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10-16-2019, 12:06 AM | #1 |
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I'm looking to make some room for more tire up front, and the N5tuner front fenders caught my eye. Gunning to fit 255's comfortably. Fiberglass, $500 for the pair, compatible with non-M side skirts and front bumper, and an additional 15mm of space sounds pretty good.
I wanted to gather some opinions/experiences from others on here. Thoughts? Edit: I should also add that I have a sizable dent on my driver's side front fender. Right on the crease, up at the front where the curves and creases are complex. These might be cheaper than repairing that...
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10-16-2019, 10:15 AM | #2 |
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I don't think they make them any more. I've read mixed reviews here, some people saying they're great, some saying they don't fit well. Most people these days jump straight to the 1M front clip.
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chris_flies3028.50 |
10-16-2019, 11:12 AM | #3 |
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They're still on their website, maybe I should ask them...the complete 1M front clip is way more than I want to do.
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10-16-2019, 06:46 PM | #4 |
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Waste of time. Stock fenders can be rolled and pulled just as far, and the issue then becomes the front bumper, which is where the wheels will rub. Any "solution" that doesn't use a different/modified front bumper offers no improvement over stock.
I ran 17x9 +35 with a 255 up front, the fenders cleared it fine after a decent pull, but the bumper rubbed at full compression.
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10-16-2019, 07:50 PM | #5 |
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Was having this debate. I'm just gonna do it right. Hate the nonM bumper tabs even after I cut them almost entirely out and folded them up. Now I just can't decide whether to do 255/275 or 275 square.
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10-17-2019, 08:24 AM | #6 | |
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10-17-2019, 01:04 PM | #7 |
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I'm currently running 255 RE-71Rs on a set of four rear style-264s from a 135i. At the front I have about -2 degrees of camber and with a spacer the offset is ET40. After rolling the fenders and trimming down some of the bumper tab I still rub at the bumper under high compression.
I did end up installing some of those quick release bumper fasteners because occasionally the rubbing would cause the bumper to get pushed out and the fender edge to get pulled in. Now everything stays aligned. While annoying the rubbing doesn't seem to be tearing anything up too bad. I don't have experience with the N5Tuner fenders but I'm pretty sure the mounts for the bumper are still in the same location on them, so you'd probably still run into the bumper rubbing. |
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10-17-2019, 03:14 PM | #8 | |
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Last edited by bbnks2; 10-18-2019 at 08:29 AM.. |
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chris_flies3028.50 ShocknAwe3244.50 |
10-20-2019, 10:07 AM | #9 |
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Running 255/40r17 RE71 on a 17x9 up front, if you only want to run 255s no need to spend the money on the fenders. Just have to get the wheel/tire combo as close to the strut as possible, we are at around 3mm. Also -3.2* camber.
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10-21-2019, 08:50 AM | #10 |
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What set up are you running to get -3.2? I have JRZ RS2s with GC race plates and M3 control arms and the adjuster knob hits the inside of the hole in the shock tower around -2.5, it's driving me nuts.
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chris_flies3028.50 Mark Aubele42.50 |
10-21-2019, 11:42 AM | #11 | |
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I run -3.8* currently with SPL arms.
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10-21-2019, 03:23 PM | #12 |
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chris_flies3028.50 |
10-22-2019, 09:18 AM | #13 |
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High offsets might make the wheels fit, but, that does nothing for widening the track width. I picked up a lot of time by adding 20mm spacers. The car is just massively more planted. Can't wait to have a proper 18x10 on the car for some 265 or 275s.
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chris_flies3028.50 |
10-22-2019, 09:21 AM | #14 |
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Have you considered adding a "spacer" to the camber plate? drop some 1/2" thick spacers (or stacks of thin ones) onto the studs and then bolt the strut up. Compensate by lower the coil-over height adjustment by 1/2". That should allow the camber plate knob to pass below the strut tower, no? You can probably get a proper plate machined for pretty cheap.
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10-22-2019, 11:31 AM | #15 | ||
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Last edited by amg6975; 10-22-2019 at 11:40 AM.. |
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10-22-2019, 05:20 PM | #16 |
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You have any data to back your claims up? You also picked up time by raising the car or something too, right?
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chris_flies3028.50 |
10-23-2019, 07:08 AM | #17 | |
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Compare an E82's track width to wheel base ratio to that of other cars if you want data. Do you campaign in ASP with your 135i? What class are you running it in? 128i in STX are forced to run 17x9 with 255s and unmodified fenders because that's literally the max they are allowed to run in the class. I can't see any logical argument for not wanting to gain more tire clearance and widen the track width. Can't compete with 1M's, Evo's, and Sti's with 295+ hoosiers with stock fenders. Here is the files section for my local chapter. You can google some of the names. I picked up quite a bit of time this year in what is essentially my 2nd year of autocross: https://www.facebook.com/groups/187806071327935/files/ Last edited by bbnks2; 10-23-2019 at 09:03 AM.. |
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chris_flies3028.50 |
10-23-2019, 08:46 AM | #18 |
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10-23-2019, 09:36 AM | #19 |
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Thank you all for the replies, I updated the OP a couple days ago to explain why I was considering these over a simple fender pull: Our quick-shade blew over at HyperFest back in May and hit my car in the fender, right on the crease at the front of the fender, right where the geometry is fairly complex, of course. If it’s cheaper to do the wider fenders than repairing my original ones, I’ll just do the N5Tuner ones, if it isn’t cheaper, though, I’ll have to think about it...
My goal isn’t exclusively to fit more tire, it’s to fit more tire further out, ideally negating the front/rear track width difference on our cars (front is narrower by an inch on a 128i with a square wheel/tire setup), which would help with understeer (not that my car is suffering with understeer anymore ![]()
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10-23-2019, 11:54 AM | #21 |
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Other than pushing the tab further out, no. I've trimmed my tabs anyways, so I'll simply have to do it again...
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10-23-2019, 05:03 PM | #22 | |
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He said he wanted to run 255s. I think it's a waste of money to pay that much for fenders to run a 255. If he wanted to run a 285 or 315, I would have a different opinion. What you are suggesting is to spend like a grand to run a 20mm spacer, when proper wheel fitment will accomplish the same thing. My wife hillclimbs the car, and runs in ASP, because that is the lowest class we have for that particular car. It isn't prepped anywhere near the limits of the class. I myself don't race a 1 series, I do prep the car for her though. What you say is usually wrong because for some reason you just want to do things different than everyone else that actually knows what they are doing. Maybe copy what actual fast guys do and you'll go faster. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, and the majority of what you suggest on this forum amounts to that. And probably not wise to flex on me with your 28th out of 65 placing in a local autocross getting raw timed by bunch of ES cars. I would never bring up something like that normally, but since you posted it trying to prove something, might want to reconsider doing that next time. Last edited by Mark Aubele; 10-23-2019 at 05:26 PM.. |
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