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[drunkenmagnum]

I got my VMR V701's in Tuesday and noticed that the passenger front rims hits the strut. It just barely touches but it rubs and makes a horrible noise. The fitment is 18x8.5" ET45 and fits fine on the drivers front.

Has anyone had this issue and how can I go about getting it resolved? I swapped the front two rims and it still rubbed on just that side. I have it at Firestone right now having it looked over but they are unsure it can be fixed.




Also, I'm on OEM suspension.

[Boosted_N54]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

I got my VMR V701's in Tuesday and noticed that the passenger front rims hits the strut. It just barely touches but it rubs and makes a horrible noise. The fitment is 18x8.5" ET45 and fits fine on the drivers front.

Has anyone had this issue and how can I go about getting it resolved? I swapped the front two rims and it still rubbed on just that side. I have it at Firestone right now having it looked over but they are unsure it can be fixed.




Also, I'm on OEM suspension.

i had this problem . just put some 5mm spacers you will be fine

[drunkenmagnum]

Can I still run the OEM lugs or will I have to get an extended set?

[Fifty3bags]

Some people do run stock bolts with a 5mm spacer, but it is advised to get longer bolts such as these:

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E92-335...aign=postreply

[Boosted_N54]

Originally Posted by Fifty3bags

Some people do run stock bolts with a 5mm spacer, but it is advised to get longer bolts such as these:

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E92-335...aign=postreply

i agree must get longer bolts. just to be at the safe side

[drunkenmagnum]

Great info, huge help.

I'm guessing these would also work with a 3mm spacer and would still tighten enough?

[Kgolf31]

Apex says you can get away with a 3mm spacer.

However, camber is also a determining factor...since you're changing the angle of that strut.

Personally, I say go 5mm for a safe side. These are my 17x8.5 ET45 with a 5mm spacer, suspension fully loaded.

[justanothrone]

Check you alignment, maybe you have to much negative camber issue. What size fronts are you running?

[kirkbar]

You may also get a bit more clearance buy removing your strut pin and moving the struts toward the center of the car. This will also have the added benefit of negative camber.

Here is a DIY: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218440

[drunkenmagnum]

If I remember the tires are 235/40/18, but they don't rub. The rim on the back has a slight lip and thats whats rubbing.

I think the struts are maxed out at their furthest point from the engine. The passenger side has obviously been moved because the pin is missing. I'm just wondering that if I move it, it will kill the front end.

I will post picks when I get back to the car.

[VMRWheels]

Hey Josh, your tire size is a 225/40/18 on the front. A spacer could be used to get them to clear, but you honestly shouldn't have to do that. Definitely get your alignment and suspension checked out!

[drunkenmagnum]

I know I shouldn't, and every other rim/tire fits flawlessly, but this one rubs the strut ever so slightly. It appears to be just the small lip on the back of the rim that's causing the problem. The alignment shop suggested drilling out the strut tower bolt holes. That would allow more adjustment but that's something I had rather avoid. I lifted the car and moved the strut all the way back and it still slightly rubbed. Its so close! The alignment itself is was only slightly off but that shouldn't cause the rub and there is zero visible damage. There had to be something bent though.

I'm really at a loss and spacers appear to be the way to go without a serious overhaul to fix the problem.


I'm guessing that this is Kevin from VMR?

[Suprgnat]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

The alignment shop suggested drilling out the strut tower bolt holes. That would allow more adjustment but that's something I had rather avoid.

I'm really at a loss and spacers appear to be the way to go without a serious overhaul to fix the problem.

Slotting the strut tower bolt holes will do nothing for you. The angle between the axle bearing and the strut is fixed by the strut/bearing carrier.

A spacer will work, but I'd be looking carefully for bent components, perhaps the strut itself. It's doubtful the carrier was machined incorrectly.

[VMRWheels]

Yup! It's me, Kevin haha.

Yeah, something has to be bent because the wheel and strut should move together.

[fe1rx]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

I swapped the front two rims and it still rubbed on just that side.

It is clearly not a wheel issue if you have the same problem with both wheels. Your strut is bent. Remove it and you will see a kink just above the knuckle. Spacers are a bandaid. Fix the root cause and replace your strut.

