[Beaverboy]

When you lower, you either want to leave the bumpstop alone, or chop some of it off to increase the length of your suspension travel. If you want to limit the amount the wheel can rise, then get some blocks fabricated to fit between the strut mount and the strut tower to effectively raise the height of the car. This way you keep your suspension travel stock, but reduce the tendancy of the oversized wheels and tires from hitting the fender. Your other option is to cut the fenders and add some flares :twisted: The bumpstops are designed as a last resort to keep the struts from bottoming out and breaking, not to keep the wheel from hitting the fender.

(Rob, I know you've heard this from me before, I'm stating this for Xiph0id)

As for bigger wheels. Whenever you install bigger wheels, you install tires on them that are no larger in diameter than the stock tires. Bigger wheels means shorter sidewalls and the same overall diameter. (I believe Rob is being unconventional about this for his own purposes)

205 width tires are the widest you're going to fit underneath without running into any real trouble, and you can increase the overall diameter of the tires by about 15mm before you start getting too close to the underside of the spring perch.

The fronts pose no threats to 205 width tires, but the rears might. Have your rear fenders rolled (have the lip turned up out of the way) and you won't have any clearance issues in the rear.

 

[Beaverboy]

Well, with MacPherson struts, the front wheels aren't going to travel straight up and down. They follow the angle of the struts.. which are angled inward. Usually as they compress the control arm pushes the bottom out, tipping the top of the wheel even further in (creating more negative camber). It's slight, but it seems to be enough to avoid any rubbing.

When I first installed my wheels (the 16" Rotas) it was on the original (180k mi) front struts, and I'm pretty sure I used up all of the suspension travel at some point or another (braking hard on grippy tires over bumps). The rear fender was the only one that ever gave me any trouble.

Oh, and Ford designed the fenders for 175cm stock tires w/ tire chains. That's the main reason American compact cars have so much more fender gap than, say, Hondas. Hondas aren't designed with chain clearance in mind.

What style Rotas did you go for? Were they lightweight or what? :wink: What kind of tires did you spring for?

 

[Beaverboy]

Hello:

I purchased Rota Slipstream 15x6.5 and
Continental Extreme Contact 205/55/15.

So far I have not driven the car because I am
also overhauling brakes and suspension.
I switched to 10.25" rotors/calipers and put
energy suspension bushings for the front control arm
and the stabilizer bars.

The hardest part was to replace the control arm
bushings because they sit really tight and
you have to use a puller/ c-clamp to move them.

I had to use a puller to get mine out too.. The urethane slid in with smooth hand pressure after a good greasing though.

Brake upgrade.. niiiice :wink:

If you can, please post some pics of your new setup when you finish. I bet those look really good in 15".

I'm curious to see how your experiment will turn out.

Good link over to TeamZX2.com Those guys have their stuff together.

Thanks, Rob.