Front wheels rub. :(

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plumkrazee70

plumkrazee70

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I upgraded the front to Dr. Diff stage 1 disc and went with a 245/45/17 on a 17x8 with 5.25 backspacing and the fronts rub the lower fender. I'm not sure what to do.

I've only been able to pull it out of the garage, but I have an appointment on Thursday for the alignment and to have the top put on. Not sure I feel ok driving it.

Here is a link to the wheels: Vision American Muscle 141 Legend 5 Series Black Wheels 141H7865GB19

Back fit perfect. EDIT: the car hasn't been aligned in any sense of the term, I literally just bolted everything together. Will the alignment change that?

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Too big a tire too little back space.
I would not drive it with those tires on it

IMHO
 
Looks like somebody missed the advice boat.
 
Dana67Dart said:
Too big a tire too little back space.
I would not drive it with those tires on it

IMHO
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Nope. There are others here running that same exact combination.

Not to mention I run more tire than that, with the outside of the tire further out in the wheel well than that combination. Granted, I extended my fender to bumper supports to push the lower corner of the fender, but that shouldn't be an issue with these.

plumkrazee70 said:
I upgraded the front to Dr. Diff stage 1 disc and went with a 245/45/17 on a 17x8 with 5.25 backspacing and the fronts rub the lower fender. I'm not sure what to do.

I've only been able to pull it out of the garage, but I have an appointment on Thursday for the alignment and to have the top put on. Not sure I feel ok driving it.

Here is a link to the wheels: Vision American Muscle 141 Legend 5 Series Black Wheels 141H7865GB19

Back fit perfect. EDIT: the car hasn't been aligned in any sense of the term, I literally just bolted everything together. Will the alignment change that?

View attachment 1715572597

View attachment 1715572598

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Click to expand...

You need to get the car aligned. The caster setting especially can change that clearance quite a bit, as well as the camber setting.

Do you have the lower fender to bumper support installed? Looks like not everything is fully assembled...
 
Remember too, hardly any of these cars are the same. What fits one, may not fit another without some work.
 
Dana67Dart said:
Check out this thread

Tire hitting fender
Click to expand...

Nothing relevant to see there

1- It's a Barracuda, which has a more restrictive wheel opening than a Dart
2- It's a Barracuda, so it doesn't have the lower fender support to adjust that lower corner
3- The 15x6 in that thread is a 0 offset, the OP's rims are a +19, which means the wheels on that Barracuda stick out almost a 1/4" further than the OP's
4- The 215/70/14 is 25.9" tall, which is still taller than the 245/45/17 in question

RustyRatRod said:
Remember too, hardly any of these cars are the same. What fits one, may not fit another without some work.
Click to expand...

Always true, body tolerances on these cars can change things by more than a 1/4". But an alignment and possibly some adjustment of the lower fender to bumper brace should clear those wheels
 
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72bluNblu said:
Nope. There are others here running that same exact combination.

Not to mention I run more tire than that, with the outside of the tire further out in the wheel well than that combination. Granted, I extended my fender to bumper supports to push the lower corner of the fender, but that shouldn't be an issue with these.



You need to get the car aligned. The caster setting especially can change that clearance quite a bit, as well as the camber setting.

Do you have the lower fender to bumper support installed? Looks like not everything is fully assembled...
Click to expand...

Not yet. I'll install the front bumper brackets and the fender supports. I'm ok modifying if I need to. I'll get the car aligned and go from there.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Not yet. I'll install the front bumper brackets and the fender supports. I'm ok modifying if I need to. I'll get the car aligned and go from there.
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Those lower fender supports change the location of the lower front corner of fender substantially. So does the front valance for that matter. I would bet money that just installing those supports and the front valance will solve your issue.

If it doesn't, you can always extend those braces like I did. I lengthened mine by 2". But honestly, I think with an alignment and the rest of the front end assembled you'll be fine.
 
