Front tire rubbing...

[mustangsally50]

I am currently running the new Nitto 555RII track competiton tires.
I put the 275-40-R17's all around on the stock '03 Cobra rims.
My car is also lowered 1.5" with H&R Springs.
After one track session at Sebring, I noticed some SERIOUS tire rubbing up front.
So much that the tires ate through the plastic inner fenderwell!

Is there a fix for this? Do I need to run smaller tires up front for the track?
When I ran on street 275's this wasn't a problem. Are competition tires wider?
Are my H&R springs not stiff enough?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[cito]

Do you have H&R race springs or just SS springs?

My fender liners are basically wore through, but it was a combination of problems including low front spring strength (stock), poor wheel offset, and not enough spacing or shimming when they put on my caster camber plates. I have basically fixed the problem with the use of stock wheels, extra shimming on the strut, and increased spring rate with the use of H&R race springs. Steeda has competition springs that I might go to as well.

 

[mustangsally50]

I just have the H&R SS springs, not race.
Do the H&R Race springs have higher spring rates?
I may have to go to that or put some spacers on my existing springs.

 

[cito]

Yeah, the race springs are a higher rate. If you were going to do a lot of road course driving, you might even consider the Steeda Competition front springs. Maximum motorsports and Steeda both have detailed listings of the springs they offer (mm has h&r) and the compression rates.

 

[ccjcobra99]

My drivers side fender has worn through as well. Stiffer springs may help, but short of skinnier tires you probably won't solve the problem.

I have run both 275/40 Hoosiers and Kumho Victoracer V700's up front. I have 425# coil-over springs (and it still will rub).

 

[mustangsally50]

I think I'll try some new spring isolators up front (to raise the car 1/4"-1/2") and see if that makes a difference.
If not then I'll have to change to smaller tires up front for the track.
I don't know about going to an even stiffer spring since I still use the car for street driving,
but I may have to go to the race springs if I keep doing these open track days.

 

[99Cobra Supercharged]

When I first had Griggs install my coilovers, they mentioned about the driver side inner fender liner rubbing. They took out the liner and you can clearly see a bulge in the liner. Were as the passenger side does not have this. Another concern Griggs brought out is the wiring harness runs right above the liner and can make contact with your tire, it needs to be moved. This can be easily done by rerouting the wiring harness above the windshield wiper reservoir tank. The liner was modified with a heat gun, the bulge was pressed in basically replicating the passenger side. Some Cobra owners I have seen simply cut that area out of the liner. I’m sure if you were handy you might be even able to come up with a better idea like cut that section out and redue it resin or other formable material. Even possibly rivet a section in.

I run Nitto’s 285-35-18’s all the way around for street and stock rims and tire size on the track. And do not rub. As for lock to lock, when I bought my rims Steeda, they provided some limiters to be installed on the steering rack

 

[mustangsally50]

Wow, I was just looking at that wiring harness.
I was thinking of putting a metal plate to protect it or something.
But, moving it sounds better. Thanks for the advise.

As for the fender rubbing, it defnitely rubs more on the driver's side.
But there still is some rubbing on the passenger side. I'll try to
push in the fender some and relocate the harness before my
next track event and see what happens. :thumbsup: