Let's talk about wheel spacers

[c0lin46and2]

You guys were awesome with a previous question about jack pads, so here's another one for ya. I bought some wheels a few months ago from a fellow E36 owner on this site. He had a sedan that sits pretty high compared to my coupe. The wheels look awesome, but they rub against SOMETHING when I reverse or turn really sharply. The reversing is much more concerning and embarrassing when I'm in a parking lot or something. Anyway, I was wondering if wheel spacers will help, and what a good size would be. I've seen 3, 10, and 15mm. Are there signs I should be looking for about what size I need to get to stop this from happening?

I know to get the kits with longer bolts. I also want to make sure that I don't have to roll the fenders because I wanna get this taken care of for relatively cheap. Like $100 or so. 3mm would be about $40, 10mm is about $100, and the 15mm is about $120.

[slocar]

There is no way we can answer that question without you giving us more information ...

1. Where is it rubbing ... front or back?
2. What is it rubbing on: fender lip, inside the wheel well, edge of the bumper, shock/strut ... etc.
3. What wheels are they exactly with the specs (width and offset), and what tire size?

Saying "It's rubbing, what spacer do I need" is like me calling my doctor and saying "Something is wrong with me, what medication do I need?".

[Moron95M3]

There is no way we can answer that question without you giving us more information ...

1. Where is it rubbing ... front or back?
2. What is it rubbing on: fender lip, inside the wheel well, edge of the bumper, shock/strut ... etc.
3. What wheels are they exactly with the specs (width and offset), and what tire size?

Saying "It's rubbing, what spacer do I need" is like me calling my doctor and saying "Something is wrong with me, what medication do I need?".


+1.

[Campagnaj]

I put some spacers on my white 325 when i put racelands on it. I believe I got 12mm spacers from Turner IIRC. But I also have some nice sized tires on my rims and it will still rub if I turn the steering wheel all the way to the left.

I would have gone with 15mm but I remember reading about some safety issues with those so I stuck with 12s.

Turner provides a guide for deciding what you need:
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-wheel-spacers.aspx

EDIT: I forgot too, depending what size spacer you get you may need to roll your fenders. Luckily I have just enough clearance so that if I hit a bump or anything my fender wont cut up my tire.

[c0lin46and2]

I put some spacers on my white 325 when i put racelands on it. I believe I got 12mm spacers from Turner IIRC. But I also have some nice sized tires on my rims and it will still rub if I turn the steering wheel all the way to the left.

I would have gone with 15mm but I remember reading about some safety issues with those so I stuck with 12s.

Turner provides a guide for deciding what you need:
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-wheel-spacers.aspx

EDIT: I forgot too, depending what size spacer you get you may need to roll your fenders. Luckily I have just enough clearance so that if I hit a bump or anything my fender wont cut up my tire.

That's really helpful. I don't know my wheel dimensions off the top of my head, so I have a little bit of info to get. I just don't have a good spot to even take the wheels off. Damn apartment living with a parking spot on an incline.

edit: This is the thread for the wheels I bought: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1841689-ASA-18-inch-black-AR1-s-for-e36-bmw

[Moron95M3]

Well they make them In 18x8 (et 40)and 18x9(et 45). Judging by the 245 they're 9" wide. Check out my tread for what wheels fit in my signature. Use those specs andcompare. I could help more if I wasn't on my phone

[jjjjjjj]

Without pics a good guess would be that it's something to do with the combination of 18" and a 245 tire... My sedan is pretty low in the rear and my 225/40's on 18x8.5 rub my rear bumper (plastic edge where it meets the sheet metal) on inclines and turning into certain places too fast. Are your RTABs recent? They can allow for quite a bit of movement if they are worn and you wouldn't be able to tell when the car is sitting still... Also the lower the car the more negative camber which usually helps fit larger tires so that could also explain why they fit the other car better.

[c0lin46and2]

Front wheel
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/C0lin/My%20Car/20130715_193639_zps17884b50.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/C0lin/media/My%20Car/20130715_193639_zps17884b50.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/C0lin/My%20Car/20130715_193651_zpsda2dc9ef.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/C0lin/media/My%20Car/20130715_193651_zpsda2dc9ef.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/C0lin/My%20Car/20130715_193708_zps490edd9c.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/C0lin/media/My%20Car/20130715_193708_zps490edd9c.jpg.html)

Rear wheel

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/C0lin/My%20Car/20130715_193736_zpsaeaf4464.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/C0lin/media/My%20Car/20130715_193736_zpsaeaf4464.jpg.html)

Side shot

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/C0lin/My%20Car/20130712_125328_zps419ece80.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/C0lin/media/My%20Car/20130712_125328_zps419ece80.jpg.html)

[jjjjjjj]

Looks like your 2 best options would either some fender rolling or adjustable camber.

If the back still rubs you might need small spacers like 5mm or so just to clear a little better.. Also the condition if your RTAB's could still be a factor for occasional rubbing

Or.. the third option would be to get smaller tires next time like 215/35 would fit great

Looking good though!

[c0lin46and2]

I don't think a fender roll would help me too much. The rubbing almost feels and sounds more like a grinding on the inside during reverse. I need to stop fucking around and just take a wheel off.

Would a 5mm be safe without using longer nuts? The ones I saw on Ebay didn't have the nuts like the bigger spacers.

[jjjjjjj]

I'm no super-expert but I've personally used 5mm spacers with stock bolts. I'm still recommending longer ones..

[c0lin46and2]

Could the wheels be rubbing suspension when I'm backing up? I'm going to eventually install the coilovers I've had for a while and need to figure out where the problem is.

[slocar]

Whatever is rubbing will be pretty apparent when you take the wheels off ...