Wheel offset

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Hello,

I tried my best trolling the forums for my answer so that I didn't have to inconvenience anyone, but I could not find my answer so it seems this is unavoidable. So here goes.

I have a 'visual' anomaly in regards to my passenger side wheel. Visually, the passenger side wheel looks like it is 'sucked in' while the other tires are identically sticking out. The wheels and tires are the same. The offset is the same. The frame and body are straight. The alignment is straight. I have the Calmini 3 inch suspension lift. I just replaced the factory CV/Axles with Precision brand.

My mechanic thinks that it could possibly be the A-rod. Has anybody had a similar issue? As far as my mechanic can tell, it is not harming my vehicle but I would like to get it fixed, even only for aesthetic purposes. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[mdwyer]

I have a 'visual' anomaly in regards to my passenger side wheel. Visually, the passenger side wheel looks like it is 'sucked in' while the other tires are identically sticking out. ... I have the Calmini 3 inch suspension lift.

Front or back?

I know there's a little bit of a problem of the rear wheels becoming un-centered as you lift higher, just because of the geometry of the VX butt. Is that it?

Also, is it possible someone left a spacer on a wheel? The fronts wheel hubs are pretty space constrained, and someone may have used a spacer to get some aftermarket wheels on.

[tom4bren]

Front or back?

I know there's a little bit of a problem of the rear wheels becoming un-centered as you lift higher, just because of the geometry of the VX butt. Is that it?

X2

Calmini actually includes a panhard rod drop bracket in their lift kit that I've not seen in any others. I'm not sure if that fixes the problem but mine has it & the rear axle isn't shifted.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

It is the front passenger side. I bought the Vx with the lift so I'm not sure if it has the drop bracket. The mechanic took all of the wheels off and discovered no spacers. He lifted and reset it down on stands to see how the vehicle "spreads out'. he said it looked normal when he did it that way.

[Y33TREKker]

It is the front passenger side. I bought the Vx with the lift so I'm not sure if it has the drop bracket. The mechanic took all of the wheels off and discovered no spacers. He lifted and reset it down on stands to see how the vehicle "spreads out'. he said it looked normal when he did it that way.
Improperly indexed passenger side torsion bar?

[tom4bren]

"I bought the Vx with the lift so I'm not sure if it has the drop bracket. "

Nah, the bracket I'm talking about is on the rear drivers side.

Your problem boggles the mind. If anything on the suspension was damaged to the extent to 'draw in' that wheel under load, your mechanic wouldn't be able to get it aligned properly.

Swap that rim to the drivers side front & see if the offset is the rim (only thing it could be in my mind).

BTW, what do you mean 'sucked in'? Is that tire farther inboard on the vehicle or is it tucked up into the wheel well?

[tom4bren]

Improperly indexed passenger side torsion bar?

The way he's describing it, I don't think so. The torsion bar will only move it up & down, not in & out.

[Triathlete]

With our VXs being hand built the tolerences are a bit different from one VX to another. Possibly just a fender panel is off just a bit from one side to the other?

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Odd. I went to go take a picture of it and now it looks like it sticks out like the rest of them. The ground is slightly uneven but it looks level from the front...
When I mean 'sucked in' I'm referring to the wheel being tucked in. I bought 5 wheels assuming that they were all of the same size. Well the mechanic discovered that the wheel on the front passenger side was an inch smaller. It was 7.5 instead of 8.5. I figured that had to be it. We swapped wheels and it looked good at first, but the more I looked at it, it looked like it was still off the same distance.
Not sure what else to do. It looks normal now on uneven ground.

[Y33TREKker]

Odd. I went to go take a picture of it and now it looks like it sticks out like the rest of them. The ground is slightly uneven but it looks level from the front...
When I mean 'sucked in' I'm referring to the wheel being tucked in. I bought 5 wheels assuming that they were all of the same size. Well the mechanic discovered that the wheel on the front passenger side was an inch smaller. It was 7.5 instead of 8.5. I figured that had to be it. We swapped wheels and it looked good at first, but the more I looked at it, it looked like it was still off the same distance.
Not sure what else to do. It looks normal now on uneven ground.
Are you saying that your wheels aren't stock? If you have one wheel that's an inch narrower than the rest, even if the tires are all the same size, the tire on the narrower rim will create a different overall look on that corner.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Apologies for any confusion. The wheels are not stock. I bought five not knowing that one of them was smaller than the rest. The 7.5 was on the passenger side but I never noticed until recently. Mechanic switched out tire to the spare 8.5 and I thought that would fix it. It didn't.

