[intl440]

Hi everyone,

Just installed some new wheels on my 2018 440i RWD coupe. Got a great deal on a set of Vorsteiner VFF103 and decided to put them on my car. The spec is as follows: 19x8.5 ET30 (front) and 19x10 ET45 rear wrapped in 235/40r19 and 275/35r19 MP4S, respectively.

While this is a near flush fitment, I am now experiencing rubbing near the top of the fenders (not liner) front fenders. The tires make contact with the top of the fender, just behind the front edge but still the painted part. This usually happens with any moderate travel in one or both of the front struts.

I am looking for any suggestions or advice on what might be best for me to get this issue resolved. I currently have the car on Ohlins Road and Track MP00, so there can be possibility of ride height adjustment. However, I doubt that will be very effective given where the rubbing is happening.

So far I've read about camber plates, M4 LCA upgrade, and front camber bushings. For those with experience with any of these, please do share your results and the changes to driving that you've noticed.

Thank you everyone! Really hoping to get this car up and not rubbing to enjoy the rest of the Summer in the SoCal canyons

[im_an_alien]

Your drop must be very aggressive. Consider that the very popular 437m front wheel is 19x9 with a 29mm offset (wider than your current setup) and many including myself have run that setup with mild drops and the same 235/40 tire.
Any pics?

[johnung]

Originally Posted by intl440

Hi everyone,

Just installed some new wheels on my 2018 440i RWD coupe. Got a great deal on a set of Vorsteiner VFF103 and decided to put them on my car. The spec is as follows: 19x8.5 ET30 (front) and 19x10 ET45 rear wrapped in 235/40r19 and 275/35r19 MP4S, respectively.

While this is a near flush fitment, I am now experiencing rubbing near the top of the fenders (not liner) front fenders. The tires make contact with the top of the fender, just behind the front edge but still the painted part. This usually happens with any moderate travel in one or both of the front struts.

I am looking for any suggestions or advice on what might be best for me to get this issue resolved. I currently have the car on Ohlins Road and Track MP00, so there can be possibility of ride height adjustment. However, I doubt that will be very effective given where the rubbing is happening.

So far I've read about camber plates, M4 LCA upgrade, and front camber bushings. For those with experience with any of these, please do share your results and the changes to driving that you've noticed.

Thank you everyone! Really hoping to get this car up and not rubbing to enjoy the rest of the Summer in the SoCal canyons

Not sure what your stock tire size and model was, or what tire model you are using now. It’s possible that you’ve chosen a tire that’s about a half inch greater in diameter. That shouldn’t cause rubbing but can contribute.

UPDATE: You said that you are currently on MPS4S. That’s a 26.4” measured diameter from TireRack’s specs. If your stock front tire was say 225/45-18, those are typically about 26.0” in diameter.

You mentioned that you are lowered on coilovers. That can also contribute to rubbing. The ET30 offset contributes also because it pushes the wheel to poke out of the wheel well. ET35 is a more typical 8.5” wheel offset, but up to ET42 can sometimes fit without rubbing inside on the strut. Of course, higher offsets can easily be adjusted lower with the addition of spacers. A 5mm spacer turns an ET42 into an ET37. But if you are already at ET30, then a spacer can’t be used as a fix.

A 235 wide tire on the front is not aggressive. 255’s can easily fit on the front and sometimes 265’s if all of the various specs match up.

When is the last time that you had an alignment done? I’ve seen alignment be the difference between hitting and tucking under. If you don’t have room for adjustment, then camber plates might be a solution, maybe along with raising the coilover ride height a little. Don’t do M4 control arms. They aren’t a true bolt-on upgrade, so they can create a whole new can of worms.

Great videos from FaRKle! below:

Favorite Camber Plate Improved
https://youtu.be/Je2fopKBn5g?si=3S-jRUJuljwh3erS

Older Comparison of Camber Plates
https://youtu.be/sAaLvIqSRV4?si=iXKgXxtp6OMMVG68

Hope this helps!

[HM-2]

Originally Posted by johnung

or what tire model you are using now.

OP looks to have stated he's running Pilot Sport 4S.

I think to keep closer to stock sizes he should have done 235/35 and 275/30 in R19, which might account for it, no?

[johnung]

Originally Posted by HM-2

OP looks to have stated he's running Pilot Sport 4S.

Good catch! Missed that.

[intl440]

Originally Posted by im_an_alien

Your drop must be very aggressive. Consider that the very popular 437m front wheel is 19x9 with a 29mm offset (wider than your current setup) and many including myself have run that setup with mild drops and the same 235/40 tire.
Any pics?

