Lowered cars out there...doesn't wheel always hit fender?

[blk_muzda]

I got my car lowered for a while now, and there is only about half an inch between the tires and fender.

Whenever I go over bumps, tiny pot holes, railroad, construction uneven road, my wheels always hit the fender making this horrible sound.

Do you guys have similar experiences?

[Skarbro]

What offsets are you running? What lowering setup?

[blk_muzda]

Just stock wheels with tein H-techs and stock shocks

[Kevin@nextmod]

i think your shocks are almost done or done.

[wtom]

Maybe I shouldn't play my music so loud cuz I don't hear anything ... BUTTTT... how long have you had lowering springs on your car?

[Wild Weasel]

i think your shocks are almost done or done.


Bad shocks won't cause contact with the fenders.

If it's the stock wheels, then it sounds to me like you've just gone too low. The travel you have was never intended, so you're hitting the fenders.

Have you checked your tires for marks? Where is it hitting exactly? Front or back? Inside or outside?

[DrunknFoo]

I'm on the H-techs myself and have no problems with the stock rims/tires rubbing/hitting the fender (although i rub the inner wheel well now with my winter tires). btw, did you pick the H-techs from ebay? if so they could be fake...

[blk_muzda]

i think your shocks are almost done or done.


Bad shocks won't cause contact with the fenders.

If it's the stock wheels, then it sounds to me like you've just gone too low.* The travel you have was never intended, so you're hitting the fenders.

Have you checked your tires for marks?* Where is it hitting exactly?* Front or back?* Inside or outside?


I got my car lowered for 4 months. H-techs are suppose to be the most moderate drop, so I don't think I went too low as a lot of people on the forum got a bigger drop than mine.

Not sure if it's the shocks done, cause I only had the car for a year.

It's usually the front that hits. I think it's either the tires hitting the fenders or the shocks bottoming out.

There's a question I want to ask. When you go over bumps doesn't your wheels move up and down due to the shocks being compressed? and wouldn't that cause the wheels to touch the fender?

[blk_muzda]

I'm on the H-techs myself and have no problems with the stock rims/tires rubbing/hitting the fender (although i rub the inner wheel well now with my winter tires). btw, did you pick the H-techs from ebay? if so they could be fake...


Got mine from tires23. So with H-techs, even when you go over railroads, you don't hear any bangings coming from the front? I have a sedan

[Wild Weasel]

There's a question I want to ask. When you go over bumps doesn't your wheels move up and down due to the shocks being compressed? and wouldn't that cause the wheels to touch the fender?


When you go over bumps, the wheels move up and down as the springs compress. That's your suspension travel. The wheel should be able to move throughout it's entire range of travel without hitting anything. That's how it's engineered.

If it's hitting something, then it's likely that you've allowed travel that wasn't engineered to happen.

If the bang is just the sound of it bottoming out, then the wheels aren't actually hitting anythign. Did you remove your bump stops or cut them or anything when you installed the springs? That can make bottoming out much more dramatic than it normally is. :)

Check your tires for marks. If they're hitting something, you should see the aftermath.

[DrunknFoo]

i think your shocks are almost done or done.


Bad shocks won't cause contact with the fenders.

If it's the stock wheels, then it sounds to me like you've just gone too low.* The travel you have was never intended, so you're hitting the fenders.

Have you checked your tires for marks?* Where is it hitting exactly?* Front or back?* Inside or outside?


I got my car lowered for 4 months. H-techs are suppose to be the most moderate drop, so I don't think I went too low as a lot of people on the forum got a bigger drop than mine.

Not sure if it's the shocks done, cause I only had the car for a year.

It's usually the front that hits. I think it's either the tires hitting the fenders or the shocks bottoming out.

There's a question I want to ask. When you go over bumps doesn't your wheels move up and down due to the shocks being compressed? and wouldn't that cause the wheels to touch the fender?


your shocks should be fine, the wheel gap shouldn't decrease and cause your rubbers to hit the fender unless your rolling over them really fast. Did you cut too much of your bump stop? if the bump stop is cut too short then that could explain why your rubbing/hitting your fender....

[MAZDA Kitten]

This doesnt sound normal as H Techs are a mild drop; that is very strange that you are rubbing

I have S techs and 17x8 rims and I have never ever rubbed

[Wild Weasel]

if the bump stop is cut too short then that could explain why your rubbing/hitting your fender....


Yup.

[blk_muzda]

Nope, I didn't cut my bumpstops. WHen you guys say rubbing, does that occur when the wheel rubs the fender even on a smooth road?

[MAZDA Kitten]

I didnt even bother to cut my bump stop...

