackered so add the 17" wheels it's why the arches and tyres are hitting. I was thinking the worst and that I would need to replace the entire suspenion however I asked my village garage and they said it might just need new springs and to go and do some research.

Advice needed please!!! Would just the springs make a big improvement? Do I need much stiffer springs to allow for the 17" wheels and reduced gap between tyre and arch? I've no idea on this stuff so open to all advice as to where to go with this and whether I would be better off replacing the whole lot which will cost me a bomb.

TIA...

 

What wheels are they and what ET. There maybe nothing wring with your suspension.
Picture would be helpful.

 

 

To me the springs look corroded/knackered and wtf is that hole in

My village garage i’ve known/used for 10 years is putting it over the pit on Thursday afternoon to have a look underneath.

I’ve spoken to Pedders and got prices for just springs and a full kit. The garage have said though to change the springs is same labour cost to change the whole lot and if top mounts are knackered etc doing just the springs will be a mistake and better to get the whole kit.

That is the rear drivers side and pedders said the springs could have ‘gone to sleep’ if they are that old hence what is happening and the small gap between the tyre and the arch. The drivers side rear is definitely a smaller gap than the other 3 corners.

 

From viewing your pictures
OEM is 15" wheels with 205/40/15 wheel/tyre combo.

For a start that is an 18" wheel with a 225/40/18 tyre.

It doesn't appear to have the arch rolled hence the rubbing as the fitted wheels have the wrong offset.

The "hole " looks to be a rusted out inner wing (inner wheel apron), which will probably need extensive reconstruction.
Looks as if the underside could do with a good power wash to remove all the dirt, to see what's actually there.

 

Looking at the tyres they are 225/40/18 which is too wide on a 18" rim 215/35/18 is the normal size for that size of rim. The tyre seems to be rubbing on the sidewall which would all add up. A wheel would have to come off to see the ET and it will say ET--
If thats the drivers side rear the hole could well be the plastic guard over the filler tube.

 

Thank you for your reply. I just went with what the previous owner (who is a mechanic) told me so hadn't even looked at the wheel size

Is that hole repairable?! And is it an MOT failure? Does it make the car unroadworthy as that's about the only come back on a private seller? The car has a recent MOT on it with hardly any advisories so will be dodgey if that's an MOT failure. My village garage is an MOT tester so that's why it's going over the pit Thursday to check it over.

Pedders told me it's likely to be the wrong wheels for the car and therefore wrong offset as it's very common. So is that going to need those wheels sold and new ones bought?

 

16 inch wheels and tyres for the win.

 

Wheels - establish what the ET and rim width are. This will help determine if a narrower tyre could be fitted.

Wheel arches - get them cleaned out to see what's what. Even if that is the plastic cover over the fuel filler pipe, it's probably full of mud leading to a failed pipe.

 

Thanks Don. I will be pointing that out hole out Thursday to establish what it is i hope to god its that plastic cover!

Any thoughts on the state of those springs? I was told to look to see if they were coloured as could have been previously lowered and needs returning to standard springs. Obviously they are so covered in crud however can see some red in the photo so if that’s correct then they are lowered springs on it?!

 

Looking at your other pictures that car isn't lowered and unless a spring is broken they will be 100% The shocks might be tired but they generally don't effect the ride height very much.
As Don says take that plastic guard off and check the filler pipe.

 

Thats a lot of rust and dirty. Can not belive previous owner is a mechanic.
Those struts are done,You could go away with just a springs but I would not drive a car with them on.
Any pictures of subframes ,lateral and trailing arms etc?
To swap them on its an easy job, 5 bolts per strut.

 

Thanks.

 

Also does anyone know the part I need to get hold of that replaces that black wheelarch trim/liner - it's split where the tyre has been hitting it so even though i've temporarily stuck down the bit on the arch the rest of it is hanging off where it's split and should be attached to the back lip of the arch.No point replacing it until the rubbing is fixed or it will just split again.

