Do your oversize front wheels rub? Fix: Install steering rack limiter!
 

Hey everyone.

I am building a FD for SSM class SCCA solo to compete at the national level (eventually) of autocrossing. Well, I need lots of rubber to compete with SSM and thus I had custom forged 18x11 front wheels and 18x12 rear wheels made by Forgestar.

I have 315/30/18 tires up front and 335/30/18 in the rear. The rear I have Pettit Racing flares and in the front I have custom carbon fiber fenders to fit the wheels. The rear of the car required no modification except for cutting the body for the Pettit flares. The front only required taking a rubber mallet to the back side of the headlight box and removing the fender liners. Crazy that you can fit that size of tires with really kind of limited modifications.

All was good until I turned the wheel at full lock and the front wheels were barely touching the upper A-arms. ouch! I have aftermarket upper A-arms from Japan with spherical bearings in them and it is possible the OEM A-arms would have cleared. While I will never really be turning at full lock in autocrossing, I didn't want to be grinding my wheels away forever when maneuvering in the paddock or garage. I searched around for a way to limit the steering movement without much luck.

Then, I found the Mustang guys had a solution to the same problem I had with large front wheels hitting the suspension. LMR (Late Model Restoration) create a set of plastic clips that you put over the Mustang steering rack (under the boot) that limits the travel by how many spacers you put in. I guesstimated that the rack diameters were similar, but I had no real way of knowing. So, I ordered a set as a test.

Guess what? They fit perfect and for my application, I just need 5 spacers per side and the wheel stopped just before the suspension, so it really shouldn't make the turning radius much worse. 5 spacers may seem like a lot, but it needed that many to take up the gap where the rack teeth start.

You can order them here:

https://lmr.com/item/LRS-3504HDW/79-...Limiter-6-Pack

You will need two packs of them as they come in a set of 6.

Here's the install video, which is pretty much exactly like the RX-7:

https://lmr.com/products/how-to-inst...-limiter-79-04

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions.

-Chris

Thanks I'm going to get a set of these!

Wouldn't a lower offset wheel do this same thing but without taking away from the steering range

Chris,
How is the steering rack limiter holding up?

I have an FD set-up for autocross running is SSM class. Also, I am running 315s in the front with some minor rubbing and this might be an option for me.

I haven't seen your car at Nationals yet. Will you be attending Nationals this year? I attended last year.

James

Wheel spacers would be cheaper than buying one or more new 12”+ wide racing wheel sets for starters. Most people running tires like this are motorsports use and likely have longer racing studs installed. It might still need to be limited because a tire/wheel sticking out further is going to swing a wider arc and also going to travel/angle higher for a given shock compression change. So the front and back of the wheel well, outer fender lip coverage, and also overall vertical fender clearance all come into play when you move the wheel/tire outboard. There could also be some impact on steering and geometry behavior depending on how much offset is involved. Most tracks or even autocross etc courses don’t require minimum radius turning much.

So some cheap clips on the steering rack is a cost effective solution without creating too many other headaches.

I can confirm these also work on FCs. I'm running 18x10 +24s on the front of my FC and was getting some rubbing on the inner wheel apron and contacting the sway bar at full lock.. I installed 1 spacer per side and all is good now.