I'll have some faith in the advice given to the Op and say that if you adjust that strut rod a little bit that might help along with the caster.
Aside from that...
drive it straight and itll be just fine , after the tires wear in some.
Wink wink
 
I've posted these before, and I'm not saying you'll need to do this. In fact I really don't think you'll need to do any of this, but these are the modifications I made to clear my much wider 275/35/18's. Which also stick out more than a 1/4" further than the 245/45/17s do

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The fender brace was lengthened 2", and I removed the corner off the lip on the back side of the fender. Neither of these modifications is obvious from the outside unless you already know to look for them. With the 245's just maxing out the stock adjustment on the braces should be enough.

Looks like the front end could come down a little too. Ride height plays a pretty big factor in all this too, it looks like right now that lower corner is at the maximum diameter of the wheel as well. Drop it a 1/2" and you might actually gain a little clearance there.

You can see on my car that the lower corner of the fender is well below the half way mark on the diameter of the wheel
IMG_8849.jpeg
 
72bluNblu said:
I've posted these before, and I'm not saying you'll need to do this. In fact I really don't think you'll need to do any of this, but these are the modifications I made to clear my much wider 275/35/18's. Which also stick out more than a 1/4" further than the 245/45/17s do

View attachment 1715572647

View attachment 1715572648

The fender brace was lengthened 2", and I removed the corner off the lip on the back side of the fender. Neither of these modifications is obvious from the outside unless you already know to look for them. With the 245's just maxing out the stock adjustment on the braces should be enough.

Looks like the front end could come down a little too. Ride height plays a pretty big factor in all this too, it looks like right now that lower corner is at the maximum diameter of the wheel as well. Drop it a 1/2" and you might actually gain a little clearance there.

You can see on my car that the lower corner of the fender is well below the half way mark on the diameter of the wheel
View attachment 1715572646
Click to expand...

Both good ideas and perfectly acceptable to get the good performance of those tires. Probably caint even really tell the difference with a stock one next to it.
 
Not that you should do this, because your car is way nicer than mine, but I massaged my fenders with a hammer and death wheel.
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The car is on jacks in this picture
 
Turn your front upper Caster Camber eccentrics so the Egg is all the way in, this will push the upper A Frame out and back.

Then turn the Rear Upper Caster Camber eccentric so the egg is all the way out, this will move the upper A Frame in and back.

Then set the toe in to 1/8 th" toed in at the front of tires, so you can drive it to the alignment shop without rubbing.

Look at how much excess room there is at the back of the tire to the lower fender. Front Wheels need to move back.

Put a 1" extension on your front lower fender brace too.
 
That's 245/45/17 is a tall tire and you have a lot of space between that and the top of the fender well. Looks like you could lower it about 2".
 
Can always put some 15" regular wheels and tires on it that will clear the disc brake calipers and go get your front end alignment done.

Then see if that opens up your fitment issues when you get back.
 
Have you tried just lowering the front end? or raising. it could give you the clearance you need.
 
Craig Burriss said:
Not that you should do this, because your car is way nicer than mine, but I massaged my fenders with a hammer and death wheel.
View attachment 1715572649
The car is on jacks in this picture
Click to expand...
Yikes, dont run into anything...or the fender will cut the tire and it'll fly apart like a split rim. Cut and fold if you can, or patch/trim the wheel well.
 
72bluNblu said:
I've posted these before, and I'm not saying you'll need to do this. In fact I really don't think you'll need to do any of this, but these are the modifications I made to clear my much wider 275/35/18's. Which also stick out more than a 1/4" further than the 245/45/17s do

View attachment 1715572647

View attachment 1715572648

The fender brace was lengthened 2", and I removed the corner off the lip on the back side of the fender. Neither of these modifications is obvious from the outside unless you already know to look for them. With the 245's just maxing out the stock adjustment on the braces should be enough.

Looks like the front end could come down a little too. Ride height plays a pretty big factor in all this too, it looks like right now that lower corner is at the maximum diameter of the wheel as well. Drop it a 1/2" and you might actually gain a little clearance there.

You can see on my car that the lower corner of the fender is well below the half way mark on the diameter of the wheel
View attachment 1715572646
Click to expand...
I used to have a 72 duster just like from the windsheild back, light tan. Wish I never sold it. It was going to be the cradle for my 400 low deck 471
 
Looks to me like you have negative caster, positive caster would pull the wheel back in the wheelwell. You want as much positive caster as you can get. I have mine at +7 with the Hotchkis control arms.
 
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