Hi Guys

Hopefully someone with a bit of knowledge can help me out. Ive posted this in the technical forum under suspension but havent had a reply so I thought I would try my luck in the general forum so see if get any advice.

I currently have a Impreza Turbo 2000, its not lowered but I do believe I have STI struts all round (red in colour) but could be wrong.

My dilemma is that I have 18' PFF7 replica wheels and have done since ive owned the car (pcd 100 / 7.5 / et45) Ive never had any issued with rubbing apart from the past few months.

I sometimes hear a scraping come knocking noise from the rear when taking a decent left or right hand bend at speed, If im having a spirited drive thats when the noise becomes apparent.

When looking at the rear struts you can see that both tires have actually been rubbing the rear struts. I know this as the red paint has been worn away! When the car is stationary I can easily put my hand to the back of the strut between the tire and strut itself.

A friend thinks my camber and wheel alignment could be out? Im considering buying spacers to see if that cures it.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :thumb:

What tyre size do you have on your car?
Biggest problem is that people go for 225's on classics and that doesnt work as they rub on the rear arches, 215 is about as wide as you want to go really (215/35/18 for example).

Tony:)

Well thats the thing, it never rubs the arch, no where near it and thats even when I load up the car and put three heavy people in the back!

Im using 215 wide tires and the side walls are more rounded so I dont think its the tires? problem has only happened over the past few months.

The ET has got to be wrong, why not just put a 5mm spacer on the rear and that should cure the problem. JAY

Hang on here, if you can put your hand between the tyre and the strut when the car is stationery yet it rubs when driving hard surely there is too much movement in the suspension.

Have you have had the suspension checked for wear etc. If this didn't used to happen why has it started now? That is what I would be looking at.

Bought some spacers today and fitted them, unfortunately it did not cure the problem:(

Im not even sure it is rubbing against the struts now but something is a miss.


Hang on here, if you can put your hand between the tyre and the strut when the car is stationery yet it rubs when driving hard surely there is too much movement in the suspension.

Have you have had the suspension checked for wear etc. If this didn't used to happen why has it started now? That is what I would be looking at.

Think your right, something has to be worn, Ill just have to get it booked in. My father thinks it could be something like a wheel bearing on its way out? im not sure really but fingers crossed ill get it sorted soon!

The offset is incorrect for your car!

For a classic the offset of the wheels should be between ET48-53.

When I was running ET45 wheels on my MY99, it would rub on the wheel arch lip, especially when there was someone in the back and taking roundabouts or corner at speed. I was running 17" MIM alloys with an ET45 and using 215/40R17 tyres, and the Prodrive suspension kit (uprated and lowered suspension)

5mm spacers will make the problem worse as you are effectively increasing the offset to ET40! The cure with these wheels would be to mill about 3mm off the inside face (not recommended)!!!

ET53 will mean the outer edge of the wheel is further away from the wheel arch lip, but closer to the damper. ET45 will mean it sits further away from the damper, but will sit closer to the arch lip.

You may find it will help removing the rubber cover on the arch lip, but if the problem still exists, you may need to either roll the arch lip back to give you clearance, or change your wheels for ones with the correct offset.

The offset is incorrect for your car!

For a classic the offset of the wheels should be between ET48-53.

When I was running ET45 wheels on my MY99, it would rub on the wheel arch lip, especially when there was someone in the back and taking roundabouts or corner at speed. I was running 17" MIM alloys with an ET45 and using 215/40R17 tyres, and the Prodrive suspension kit (uprated and lowered suspension)

5mm spacers will make the problem worse as you are effectively increasing the offset to ET40! The cure with these wheels would be to mill about 3mm off the inside face (not recommended)!!!

ET53 will mean the outer edge of the wheel is further away from the wheel arch lip, but closer to the damper. ET45 will mean it sits further away from the damper, but will sit closer to the arch lip.

You may find it will help removing the rubber cover on the arch lip, but if the problem still exists, you may need to either roll the arch lip back to give you clearance, or change your wheels for ones with the correct offset.

But Andy if you read the OP the problem didn't used to occur and has only started to happen recently so I don't think the offset of the wheels can be the issue.

Far more likely to be something worn and moving under load when it shouldn't be.

I didn't notice the problem on my car immediately, but as soon as someone was in the back with a bit spirited driving it was there.

I am 99.9% sure it's an offset issue, and could even replicate the noise.

Load up the car with a couple of people in the back, find a big roundabout and go for it! The rubbing noise will be there.

Remove people and take it easy around and no noise. It's the weight loading on the rear suspension getting very edge of the tyre to touch the arch lip. Also try the standard wheels, with the rear loaded up and there will be no rubbing.

Have a look at the rubber strip on the arch and notice the rub marks! Also, each rub will be wearing the very outer edge of the tyre. The scuff marks will give it away.

As I said, I had this with 17" wheels with a 7" width with an offset of ET45. The wheels on his car will stick out even further due to the 7.5" width.

My rubbing issue was resolve by changing the wheels for ones with the correct offset. Same tyres, same geometery, same everything, only change was the wheels.

I didn't notice the problem on my car immediately, but as soon as someone was in the back with a bit spirited driving it was there.

I am 99.9% sure it's an offset issue, and could even replicate the noise.

Load up the car with a couple of people in the back, find a big roundabout and go for it! The rubbing noise will be there.

Remove people and take it easy around and no noise. It's the weight loading on the rear suspension getting very edge of the tyre to touch the arch lip. Also try the standard wheels, with the rear loaded up and there will be no rubbing.

Have a look at the rubber strip on the arch and notice the rub marks! Also, each rub will be wearing the very outer edge of the tyre. The scuff marks will give it away.

As I said, I had this with 17" wheels with a 7" width with an offset of ET45. The wheels on his car will stick out even further due to the 7.5" width.

My rubbing issue was resolve by changing the wheels for ones with the correct offset. Same tyres, same geometery, same everything, only change was the wheels.

But the OP says the tyres are rubbing the rear struts not the arches and when the car is stationery you can get your hand between the tyre and the strut. To my mind that is way too much movement.

Probably haven't made myself very clear in the original post so I apologize for that.

The wheels never rub the outside arch, no where near it to be honest and I have removed the rubber trim on the outside arch so if it did I would see the red paint scuffed etc.

Cant use standard wheels as I have the larger Brembro brake set up which is good but a pain in this situation!

But the OP says the tyres are rubbing the rear struts not the arches and when the car is stationery you can get your hand between the tyre and the strut. To my mind that is way too much movement.


That quote sums up my problem, really cant figure it out at the moment but ill hopefully have some answers when the car is looked at by a garage!