This much bend is enough to cause your problem:

[drunkenmagnum]

Is it possible the car hit something at some point to make it this way? Is it possible it came from the factory this way? The OEM rim doesn't have any marks and the suspension shows no signs of damage ( I'm no mechanic)

[fe1rx]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

Is it possible the car hit something at some point to make it this way? Is it possible it came from the factory this way? The OEM rim doesn't have any marks and the suspension shows no signs of damage ( I'm no mechanic)

The OEM wheel has much more strut clearance than a 8.5" ET45 wheel. No it can't have come from the factory this way. Yes it can be bent my hitting something. I hit a pot hole sufficient to do this. No other suspension component was damaged. The bend was not visible with the strut installed, but the impact shifted one of my camber plates. When I got the car re-aligned there was a mismatch of about 0.5 degrees on my camber plates to match up the wheel cambers and compensate for the bent strut. Your bent strut should show up if you get the car aligned. The correct fix is to replace it. The OE struts are actually fairly fragile.

[drunkenmagnum]

Now I'm starting to question the ability of the alignment shop...

[TheBreeze]

Speaking from experience here ..

I have the same exact wheel on my 1 and can confirm that it's a close fit, but it should definitely clear. The design of our front suspension is such that the strut is mounted directly to the knuckle, meaning the geometry between the strut and wheel is fixed. An alignment/pulling pins/changing camber won't help one bit, since the angle and space between the strut and wheel will remain constant. I agree with others that you most likely have a bent strut .. happened to me after hitting a nasty pothole. The strut bent outward at the knuckle knocking it into the wheel, giving me the exact same rub you describe. You can throw a 5mm spacer in there so you can at least drive the car, but you should definitely fix it correctly and buy/install a new strut. I wouldn't wait too long either .. your camber is most likely skewed negative on the one side, which may result in the one tire wearing much faster then the other. (On my car, I had -1* camber difference side-side).

[drunkenmagnum]

Is there a DIY for the strut replacement? I have spring compressors and an air gun. I have done spring swaps on Hondas before, but imagine a 135 is a bit more difficult. I have heard its difficult getting the assmbely out from our cars and would rather not go at it blind.

[uberschnell]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

Is there a DIY for the strut replacement? I have spring compressors and an air gun. I have done spring swaps on Hondas before, but imagine a 135 is a bit more difficult. I have heard its difficult getting the assmbely out from our cars and would rather not go at it blind.

E9x suspension and E82 suspension more or less the same thing:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15397

Couple tips, use the impact hammer and the vice grips (with a towel or leather belt) to bust off the spring nut. And put blue tape all around the inside edge where you rotate the strut in and out of the well, tends to get nicked.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by drunkenmagnum

Is there a DIY for the strut replacement? I have spring compressors and an air gun. I have done spring swaps on Hondas before, but imagine a 135 is a bit more difficult. I have heard its difficult getting the assmbely out from our cars and would rather not go at it blind.

It's actually a fairly easy suspension to work on. I've done it several times using different techniques (the first time I followed the DIY posted by uberschnell .. he's correct in that the e9x and e8x are the same - they even share all the same part numbers). Personally I prefer to remove the caliper (unhook the brake line at the where it connects to the hard line and cap it off) and rotor, unbolt/disconnect the sway bar end link, unbolt the ABS sensor, then unbolt the tie rod and suspension arms, and finally remove the entire knuckle/strut assembly and work on it off the car. (Removing the caliper and rotor makes the whole thing WAY lighter and much easier to handle.) To get the strut off the knuckle, I just use a hammer and a pickle-fork to spread apart the knuckle clamp. For reassembly, you just reverse the process. This saves you the hassle of having to use/fit the spring compressor inside the fender well, and it saves you having to worry about messing up your fender trying to wrestle the strut assembly out from under the car. Once you get the whole thing together, bleed the brakes (using a Motive bleeder is the easiest/quickest way), and you're ready to roll. Using this method, I can do a strut/spring swap in about 2-3 hours total for both sides.