Wheel well fender clearance trimming shaping - big tires

Bills85Westy

Hi all,

I've spent a number of hours this morning searching and reading threads without much success. I promise, i looked! I am looking for specific guidelines or examples of what others have done for the following:

1. Wheel well modification for bigger tires. This would include taking a donor section from another Vanagon to move the rear fender lip rearward on the front & rear.

2. Trimming the existing fender lips in a way that maintains a somewhat stock appearance.

3. Reshaping the existing fender lips in a way that maintains a somewhat stock look. This might including some cutting a welding.

My van is in a constant state of evolution and the "ripple effect" of modifications is sometimes apparent, sometimes a challenge, sometimes annoying, and sometimes a suprise. With a move to larger tires, I was expecting some clearance issues, but not sure exactly under what conditions & where. In this particular case, I get rub on the front on a partial turn in full compression.

This is a 2wd with 1.5" lift and 225/70 R16 BFG on GoWesty wheels with T3 7mm spacers & GoWesty big brakes. Here is a photo creating this condition on pavement. Deep driveway sharp turn in.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I am getting ready to dive in to some body work & paint projects, so any of the above options are within my skill set.

I've also deliberately tried to make the title of this thread all encompassing so this might be a good location for different set ups and examples for others.

Thanks
Bill
_________________
89 Tristar Syncro Doka - White
85 Westfalia Syncro (conversion)
SAH 1.8T Conversion - 2005 AWP
Engine Conversion Thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612144&highlight=
85 Doka L345 Grey - 1.9L

Mellow Yellow 74 · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:36 pm Post subject:

Just curious, but why would you use tyres so large that you need to modify the body (plus also change your speedo reading and engine RPM etc)?
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon)

campism · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:15 pm Post subject:

Rolling fenders is a common approach these days on performance vehicles, so if you have a speed shop or tuning shop in your area they might be able to recommend someone who can give you a little clearance. Also, there are lots of links to this mod by Googling.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic, tragically crushed by a falling hickory tree in my own driveway and now gone, leaving me Vanagonless and with no plans to replace it, alas.

Christopher Schimke · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:16 pm Post subject:

furrylittleotter · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:18 pm Post subject:

Check out Greg's "Pastis" build thread. He did the best wheel well stretching job I've seen yet. I just cut the entire lip off my front wheel wells. I like it.

Neil2 Cool

Bills85Westy · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:48 pm Post subject:

Christopher, Neil, & Campism, Thanks for your tips and comments. Christopher is right, I knew I was building in a problem that I would need to address on some level. In this case, I've not really experienced this rub issue during regular driving, but have simulated here in anticipation of needing to address it. The photo is a "mockup" of a worst scenario condition.

I will post here additional information as I gather it.

Thanks,
Bill
_________________
89 Tristar Syncro Doka - White
85 Westfalia Syncro (conversion)
SAH 1.8T Conversion - 2005 AWP
Engine Conversion Thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612144&highlight=
85 Doka L345 Grey - 1.9L

j_dirge · Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2015 7:41 am Post subject:

In addition to the well known contact spots at the forward and back edges of the front wheel well.. your tire/wheel setup is bound to hit at the top of the fender lip as well. (given your spacer/ET and tire size)

I run a slightly large tire 225/75r16 on ET30.. and on pavement the tires seldom rub after doing modest bending and shaping at the forward and rear edges. (I did no cutting in front)

BUT! on compression with wheel turned out slightly.. the tire will grab and cut on the upper fender lip..
I have driven with these tires for several years now.. and had only minor contact in that area.. until I hit just the right combination of turn and compression in a rough trailhead parking area.. (and at low speed)..
The tire hit hard enough to deform the sheet metal.

There are a couple of threads on this subject.. Try searching "fender bang"

This contact spot can take good sized chunks of rubber off your tire due to the sharp sheetmetal edge on the lip. Its much worse than those tow contact areas we all know about front and rear...

Rolling your fender lip in and up... is really the only option in this top fender lip area.

The other issue you don't mention... SNOW.. What are you doing in the rear for snow chains? Can you fit hem between the swing arm lip and tire?
I am guessig that the low E and spacer in the rear makes *just enough* room?

I have about 15k left on these tires. I like them, but will downsize to 28.5 dia 225s on my next set, I think.
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Bills85Westy · Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:00 pm Post subject:

Thank you J. Dirge. Comments from everyone helped me to do some more focused searches. You, Christopher, Jon Slider (and others) had some especially pertinent posts in other threads. It appears that these are the options:

1. Roll the fender lip and provide some trimming fore and aft (at the front) at a minimum. A deeper clearance job would involve cutting the lip off completely. A larger tire might require deeper trimming. It appears that some have combined this with the postal flares covering the trimmed edge.

2. A way to mitigate the amount of trimming might be increase the size of the bump stop to limit upward travel. There seem to be differing opinions on whether this is acceptable practice - That is, limiting travel is contrary to the intent of the modifications.

3. Larger tire wheel offset is ideally around ET30. My current setup is effectively ET16, so one option to potentially limit the amount of trimming required would be to change to a different wheel. Mercedes CLK have an offset of ET37 and with a 7mm spacer would effectively be ET30.

I will continue to gather observations, photos & links to other threads to pull this information together for myself (and others) & include them here. Thanks all.
_________________
89 Tristar Syncro Doka - White
85 Westfalia Syncro (conversion)
SAH 1.8T Conversion - 2005 AWP
Engine Conversion Thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612144&highlight=
85 Doka L345 Grey - 1.9L

Bills85Westy · Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:47 pm Post subject:

I will use this post to note some of the more pertinent threads...

Here is the aforementioned modifications by Syncrogreg to Pastis:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5138585&highlight=arches+tonight#5138585

I saw a similar modification to a few vans at Syncrofest. Straightforward enough with a good donor (or fabbed) section. Especially like the taper on the front arch down torwards the footwell.
_________________
89 Tristar Syncro Doka - White
85 Westfalia Syncro (conversion)
SAH 1.8T Conversion - 2005 AWP
Engine Conversion Thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612144&highlight=
85 Doka L345 Grey - 1.9L

0cean · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 11:17 am Post subject:

Sent you a PM.
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DAV!D · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 12:31 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind, it's not just the front or rear lips which can make tire contact but also the center arch for the front wheels.

I'm still using my stock 2wd springs on my van until I finish my Syncro conversion. I managed to but a nice (but fixable) crinkle dead center of my driver's side wheel well due to making a very sharp left hand turn and having the front driver's side spring fully compress at the same moment.
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86 Syncro Build - Ecotec Motor Swap - Pop Top Conversion - Camper Build & Syncro Conversion

Terry Kay · Banned Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331

Do no cutting.

One guy behind the wheel, one guy holding a 3", 4 ft length of pipe.
Driver rolls forward, wheel man holds the pipe as it follows the radius of the lip of the sheet metal.
You'll wind up with perfect tire to body clearance, even, all the way around.

Simple.
_________________
T.K.

Bills85Westy · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:05 pm Post subject:

j_dirge · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:17 pm Post subject:

furrylittleotter · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 3:53 pm Post subject:

Stock (tall) 84 springs.
Photo shows 215/70R16 but van can take 235/70R16s no rubbing, but KILLS power.

Neil2 Cool

Chris-a · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2025 6:43 am Post subject:

Christopher Schimke · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2025 6:48 am Post subject:

[quote="Chris-a"]


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