[Y33TREKker]

Apologies for any confusion. The wheels are not stock. I bought five not knowing that one of them was smaller than the rest. The 7.5 was on the passenger side but I never noticed until recently. Mechanic switched out tire to the spare 8.5 and I thought that would fix it. It didn't.
And you know that the offset on all of the 8.5's is the same?

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Yes. My mechanic measured all of the wheels.

[Y33TREKker]

Does the passenger side wheel measure as vertical as the drivers side wheel (same camber) if you use something like a bubble level against the rims themselves?

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Apologies for the late reply. I have attached photos. I hope it helps.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Bump

[Y33TREKker]

Is it possible you've lost your camber shims on the upper control arm? Given the way you've described the position of the wheel/tire assembly changing from time to time (when it was put on a lift then lowered, after you've driven it), maybe you have some play around the upper control arm fulcrum pin?

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Wouldn't that cause an uneven ride? I was told that all of the wheels are centered so the wear on the tires are relatively equal.

[Y33TREKker]

Wouldn't that cause an uneven ride? I was told that all of the wheels are centered so the wear on the tires are relatively equal.
I'm not really sure WHAT results it would have. If the shims were gone, it seems like there would be some play not normally there and a person would likely hear something knocking back and forth when making direction changes.

I'm simply trying to guess what could be causing that tire to at some times look normal and at some times look like it's sticking out farther than the other side as you've described.

On a front wheel drive car I have, I seem to recall c-clip retainers having to be used when installing the cv-joints. Maybe the one on your passenger side has come off?

[Triathlete]

I still think it is just a body panel alignment issue since you have no other symthoms. The VX was hand assembled and since ceramic dyes were used parts are all just a bit different.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

I haven't noticed any clicking, clacking or wobbling. The ride is smooth. When I say that the wheel looks like it 'evens out' is when that wheel is on the slightly higher end of uneven ground which makes it look normal for some reason. And is there a way of checking straightness of the body panel alignment? I was thinking that the cladding might have been molded differently on that wheel but it measures roughly the same dimensions as the driver side.

[Triathlete]

Another possibility is if you had ball joints replaced on one side and not the other. Some of the aftermarket bj's are wider.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Would that create an inch difference?

[Triathlete]

It could.

[MSHardeman]

Haven't read through the whole thread so this may have been suggested already, but are you sure both of your front torsion bars are indexed the same? Did someone start to do a lift on it and then just stop after doing one side?:p

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

A buddy of mine was thinking the same thing, but wouldn't the torsion create a difference in the wheel coming towards the center instead of the wheel being sucked in?

[tom4bren]

The torsion bars would/could cause a height difference. All Caster/Camber/Tow-in is corrected for after the torsion bar crank.

You could do the ball joint flip & see if that allows the alignment shop to get it into alignment & adjust something to push the wheel inboard.

I'm being vague since I really don't think that there is an adjustment for that.

If your ride is good & your alignment is spot on, I'd strongly suggest to try & shim the fender and/or cladding to get the aesthetics to your liking.

[Triathlete]

T bars would not cause a width difference, only height.

[tom4bren]

T bars would not cause a width difference, only height.

what it said ... just less words:)

[Triathlete]

A man of to-many words Tom :D

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

I just want to clarify, the wheel in question appears sucked in and I want it to stick out like the other tires not the other way around. Tom, I'll do as you suggested in regards to the ball joint flip. If that doesn't work I'll try the fender/cladding option. Thanks to everyone's input and advice.

[Triathlete]

Ball joint flip will not help with width problem.

[Y33TREKker]

A buddy of mine was thinking the same thing, but wouldn't the torsion create a difference in the wheel coming towards the center instead of the wheel being sucked in?
Depends on which way the torsion bar had been adjusted...if it was. If the torsion bars were indexed unevenly, and an alignment was done afterwards, your wheels may be aligned properly, but they wouldn't necessarily look the same in relation to the body.

But that is why alignments are ALWAYS recommended after lowering/lifting.

[Intrepid_Vanguard]

Hmm. I guess I won't try the ball joint flip. Should I just remove the lift kit, reset everything back to stock and re lift and realign?

[Triathlete]

Personally what I would do is check your ball joints to insure they are the same on both sides. Just measure them. If those are the same then its a body panel issue (unless the vx was wrecked and the frame tweeked).