Going low

[UBERS4]

I wanted to post here in the A4 section as more people seem to run low/aggressive suspension setups on their A4's rather than the S4 guys. I am running Tein SS coils with a 24 1/4 inch fender to ground measurement. After removing the 12 o'clock bolt in the front front, my rubbing has seized in the front. However, I am still getting some rubbing in the rear, either over big bumps at speed or with multiple people in the car.

I really don't want to have to raise the ride height but I want to avoid rubbing at all costs. I basically want to see what people do who are as low as me or even lower. From what I can see and hear, I am only rubbing the carpet and not the fender. Nothing this, is it worth even worrying about?

My last question is what would be the problem with running more negative camber to correct this? I obviously know it impacts tire life but realistically, how much? I have another alignment set up for Tuesday so I'd really like to get everything dialed it.

[RogueStatus]

rubbing at 24 1/4inch ground to fender?! im at 21" with no rub gotta love B5's

[B6driver]

your probably just rubbing on the liner. try to cut or remove the liner and see if you still rub.. either way, it will fix it self if you do nothing (ie wearing down or ripping off) in anycase, theres nothing to worry about. applying negative camber will help, but it will still be rubbing on the carpet. i had the same issue with a 24.5" drop and running 18x9.5 et 35 running 245 tires (little stretch)

[aaaudiprotein]

contact Captain, he knows whats up

[UBERS4]

your probably just rubbing on the liner. try to cut or remove the liner and see if you still rub.. either way, it will fix it self if you do nothing (ie wearing down or ripping off) in anycase, theres nothing to worry about. applying negative camber will help, but it will still be rubbing on the carpet. i had the same issue with a 24.5" drop and running 18x9.5 et 35 running 245 tires (little stretch)

Great advice, thanks!

I'm going to shoot a PM to Captain as well. Thanks guys. Any more thoughts would be appreciated.

[actlsub9]

What tires are you running in the rear (brand and size) and what size and offset are the wheels?

[jojoampt]

so how do you remove the bolt under the front fender? im at 25 in front and i rub when i go over a bump. do you just dremel it off? whats it even there for?

[actlsub9]

so how do you remove the bolt under the front fender? im at 25 in front and i rub when i go over a bump. do you just dremel it off? whats it even there for?

You could dremel it off... I would recommend just unscrewing it

[ThatGuyAlex]

so how do you remove the bolt under the front fender? im at 25 in front and i rub when i go over a bump. do you just dremel it off? whats it even there for?

It holds your fender liner on. But u can just use a zip tie if you want. How are you rubbing at 25" tho. Whats the offset on your wheel?

[jojoampt]

35, i was wondering the same thing, i dont rub unless i go over a big bump or dip, i think the tires i got are a bit beefier than most even though they are 235/35/19 they seem beefier... they are BF Goodrich G-force 2's... oh and i dont even have a fender liner in front...

[UBERS4]

What tires are you running in the rear (brand and size) and what size and offset are the wheels?

Running 235/35/19 Dunlop Sport Maxx tires. Wheels are 19x8 inch DPE's w/ custom offsets. I don't have the exact number but will get it.

I never had a problem until I got the car this low. It seems that extra 1/2 inch made all the difference in the world but I'm determined to get it right. I'm awaiting a PM from Captain so maybe he can chime in.

And the 12 o'clock screw is an easy fix, unscrew and bend the tab in. Like noted, it's designed to hold the felt in but without it, it won't matter. It will take care of your rubbing in the front guaranteed. I really don't know how you rub at 25 inches. Unless your tires are just that much beefier.

[actlsub9]

Running 235/35/19 Dunlop Sport Maxx tires. Wheels are 19x8 inch DPE's w/ custom offsets. I don't have the exact number but will get it.

I also have the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx except in a 225/35/19 and my wheels are 19x8.5 et32 and I am at 24" even all around without rubbing problems. Maybe your DPE's have a lower offset?

You can see how close it is here though...

[B6driver]

heres my setup 18x9.5 et 35 with 245 tires

[b6onboost]

trim the rear fender liner.

[A4ringedONE8T]

I would recommend not going past -2 degrees in the back, the inside of the tires will wear horribly. My last alignment I had the back set at -2.5 to help the same problem with 9.5's (245/35) in the back. It did help, still rubbed on big bumps or with anyone in the back but never damaged the fender or paint, only the carpet wheel well liner

Heres a few clearance pics of my car, height is 24.5" rear , 24.25 front

[Capt. Obvious]

If you're just rubbing on fender carpet, it's nothing to really worry about. You have two choices to fix it: trim the part off that's rubbing, or just let it keep rubbing and it will eventually get worn off by the tire and stop.

If you're rubbing on the fender, you'll want to camber in the wheels a little bit. By the sounds of it, you're just barely rubbing, so you won't need a lot. I have a DIY for camber adjustment here.

As for tire life, I run close to 4 degrees of camber in the rear on my car and I get pretty decent tire life. It's not really the camber that kills your tires as much as the toe-in that often comes with the camber. If you have the car aligned with minimal toe-in you should have pretty normal tire wear.

[UBERS4]

Alright guys, I'm still rubbing slightly and it's getting really annoying. Now, I seem to be rubbing in the front a little even though I removed the 12 o'clock bolt. There's some slight marks on the inside of the fender that gives it away.

My wheel offset - et30. What's the best way to combat all of this? Run more camber front and rear?

[Capt. Obvious]

Switch your tires to 225/35's.

[UBERS4]

Switch your tires to 225/35's.

I wish I could. I just got these tires from Dunlop and they're brand new. It would be sin to dump them.

I'm going to look in to rolling/pulling the fenders. I got some other work that will be happening on my car over the next few months so this would be a good time to get the fenders done.

This might be a noob type question but if I'm only rubbing slightly and not too often on the fenders, is it that big of a worry?

[El_Chapusca]

Just get them rolled then

[A4Rob]

This might be a noob type question but if I'm only rubbing slightly and not too often on the fenders, is it that big of a worry?

Not at all. Start worrying when you are cording the sidewall from rubbing.