When placing larger tires on your car, you may face the issue of rubbing tires. They can be quite hazardous, resulting in a tire blowout! So, how to stop tires from rubbing and causing any such damage?
A car collision is often usually the result of this. You must be looking for some solutions to stop tires from rubbing now. You must first identify the root cause of them to do it.
What Are The Reasons For Rubbing Tires?
The underlying reason for tire rubs can be quickly identified and even fixed in the convenience of your garage. It is regardless of whether you’ve updated your tires or wheels, replaced them with OEM components. Or your car is already old and showing signs of coming repairs.
Many issues arise when fitting larger tires or changing the offset of the wheels. Any modifications made inside the wheel wells have an impact on tire rubs or any tire inside wear that occurs on the tread edge. Tire rubs can also result from installing wheel spacers or, in some situations, replacing old tires with new ones that meet the same requirements.
1. Wheel Offset
You will find wheel offset one of the trickiest things to get perfect when replacing wheels. This basically means how far the tire’s centreline is from the wheel’s surface. So, if the wheel offsets are not compatible, the tires will rub for sure.
2. Bigger Tires
Opting for increasing the size of wheels and tires is a typical modification for a range of automobiles. You will undoubtedly encounter pushes against the wheel well anytime you hit a pothole or are steering too forcefully because there won’t be enough clearance.
3. OE Replacement Tires
You would be surprised to know that even the smallest variation in tire size can result in the rubbing of the tires you have. This happens because the wheel clearance has a very narrow tolerance, especially under specific steering angles or driving situations.
You can still end up scraping them at the fender wells even if you strictly adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This is such that even a tiny variation in tire design such as shoulder construction or tread pattern might result in an increase in the overall profile of the wheel. The original wheel and tire gaps are relatively small perhaps.
4. Wheel Spacers
Most people use wheel spacers for the most prominent reasons, which are aesthetics and performance. Moving the wheel and tire assembly further from the hub increases interior space, but there will be rubbing on the fender and/or wheel well liner of the car as a result.
In addition to consequential increased rubbing, spacers will further lessen the offset and move the wheel further from the fender.
5. Wheel Misalignment
The most typical impact of alignment issues is uneven tire wear. But in extreme cases, they can potentially cause tire damage.
Along with being out of alignment, a vehicle’s caster angle can be a source of alignment problems or, it can cause tire rubbing if deviates enough from the recommended levels.
6. Faulty Suspension Components
Over time, springs can become less elastic, bushings can become worn, and shock mounts can also become defective. Due to this, the damping or suspension capacity sags.
The tire loses its ability to absorb road imperfections or changes in vehicle load. Now you would know that you are having malfunctioning suspension parts if you experience tire rubbing.
How To Check For Tires Rubbing Signs
We would suggest making absolutely sure you are on flat ground before trying to accurately inspect your tires for any fender rub. After that, release the handbrake and put the gears in “Park.”
Look for any locations where the tyre is making contact with the wheel well with a flashlight, unless essential to do so. The part that stands out like a sore thumb is the spot where the wheel well liner and tire make contact.
Your mechanic can identify the causes and offer a suitable solution if you can pinpoint the exact place of the rubbing.
How To Stop Car Tires From Rubbing
Just like with any repair operation to correctly identify the root cause of the problem, you must perform a proper diagnosis first. When identifying or fixing the issue, it is mandatory that you always have the right equipment available to avoid further damage.
You need lots of time at first as this procedure may get lengthy. Along with that, things you would require include spare lug nuts, a heat gun, a flashlight, a wheel-arch reforming tool, wheel chocks, a jack, and jack stands.
If you are going for some brand-new tires, it would be very challenging to undo the process of altering your wheel well to make room for the new ones. Before committing to this method, we suggest double-checking the correct fender rolling technique and exploring all other options to avoid any hassle later.
Possibly new shocks are all you need instead of a fender roll. To achieve accurate measurements, you must clean the fender wells first to clear of any mud and dirt that may have accumulated.
- Take the wheel out from under the first fender that needs to be rolled by raising the car with a jack.
- Use a jack stand to hold the lower suspension arm as the hub must stay at a level equal to when the tire is on. You can remove any fender liners if required.
- To protect the paint from cracking, you need to first heat the fender.
- Once the wheel is attached, apply the same amount of torque to the lug nuts to tighten and secure them. The paint will start to bubble if you instantly try an intense roll.
- The last step is to begin heating each section of your car before gently rolling it in from top to bottom.
- Keep an eye on things and constantly adjust the angle as little as you can. Push in gradually if you need extra space.
- You’ll have more space for your tires and less chance of fender rubs if you repeat this at each corner.
What More Should You Know?
What Are The Consequences of Tire Rubbing
You now have an idea that damage to the wheel well lining is typically the most serious problem in tire rubbing situations. In exchange for bigger wheels and tires, some followers consider this as a needed precaution.
The connection between steering and suspension components is a bigger worry. Sometimes a simple realignment or suspension part repair is all that is needed to fix tire rubbing. However, before beginning any procedures to address the tire rubbing issue, you must first obtain all the necessary information and check.
Wrap Up
When fender wells scrape the margins of tire rubs, they become more than just an inconvenience for you. A blowout will occur if too much tread is exposed, ultimately making these annoyances extremely dangerous if they are not immediately fixed.
Self-inflicted upgrades and modifications that deviate from the wheel’s primary design and specification are the most frequent causes of tyre rubbing.
There will be some instances where the issue is caused also due to worn-out suspension parts. A thorough mechanical diagnosis is necessary to find the problem at hand regardless of whatever the underlying causes are.
We hope that all your queries on how to stop tires from rubbing. Hit the comment section if you still have any confusion. We would love to serve you with needed guidance!
