• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


215/45/R17 Rubbing

kivnul

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
1,193
Likes
710
Location
Deer Park, WA
#1
So I installed new wheels and tires last night. After a trip around the block had noise in the back. The fender liner on the rears was drooping and I tightened them up with a screw/washer on each side. Drove to work this morning to break them in and I got some noise on a couple of very hard corners. Currently running:

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2, 17x7.5 / 45mm offset
Bridgestone RE71R 215/45/R17

I don't think its fender lip rubbing but I will look at it in depth to check it out. I have heard that there is a tab that connects the front bumper to the fender, I will also look at that. Does anyone else know of things I should look at? It has been suggested that I coat parts that I think are hitting with grease to see if it is still there after I get it to rub again. Is there a better method? This is my first try at running oversize tires and there is an autocross this weekend I would like to run these on. Tomorrow will be a nice day after work but it looks like torrential rain for the rest of the week that will severely curb my ability to find the problem. Also doesn't help that I live in the sticks on dirt roads, have to travel a bit just to hit pavement. Thanks in advance for the advice.
 


Messages
206
Likes
51
Location
Clyde
#2
I've had 215/45r17 RE71Rs on srock rims for about 10,000 miles and stock suspension, and they have actually worn holes in the rear fender liners. As for the front, I hear it scrub at nearly full lock in combination with a bump. Unfortunately I still see no signs of where it's rubbing in the front, kind of strange honestly. I'm not super concerned as they are coming off soon and being replaced with 245/35r17s when I get my fenders trimmed and flares on.
 


Messages
182
Likes
54
Location
Gatineau
#3
I've had 215/45r17 RE71Rs on srock rims for about 10,000 miles and stock suspension, and they have actually worn holes in the rear fender liners. As for the front, I hear it scrub at nearly full lock in combination with a bump. Unfortunately I still see no signs of where it's rubbing in the front, kind of strange honestly. I'm not super concerned as they are coming off soon and being replaced with 245/35r17s when I get my fenders trimmed and flares on.
Which wheels and flares did you choose? I want to eventually do something like that too, so I'm curious.
 


OP
kivnul

kivnul

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
1,193
Likes
710
Location
Deer Park, WA
Thread Starter #5
215/40/17 wont rub. Get a smaller tire.
Oh, if the RE71R's came in that size I would be on them like white on rice. I think I found a rub spot on the hard plastic linings. I will take some photos tonight when I take the front wheels off and take a heat gun to the plastic.
 


Last edited:
OP
kivnul

kivnul

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
1,193
Likes
710
Location
Deer Park, WA
Thread Starter #8
Update. So I took off the front drivers wheel and found 3 spots of rubbing on the fender liner. I took a heat gun to the plastic and when it was pliable I pushed at it to get it to form closer to the underlying metal and let it cool.

Car macro view
IMG_1046.JPG

Horrible photo showing main rub spot up front
Before 1.jpg

Two additional rub spots
Before 2.jpg

After melting and pushing. Passenger side turned out better but no photo
After 1.jpg

Screw placed to hold up felt rear wheel liner
Rear Tire.JPG

AutoX this weekend, will report back if I hear anything.
 


BRGT350

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,075
Likes
762
Location
Grand Haven
#9
I wouldn't be surprised if they will still rub when autocrossing. The suspension is articulated much further on course than on the street. I tried fitting a set of P215/45 17 tires on the European Fiesta I had for the Fiesta Movement and decided they weren't going to work. That car sat higher than the factory ST's, and there just wasn't enough clearance for them. I have problems with my P205/45 17 tires on my lowered ST and need to start working on spacers for the springs. The rear fender liners are pulled to maximize clearance and the front bumper cover is trimmed. It is far closer to rubbing that I would like. P215/40 17 is the perfect size for the ST, but there just aren't a lot of tires in that size.
 


OP
kivnul

kivnul

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
1,193
Likes
710
Location
Deer Park, WA
Thread Starter #10
I wouldn't be surprised if they will still rub when autocrossing....
Yup, they will still rub, I am just trying to reduce it as much as possible. I drove over to a location that rubbed yesterday and I still got rubbing but it was much reduced. I think there is another spot in the wheel well that I may need to trim, this one more of a tab. It is sharper and could cut a tire unlike the previously shown spots. I will yank the tires again tonight and start round 2. This odyssey is mostly for other folks to know what to look at. I did quite a bit of forum searching and never saw photos nor really good descriptions of rubbing locations. Some folks run this size tire and quote no problems but I am guessing they mostly DD the setup and wouldn't notice anything except speed bumps or something similar..

P215/40 17 is the perfect size for the ST, but there just aren't a lot of tires in that size.
I almost bought some 215/40 R17 Federal RS/R's for AutoX but I'm not 100% sold on their quality. More options that size would make for much happiness.
 


Last edited:
Messages
329
Likes
44
Location
Pomona
#11
Which wheels and flares did you choose? I want to eventually do something like that too, so I'm curious.
Me too but I want someone to install them for me and I want raw carbon fiber bits as my car is black.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
#12
A 215/40 17 shouldn't rub at stock height but might lowered depending on the lowered height. 205/45 17 should also work at stock height but it will be really close to rubbing. If you autocross it might rub a little. When I ran it I think I only had it rub once but I partially consider it my fault as it was a dip on the freeway that I didn't notice and hit too fast. Never had problems hitting the dip (or anywhere else) at other times. 215/45 17 is pretty much guaranteed to rub even at stock height on all but the best of roads at conservative speeds.

Have you considered a 16" or 15" wheel?

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 


OP
kivnul

kivnul

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
1,193
Likes
710
Location
Deer Park, WA
Thread Starter #13
Have you considered a 16" or 15" wheel?
With the $ I have invested so far on the 17" wheels and tires, I am certain my wife would kill me if pick up another whole set. I am somewhat committed to trying to make this work. If all else fails, the RE71R's will become my DD tires (my forearms will become huge do to the tires pulling this way and that with the roadway. My tinitus will be much worse =) and I can run the stockers as my AutoX set.
 


Similar threads



Top