Apex arc-8 front fitment issues, need help!

[TylerG21]

Okay, so I pulled the trigger on these apex arc-8 concaves.

Specs:

17x9 front, 5mm spacer to clear strut(coilover) Camber:-1.3 Dr, -1.6 Passenger side, with 96+ strut mounts

17x9.5 Rear, rolled, rubs slightly still, Camber:-2.2

On continental ExtremeContact DWS 245/40/17 Front 255/40/17 Rear

Can someone PLEASE tell me why the hell the front sticks out almost 20mm from the fender?? When looking at other cars with the same set up, they fit perfect under the front fender? Will swapping the top strut mounts, removing the helper spring and getting a shorter spring fix this?

Im on FK Konigsport coilovers

They had to jack the front up just so it wouldnt rub.

Pics:

[pbonsalb]

Yes, the concave version of the ARC8 is not available in a proper E36M3 offset. Concave 17 x 9 is ET30. Regular 17 x 9 is ET42. Adding a spacer reduces the offset. Many people use 12 mm spacers with ET42 and end up with the equivalent of ET30. You are using 5 mm spacers with ET30, ending up at ET25. That is about 1/4 inch more sticking out. Also, you are not running much negative camber in the front, so the wheels are not tilted in as much at the top. That also makes them stick out more.

I don't know your coilovers, but ones with helper springs often have more clearance issues. A good coilover like TCK SA Trumatch or Groundcontrol, will use 6 inch springs with no helper spring, and the perch will be located so there is not as much clearance issue.

[TylerG21]

Okay, i guess ill try swapping the strut mounts and ordering 6" springs, and remove the helper spring to see what happens. What spring rate would you recommend? And the FK coilovers i have are basincally the same as the TCKline SA's. Mine are also koni SA based in a coilover housing and spring like the TCKline if that makes sense. Thanks alot for the response and ill see how it turns out within a week or so.

[WhiteGlint969]

Okay, i guess ill try swapping the strut mounts and ordering 6" springs, and remove the helper spring to see what happens. What spring rate would you recommend? And the FK coilovers i have are basincally the same as the TCKline SA's. Mine are also koni SA based in a coilover housing and spring like the TCKline if that makes sense. Thanks alot for the response and ill see how it turns out within a week or so.

I believe a good spring rate is 450F-600R or 500F-650R. Something stupid like that.

Mismatched spring rates make for a very bumpy ride... I have H&R race up front and eibach 700lb-in springs in the rear... Handling is terrible.

[EisnerRacing]

I made the mistake and bought h&r race first way to stiff and bumpy
went with sports / lower and rides better

[TylerG21]

I believe a good spring rate is 450F-600R or 500F-650R. Something stupid like that. Mismatched spring rates make for a very bumpy ride... I have H&R race up front and eibach 700lb-in springs in the rear... Handling is terrible.

Good lord, why so high?? 500F is tooo stiff, the front don drop too much over bumps or dips, but the rears that came with my coilovers are the stock type looking springs so are they progressive? They bounce way more than the front. So maybe ill go with 350R and 400R anyone with a vert have those rates? Or a coupe think thats too stiff or too soft in the back? Thanks you guys

[Xenon7]

Hey. Where did you order the arc-8's from? Looking to order a set for my sedan but not sure if I want to pay $250 each from APEX.

[pbonsalb]

I run 450/500. It is a little stiff but I have been driving it since 2008, almost all street. Less rate will improve the ride, but allow more roll. You have to compromise one way or the other. My view is that the Koni SA are not great for rates over about 550/600.

[TylerG21]

Okay, well after driving around on the new set up yesterday when i got it back, it was verry comfortable! The front is perfect as far as stiffness, but the rear is just too soft for the dips and stuff, ill go 400 or 450 back there and see how it is and remove the front helper spring before ordering a shorter and stiffer spring up front. Thanks for your input!

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[scooper]

if you get tired of rubbing issues or the poke look, I have a set of arc 8s in the proper offset. 17x8.5 hyper silver brand new set.

[jjjjjjj]

You could also consider adding camber shims/ washers at the strut mount bolts, I believe 2mm washers would give you about 1 degree neg camber as well as tuck in the top of the wheels however this would also reduce your clearance between the strut and tire. Still a very cheap and easy mod worth looking into, I've been rolling around with -3.5 up front for about a week but I'll probably back it off a little.

Also your tires seem a little big but you can work around that with more camber. Wheels look great btw

[ImIanYou E36]

Have the same fitment but for different wheels ASA AR-1's ET 20 17x8.5 all around. I'll be attempting to remedy this by a little more camber and a little bit skinnier tire width wise.

