Just lowered my new car - 05 works and put 18's on it and now the rear arches scrape quite a bit - occasionally over a bumps or all the time with a car full.

Springs: -40mm PI lowering springs
Wheels: 18" (220 wide I think..)

My old cooper was lowered using eibach springs and 18" wheels which I had no scraping issues whatsoever, which is surprising.

Anyone else with this issue, anyone modified or removed their rear arches?

Pics up soon!!

- Alex

What is the offset of your wheels?!

Do you still have the small half moon clip on sections fitted?

zoooooom, I've no idea, whats that?

My wheel offset is 38mm

Just lowered my new car - 05 works and put 18's on it and now the rear arches scrape quite a bit - occasionally over a bumps or all the time with a car full.

Springs: -40mm PI lowering springs
Wheels: 18" (220 wide I think..) offset is 38mm

Considering the low offset of the wheels and amount of lowering it's not surprising you're getting rubbing, especially if the tires are 225 in width. Time to use a Dremel tool and surgically remove the portion of the wheel arch liners where rubbing is occurring.

Exactly what MINIAC said! Too much lowering for such big wheels combined with a low offset will cause headaches.

ET38 on 18s will grind at the rear, look out because the rear section of the arch is not just plastic it has a nice sharp metal edge which I have seen slice through a tyre!

3 options

go higher

smaller tyres

get the grinder out :)

is it only the plastic wheel arch that is cut and not the metal arch itself? im having this problem at the moment and it can only get worse with the coilovers ive just bought

thanks, dean

Back in the day when I had a MK2 Golf GTI lowered on coilovers I went to a company in Northhampton (Premier I think the name was) who "Rolled" my inner arch lips and cut away the section of plastic arch liner to give clearance.

They then glued the wheel arch trims back on.

No more rubbing and plenty of clearance.

Surprised no one offers this service for the "Low Riders".

Depends on many factors,

My wheels are 18x7.5 offset 43mm at the back and lowered 80mm and my inner wheel arch lining is shredded to peices, all for being properly slammed.

Tyres are 215/35.

Change the tyres, would help matters loads.

Back in the day when I had a MK2 Golf GTI lowered on coilovers I went to a company in Northhampton (Premier I think the name was) who "Rolled" my inner arch lips and cut away the section of plastic arch liner to give clearance.

They then glued the wheel arch trims back on.

No more rubbing and plenty of clearance.

Surprised no one offers this service for the "Low Riders".

The mini arches are very different from VW stuff, there is no lip to roll just the quater panel, with a sharp Z shaped bit at the rear.

The mini arches are very different from VW stuff, there is no lip to roll just the quater panel, with a sharp Z shaped bit at the rear.

Unless you make one like I have been doing.

Because im lowered so much I go through arches every few months due to uneven arch wear.

I cut the lip off as soon as i get the arches anyway as they dont go past my wheels, then use a wheel arch roller to shape the arch.

My other method works better though.

Shaped wood to the arch, heat arch and bend slightly. Makes it look OEM. Then space out the other trim peices that touch it to match

The pain you go through for that LOW look :biggrin::biggrin:.

See your other thread about photos of lowered MINIs and was going to ask if you get any rubbing. I guess you've answered the question mate.

Do you think if you had a less radical offset it would clear the arch liner?

Looks good by the way.

The pain you go through for that LOW look :biggrin::biggrin:.

See your other thread about photos of lowered MINIs and was going to ask if you get any rubbing. I guess you've answered the question mate.

Do you think if you had a less radical offset it would clear the arch liner?

Looks good by the way.

for the back it really makes no difference.

If you are lowered over 80mm at the back the rear inner wheel arch lining will get wrecked no matter what the offset is.
The plastic arch will be fine though at the back unless you have offset 33mm and lower.

At the front offset 43mm will clear the plastic arches fine but once again the inner wheel arch lining will get destroyed no matter what the offset is if you are lowered over 80mm.

Im running 33mm offset at the front and i go through a set of arches every few months at the front.

Ah well, it is all part of the fun ov coilovers.

BTW- im lowered 100+mm i think, so i know what works and doesnt work

Wow you must have some good roads! 30mm is enough for me and often grounds at the front. Worst is braking on roads the have seriously badly arched from heavy lorries.

Wow you must have some good roads! 30mm is enough for me and often grounds at the front. Worst is braking on roads the have seriously badly arched from heavy lorries.

the roads are quite bad where I live so I have to take them slow as my bumper catches on the road and the middle of the car in places.

About 3 miles away from my house and the roads get better.