That is actually what I was thinking too. I had my coilovers installed at Mafia Motorsports. I asked them to use the reccomended height setting but I think they just maxed out the drop. I attempted to adjust them yesterday with a spammer wrench but they wouldn’t budge. But even so, I have doubts that raising it would mitigate all rub, I run my car moderately hard in canyons once a week.

I’ve attached some pics, hope it worked - still new to bimmerpost

[intl440]

Originally Posted by johnung

Not sure what your stock tire size and model was, or what tire model you are using now. It’s possible that you’ve chosen a tire that’s about a half inch greater in diameter. That shouldn’t cause rubbing but can contribute.

UPDATE: You said that you are currently on MPS4S. That’s a 26.4” measured diameter from TireRack’s specs. If your stock front tire was say 225/45-18, those are typically about 26.0” in diameter.

You mentioned that you are lowered on coilovers. That can also contribute to rubbing. The ET30 offset contributes also because it pushes the wheel to poke out of the wheel well. ET35 is a more typical 8.5” wheel offset, but up to ET42 can sometimes fit without rubbing inside on the strut. Of course, higher offsets can easily be adjusted lower with the addition of spacers. A 5mm spacer turns an ET42 into an ET37. But if you are already at ET30, then a spacer can’t be used as a fix.

A 235 wide tire on the front is not aggressive. 255’s can easily fit on the front and sometimes 265’s if all of the various specs match up.

When is the last time that you had an alignment done? I’ve seen alignment be the difference between hitting and tucking under. If you don’t have room for adjustment, then camber plates might be a solution, maybe along with raising the coilover ride height a little. Don’t do M4 control arms. They aren’t a true bolt-on upgrade, so they can create a whole new can of worms.

Great videos from FaRKle! below:

Favorite Camber Plate [...]

Great information! Thank you for all the details.

I actually have not done an alignment yet because the coils were but on about a week ago and was reccomended to let the springs settle for at least a week before I got an alignment done. Will just an alignment fix my issue?

I know camber plates are popular and a great way to increase handling performance. Just worried about increased NVH, and as this is my daily I do not want to run into any additional noises and sensations besides a louder exhaust

As an aside, would you reccomend pairing 275 rears with a wider front? The car seems to want to oversteer less now on corner exit with acceleration, but at the same time a little less keen to rotate. (This is compared to the stock 225/255 staggered fit).

[intl440]

Originally Posted by HM-2

OP looks to have stated he's running Pilot Sport 4S.

I think to keep closer to stock sizes he should have done 235/35 and 275/30 in R19, which might account for it, no?

Perhaps the increased diameter might affect it. The new look is great though and provides decent protection for the rim. The non run flat 19” tires are actually more comfortable than the run flat 18”s, go figure.

Unless I have to give up 235/40 and 275/35 for one ratio down, I’d prefer to keep the ratios.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by intl440

That is actually what I was thinking too. I had my coilovers installed at Mafia Motorsports. I asked them to use the reccomended height setting but I think they just maxed out the drop. I attempted to adjust them yesterday with a spammer wrench but they wouldn’t budge. But even so, I have doubts that raising it would mitigate all rub, I run my car moderately hard in canyons once a week.

I’ve attached some pics, hope it worked - still new to bimmerpost

What are the front & rear drop ranges of the coilovers that you installed?

It’s tough to tell chassis height because of photo angles. Try measuring at all four wheels with a tape measure. Measure from center point of wheel cap straight up to the fender lip. What are the four measurements?

Your alignment can easily be way off after suspension work. Might was.

[intl440]

Originally Posted by johnung

What are the front & rear drop ranges of the coilovers that you installed?

It’s tough to tell chassis height because of photo angles. Try measuring at all four wheels with a tape measure. Measure from center point of wheel cap straight up to the fender lip. What are the four measurements?

Your alignment can easily be way off after suspension work. Might was.

I will get measurements soon. Need to find a flat surface to park my car for the measurement. The parking garage where my car is is not flat. Hopefully it's just an alignment issue...

[intl440]

Update: SOLVED! Just wanted to closeout the thread.

Turns out all I needed was an alignment. Had my car aligned and corner balanced at Cheworks to raise the height ever so slightly (about 10MM).

Stopped the rubbing when driving, but now the front driver side rubs the wheel well liner at full right lock. Apparently this is to be expected as the 235/40/19 MPS4s is too tall for my fender well. Not really a big issue though.

Looking to fix that with some heat gun application and down the road I will switch to a 245/35/19 or 255/35/19 front tire.