REAR WHEEL SPACERS
Discussion
Alan Whitaker said:
Any chassis work done that could have had the trailing arm mounts put in the wrong place.
Not a MOT fail but the police may stop you
You could just get a refund on one
Either that or the body isn't quite central, have a feel for gap difference between the outriggers and the tub.Not a MOT fail but the police may stop you
You could just get a refund on one
Edited by LawrieS on Saturday 10th June 20:47
The previous owner did a chassis refurb, but I would have thought due to the drive to the gearbox that everything has to be relatively set dimension wise i.e. if would also require a 20 mm longer drive shaft etc as well wouldn't it??
I don't have the original wheels to be able to compare unfortunately (though if anyone has some Oz 8 spokes, get in touch!). I know TVRs are hand made so probably have greater tolerances than a modern robot made car, but 20 mm is quite a difference!
I don't have the original wheels to be able to compare unfortunately (though if anyone has some Oz 8 spokes, get in touch!). I know TVRs are hand made so probably have greater tolerances than a modern robot made car, but 20 mm is quite a difference!
ukflyboy said:
I don't have the original wheels to be able to compare unfortunately
Any wheels that you can fit without fouling anything would do. Failing that, measure the distance from the hub mounting flange to the chassis rail. This is just a sanity check, because it's practically impossible that you have got bent chassis or suspension without making it impossible to assemble the back axle never mind driving it. Almost certainly the issue is that the body is offset or very asymmetrical, so you need to find whether there's a compromise that fits legally within the bodywork and still clears the trailing arms. If you think it might be a body offset, check the clearance around the back of the tub and see whether you have any scope to shift the body sideways. I suspect you're only looking for 5-10mm and you might just be able to find that.
Mine is out by about the same at the front, took it to David Geralds who checked everything over and they said its possible it came out the factory like that and its not uncommon for them to be out by a little at the back, but I have also had the chassis done and can see that the body may have room to shift over, Im not sure how much of a job this would be? hopefully not a body off! I have seen a pic of a another V8S that appears to be the same as mine, with the nearside wheel sticking out a little more than the offside. Got to get it sorted as it really bugs me.
I've spent a bit of time messing around with it this morning. First of all wheel comparison:
The wheels that came off it are 17x7JJ with 225/45 R17 tyres on it. If you lie them place a bit of wood over the top they are only 225 mm wide, so tread basically comes all the way out to the edge. However 225/50 R16 tyres on the Imolas (7.5 inch) are actually a total of 245 mm thick, which will be why they stick out an acceptable amount compared to the 225s of the low profiles.
As far as the car goes, dropping a plumb bob from the wheel arch and measuring to the face of the hub centre, the LHS sits 19 mm further out than the LHS. The trailing arms look the same and seem to be the same measurements however, the LHS drive shaft (from where each and attaches with the star bolts) is 13 mm longer on the LHS than the RHS. Random! So I'm guessing the 13mm there plus maybe the body sitting slightly off adds up to the 20mm difference between both sides?
I'm guessing none of this is easily rectifiable, so is my best option to just accept I've wasted some cash refurbing some 16 inch Imolas and track down some 15s for the back and get them done?
The wheels that came off it are 17x7JJ with 225/45 R17 tyres on it. If you lie them place a bit of wood over the top they are only 225 mm wide, so tread basically comes all the way out to the edge. However 225/50 R16 tyres on the Imolas (7.5 inch) are actually a total of 245 mm thick, which will be why they stick out an acceptable amount compared to the 225s of the low profiles.
As far as the car goes, dropping a plumb bob from the wheel arch and measuring to the face of the hub centre, the LHS sits 19 mm further out than the LHS. The trailing arms look the same and seem to be the same measurements however, the LHS drive shaft (from where each and attaches with the star bolts) is 13 mm longer on the LHS than the RHS. Random! So I'm guessing the 13mm there plus maybe the body sitting slightly off adds up to the 20mm difference between both sides?
I'm guessing none of this is easily rectifiable, so is my best option to just accept I've wasted some cash refurbing some 16 inch Imolas and track down some 15s for the back and get them done?
I did some wheel swapping this evening and put one of the 15s on the troublesome back left. With the standard 205/60 R15s on it sits nicely inside the wheel arch (but only by 5 mm or so), so I think unless a new and interesting cause/solution makes itself known then I will have to resign myself to the fact that 7.5 inch wheels just won't work on the back of my S.
Anyone got 2x 15 inch Imolas they want rid or or want 2x beautifully refurbed 16s?!
Anyone got 2x 15 inch Imolas they want rid or or want 2x beautifully refurbed 16s?!
Wheel arch extensions? Not exactly standard, but neither are 16" × 7.5 J wheels.
Do you mean machine the wheel thickness by an amount equal to the wheel thickness? 
Grinding the wheel down wouldn't help, as I can already get them back far enough to touch the trailing arm by removing the spacer, and it is still a fraction too wide on the LHS. The issue is the 20mm discrepancy in hub position vs the body (at least 13 mm of which appears to be actual suspension differences) and the extra .5 inch of wheel on the 7.5 inch wide 16 inch Imolas. Sadly (for my pocket and the general look) the answer looks to be to source some 15 inch Imolas and get them refurbed.
Maybe I will keep the 16s in case I get a Chimaera ;-)
Maybe I will keep the 16s in case I get a Chimaera ;-)
Not the Dark Side!!! 
ukflyboy said:
Grinding the wheel down wouldn't help, as I can already get them back far enough to touch the trailing arm by removing the spacer, and it is still a fraction too wide on the LHS. The issue is the 20mm discrepancy in hub position vs the body (at least 13 mm of which appears to be actual suspension differences) and the extra .5 inch of wheel on the 7.5 inch wide 16 inch Imolas. Sadly (for my pocket and the general look) the answer looks to be to source some 15 inch Imolas and get them refurbed.
Maybe I will keep the 16s in case I get a Chimaera ;-)
Ford rs 7 spokes in 7jx16" are et35 and could look very good. Maybe I will keep the 16s in case I get a Chimaera ;-)
Change the centre Ford badge for tvr version
phillpot said:
Have you tried removing/slackening body mounting bolts to see if it will shove over a bit to centralise?
Not looked at that yet phillpot, not dealt with any body stuff yet, so would need to investigate where the mounting bolts etc are. Is it a big job? If I got the overhang even on both sides, reduced the spacer to the bare minimum to get it away from the trailing arm I might just get away with it; the situation could then be improved with 215 wheels in future. But then 15 inchers like it was designed for might just be an overall smarter choice - 16s on the back were supposed to be an easy option cos plenty of other S owners had done it and I had a free set from a mate!I'd love to know what might be causing the 13mm difference in driveshaft length; are they supposed to be the same left and right?
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff