I see a lot of posts where people ask if they will rub with a given tire/wheel combo if they lower their car.

I was under the impression that whether a particular tire/wheel combination would rub was a function of suspension travel and not whether or not the car was lowered.

I understand that increasing spring (and shock) rates will help minimize the rubbing problem, but in the end a big enough bump will allow the tires to rub if they are too large for the car.

Please clue me in if there is something I don't understand.

 

Rubbing has mostly to do with wheel offset and tire size selection. After that, height is a concern because double wishbone suspensions (and multilinks, which a double wishbone is a type of) all generate a natural camber curve. As the car gets lower, the wheels get more negative camber, so ppl ask for their specific combo if they will rub. It's always hard to say for sure unless somewhat has that exact combo, but ppl like to get reassurances of a proper purchase, money well spent, no mistakes made, etc.

 

[QUOTE=JSR_AP2,Jun 10 2005, 02:12 PM] Rubbing has mostly to do with wheel offset and tire size selection.

 

Not necessarily. When you go over a bump the compression of the suspension has the wheel tilt in ward. If you lower a car the wheel doesn't have as much space to tilt in ward before hitting the fender. The more the suspension compresses the more the wheel tilts in ward and hopefully misses the fender.

So a given wheel tire combo can be fine at stock hieght and rub if lowered even conservatively.

 

The suspension has a limit of travel whether lowered or not. If the car is not lowered, the suspension has longer to travel, but the limit is the same.

 

At stock height when hitting a bump the wheel is allowed to travel farther up as it's traveling up it's cambering in and clearing the fender. This extra distance at stock height will allow for a greater variations from the perfect setup.

With a drop when hitting a bump the wheel has less travel upward before meeting the fender. This decreased distance it's allowed to travel up.....means that the distance it's allowed to camber IN is reduced. This restriction in camber means that certain setups when dropped will rub,.... but at stock height will be allowed enough travel up and in that at stock height will NOT rub.

This is the reason the question is asked if they will rub if dropped.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. I was assuming the car, once lowered would not have the camber adjusted back to spec.