Tire Rub / Camber question

[Kevin E21]

Do you guys have issues with your tires rubbing?

I've only got stock 13" sport wheels, and every time I hit a dip in the road my tire rubs on the fender. I have to look into what the suspension setup is on my car, but I know it has Bilstein sports, and some kind of lowering springs. (P/O told me H&R, but I don't know if this is true.)

Is this normal? I know some of you run bigger wheels, but I don't understand why it rubs so easily if I am only running 13" wheels. (Not sure of the tire size) Is my car too low?

Also, it's normal for there to be a little bit of negative camber in the rear, correct? One of my coworkers commented on it, but I always thought it was somewhat normal on lowered e21s. It's not excessive, it's just a little bit.

You can look at my sig, but does it look like the rear is lower than the front?

[BruceH]

You have a tall tire on there. Give us the tire size you are running.

[Madhatter]

Not enough travel in the shocks when lowered, probably find they have very little compression ability and they are almost (or have reached) the point where they will bottom out. Its a fairly common thing to encounter when people fit lowered springs and dont have shocks revaled to suit.

Rear camber is a problem on lowered E21's, depending on how far you lower the car it can be very excessive, enough to cause very early tyre wear (and toast a set of tyres).

[BMWJNKY]

My '81 320i was lowered and had 13X6.5 ET18 Malhe / BBS wheels with 205/60/13's and I never had any issues with rubbing.

Are you sure its the tire rubbing and not something else in the suspension making noise under compression?

[blitzed310]

Mine rubbed just a bit when I had it on the second to last perch on the Sports. This is also with H&R's. I raised it to the second to top perch and there was just a slight rubbing when under hard acceleration from a stop. I grinded off about 3/16" from the inner fender lip and that solved the problem.

The E21 when lowered in the rear takes on excessive camber, even with a camber kit, there is still quite of bit of negative camber hanging around. Its an odd situation, because you can have the exact set-up as someone else and one can have rubbing issues and the other does not.

I was running Alpina's 205/50/15 et12

[JTFormula]

I have 205/60/13's and under hard cornering, mine rubs a tad. I actually think its the mud flaps but I never see any rub marks on them. Mine is stock shocks/springs.

[Kevin E21]

Yeah, I have 205/60/13's all around. I don't think it's rubbing in the wheel well, but I think the outer lip of the fender rubs ever so slightly if I hit a big dip, or take a very hard corner, like you mentioned CJ.

I guess I'm not too concerned about the negative camber, I don't think it's very excessive, I just wasn't sure. I've seen Shadyduk1979, and I know he probably has more negative camber in his rear than I do.

I guess it's nothing to really worry about as I will probably be upgrading to 15's and that may solve the problem, (or make it worse) and I'll just deal with it then.

[shadyduk1979]

Yeah, I have 205/60/13's all around. I don't think it's rubbing in the wheel well, but I think the outer lip of the fender rubs ever so slightly if I hit a big dip, or take a very hard corner, like you mentioned CJ.

I guess I'm not too concerned about the negative camber, I don't think it's very excessive, I just wasn't sure. I've seen Shadyduk1979, and I know he probably has more negative camber in his rear than I do.

I guess it's nothing to really worry about as I will probably be upgrading to 15's and that may solve the problem, (or make it worse) and I'll just deal with it then.

The good news is you have a friend who owns a fender roller *Cough* Brent*Cough*
Mine are rolled

[JTFormula]

Mmmmm roll........

[ProjectP]

Your car doesnt look any lower than mine, mine has 0 rub problems. I know im not running 205s tho, it might be the width of the tire i dunno. Im not sure what im running and im too lazy to go outside and look

oh and negative camber will help your tires from rubbing against the fender as it brings the top in

[jjgbmw323]

I have lots of negative camber as well.
All of my fender and quarters where rolled.
E21s do have this issue.

Kevin, my suggestion would be to either buy kmacs from Bav auto,
or better take the rear subframe from the wrecked 320i and get that one slotted.

I have a Dinan one that you can take a look at and see what they did and replicate it with yours for cheap......

[Madhatter]

205/50's here and lowered what looks like more than 2 inches, rubs on the guard on large bumps. I find its not so much large bumps, but a bump followed by another bump which causes it. The suspension loads up and is compressed then the spring oscilates and gets hit with the next bump which ends up rubbing on the guard. Switched to 195/55's now and its pretty sweet, top of the tyre is pulled in a little too which helps with the problem, im going to have the lips rolled when i get the new bonnet painted.

Miles of rear camber here too, my boss just shakes his head every time he see's the car in the morning. Ive got a subframe here to be welded up so that will fix the problem

[AlaskaBimmer]

I'm running E-30 Bourbet rims(with spacers) with 205/50 tires and a lowered suspention. mine rub in the front on lock turns although it rubs less as the tires wear, and the back only rub like stated above when I hit a pothole folowed by another pothole.

[RadVortex]

If some of you are having problems with 205/50's or 60's rubbing, then can I assume that 215/50-13's would have a really bad rubbing problem? I'm just curious, since you're on the subject.