Wheel clearance with fender lip

[Schroeder]

I've read on here 3/8" - 1/2" is sufficient. I check this by putting a large flat object across the face of my wheel and tire's outermost point. A portion of this straight edge extends to the wheel well lip. I measure 3/8" from this projected surface.


I see pics like this and it's obvious the tire face isn't 3/8" away from the inner wheel well lip. I know because I am working on one of these. The quarter lip is 1". Even if the lip was trimmed to ,1/4" you can see the tire isn't that far in away from it. It looks like the tire face is flush with the outside of the quarter.

I like this look, but I don't understand how these setups are getting away with no bottoming out, hitting, and rubbing.



Can any one comment on this? I've looked at so many cars that look like this (again I like this look), but I can't complete my build only to deal with rubbing. I flared my quarter to make sure I get 3/8" clearance when measuring how I've described. The wheel looks a little inset. I don't like it as well as this look where the tire face looks to be flush with the outside of the quarter.

Is there so little suspension travel that the axle will hit the rubber hard stop before the wheel hits the quarter lip?

[Schroeder]

anyone have any information on what I'm missing here? I don't see how this example and others just like it aren't rubbing if there is 2" - 3" suspension travel.

[dhutton]

Couple of thoughts.

It’s unusual for both sides to deflect 2-3” so the wheel moving tends to rotate into the wheel opening. The sway bar will also limit travel in this case.

Suspension is likely very stiff on that car.

It likely rubs in some cases.

The lip is trimmed on that car.

Don

[Schroeder]

Very good point about the rotation of the wheel as one side to flex downward. Very simple concept that I had not considered! Thank you. I appreciate the insight. I have reached out to this car builder on Instagram and did receive one initial reply, but I have not heard back a second time.

[Lonnies Performance]

How you drive makes a big difference. A show car can get away with less clearance than a car that is raced.

It is not uncommon to see 1.5" vertical travel even with stiff suspension.
As mentioned above, the rotation of the tire (such at turning into an off camber driveway), pivots the tire inward helping somewhat.

I do not suggest using bump stops to limit the travel as this can induce sudden over steer when hitting the rear stops mid corner.
Caved in quarter panels are far worse than a tire scuff.

Where I had issues is with body roll during hard cornering... the body rolls, the tire flexes & the suspension can also squat at the same time.
Fortunately this is more prevalent on the inside of the tire. I was getting slight contact with 5/8" clearance, but a larger sway bar helped.

Keep in mind, a leaf spring car with rubber bushings is going to move a lot more than a 4 link with a panhard bar & solid rod ends.

Also a stretched tire on a wider wheel lets the wheel sit flush, while allowing the tire to roll inward away from the body... not that I'm suggesting a tire 3" narrower than the wheel either.

[Schroeder]

How you drive makes a big difference. A show car can get away with less clearance than a car that is raced.

It is not uncommon to see 1.5" vertical travel even with stiff suspension.
As mentioned above, the rotation of the tire (such at turning into an off camber driveway), pivots the tire inward helping somewhat.

I do not suggest using bump stops to limit the travel as this can induce sudden over steer when hitting the rear stops mid corner.
Caved in quarter panels are far worse than a tire scuff.

What are you saying here with the caved in quarter panels? Are you saying a wreck can occur from the over steer or are you eluding to some other failure associated with oversteer?

Where I had issues is with body roll during hard cornering... the body rolls, the tire flexes & the suspension can also squat at the same time.
Fortunately this is more prevalent on the inside of the tire. I was getting slight contact with 5/8" clearance, but a larger sway bar helped.

Keep in mind, a leaf spring car with rubber bushings is going to move a lot more than a 4 link with a panhard bar & solid rod ends.

Also a stretched tire on a wider wheel lets the wheel sit flush, while allowing the tire to roll inward away from the body... not that I'm suggesting a tire 3" narrower than the wheel either.

I have a DSE quadralink, their quadralink sway bar (I forget the bar rate right now. They have two), and the DSE 250lb coil over springs. The wheels are 345/30-19s on 19x12 wheels.