[wtom]

Nope, I didn't cut my bumpstops. WHen you guys say rubbing, does that occur when the wheel rubs the fender even on a smooth road?


More so when going over bumps or into pot holes.

[blk_muzda]

Nope, I didn't cut my bumpstops. WHen you guys say rubbing, does that occur when the wheel rubs the fender even on a smooth road?


More so when going over bumps or into pot holes.


Well if that's the case I think I might be going over the railroads and bumps a little too fast so instead of rubbing like you guys I get an instant contact causing the banging sound. So since aftermarket wheels are usually lower offset, does that mean it's more likely you'll rub if you got your car lowered and get wheels

[wtom]

Well if that's the case I think I might be going over the railroads and bumps a little too fast...


Dude, easy on the shocks. :D

[DrunknFoo]

oh that 'thumping' sound when hitting a pothole or when ur car's trying to jump over the tracks is normal (or at least it is for me). Just try to slow down. =D

[Wild Weasel]

Yeah, it sounds like you're just bottoming out. That happens. It just happens more when you're lowered since you've got less travel. Springs rates can't make up for all of it.

Have you checked for tire damage yet?

[blk_muzda]

Yeah, it sounds like you're just bottoming out.* That happens.* It just happens more when you're lowered since you've got less travel.* Springs rates can't make up for all of it.

Have you checked for tire damage yet?


There aren't any visible damage or tire marks on the fender.

From my understanding, bottoming out means that shocks are compressed to its maximum amount. Therefore I don't think my shocks are bottoming out since I never had this problem before lowering the car. I think there is just not enough room for wheels movement between the tires and fenders when going over railroads and such, causing the bang.

I mentioned earlier that this only happens in the front. And when I check the front and back fenders, the back fenders does have a lot more clearance, while the front only has about an inch.

This doesn't happen as much now cause I go very slow whenever I go pass railroads and try to avoid all potholes.

[wtom]

This doesn't happen as much now cause I go very slow whenever I go pass railroads and try to avoid all potholes.


Slow on speedbumps, railroads, minibumps on the hwys, etc.

When swerving to avoid potholes, don't be an ass about it. I watched a Civic hatch a few weeks ago swerve and almost hit the poor car in the lane beside him/her. ::) (Hey I don't make the stereotypes, I just tell it like I see it.)

[Wild Weasel]

Bang? If it's a bang, then you're almost certainly bottoming out. Bottoming out happens when there's no more travel. Either the strut has bottomed out or the spring has fully compressed or you've hit the bump stops. All of these will cause that.

Rubbing the fender or anything else won't cause a bang. It'll cause a squeal or a grinding/scraping noise.

And if you've got a proper road-going suspension, you shouldn't have to swerve around any normal potholes. I don't. Sure, you want to avoid the giant car-eating ones... but so does everyone. You should be able to go over your average annoying ones and train tracks and stuff without issue. If you can't, then you've somehow screwed up your suspension. :)

[blk_muzda]

Bang?* If it's a bang, then you're almost certainly bottoming out.* Bottoming out happens when there's no more travel.* Either the strut has bottomed out or the spring has fully compressed or you've hit the bump stops.* All of these will cause that.

Rubbing the fender or anything else won't cause a bang.* It'll cause a squeal or a grinding/scraping noise.

And if you've got a proper road-going suspension, you shouldn't have to swerve around any normal potholes.* I don't.* Sure, you want to avoid the giant car-eating ones...* but so does everyone.* You should be able to go over your average annoying ones and train tracks and stuff without issue.* If you can't, then you've somehow screwed up your suspension.* :)


Maybe I should check it out at a garage. I don't think it's the shocks or springs since they are fairly new, but I might be wrong. Does lowering increase the chance of hitting the bump stops?

[Wild Weasel]

Maybe I should check it out at a garage. I don't think it's the shocks or springs since they are fairly new, but I might be wrong. Does lowering increase the chance of hitting the bump stops?


Absolutely. Less travel generally means more bottoming out. That's part of the game. ;D

[Steven_mzd3]

i have sportlines and with my stock rims and tires and they never rub, even with the car filled with people!

[Broli]

i rub

prokits

my summer tires rubbed in the back(bad till rolled fenders) and front minimal

my winters are rubbing in the front occasionally (fully turned wheel)

didn't rub last year and i wasn't lowered then!

i think the camber plays a role in the rubbing here????
mazda-baa with the same size tires and rims and offset as me has sportlines and doesn't rub! could it be the camber just gets them to clear without rubbing?


bottoming out!
happens man, take it ease on the bumps!!

:D