left front fender clearance

[TitoRay]

Hmmm. This makes me wonder. So, my '72 SB is lowered 2 inches. Right now, it has 15 inch wheels (not sure how wide will check tomorrow) and are running 195/50's in the front. The wheels are the Chrome Smoothie type. When I turn the wheel to the right, the outside edge of the LEFT front tire rubs against the fender. This is strange because no matter where else I turn the wheel the RIGHT tire never rubs. It looks as if it is just a shape abnormality in the front left fender but I am not sure. Anybody else have any ideas?

[Superman]

I have had that EXACT same problem and believe it is due to differences between stock and aftermarket fenders.

[Sandeep]

I have the same problem....tires rub on left outside fender...but not on right....standard beetle, lowered 4 inches in front, with 195/50 15's.....

WTF ?

Sandeep

[Superman]

Perhaps it's because we sit (the extra weight) on the left side?
I'd like to know if the RHD cars have this problem but on the right?

[bren]

believe it or not, all 3 RHD standard bugs that i have personally lowered myself and fitted with wider rims, have all had less clearance on the left side too!!! :o go figure?? the issue is not with the actual ride height being lower on one side, all 3 cars sat even.. but its just that there seems to be more track on the left side... very strange... nearly everyone ive spoken to about this, has experienced the same thing. on my blue bug i solved the problem by running excessive negative camber and rims with the correct offset for the width...

[Superman]

Originally posted by bren
i solved the problem by running excessive negative camber

Same here. Well, we can exclude the weight of the driver... more research...

[trevorbrady]

I can verify that too, my bug has less clearance on the left front than ont he right front. I had put it down to pattern wings. It's a '73 standard RHD...

[Chris Percival]

I think I am the exception to the rule guys, my front left has less clearance than the right. I remember because I had to 'roll' in the front left wing more than the right with some mole-grips to stop it rubbing during hard cornering. It wasn't great for the paint, but then I don't really care about that!

[TitoRay]

It looks like that is the same problem I have except for on the left fender(wing). I was worried about cracking the paint but now it is so messed up from the tire I don't really care.

[Superman]

Originally posted by Chris Percival
I think I am the exception to the rule guys, my front left has less clearance than the right

If it's the left front with less clearance then that is the same problem we all seem to have.

[56OVALI]

Originally posted by Superman
If it's the left front with less clearance then that is the same problem we all seem to have.

My '62 convertible, rubs on the left side. It drives my crazy. :mad:

I have two guesses:

1) There is probably alot of slop between the body and the pan and with the rubber seal in it is hard to move around to center. Were all of these body off resto cars? ( I assume I don't have the same capabilty as the VW Factory to place the body on the pan.)When we set the body on it was a little off to the drivers side, i just let the bolts draw it into place, maybe not perfectly.

2) I have a narrowed beam, Done professionally, but I don't know how accurate the fixturing is?

Just my two cents.

-Russ

[TitoRay]

I examined my fenders a little more closely today. Take a look at the attachment. Observe where the yellow circle is. On my car the fender curves in sooner and farther in this spot than on the other side. That is what is causing the rubbing on my car. Anybody else? Oh, and I am pretty sure my fenders are not the originals.

[Superman]

Mine rubs more on the top part of the fender's arch than where you have noted.

[TitoRay]

Dang it, I wish I had a digital camera...then it would all be so easy!!

[Jeza]

I've got a RHD 71 super that's lowered about 2 inches and rubs on the right side. The car also sits lower on the right side at the rear too so I have wondered if this affects the attitude of the car at the front.

Chris how easy was it to 'roll' the guard. The wheels are 15*6 and the tyres 185/65 and finish flush with the guard. Currently the right side rubs too much - even under gentle cornering so I'll have to do something about it.

Jeremy

[Andy White]

I have a '55 shell on a '68 pan with NOS front wings. When I bolted the body back on I found it is easily possible not to get it 100% straight. After a little adjustment I have identical clearance all round.

[Chris Percival]

Originally posted by Superman
If it's the left front with less clearance then that is the same problem we all seem to have.

I must have been half asleep when I posted that!

Jeza, rolling the arch was very easy. Actually 'rolling' is far too good a word for what I did. I used a thin peice of wood to protect the outside, and used some mole-grips to bend in the edge to make it thinner. I wouldn't do it if you care about your paintwork though!

[Philippe]

I had this problem too, on my 73 standard. I seriously tore up my tire on the way home from the Kelley park show in San Jose (when I lived in the valley) going about 75 on the highway. Each hard bump made the rubbing worse and worse as the inner lip of my fender was pulled further out. When I stopped to check it out I found little pieces of the tire shoulder stuck in the inner fender. good times.

The way I fixed it is I raised it about a half inch, and I had my sister lean against the fender while I tapped the inner fender with a deadblow hammer and then just reached in with my fingers and pulled outward. No more rubbing, but I haven't replaced the tire yet, so when I do, I might have to pull the fender further out.

Oh, and it is an aftermarket fender as well. Brazilian. It was rubbing just behind the peak of the fender opening.

[Jeza]

Thanks Chris

I havn't done anything to the fenders yet- the paint is not an issue as it's falling off in big chunks!! The cars been repainted and the paint shop man actually said "it's had more hit's than the Beatles"!!!

However I have straightened out the rear suspension. The left hand side has had some repair work done to it which by the looks of things required the removal of the torsion bar and it looked as though the panel beater just threw it back together with no regard for the correct preload. Resetting this helped heaps. The car only rubs with 2 people in it now - still on the right hand side BUT it doesn't rub on the left because it hits the bump stop first. The right side is missing the bump stop cause it was all messed up and in my haste I threw it away not realising how usefull it might be. So I'm off to find some appropriate bump stops.

It is a bit of a worry how easily the car can hit these bump stops, so I guess when I can afford flasher suspension I'll have to uprate the spring.

CU
Jeza