Large wheelgap after shock/strut replacement

[Spectre_240sx]

So I had new dampers installed early this week along with some new wheels and tires. The car feels great, but the front end has about 3 and 1/4 inches of wheel gap now. The new tires are 225/50/16, which should be the same overall diameter as the stock tires, so I'm pretty sure the problem is in the suspension itself. I had the strut mounts changed in the front along with the struts...

I'm thinking maybe it just needs some time to settle, but there's a part of me that is worried it's more than that. It's been 3 days since the work was done and the gap hasn't changed at all.

Any thoughts?

[adrianfromthecastle]

so youre saying that the car's ride height is higher after the new struts?

[Spectre_240sx]

Yes. It's mostly in the front, but it's nasty. The car drives really well, though.

Here's a picture:

[fun240]

Did you do the work yourself? Or did you have someone else do it?

If you don't have lowering springs, or some kind of lowering struts.... Then its not going to be lower.. It may just handle better...

If you didn't do the work yourself... FAIL

Its 4 bolts, 3 bolts on the rear... Took me 20 mintues to do the front and back....

And sell me your lip!

[Spectre_240sx]

I wasn't looking for it to be lower than stock. The problem is, it seems to be higher. It's definitely higher than before the work was done. (No, I didn't do the work myself. No time, no place to do the work).

I considered throwing some springs in, but southern California can be evil on lowered cars and my car was already scraping in some spots. I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore :P

[LayNLow240]

That is stock height. Seems a little higher because of the tall tire sidewall. Before I put my coilovers on, it was that high.Stock tire size is 195/55/15 or 205/50/15. Either works.
Modified by LayNLow240 at 12:43 AM 7/19/2008

[fun240]

After a replacement it will be higher....

Sucks you have no place to work on it at!!!!

[Spectre_240sx]

Interesting... My strut mounts must have been trashed before. It's literally an inch or more higher than before I brought it in. I wish I knew that before I had the work done. I would have gotten some lowering springs, lol. Well, It rides really well, and I guess that's what matters.

I'm looking into flares eventually. They should bring the body down and cover some of that ugly gap, right?

As for not having a place to work, that's what you get for living in LA. I spend more in labor here, but I make enough money to cover the cost. I don't have a whole lot more I'm doing to the car, so it'll all be butter after that.

[LayNLow240]

No. Fender flares go out, not down. They wont fix your problem, but will only make it worse. The wheels will be sunken in more and youll still have that huge gap.If you know how to do it, then go find a parking garage and get to work. :P