Rolling and pulling fenders for 17x9 ET35 - 235/40 wheels
9” wheels and matching 225 R888 was one of the best upgrades I did for the MSM. They where worth 3 sek on Rudskogen compared to the 205 -17 street tires.
I hope to se similar gains with my new setup on the NC:
Enkei RPF1 17x9 ET 35 with 235/40 Toyo R888.
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235 is completely flush with the rim. A 245 tire would be perfect with a slight bulge.
235 Compared to the stock 205x16. Keen observers will notice that they are 8.4mm larger diameter which makes the tall geared 5-speed even taller :-/ Need more power to rotate these steam rollers.
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I knew based on GW’s warnings that I need to both roll and pull the fenders to make the ET35 rims fit.
Here are some pics with the wheels on the car before any fender demolition. As you can se I have obtained crazy hellaflush-i-ness and FB likes wherever I go on the Internet.
Tires rubbed like crazy in the rear over the slightest of bumps.
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Here is why:
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</div>Wheels are outside the fender with about 10mm of travel before rubbing the fender lip.
Solution:
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Front fender lip rolled + serous pulling. Inner plastic fender still touches but I think the R888 will grind them into shape soon enough.
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Rears got the same treatment, no pics.
Inner lip is folded. I was advised to do this instead of cutting as it will make the lip less likely to get uneven when rolled. I still managed to make it slightly uneven on the fronts as it deforms around the tabs on the inside where the plastic inner fender is attached.
What I have learned:
- Heat the lip and surroundings with a proper heat gun.
- Use a jack on the underside of the A-arm to avoid pushing the suspension down when rolling. Stiff ARB’s will prevent the suspension to be fully extended if only one wheel is in the air making the roller slip.
- When doing the fronts, lock the wheel in neutral position if possible.
- Go slow
- Add some kind of sealer or anti rust goo on the folded lip to avoid trapped water.
My first Auto-X on April 1st will tell me if I need to pull the fenders even more.
Nice to have the exhaust, wheels and suspension upgrades ready for the season. Next up will be ECU tuning with the EpifanSoft MazdaEdit software.
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