tire to fender lip clearance

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BGTLS

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Guys and Gals, how much clearance is needed between the widest part of the tire sidewall and the fenderlip on the rear of a car? This is a leaf spring with rubber bushings 68 dart with no rear sway bar. It will be a low profile tire 45 series tire. I want no rubbing at all. I have read lots of posts and searched for a good solid answer but have not been able to find the post with the answer. I am sure this has been hashed out before and is somewhere on this site but I have not found it. Is 1/2" enough, is 3/4" needed, or maybe an full inch is required. I am curious.
 
BGTLS said:
-- how much clearance is needed between the widest part of the tire sidewall and the fenderlip on the rear of a car? --
Click to expand...
-- if it doesn't rub it's OK. That's My experience.
 
Depends on the sidewall height as well.
Less sidewall = less sideways movement of the tire and closer you can get to the lip or springs.
 
RPMagoo said:
-- if it doesn't rub it's OK. That's My experience.
Click to expand...
- I couldn't put My index finger in, with BFG Radial T/As, on My 68 Dart -- never had a problem.

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Mine are a 1/2inch. Maybe.. They are tight. They sometimes rub a touch. Squeeeeek,,,
 
See I messed up. I bought a MT Sportsman Pro 28x12.50. They are 13.10 section width. (on a 10" wheel) I bought 11.25" wheels... I'm really pushing the envelope.
 
The fenderlip is not the issue.
It's the narrowing ridge on the inner wheelwell that causes rubbing usually. At least if you have your car at the normal or lower than stock ride height.

Since you'll be running a 45-series tire I will presume you like handling and your car's stance will be slightly lower than stock. But with the soft rubber bushings I would at least try to keep 1" between tire and inner wheelwell ridge.
Body roll will affect tire rubbing as well. With some good swaybars and shocks you might can get away with 3/4".
 
BigBlockMopar said:
The fenderlip is not the issue.
It's the narrowing ridge on the inner wheelwell that causes rubbing usually. At least if you have your car at the normal or lower than stock ride height.

Since you'll be running a 45-series tire I will presume you like handling and your car's stance will be slightly lower than stock. But with the soft rubber bushings I would at least try to keep 1" between tire and inner wheelwell ridge.
Body roll will affect tire rubbing as well. With some good swaybars and shocks you might can get away with 3/4".
Click to expand...

BigBlockMopar, that is the exact place that I am worried about. My fenderlips are trimmed even with the stainless wheel well molding and when you view straight up into the wheel well it looks like that little lip of the inner wheelwell is about even with my trimmed fender lips. I don't see much gain by trimming anymore. I currently have 13/16 of space between the tire and the fenderlip and wheelwell lip and about 3/4 of an inch to the springs when I test fit a 235/45r18 tire, and I am comfortable with those measurements and confident I will have no rubbing. But.......I would love to fit a 245/45r18 in there but the added width will cut down on my clearances by about 3/16 of an inch per side which leaves me only 5/8 of clearance to the fender lip which I think will be fine driving down the road but I am worried about rubbing when pulling into places like gas stations and my driveway when the car is moving slow but the suspension is twisted. The car corners pretty flat with just a front sway bar so I think I would be fine even going around sweeping bends it is just those slow off camber turns I am worried about.

Thanks for the replies everyone else and please keep posting your clearances and thoughts. My tire guy mounted up one 235/45r18 on a back rim and a 205/50r17 on a front so I could test fit them to my car because I knew those were safe sizes and the wheels and tires look good but they do look a little on the small side diameter wise especially the fronts. He has agreed to order in a 245/45r18 and a 215/50r17 to mount on my other back and front wheel so I can fit them and see what the clearances really are. The trouble is I can only check clearances with the car sitting still because I can not drive on the tires or he can't send them back. The car sits pretty close to what I consider stock height now with about 5/8 of space between the full size bump stop and frame on the front suspension and just a slight bit of rake but I am planning to lower it maybe 1 to 1.5 inches from where it sits now once I change out the torsion bars to something stiffer. Right now I am just trying to get this wheel thing done before the snow flies and the car is down for its long winter slumber.
 
I have 255/60/15 and have less than 1/2" each side and have never rubbed, I suppose if I took a corner hard enough they would. On a 70' dart.
Jeff
 
I run N50-14s on 14x10s on the back of my duster
I have negative 2 inches of clearance between the fender and the tire
(I am at slightly higher then stock ride height)

I'm sure @72bluNblu has a pic of it floating around somewhere :poke:
 
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