Track width with brake upgrade, front is too wide?

[npdw]

Hi all,

I have a BMW 2002 with a big brake setup from this forum:

• Front: normal 02 struts with E21 hubs, E21 vented disks and redrilled Volvo calipers from IE
• Rear: E21 drums
• Wheels and tires: BBS RS001 with 195/50 R15 front and back. 

 

My rims and wheels are all the same front and back, but now I am building my car and I am putting things together I see a larger width between the front wheels compared to the rear. In the front my wheels are also wider then my fenders, while the rear sits nice and flush with the fenders. I did some measuring and my conclusion was that my track width is wider in the front compared to the rear. 

 

Did I do something wrong? Or is this normal with this upgrade and do I have to modify something? 

 

gr, niels

Edited July 1, 2019 by npdw

[2002Scoob]

Is it lowered?

 

RS's will tuck nicely into the rear fenders without modifications even quite low, Whereas the fronts will need massaging. 

 

I have a 50mm drop, RS001's with 195's, as well as camber-plates to tuck the tops in even further.

 

I still had to roll and pull my fronts to where they were inside the lip and didn't rub on cornering compressions. 

 

-J

[npdw]

3 hours ago, 2002Scoob said:

Is it lowered?

 

RS's will tuck nicely into the rear fenders without modifications even quite low, Whereas the fronts will need massaging. 

 

I have a 50mm drop, RS001's with 195's, as well as camber-plates to tuck the tops in even further.

 

I still had to roll and pull my fronts to where they were inside the lip and didn't rub on cornering compressions. 

 

-J

 

Yes it is lowered with Eibach Sports Spring Set from Jaymic. So without camber plates it will remain too wide?

 

gr, niels

[2002Scoob]

Camber plates will indeed help. It pulls the top of the strut inward, and as a result, the top-corner of the tire.  

 

So would some photos of your clearance predicament :) take a front-on, and top-down to see just how much poke ya got, and I'll try to see if I can find some photos from my before and after I did of my fenders.

 

But my guess is you're going to have to roll and pull your fenders to get them to fit and not rub under compression, regardless. 

[npdw]

See picture. I think I need camber plates in the front. 

[2002Scoob]

Sorry, wasn't able to get to my image searching last-night, but that doesn't seem crazy off from what I remember having to deal with. 

 

You're positive they're ET25's?

 

I think the worst news is, that looks like fresh paint. And even with camber-plates, rolling is a must. I used Ireland Engineering's fixed camber plates, but there's other options out there that can likely get you even more adjustment. Just rolling mine was not enough, they're pulled out as well. 

 

Have a heat-gun? If you don't trust your skills, you can always enlist your local body-shop professional. 

[npdw]

How large was the effect of bringing the top of the tire more towards the car when using the fixed camber plates? 

 

Correct it is fresh paint....

[2002Scoob]

Fresh paint is soft-paint :) Ergo, more flexible. 

[SydneyTii]

2 hours ago, npdw said:

How large was the effect of bringing the top of the tire more towards the car when using the fixed camber plates? 

 

Correct it is fresh paint....

My Jaymic fixed camber plates moved the top edge of the tyre over 10mm+ so to speak 

[npdw]

10 minutes ago, SydneyTii said:

My Jaymic fixed camber plates moved the top edge of the tyre over 10mm+ so to speak 

 

awesome information, I will check that! the top of my tire is about 15mm out so if I can fix 10mm with the camber plates and the rest with fender rolling I will be good. 

 

Did you have smaller diameter springs? I read that there is a possibility that the spring will touch the body if you bring it in too much.I have Eibach sport springs from Jaymic.

 

gr, niels

 

[2002iii]

That looks way too wide I would guess wrong offset or possibly e9 lower control arms. Any front suspension pics?

[M3M3]

28 minutes ago, 2002iii said:

That looks way too wide I would guess wrong offset or possibly e9 lower control arms. Any front suspension pics?

Agree.  The brake change did not do that.  What is the wheel ET?

[SydneyTii]

9 hours ago, npdw said:

 

awesome information, I will check that! the top of my tire is about 15mm out so if I can fix 10mm with the camber plates and the rest with fender rolling I will be good. 

 

Did you have smaller diameter springs? I read that there is a possibility that the spring will touch the body if you bring it in too much.I have Eibach sport springs from Jaymic.

 

gr, niels

 

My setup uses eibach sports for springs and they were fine.

There is a calculation to work out how much degrees of camber you get with certain plates or something like that, I can’t get to my Jaymic instructions at the moment as I am recovering from surgery, but Toby or one of the other experienced guys gave me the details, hopefully someone will chime in.

Have a search on the board, as I discussed the subject on here to get the clap.

i run e30 bbs wheels which are et30 btw.

Goid luck.

[Conserv]

Just to be clear, did you actually run these rims and tires on your car before the big brake upgrade?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Conserv

[npdw]

8 hours ago, 2002iii said:

That looks way too wide I would guess wrong offset or possibly e9 lower control arms. Any front suspension pics?

 

The rims are all the same, and the rear looks ok. The offset is E25

 

Control arms are defenitally for an 02.