26 replies to this topic

[meetthespeakers]

I thought you might like to know that my Mini has this exact same problem, and also has Metro Turbo brakes just like yours. I understand that the wheel does sit further out than it would with standard brakes, hence the rubbing. Currently i am just living with it, but i may go ahead and cut some of the arch away.

I found out that the Metro Setup sits it out 1/4" further. None the less, I could not drive it "as is" cause it would most likely either rip the arch off, or wear a nice hole in it. I will see if I can find the time to mess with it a little bit this weekend. So many variables per mini, it's like each one is a different person, and I may have gotten a semi-retarded one. Just got to get the meds right.

[meetthespeakers]

I just wanted to update. I bought fiberglass versions to see how they would fit compared to the abs versions. The fiberglass versions from 7ent have a better fit, but the wheels still foul the outer lip of the arch. I adjusted the tie rods out to see if that would help and it didn't do anything. So either I have to adjust something else, or I am going to have to trim the arches. I would have never thought this would of been such a pain in the ass. I got 2 weeks to figure this out before I have to drive it to drop it off for the engine swap. Any ideas?!

[RsSpyder]

Agh thats a damn shame that you spent money on new ones and they're the same! As i said before, it sounds just like mine, and it looks like i can trim the inside lip of the arch away so it clears it, without altering the look of the arch from the outside. Can you not just do this? I will be doing mine possibly this weekend, so if you want i can take some pictures and let you know how i get on.

[meetthespeakers]

Agh thats a damn shame that you spent money on new ones and they're the same! As i said before, it sounds just like mine, and it looks like i can trim the inside lip of the arch away so it clears it, without altering the look of the arch from the outside. Can you not just do this? I will be doing mine possibly this weekend, so if you want i can take some pictures and let you know how i get on.

Well, I just got off the phone with 7ent, and apparently using the Metro Turbo vented brakes and the deep dish wheels it just sticks them way to far out. I think he said it pushes it an extra 3/4 inch out. So right now I am looking at 6x13 ultralights for the front without the deep dish, and just keep the deep dish on the back. I am hoping this will solve the problem, because it looks like if they were tucked in about an inch everything would clear fine. So I need to figure out how much it will cost to ship these wheels to the U.S. What a major freakin pain in my ass! I just don't want to start adjusting this, and cut this to try and make something fit that in the end just won't work 100%.

[RsSpyder]

Fair enough. Personally i don't want to change my wheels so i#m going to either do some chopping or change the arches. So you're gonna have 7x13s on the back and 6x13s on the front? Hot rod mini!!

[meetthespeakers]

Well I love the deep dish look, if I could retain it in atleast the back then that would be cool. I don't think I have even seen anyone do that on there mini yet, or atleast that combo. I just hope minilites and ultralites look close enough in design that you can't notice. Because I got the "Anthracite/gray" powder coated center minilites currently and the only other one I could find was the 13x6 ultralites.... I hope I don't get this f-ed up as well.

Edited by meetthespeakers, 27 February 2009 - 06:43 PM.

[RsSpyder]

Hmm ok then. I think it would be ok, a lot of production cars have rear wheels which are much wider than the front wheels, so i dont think handling etc will be affected. As far as looks are concerned, the thing i would be worried about would be that the rear wheels are perfectly arched, with the wheels sitting nicely in the arches, but the fronts may look overarched, with the wheel sitting too far inside the arch. I suppose the way to overcome that is to space them correctly?

[Marcusg69]

Does anyone have or know where to get the template to cut the arches, as I have the exact same problem! I don't want to just start hacking at the bodywork! Thanks
Marcusg69

[Marcusg69]

Does anyone know where you get the template from, I need to cut my arches to fit my wheels but don't want to mess it up on my own!

[Tupers]

My old MPI had the front edge of the arches trimmed to clear the 7x13"wheels but I think the lower ride height may have also helped gain a bit of clearance. 

 

[musicmanno1]

Does anyone have or know where to get the template to cut the arches, as I have the exact same problem! I don't want to just start hacking at the bodywork! Thanks
Marcusg69

There is a instruction guide on minisport i think, i used it for mine, but as mine were non genuine, a little bit of fettling is required. i.e dont drill the holes until you have measured them!

[Chris1992]

i had this problem with my sportspack arches (plastic ones) and i ran my car properly low with them.

 

the car was half built at this point so the headlights wernt fitted, so i used G clamps (one end in the headlight holes, the other hooked round the front of the arch) to pull the arches away from the wheel until i had clearance, then stuffed loads of fiberglass resin inside the arch to help it keep its shape. 

 

worked an absolute treat. right up until i pulled them off for the rebuild