[pbonsalb]

You could also consider adding camber shims/ washers at the strut mount bolts, I believe 2mm washers would give you about 1 degree neg camber as well as tuck in the top of the wheels however this would also reduce your clearance between the strut and tire. Still a very cheap and easy mod worth looking into, I've been rolling around with -3.5 up front for about a week but I'll probably back it off a little.

Also your tires seem a little big but you can work around that with more camber. Wheels look great btw

I think this is the answer. My 17 x 9 ARC8 ET42 with 10 mm spacer equal ET32, which is about what the OP would be running without the spacers. I run 2.75 degrees negative camber and have no complaints about how the wheels look. I am also lower than stock.

My guess is that he went to the spacers and the high ride height because of his coilovers, which use a helper spring. That drops the lower perch to the point where it interference with clearance. With 6 inch springs and no helper spring, he should not need the spacer and should have enough clearance with his ET30 to run a little more negative camber. Without camber plates, however, he will have to do what you suggest -- shimming the two lowest strut bolts and running a crash bolt for the sideways bolt.

[TylerG21]

if you get tired of rubbing issues or the poke look, I have a set of arc 8s in the proper offset. 17x8.5 hyper silver brand new set.

Hmm, well if i cant figure it out, ill definatly talk to you since youre in DC and im always up in fairfax visiting my girlfriend at GMU, thanks!

[TylerG21]

You could also consider adding camber shims/ washers at the strut mount bolts, I believe 2mm washers would give you about 1 degree neg camber as well as tuck in the top of the wheels however this would also reduce your clearance between the strut and tire. Still a very cheap and easy mod worth looking into, I've been rolling around with -3.5 up front for about a week but I'll probably back it off a little. Also your tires seem a little big but you can work around that with more camber. Wheels look great btw

Im going to swap the top hats, remove the helper spring and 5mm spacer and see how it looks! If the camber isnt enough ill look into camber plates. But yea, i looked it up, and continental tires run taller and wider than most so i may have to put 245's on the rear in order to drop the car. It is so damn high right now, im going to order swift springs for the rear and see how those are but thanks man, i am so in love with these wheels, i just hope i can get them to look right!

[TylerG21]

I think this is the answer. My 17 x 9 ARC8 ET42 with 10 mm spacer equal ET32, which is about what the OP would be running without the spacers. I run 2.75 degrees negative camber and have no complaints about how the wheels look. I am also lower than stock. My guess is that he went to the spacers and the high ride height because of his coilovers, which use a helper spring. That drops the lower perch to the point where it interference with clearance. With 6 inch springs and no helper spring, he should not need the spacer and should have enough clearance with his ET30 to run a little more negative camber. Without camber plates, however, he will have to do what you suggest -- shimming the two lowest strut bolts and running a crash bolt for the sideways bolt.

Thanks for the input too! Im going to try doing what i mentioned in the post above first, the main spring is roughly 6 1/2" uncompressed, i know this because i asked a guy selling the same exact set on here to measure his. But im going to look into swift springs at 6" like you mentioned.

[pbonsalb]

You will have to roll the rears a lot. 9.5 is wide and you are pushing your wheels out with the ET30 offset. There is actually less clearance as you go out due to the design of the rear wheel well. I have run Continental DW in 255/40/17 (now Dunlop Z2 in same size) on my ARC8 ET42 and am heavily rolled and pulled in the rear. My ride height is only about 1 inch lower than stock presently, and I still rub occasionally with people in the back seat. I do not think you will find a satisfactory solution for the rear. You have two options. 1 is to run skinnier tires. 2 is to cut and weld up the rear wells and run flares. I am considering 2, since my interest is performance, not looks. I may even to to 275/40/17 in the rear -- and when you use flares, the lower offset wheel is what you want, so you can space it out into the new opening and fit a wider tire.

It is going to take some work and some money to make those wheels fit well with anything but stretched tires. Beware that when you lower, your alignment changes for both toe and camber, and that you may prematurely wear your inside tread unless you realign pretty quickly.

[jjjjjjj]

You probably won't "need" camber plates if you swap the hats, especially the 96+ hats. The shims are probably overlooked by some and you can safely get up to -2 more degrees for less than $30 with a kit and less than $10 with a trip to the hardware store, just don't cheap out on the longer bolts if you go that route... Steering is sort of important.

That being said camber plates are great if you have the money, my cheapies allowed a max of -2.8 and I love the added stiffness.

People are doing some extreme rolling and pulling with the rears fenders of these cars so I'm sure you can get more clearance out of them. Unless you are into the "stance" look then more meat on the tire is always better!