Wheel to fender gap

[tkc]

Hi all, I recently got a used c180 cabriolet and went for rim and tyre change from 17" stock to 19" multispoke staggered setup . The outcome looks nice but I noticed that a) the front wheels gap between the wheel and fender is probably slightly less the 2 fingers (1.5")? , b) the rear wheels gap is slightly bigger at 3 fingers . As this is used car I am not sure if the suspensions are stock or otherwise . I ask the tyre shop they said it's normal and correct. So far I do not encounter any issues . Can anyone advise if this set up is normal . I am concern with the wheel rubbing the fender especially during "heavy load". TIA

[kwanmh33]

On 5/30/2024 at 8:24 AM, tkc said:

Hi all, I recently got a used c180 cabriolet and went for rim and tyre change from 17" stock to 19" multispoke staggered setup . The outcome looks nice but I noticed that a) the front wheels gap between the wheel and fender is probably slightly less the 2 fingers (1.5")? , b) the rear wheels gap is slightly bigger at 3 fingers . As this is used car I am not sure if the suspensions are stock or otherwise . I ask the tyre shop they said it's normal and correct. So far I do not encounter any issues . Can anyone advise if this set up is normal . I am concern with the wheel rubbing the fender especially during "heavy load". TIA

hi there. i was in the same predicament with the stock suspension. Yes its normal for the front to be lower than the rear as the front is much heavier. You might encounter slight rubbing aka bottoming-out at the front when entering / exiting road humps or ramps at speed.
various methods to solve this issue (from cheapest to most costly):
1. install suspension stiffeners
2. replace with stiffer lowering springs
3. replace with full set of coilovers (i did this with BC Racing coilovers, where i adjusted for the front and rear heights aka wheel gaps to be the same. aesthetically more pleasing when viewed from the sides. haha!)
 

[tkc]

Thanks for the suggestions . So far the ride has been ok but to be fair I have yet to "test" the stretched conditions - going thru humps at speed or carrying full load (no one wants to squeeze into the small space behind .. ) 

Surprising I feel the suspension is quite stiff in this ride as compared to my c180 sedan.   Not sure if it's a Cabrio set up .