So "god spec" is it REALLY not rubbing?

[optronix]

Just installed my 18x10+40 CE28N-Plus this evening. They're great- except they DEFINITELY rub on a particularly nasty double-bump down the street from my house.

I'm on 275/35-18 Bridgestone RE-71RZ, Eibach Pro-kit, EVS lower ball joints at -3.5 degrees camber, and DSC controller. So far I have only taken these bumps in the comfort setting, maybe that's the "rub". I don't feel like dealing with it any more today but that's the first thing I'm going to try tomorrow, is hit those bumps in sport and sport+.

But the ask is for anyone who has run this setup - I think the key tell here is with 200 TW tires- DOES IT ACTUALLY RUB on hard bumps? So far I've heard literally no one claim any rubbing at all on this setup with a variety of suspension configurations, yet here we are.

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[optronix]

Pics for reference.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

I'm genuinely surprised you are getting rub, especially with that much camber. Which corner(s) is rubbing? Which part of the tire(s) is rubbing?

 

[optronix]

All of them. WTF.

Also just confirmed, happens when in Sport and Sport+ too.

 

[Gildiae]

I haven’t explored much of anything regarding if the fenders have a tab that holds the fender liner in or need slight trimming in general on the DE5, but I’ve needed to do this on previous cars that I’ve owned. May want to try that just in case? I’m shocked you rub with that much camber though.

Fitment and wheels look great btw.

 

[optronix]

I haven’t explored much of anything regarding if the fenders have a tab that holds the fender liner in or need slight trimming in general on the DE5, but I’ve needed to do this on previous cars that I’ve owned. May want to try that just in case? I’m shocked you rub with that much camber though.

Fitment and wheels look great btw.

You may be onto something. I think I saw something along these lines on the rears but that still doesn't explain the fronts especially with the added camber (which I actually wanted to dial back to ~-2.5-2.8). Maybe I just haven't found it yet... taking it to a trusted shop on Monday to dig deeper.

Oh well. $6k+ for the wheels, tires, lugs, rings, and center caps isn't enough apparently.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

Something I discovered when comparing to my buddy's car is that FL5 fenders are "shaved" from factory. They have a few mm of clearance because of that. I ran into this rubbing issue when I was running the 275/35 previously also but I am on H&R springs. I tried flattening out the fender liner and it helped a little, but not enough to completey stop the rubbing. I had plans and parts for more camber but it was less invasive to try a 30 profile tire first. Ultimately I found the 30 profile tire to be better for my setup in terms of feel and never moved forward with the camber mods.

Sadly I have no answer for your situation as you're pretty maxed out on negative camber, I would think a narrower tire or thinner tire would work but that alters your look and driving dynamics. Maybe different springs? Springs or cutting the fender tabs both seem like pretty extreme options though.

Sucks that you're having the issue as the setup looks awesome.

 

[egxflash]

Just go back to your old wheels, I love CEs but the 19" APEXs looked better IMO.

I know you are more track focused though so I get that part.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

Comparing our setups, you *should* be clear (in theory) as we're only off by 2mm on overall diameter.

I think the issue comes down to the tires, I suspect the Bridgestones just run taller and wider than spec? Or maybe the Michelin's run smaller.

 

[optronix]

Just go back to your old wheels, I love CEs but the 19" APEXs looked better IMO.

I know you are more track focused though so I get that part.

I kept them around for the street specifically. Plus sets of the PS4S pop up for sub-$500 pretty routinely, I feel like they'll pay for themselves over time. And honestly the noise from 200TW gets old after a while so these are not intended to be my "dailies".

I think they both look great in their own ways, but I got these specifically because I wanted to run the Bridgestones. If they start making Bridgestones in 265/275 19" then I would consider selling the Volks... but for now I guess I'll have to figure out this issue as I'm this deep in already...

 

[madchiller]

the tire itself may run wide vs other 275/35s

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Super 200s are generally a half to one inch wider than their equivalent 300tw counterparts. It can be a significant factor. The fact the Bridgestone are rubbing isn't great, since they're one of the narrower super 200s.

There's positive camber gain happening as the wheel compresses, so even though visually it may look like it will work once the wheel starts to move it may push out just enough.

The shop that installed your springs - did they chop the bump stops?

 

[optronix]

Super 200s are generally a half to one inch wider than their equivalent 300tw counterparts. It can be a significant factor. The fact the Bridgestone are rubbing isn't great, since they're one of the narrower super 200s.

There's positive camber gain happening as the wheel compresses, so even though visually it may look like it will work once the wheel starts to move it may push out just enough.

The shop that installed your springs - did they chop the bump stops?

They did, but I don't know how much. I don't know how easy it would be to visually inspect that either but the thought has come up. It's only at like, 7 or 8/10 bump severity I notice any rubbing.

I'm sitting in the lobby of my performance shop now getting an alignment and I asked the to diag the rubbing. I'll post updates as I get them.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

They did, but I don't know how much. I don't know how easy it would be to visually inspect that either but the thought has come up. It's only at like, 7 or 8/10 bump severity I notice any rubbing.

I'm sitting in the lobby of my performance shop now getting an alignment and I asked the to diag the rubbing. I'll post updates as I get them.

So that's the primary variable between aftermarket spring setups when people are using the exact same springs/drop. Bump stop tuning is a whole thing on its own. You can easily purchase stiffer rubber bump stops or ones with specific progressive overload.

Since they were cut, your range of motion to bottom out is further (possibly by a whole inch, depending on the chop size), which will give even more positive camber gain during compression than stock.

If the shop has it, hopefully they can figure it out. Worst case if they can't, and you know you can replicate it, grab some chalk and chalk those tires until they're no longer black. Then go hunt some curbs and manholes, see where the chalk lands in the wheel well.

Fun side note - in certain racing classes where spring rate is fixed AND you can't use spring isolators, teams will specifically use large, tuned, bumpstops to add extra "spring rate". In some cases (like a couple gt series mustangs I've seen) the strut is sitting on the bump stop all the time.

 

[optronix]

So verdict is in- the tires are just wide lol. The RE-71RZ appear to be on the wider spectrum even for 200TW, and likely run wider than their predecessor RE-71RS (*but note no measurements were taken so take this assessment with the appropriate grain of salt). So it is just a clearance issue. The bump stops appear to be cut correctly for the Eibach springs (which they fuckin should be, despite my existing reservations the shop that did them did have an established known good reputation).

That said the rubbing is extremely minor, and only occurs on very substantial bumps. Not anything I'm likely to come across during an autocross, but possibly a DE in certain conditions. It's just barely coming into contact with the felt/plastic liner so no damage is being done, just some extremely minor scuffing on the sidewalls, visible in the picture I shared above. Rears definitely more than fronts due to the extra camber. No other contact is taking place... and truth be told it appears to have actually mostly resolved already via "self-correction" from the tire wearing through the mm or so of liner. I noticed 3 "incidents" of rubbing on the ~1 hour highway drive to the shop this morning (so like <.01% of overall driving) - and absolutely zero on the way back. (Also the shop may have done some pressing/shaving with the fender liner but if they did it was minimal effort). I do have yet to run through my favorite bump that caused all this- but even still now that I know it's not actively hurting anything I think I'll just slow down a hair more when going over it on these wheels.

So TL;DR, it's just a "is what it is" situation that I'll just have to live with. With some input from a couple pros to I can live with that. Just chalk this up to the first known case to experience rubbing with the "god spec" configuration on 275 200TW tires, on the DE5 platform (which may have slightly less clearance than the FL5).

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