T32 4Motion rubbing

[Stu1974]

Hi my T32 2018 4 Motion is rubbing or what feels like bottoming out at the rear.

The van came fitted with B14 coil overs.
I've bought and fitted the Transporter HQ recommend setup 265 40 20, with correct offset rim and Goodyear asymmetric 3 tyres which are Awesome ride quality at 42psi by the way.

But on the current ride height it bottoms out over bumps and at speed on the motorway on a bad dip in the road.
It feels like the whole wheel is hitting the top of the rear arch’s. Like it’s bottoming?
Has anybody else expernced this or recommend a different setup?
There is literally loads of room in rear arch’s so must be hitting the top. No visible marks yet as such but seems to be a general tread like pattern appearing at the top
The B14’s are dated 2020 for referenced.

can anybody help me?

 

[The Bear78]

The arch gap gives a clue as to how much lower the van is from standard but you'll need to take a look at the B14's to see how much travel you have left. There will be bump stops on the inner shaft on which the amount of plain (chrome) shaft visible should be indicative of travel. Also check that the springs are not so compressed that a slight bump will have the coils literally banging together. This would feel particularly harsh.
For the tyre to actually contact the top of the arch would be quite a feat and I wonder if you are seeing evidence of actual contact or just a patterned debris trail?

 

[Stu1974]

I found out today it’s not the back. It’s the fronts. They are rubbing really bad .
I also found out today the minimum drop on the B14’s is 30mm
So on Saturday I’m going to wind it all up to the Max height and work from there.

 

[Stu1974]

The arch gap gives a clue as to how much lower the van is from standard but you'll need to take a look at the B14's to see how much travel you have left. There will be bump stops on the inner shaft on which the amount of plain (chrome) shaft visible should be indicative of travel. Also check that the springs are not so compressed that a slight bump will have the coils literally banging together. This would feel particularly harsh.
For the tyre to actually contact the top of the arch would be quite a feat and I wonder if you are seeing evidence of actual contact or just a patterned debris trail?

No the wheels seem too wide for the car. The offset is ET42 which is what Transporter Hq recommended with 20” Navis wheels, along with the B14 bilstein suspension I’ve got along with the 265 40 20 eagle f1 ty
They are touching the outer front arch. Badly. Over simple bumps in the road.
There is a inner guard clip right at the top of the arch. It’s wearing it away!
im measuring about 380mm from wheel centre to arch

 

[The Bear78]

I see! That's odd considering that the wheels and tyres are all recommended sizes. It's possible that the camber is massively wrong but from the pictures it appears to be in the ball park at least.
There is a known issue where, for no apparent reason, some vans seem to have a wider track but I can't remember where I've seen this mentioned.

 

[Stu1974]

I’ve been reading somewhere that mentions that The T32 has a height issue because of 20” wheels and load rating tyres. Apparently on B14’s they have to be wound all the way up. This is because B14’s have a minimum drop of only 30mm from standard. As I’m using the 265 40 20 tyre with ET42 the maximum drop is only 40mm otherwise it rubs on the top out wheel wheel arch clip. Which it’s doing both sides.

 

[Insert Coin]

I’ve got a T32, 4-Motion on B14’s (max height) and I get a slight rub when on full-lock. My wheels are BBS SV’s which I think are ET45 and 265/40/20.

You can remove that top clip, plenty of people have done that to stop the outer edge rubbing.

 

[Stu1974]

I’ve got a T32, 4-Motion on B14’s (max height) and I get a slight rub when on full-lock. My wheels are BBS SV’s which I think are ET45 and 265/40/20.

You can remove that top clip, plenty of people have done that to stop the outer edge rubbing.

Would you mind at all posting a photo of your van side and archs so I can see what height my van would be at? Id really appreciate it mate.

 

[DXX]

Technicalities aside, how does this pass an MOT due this year some time?

 

[Stu1974]

Technicalities aside, how does this pass an MOT due this year some time?

Sorry im not following you. Please explain.

 

[Gavinda]

Probably not either of these, just thinking aloud but,

1. There's not a wheel spacer been left on the hub from some previous wheels?
2. Are they staggered and on the wrong axles?

 

[Stu1974]

Probably not either of these, just thinking aloud but,

1. There's not a wheel spacer been left on the hub from some previous wheels?
2. Are they staggered and on the wrong axles?

Hi no spaces and all 265 40 20 tyres all same make all new 9” ET42 alloys

 

[DXX]

Sorry im not following you. Please explain.

If the tyre makes contact with the liner it’s not exactly safe.

 

[Stu1974]

If the tyre makes contact with the liner it’s not exactly safe.

?? Which is why me and others are trying to fix that exact issue.. not sure I follow what your asking…

 

[Insert Coin]

Sure, I’ll take some snaps when I get back at 10ish this morning. The forum is full

Would you mind at all posting a photo of your van side and archs so I can see what height my van would be at? Id really appreciate it mate.

Sure, no problem, I’ll rake a couple of snaps this morning and post them up here.

