Rear Wheels Sitting Too Far Back In The Arches...

[Dan! 0]

Hi all,

 

Iv been wanting to lower the rear of my 205 since I got it (just 30mm or so, nothing crazy) but have always been put off by the position of the wheels in the rear arches, and how close they sit to the rear of the arch (the part of the arch that is the black plastic bumper) when the car is loaded up. Heres a few photos, opinions please?

 

This was with an engine in the boot, and 3 people in the car. The tyre rubbed considerably on the way home, but only on the black plastic bumper, not the actual inner/outer arch where you would normally expect a lowered car to rub..

 

 

 

 

This one was taken a couple of days ago with 100kg ish in the boot, no scraping on the way home, but the tyre/rear of the arch still look wasy to close imo, compared to the tyre/front of the arch

 

 

 

 

Again, with an engine in the boot, no rubbing from this, but was just me in the car.

 

 

What baffles/annoys me most is that other people with flat arch 205s seem to lower them plenty with no problem, I think id struggle to go any more than 20mm with rubbing!

 

 

FYI, I have 185/55/14 tyres on atm, although this isnt anything stupidly fat, so surely lower profile tyres arent the solution, and there is a knocking from the rear end over bumps etc, so would this be the beam mounts, and do we think they would cause the beam to move back, or sag more?

 

Thanks alot for any suggestions, cheers Dan.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Dan!

[rallyeash 155]

on my rallye the tyres are closer to the rear bumper than the arch, just how they are on base model shells i recon. what dampers you using, as if your on standard stuff its probably just way to soft hence the rubbing.

 

do you have a fetish about having engines in your boot?

[Dan! 0]

on my rallye the tyres are closer to the rear bumper than the arch, just how they are on base model shells i recon. what dampers you using, as if your on standard stuff its probably just way to soft hence the rubbing.

 

do you have a fetish about having engines in your boot?

 

Standard dampers yes, hopefully picking up some 306 Apex ones at the weekend though, cant complain for £20!

 

Like I say though, plenty of others seem to lower without a problem, thanks for the opinion, would be good to hear from a few others with base models aswel to see what the crack is...

 

And yes, maybe I do..... Who doesnt like going out for a drive and pretending theyve got a rear engined car at the weekends?! Haha, tbh they are the only 2 times ive ever had an engine in the boot! lol

Edited June 30, 2011 by Dan!

[Strictly_Derv 34]

Have the same problem on mine. When I first lowered it (on the bumpstops accidently) it was unmovable as it was stuck on the bumper where yours was rubbing.

 

All I can think of is that our cars may have been taken up the arse at some point causing the bumper to push forward slightly....?

[skinner2k3 3]

Had this problem on mine, changed the beam and the wheel now sits central. So I assume something can be fitted backwards to cause it????

[SurGie 54]

Its most likely the off set main mount brackets fitted the wrong way round. They are the ones that bolt to the mount then to the boot floor. The 205 gti has off set which means the beam sits further forward.

[Dan! 0]

Thanks guys.

 

Surgie, I think I understand most of your reply, but do you mean my beam mounts could have just been put on backwards, or that my beam mounts are normal and its supposed to be like this, and that GTi mounts will bring the wheel further forward?

 

Im looking to replace the mounts soon anyway so this should hopefully fix my problem aswel

[Strictly_Derv 34]

Surgies right about that as my current beam has the mounts the wrong way round which I only noticed after I put it on because it sat back alot further than my old original beam.

 

I don't think your's is wrong though Dan as it looks exactly like mine was.

 

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Its most likely the off set main mount brackets fitted the wrong way round. They are the ones that bolt to the mount then to the boot floor. The 205 gti has off set which means the beam sits further forward.

 

Not quite right. The 1.9 has offset mounts but the 1.6 doesn't. 309 GTIs don't either

 

1.9's have a "D" and a "G" stamped on them so you can tell which side they should go