tires rubbing fenders,what to do?: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Aug. 2, 2009 1:32 p.m. Mazdax605 Reader

Hey guys,

Some may remember my 78 Datsun 510 coupe. It is actually for sale here as well,but I doubt I will sell it so I need to figure out what to do with an issue I am having.

I bought new tires,and wheels for it,and they have vastly improved the appearance of the car. The only thing is I bought Zero offset wheels thinking they would be okay. They are fne in the rear,but on the front they stick out too far,and with my large ass in the car,and 31+ year old springs the 195-50/15's rub the fenders while cornering,and hitting bumps(two things that are unavoidable here in MA). I thought about just rolling the fender lips,but I don't think that will be enough. I also thought about buying a pair of maybe 15x6 rewinds that match with a +10 or so offset,but that combination doesn't seem to exist. I guess my only options are maybe 14x6,or 7 +9,or +10 wheels on the front,fender flares which I would rather not do,or all new rims ,and tires all around in some style,and brand that I am not sure how they will look.

I figure the all,and mighty GRM could help me with my options. So please don't let me down your my only hope.
Aug. 2, 2009 1:46 p.m. snipes New Reader

I do not have anything helpful to say, but I would love to see some picture. As a start I would go for stiffer springs and rolling the lips. That sounds like the cheapest way to start. The stiffer springs help the handling so they will be a double bonus.
Aug. 2, 2009 2:49 p.m. maroon92 UltraDork

at least stock replacement springs would increase the ride height...I would go there first.
Aug. 2, 2009 2:49 p.m. maroon92 UltraDork

maybe a shorter sidwall on the tire?
Aug. 2, 2009 3:10 p.m. Trans_Maro HalfDork

The "box flare" thread is on here somewhere...

Shawn
Aug. 2, 2009 3:26 p.m. Will Reader

Is there enough room on the wheel mounting flange to machine a little bit of material away? I'm not talking about huge amounts here...a friend of mine with another T-Bird SC put Mustang wheels on the car and to get the front offset right he machined 3mm off the wheel mounting surface. It brought the wheels in enough to avoid any rubbing, anyway. Just don't get carried away!
Aug. 2, 2009 5:11 p.m. PHeller HalfDork

Get stiffer springs or coilovers of some sort, that'll solve many problems at once.

Pros - Adjustable Ride Height, Stiffer Springs that could eliminate rubbing and improve performance

Cons - May be a little less comfortable to drive, pricey
Aug. 2, 2009 5:41 p.m. TJ HalfDork

link to ad with pics
Aug. 2, 2009 6:10 p.m. carguy123 Dork

Return the rims for some with the proper offset? I know that's a crazy idea but since they are new
Aug. 2, 2009 7:28 p.m. dean1484 Dork

Looking at the photos I think you could roll those fenders. BUT I think the paint may be the real problem. There for since it looks like a VERY nice car I would considder getting another set of fenders and going to town on them. Flairs, rolling or what ever. Once you get corect paint and enjoy. You will always have the originals in the shop to put back on at a later date if you want.

Or the return the wheels and get the proper offset sounds like a good option. Even if you have to shell out a little $$$ it would probably be cheaper and a bunch less time that the option I noted above.

How bad are they rubbing? I had a set of BFG's that rubbed on my car. I then put SP2000's on and no rub Is this something that if you did combined a little fender rolling with a title milling machining of the wheels and another brand of tire and your problem goes away? I bet combining the three you could pick up 3/8 of an inch and with a little creative thinking may be as much as 1/2 an inch of clearance.
Aug. 2, 2009 9:00 p.m. bamalama Reader

Good luck finding more fenders for that car.

You could do the 280ZX brake swap, I believe that helps with 0 offset wheel fitment.
Aug. 2, 2009 9:10 p.m. Mazdax605 Reader

I have been told by the guy I bought the car from who is a Datsun fanatic that the 280ZX strut swap is a good way to go,but I have no idea how involved it is,and I don't have access to a vast array of 280ZX's around here in the rust belt.
Aug. 2, 2009 9:15 p.m. Mazdax605 Reader

Here is a link with more pics. The last one sort of shows the amount the rim/tire sticks out in front,but the wheel is turned a bit to the left so it is a bit deceiving.

http://web.mac.com/cdirado/iWeb/Diradosite/78-Datsun-510.html

Chris
Aug. 2, 2009 9:23 p.m. bamalama Reader

The struts themselves aren't hard at all to swap, just a little heavy with the rotor and caliper attached. I had mine off the other weekend so I could chop the springs. The hard part is welding the 510 spring perches onto the ZX strut housing. I'm waiting until I get some cool wheels like yours to put ZX stuff on.