Tire Clearance After Installing Camber Shims

[CoolDad]

Can someone offer me a rule of thumb as to how much static clearance I should maintain between the tire and strut to prevent rubbing? I ask this because I will be evaluating adding shims to my 95 M3 to give me more negative camber up front.

245/40-17 running 32 to 34 psig if it matters.

[95s52]

What kind of shims will you be using? How much neg. camber are you looking for? I am trying for the same front front set up in my 95. Let me know what it works out!

[metale]

I don't THINK it will work without spacers. I use 1,5mm shims, 16'' et 34 wheels, 225 tires, and I've got light tire rubbing on the struts. With e36 offsets and 245, it will get really tight.

[284Shooter]

I run Bimmeworld shim (have Vorshlag plates sitting on the kitchen floor, but I'm lazy) with -2.3 camber up front inside of 235/40/17 Star Specs and I clear. Running stock Style 22's form the '95 M3 on Bilstein Sports.

I have a feeling you are going to rub. I have very little clearance.

[CoolDad]

I also am running stock DS1s (style 22 which are 7.5 inches wide front and rear) all around with Bilstein Sport struts. The only reason I'm not staying with the 235/40-17 stock size is the new tires I will be mounting don't come in that size.

I'm trying to achieve a camber of -2° to -2.5° as recommended in the ultimate alignment thread. I'm hoping this is achievable by shimming in the 3mm to 4mm range without rubbing.

The car is actually my son's and he has it at college right now. Otherwise, I'd be crawling around underneath it taking measurements.

[Herb]

Thought about just getting '96+ top hats and swaping them?

Shooter - I'll trade you my stock top hats for the Vorshlags, even strait-up trade. That way they can take up space on my car instead of your floor.

[CoolDad]

I'll only consider the hat swap if I can't get what I'm after with a shim only approach. Plus, with only shims, there is not a reduction in castor as there apparently is with the 96 plus hats. Not to mention, going with shims keeps the cost minimal because there's plenty of other things to throw money at.

[284Shooter]

Shooter - I'll trade you my stock top hats for the Vorshlags, even strait-up trade. That way they can take up space on my car instead of your floor.

if I don't go to coilovers, these will get installed this fall. if I do, they'll go up for sale with the Bilstein/H&R combo.

OP,

Have you already bought the tires? If so, check the tire makers web site for width (not tread width, tire width) on the specific rim size. In our case, we rarely find it as most manufatcurers want you to run an 8 to 8.5' wheel to fit a 235. I know guys who ran 255's on 8" rims for years on the track with no problems,, though that's not the route I would take.

[JETninja]

I run them, -2.5 up front. I do run 8mm spacers to clear the strut.....

Would love the Camber Plates!

[CoolDad]

I was hoping for a type of response that I'm not getting. Here's what I'm after:

If you can slip a X mm allen wrench between the tire and the strut while sitting in the driveway, that tire won't rub during spirited driving on the street.

Now, can someone suggest what that dimension X should be, preferably based on what you have found works?

[das borgen]

Can someone offer me a rule of thumb as to how much static clearance I should maintain between the tire and strut to prevent rubbing? I ask this because I will be evaluating adding shims to my 95 M3 to give me more negative camber up front.

245/40-17 running 32 to 34 psig if it matters.

depends on the tire really


a 245/40/17 hoosier A6 (9.3" tread width) is MUCH wider than a 245/40/17 hankook V12 evo (8.4" tread width)



FWIW, on a stock rear Contour (8.5" wide), I would be rubbing with my lower struts spaced to give me -1.5deg ... I had to space by 5mm up front to avoid rubbing


if my suspension geometry kinematics don t fail me, the inside edge of the tire should not be moving relative to the spring perch of the strut.... So you can just check for rubbing statically by spinning the tire by hand and looking for scuffing and listening for noise

[Herb]

I get what you are asking - If you have enough space between the tire and the strut, be it 1mm or 5mm, that the tire does not rub while jacked up and spun by hand, then you will be fine as the amount of tire deflection at the TOP of the tire under load should be effectively nil.

[mmark.]

You'll need front spacers.
I suspect you'll need 8mm minimum to clear the camber you want.
Tyre dimensions for the same size vary.
The brand of strut varies with the last updated Bil sport struts affording the least space.

The numbers would be available to you if you had the car and could measure.
I used 10mm to clear 235 on an 8.5" ET41 with Bimmerworld thin shims.

Best that you measure and test fit on the actual chassis.
You can superglue cheap washers together to mimic wheel spacer.

m

[Inicent Child]

stock suspension I run 2.2mm of shimps up front. No spacers used at all.

The tire does come very close. I have Hankook Ventus V12s.

I think it all depends on how wide/tall your tires side wall is.

It was kinda BS lol, my alignment showed I only got 1.2-3 degrees of camber in the front....

Next time I get tires I might just swap the hats permanently.