 

https://www.importcarparts.co.uk/pro...er-91071fa001/
https://www.importcarparts.co.uk/pro...er-91071fa011/

 

Age of them ,parts inside struts are 25y old to
have a look on rust on sills and rear arches to
google parts i mentioned You will learn quick whats what

 

That is brilliant thank you Don!

 

Another question! If the tyres were changed to the size you have said would that improve things a lot? I need to know if I can save keeping these wheels or no matter what with the offset being wrong they have to come off the car and be replaced.

 

The "official" measurements are taken from the underside of the wheel arch lip to the CENTRE of the wheel/axle as per below
This being for a standard UK model, figures may be lower if it's been lowered.

Note the +12/-24 millimetre variance.
A rough check would be to delete 220mm (9inches) from each of your centimetre readings.

WHEELS
Find out what the actual size of the wheels are before doing anything else.
Currently it has the wrong ET for the current 225 wide tyres but if the width of the rim is suitable for a 215 tyre the ET may be acceptable.
However without knowing the full spec of the wheel, it's pointless guessing......

 

Thanks again just got off the phone to Pedders and they have told me getting 215 tyres will make a considerable difference before doing anything else and to also get a wheel off clean the back of all the crud and look for the offset and wheel details. They said it could be you get away with just changing to 215 tyres. The suspension kit they have given me the details of is a lowering kit which is going to be counter intuitive as the last thing I want is the car lowered however they don't do a full kit with standard spings.

 

I'm guessing the pedders suspension kit is the one below which would lower the car by 3cm,which would be no good with those massive wheels.

Smaller wheels would solve a lot of issues here.

https://scoobyworld.co.uk/pedders-80...suspension-kit

 

Yep that's the one and as you say absolutely no good without sorting wheels first.

 

Check the width and the ET and we'll go from there can only be better but we'll have to see.
All the info will be on the inside of the wheel.

 

It could already been lowered in which case it would make little difference putting the Pedders on.

 

Cheers am getting them checked tomorrow at the local tyre garage after speaking to them and saying I may need a new set of tyres they are happy to take a wheel off and find the details they will know a lot sooner than me looking as to the size and ET.

 

OK so wheel size is 7.5j they couldn’t find ET on the wheel anywhere just a number which was 47 so have to asume that is it. No branding anywhere so will take it they are budget alloys. He said going down to 215 won’t help enough as the tyres will still be hitting the arches as it will only reduce by 5mm and its flush with the outside edge of the arch and the arch is wider than 5mm.

So they said go down to 17” wheel take it to an alloy wheel shop and put a 17” on the front to check calliper clearance then go back to them for tyres once i’ve bought new alloys. Also pointed out the wheels are way to big for the hub and no sprickett (??) ring and wheels are held in place just by the bolts. So no way i can keep those wheels on that car ☹️

He also thinks the suspension isn’t the issue and it’s the wheels and has a mate with an Evo with the same issue and all because of the stupidly oversized wheels on it - when its 4 up it rubs permanently and undriveable. He reckons 17” wheels with a 205 tyre on it will mean no rubbing the arches.

So next stop the alloy wheel shop.

Well seems alloy wheel shops aren't as common as they used to be despite living just outside a city so now can't try wheel sizes.

Are original 16" alloys going to go over the prodrive callipers I have on the front? I suspect not and will need 17" wheels?

 

No don't believe they will fit under 16's. They I think were an optional extra for the P1 which came with P-WRC1's of this size 17"x7 ET 53. But the calipers are worth money. It'll only be the rear that are rubbing is it not?

 

Thanks and no all 4 rub just the backs more so. I have bigger issues to worry about now though - got it over the pit at my village garage and it's got an oil leak.

Oh and to confirm that hole is in that plastic cover thankfully as suggested and the pipe doesn't appear to be near that hole so that can wait for another day...

 

If there ET47 put a set of 215/35/18 on and you'll have no problems. Where's the oil leak?

 

The oil leak no idea I took a couple of pics whilst in the pit but they aren't very helpful:




So it's dripping on the centre plate/strut whatever it is and also on one side which if I remember right its the passenger side.