 

[The Van Cave]

Hi my T32 2018 4 Motion is rubbing or what feels like bottoming out at the rear.

The van came fitted with B14 coil overs.
I've bought and fitted the Transporter HQ recommend setup 265 40 20, with correct offset rim and Goodyear asymmetric 3 tyres which are Awesome ride quality at 42psi by the way.

But on the current ride height it bottoms out over bumps and at speed on the motorway on a bad dip in the road.
It feels like the whole wheel is hitting the top of the rear arch’s. Like it’s bottoming?
Has anybody else expernced this or recommend a different setup?
There is literally loads of room in rear arch’s so must be hitting the top. No visible marks yet as such but seems to be a general tread like pattern appearing at the top
The B14’s are dated 2020 for referenced.

can anybody help me?

View attachment 118412

Hi,

The wheel size, offset and tyre size are all spot on for your van, so THQ have got their recommendation right. There is a limit to how low you can go on these vans with that combination though and it's here that it can get a bit tricky.

The B14 kits are advertised as lowering a van between 40 and 70mm, however, in heavier vans it is often more than this. Your van with 4motion (and DSG I assume) will be one of the heavier ones and as such will sit lower than the advertised amount. This is confirmed by your arch to wheel centre measurement. On a standard height T32 van, this is usually somewhere around 465 - 470mm, so your measurement is suggesting that your van is approximately 85 - 90mm lower than standard at the front.

Based on that measurement, if you set the B14s to their maximum height, you could still expect to be approx 50 - 60mm lower than standard, but I would expect that to be enough to prevent the rubbing you are experiencing. As @Insert Coin has already said though, you can remove the retaining screw for the arch liner, you can also then tuck the liner behind that tab and carefully bend the tab upwards to give more clearance. This may reduce the amount you have to raise the ride height of the van to stop the rubbing.

All the best,

Chris.

 

[scotti]

Crikey. This seems a significant problem, and maybe one the shock supplier should have considered (not running anybody down there). So to overcome this problem should I consider adjustable shocks that have a collar to increase spring rate (ride height - excuse if badly described) when replacing standards. Was looking at a real 40/50mm measured drop on a 4MO/DSG, and B14/B14 komforts would certainly been up for consideration.

 

[The Van Cave]

Crikey. This seems a significant problem, and maybe one the shock supplier should have considered (not running anybody down there). So to overcome this problem should I consider adjustable shocks that have a collar to increase spring rate (ride height - excuse if badly described) when replacing standards. Was looking at a real 40/50mm measured drop on a 4MO/DSG, and B14/B14 komforts would certainly been up for consideration.

A genuine threaded body coil over front strut will ensure you can get the drop you want. For example, KW V1, ST-X and H&R/Koni coil overs all have a huge range of adjustment to ensure that they can cater for vans of different weights and still achieve the advertised amount of lowering. The approved range on the KW and STX for example is 35-65mm lowering, so a 30mm range, but the actual amount of adjustment is an awful lot more than that to cater for the different weights of vans. The B14 komforts ride very well, but they don't offer the range of adjustment that is required to accommodate the different weights of van. All of the kits I have mentioned above ride just as well, if not better, but will give you the range of adjustment you need.

Alternatively, if you're looking for a fixed drop of approximately 40mm, you can run some high quality Koni sports shocks and H&R lowering springs as the lowering springs are available in different spring weights. You just need to ensure that the fitter/seller uses the appropriate springs to accommodate the vehicle weight.

PM me or give me a call using the details in my signature if you need any further advice.

Cheers,

Chris.

 

[scotti]

Cheers Chris. As ever you have been a great help. B14s off the list!

 

[Stu1974]

Hi,

The wheel size, offset and tyre size are all spot on for your van, so THQ have got their recommendation right. There is a limit to how low you can go on these vans with that combination though and it's here that it can get a bit tricky.

The B14 kits are advertised as lowering a van between 40 and 70mm, however, in heavier vans it is often more than this. Your van with 4motion (and DSG I assume) will be one of the heavier ones and as such will sit lower than the advertised amount. This is confirmed by your arch to wheel centre measurement. On a standard height T32 van, this is usually somewhere around 465 - 470mm, so your measurement is suggesting that your van is approximately 85 - 90mm lower than standard at the front.

Based on that measurement, if you set the B14s to their maximum height, you could still expect to be approx 50 - 60mm lower than standard, but I would expect that to be enough to prevent the rubbing you are experiencing. As @Insert Coin has already said though, you can remove the retaining screw for the arch liner, you can also then tuck the liner behind that tab and carefully bend the tab upwards to give more clearance. This may reduce the amount you have to raise the ride height of the van to stop the rubbing.

All the best,

Chris.

Hi Chris
For me it’s not about what it looks like. It has to be a fully functioning vehicle. Wether that is on road, off road, carrying family, taking the dogs to the coats, or riding over simple bumps. The ride quality on the B14’s for me is horrendous. Everybody is different, I simply do not like them.