Any ideas?

[Oasis1]

I was test driving a 70 elan. I noticed something odd. The left rear wheel sticks out further than the right rear wheel. The rubber donuts are newer and not cracked etc. On my drive the wheel hits the side of the body on turns on that left side.....not on the right. Any idea what this could be? Thanks Jim

[elancoupe]

The main problem is the tires are too wide for the car. The bodies on these cars are not very symmetric, and what you have described is not uncommon. I would guess that if narrower tires were in place, no rubbing.

[Oasis1]

Thank you Mike, So am I to assume that since its only the right rear and not the left and they are all the same tires that the body just favors that side? I thinking last night maybe new adjustable shocks with a higher setting may help. Jim

[elancoupe]

That is correct, the bodies were not made to close tolerances. My own car is the same, one tire is much closer to the wheel arch.

Rear shocks are not adjustable for height, threaded collar kits would be needed to be installed on the rear strut housings.

Check the tire sizes, I believe that S4's came with 155-13 tires as standard.

[Europatc]

Welcome Jim, straight in at the deep end.

[mmatthej1]

Your initial comment seems to refer to a visible difference at rear of car but then you said "On my drive the wheel hits the side of the body on turns on that left side.....not on the right. ", so I assume the graunching is on the front, under turning lock - ?

I think I have something similar, which caused a recent query by me on Twitter, about tyre sizing: the consensus of responses seems to be that 155/13 with an 80 section are 'normal', whereas I had wondered if 80 section was too 'tall'.

(I wondered if, say, 70 section would work better, allowing more clearance but, as I reported above, this did not get any positive response)

[ftsoft]

My 67 Elan came with 145x13's. I run 155's and the front rubs on full lock.

[nomad]

On my S1 one rear hub tightens on the stub axle farther than the other. About 1/4". Same torque.

Kurt