Wheel Clearance Issue | Touching Aluminum Panel

[Padawan]

All before we did the 1st go cart, we checked wheel clearance with the Aluminum Panel on...the wheels would touch the panels.

Picture:
Wheel Touching - Aluminum Panel.jpg

I have not idea if this is suppose to happen...doesn't feel right...

These are 17 inch wheels and eventually mine will be 15...not sure why that would matter since the chassis fits all of these rim sizes.

Please advise...

Thanks in advance

[Norm B]

Two things. The elephant ears/splash panels are not supposed to be installed until after the body goes on for the last time unless FFR has changed things. Second, the tire rub on the F panel is fairly common. Once you have your correct wheels and tires installed, you can get rack limiters that prevent the steering moving far enough to allow tire rub or learn how far you can turn the steering wheel before contact.

Norm

[Padawan]

Two things. The elephant ears/splash panels are not supposed to be installed until after the body goes on for the last time unless FFR has changed things. Second, the tire rub on the F panel is fairly common. Once you have your correct wheels and tires installed, you can get rack limiters that prevent the steering moving far enough to allow tire rub or learn how far you can turn the steering wheel before contact.

Norm

Sounds good, I got the panels ready to dry test them once we put the body on next week… then I’ll take them back off…

What are rack limiters?

[egchewy79]

Is your pic with the car on jack stands? Any F panel rubbing improves once you get the car at ride height.

[Norm B]

Here is a YouTube video explaining rack limiters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG3bH1l_36Y

Norm

[CraigS]

Or don't worry about it. They only hit in parking lots and it is a smooth surface which will not damage the tire.

[Jeff Kleiner]

What you're seeing now without the body and the panel in it's final installed position means nothing. As Craig mentioned they all will "kiss" the panel at near full lock but it doesn't come into play in normal driving...unless normal driving for you means doing a lot of 3 point turns in narrow alleys! You can add limiters of it bothers you but it's really a non-issue.

Jeff

[Mike Garrett]

I modified the panels to keep them from rubbing. Where they mount to the other aluminum panels that are on the frame I added a piece of aluminum about 2 inches long to set the wheel well panels back towards the rear of the car. They don’t rub now.