10 replies to this topic

[lucask001]

Hi Mini Gods,
Iv just had some new 13 X 6 sportspack wheels put on my mini and the rear wheels are rubbing. They are rubbing on the inside of the wheel whenever i turn a corner quite sharpish. When i had a look under the car to see where they could be possibly rubbing i noticed that the tire is very close to the arm which goes from the drum brake to the body shell and so when the weight shifts i expect thats where the tire is rubbing

Are spacers on the back wheels my only option to fix this? If so what size would you recommend getting and is there anything else i will need to know about using spacers?

Cheers

Lucas

[ginigwunkle]

are they only hitting there?

sometimes need bodywork cutting away eg inner arch!

i know if you go too bigger a spacer then the wheel bearings wear much quicker which isnt too good but sometimes the only option, so id reccomend only spacing as much as needed which shouldnt be much prob 1/2' max as its onyl rubbing....

[Sprocket]

Does it only rub when cornering??

Sports pack wheels will fit on the spacered drums with about 5mm to spare between the radius arm and trye wall. On my car they only rubbed on one side when cornering. It took me over a year and a rebuild to find why.

Take the wheel off, where the inner wheel arch meets the boot floor to the rear of the car, the vertical seam of this arch and boot floor is where it rubs, giving a tyre sqeel when cornering and no other time. Should be simply a matter of hitting it with a hammer, but if it is severe, wheel shims may be required.

Cooper Sports Packs were fitted with 5mm shims originaly. The wheel studs were slightly different, though i dont think they were longer, just the threaded section shorter.


Have a lookie see if this is your problem

[lucask001]

yeah it only rubs when cornering quite hard e.g. going round a roundabout or turning right at a junction.

The rubbing is severe and im pritty sure its coming from the radius arm.

Whats the difference between spacers and shims? What size would you recommend?

Cheers for ur help

[Sprocket]

There's something wrong wih your wheel bearings then!!


I'm sure you will find that i am right, not that im being big headed, just if its rubbing the radius arm it would all the time, and if it were your wheel bearings the wheel would be slopy.

Like i said, i know of this first hand.

Are the wheels Genuine Sports Pack??

[lucask001]

Nah the wheels arnt genuine sportspack.

The gap between the radius arm and the tire is very small (probably only just 5mm) so i assumed it just needed spacing.

Are the wheel bearings cheap to replace? Should i get the wheels spacers as well for good measure?

Cheers for your help its much appreciated

[Sprocket]

I have genuine s packs and the distance fron the outer most edge of the tyre to the nearest most part of the radius arm is 5mm, so no difference there.

You're not getting the point. If your wheel bearings are so badly worn to cause 5mm deflection of the wheel at that point when cornering, you WOULD know that the bearings are shot.

The tyre does not deflect 5mm at that point either, unless you have jelly tyres.

Having said all that, it may be the latter all depends on rim width and tyres chosen. Im running on Yokohama A539's with the rim protection side wall, making them that bit stiffer.

Still, never suffered fouling where you say, on this mini or the wifes old mini, which had non genuine s pack wheels at 5" wide with Bridgestones without rim protection side wall. Both minis did/do not have spacers at all.


It should be easy to see any fouling when you take the wheel off. Just check the tyre for signs of fouling, and then look around the arch area at the same radius. fouling marks should be seen.

Then there is also the other avanue that we have not discused. How low is your car at the back. Mine is pretty low and fouls the arch at the top when cornering hard, but this does not squeel.

[lucask001]

Its on hi lo's at the top setting at the mo but i will be dropping it down a bit when iv sorted this rubbing issue out.

I have got the Yoko A539's as well allthough im not sure they have rim protection.

I will get the bearings changed hopefully 2moro or wednesday. I did think it was weird that this only happens on one side when the gap between the radius arm and the tire is exactly the same on both.

Cheers for ur help

[Sprocket]

Is it the right side??

Oh and where abouts in cheshire are you?

Edited by Mini Sprocket, 30 January 2007 - 12:17 AM.

[ludsonline]

Hi,
I was asking mine are not rubbing but I have just bought some Hi-Lo's and was wondering how much lower than standard the car could be dropped before the tyres rub on the bodywork above the tyre. Wheels are 7"x13" deepdish minilites with 175/50/13 tyres.



Cheers

Paul

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[lucask001]

No it rubs on the left hand side rear wheel when i turn right quite hard. The rubbing is on the inside of the tire.

I live in Knutsford. Do you know it at all? or no a mini friendly garage in the area?

Cheers for your help mini sprocket