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Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: al_bey on 12 November 2010, 12:53

Title: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: al_bey on 12 November 2010, 12:53
Hi all,

Since lowering my car i have had a whiring noise coming from the passenger side wheel. After further investigation it is obvious that the inside of the tyre has been rubbing slightly on the knuckle that adjusts the height of the suspension. I recently had it in at the garage and asked them to look at it. The obvious thing they checked was the camber, but this was exactly the same both sides, and according to the garage, it wasn't even close to rubbing on the drivers side.
They don't do camber adjustment so they said take it to a place that can adjust it and see what they think.

They are standard 15" GTI wheels by the way. The tyres are 205/50

Does anyone have any views on what could be causing this?

Cheers
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: justalex81 on 12 November 2010, 13:13
mine did the same. only on the back though. you can either fit spacers or put 195/50/15 tyres on.
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: dom on 12 November 2010, 13:17
mine did the same. only on the back though. you can either fit spacers or put 195/50/15 tyres on.

+1 The first thing that I would do would be to get your alignment/camber checked properly.

If that doesn't solve it you could switch to 195/50/15 tyres. You could use spacers, but as your running wide tyres that would increase the chance of scrubbing on the wheel arch instead, it all depends on how low are you?
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: Wayne on 12 November 2010, 13:22
I would say your camber is out.
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: justalex81 on 12 November 2010, 13:30
I would say your camber is out.

i think you've got a shagged wheel bearing which has made the camber on your wheel worse and therefore caused it to scrub against the strut. would also explain the whirring noise
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: Stirring Moose on 12 November 2010, 18:31
Just out of interest, who's kit or components have you used for the mods?

S.M.
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: Len on 12 November 2010, 20:49
Are you on standard wheels? If so and the offset is correct then you have other problems!
As Wayne said could be camber.
You can go to 215 wide without rubbing the strut so its definitely something wrong!
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: TDIgadge on 13 November 2010, 09:31
Hi all,

Since lowering my car i have had a whiring noise coming from the passenger side wheel. After further investigation it is obvious that the inside of the tyre has been rubbing slightly on the knuckle that adjusts the height of the suspension. I recently had it in at the garage and asked them to look at it. The obvious thing they checked was the camber, but this was exactly the same both sides, and according to the garage, it wasn't even close to rubbing on the drivers side.
They don't do camber adjustment so they said take it to a place that can adjust it and see what they think.

They are standard 15" GTI wheels by the way. The tyres are 205/50

Does anyone have any views on what could be causing this?

Cheers

First things first.  If you cannot do this sort of thing yourself then you really must find a GOOD garage that you can learn to trust and build a relationship with.  I'm not talking kwikfit sh!t or the like, a specialist VAG garage, someone who not only knows the cars but where most of the workers are likely to own a one.  As for the fault, hard to say without looking but could be anything from cheap nasty tyres (sidewalls differ for different tyres), Camber most definately, camber bolts loose on strut, play in wheel bearing etc etc.  Annis run a fatter tyre as standard and I have ran these fully cambered with original steels with the splitter on the floor without issue.

Long winded way to say, take it to someone who cares about VAG mate, not the first set of guys you see, cheapest doesn't always work out that way in the end.
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: Retro_look on 13 November 2010, 16:38
had the same problem with my coilovers when first fitted, it was the camber  :smiley:
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: Stirring Moose on 13 November 2010, 23:10
Long winded way to say, take it to someone who cares about VAG mate, not the first set of guys you see, cheapest doesn't always work out that way in the end.

+1 on this. Always pays to find someone who really knows what's what when it comes to fiddling with suspension geometry. There are a lot of subtle interactions between the various angles and settings that need to be understood. This is even more important when a car is lowered as things like roll centre heights and camber compensation rates will be altered, meaning that VW's original settings won't really be ideal for the car any more.

S.M.
Title: Re: Tyre rubbing on strut
Post by: al_bey on 14 November 2010, 21:16
Thanks for everyone's input, much appreciated. To answer a couple of the questions.......

I completely trust the guys working on my car, ive built up a relationship with the mechanic there over the last couple of years, he was an independant mechanic and then was asked to manage a garage and he's always helped me out with advice and work.

I lowered the car my self with a friend, i'd say its roughly 50-60mm on the front, 40mm on the back. It's lowered on Jamex coilovers, i replaced the mounts when fitting.

There is absolutley no play in the wheel bearing and i know the whirring is coming from the tyre rubbing against the strut so i've ruled that out. I just cant under stand why the drivers side is so far off rubbing compared to the passenger side, obviously because i havent had the camber done it wont be perfect but i tightened that strut bolts up in similar positions.

I'm wondering if i might have a bent wishbone or something?

I think the best thing to do is take it to a place to get the camber done and go from there.......