Advice about my disappearing fender liner.

[gcassidy]

I've started running with more neg camber than before, and I'm not going back. :banana:

But the rubbing on my fender liner has now become a big hole, that's getting bigger.

Here's the wear before the camber change (passenger side shown)...

I temporarily fixed it by pop riveting in a piece of plastic bucket (with rivets not near the wear area)....

But after the camber increase, I have this now...

I can keep replacing the plastic patch, but there must be a better answer.
I think the goal is to safeguard the hoses and wiring.
I'm not sure if I'm ready to remove the liner, yet.
Has anyone else had to deal with this?

Thanks for any help.

[Edited to fix links]

 

[wheelhopper]

Greg, I think once you install stiffer springs you'll be fine. I have a feeling that the KB springs you are running are not much stiffer than stock and are probably progressive rate. I would install a linear rate spring like the 95R springs. They are around 850lb springs. You're not going to compress those enough to rub.

I believe the H&R race springs are also aroung 850lb springs. However they are progressive rate and start somewhere around 725lb. So they would compress a little more.

Or get some coil overs and adjust ride height as necessary. I don't think your wife would even know you had those if you paid cash.

 

[racebronco2]

You might need to raise your ride height a little unless you are going with stiffer springs.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Greg are you running 275 tires with a stock 98 Cobra rack, sans wide tire stops?

03/04 racks have built in stops that prevent scrubbing when turning, but they may not prevent what you have going on.
If the stiffer springs idea isn't in the cards(It's a pretty good idea), then perhaps repair the injury with some sheet aluminum flashing from Home Depot/Lowe's/Ace/True Value. This will give you a much more tough repair material that can also be molded and shaped to bring the whole repair up out of harm's way, possibly making it the last time you have to address this issue.

Just a thought...

 

[VirtualSVT]

i would imagine the aero issues would outweigh any self clearancing issues....

 

[MFE]

That's a classic problem with that body style, which causes another classic problem...you'll wear through the wiring harness that runs over the liner. Remove the liners completely, and secure the harness out of the way.

 

[RDJ]

Greg, I think once you install stiffer springs you'll be fine. I have a feeling that the KB springs you are running are not much stiffer than stock and are probably progressive rate. I would install a linear rate spring like the 95R springs. They are around 850lb springs. You're not going to compress those enough to rub.

I believe the H&R race springs are also aroung 850lb springs. However they are progressive rate and start somewhere around 725lb. So they would compress a little more.

Or get some coil overs and adjust ride height as necessary. I don't think your wife would even know you had those if you paid cash.

From personal experience I will say you are pretty much spot on. Stiffer springs will do the trick. I had the problem with my 95. I put in eibach progressives and wound up running the front tires through the fender linders and the wiring harness that runs between them

You want to put linear rate springs in front 700lb minimum IMHO. You can buy new fender liners .

 

[racebronco2]

That's a classic problem with that body style, which causes another classic problem...you'll wear through the wiring harness that runs over the liner. Remove the liners completely, and secure the harness out of the way.

The liners protect the top of the fenders from rock damage.

 

[gcassidy]

I have a set of 95 Cobra R springs going in next week. Just happened to find a friend with some he's not using. I guess it's a good idea to replace front and rear and start retuning the suspension. I hope that will solve the problem. Whatever I do, I think I'm gonna tie-wrap the wiring out of harm's way.

Jimmy, yep, that's my setup. I had a metal bucket that I was considering cutting up to make a new patch from. But I wasn't sure I wanted my tires rubbing against metal. Kinda the ultimate bump-stop?

 

[wheelhopper]

Greg, do some research on the rate of the '95 Cobra R springs. I don't think they were much different than stock. You may be able to keep the rear KB springs in place. I know the only difference in the foxbody springs, going from H&R SS to the H&R race was the front rates, not the rears.

 

[gcassidy]

Greg, do some research on the rate of the '95 Cobra R springs. I don't think they were much different than stock. You may be able to keep the rear KB springs in place. I know the only difference in the foxbody springs, going from H&R SS to the H&R race was the front rates, not the rears.

What I found says they are 850# front (don't remember the rear, but I have it at home).

 

[Lumpydogs]

I have no good advice, sorry. However, I had a similar issue except that I was wearing through the liner near the fender lip. I used a "Red Green" type of repair on it. :beer: Three strips of duct tape and 10 coats of rubberized underbody spray on the inside and outside of the liner. Repair has held through two track events. :banana:

 

[ac427cobra]

Put coil-overs on the car and adjust it up a bit.

I'll spend your money for you!!! ;-)oke:

 

[PETSNKE]

I had the same problem with progressive springs and stock A-arms. After I installed 850lb springs and 03/04 cobra control arms it has never happened again.

Now if I can just route the brake duct properly to keep the 275 tires from rubbing through it I'll be all set.

 

[MFE]

The liners protect the top of the fenders from rock damage.

Right, and the hood liners are for fire protection, and the golden gate bridge is for sale :lol1:

He's not going to miss them unless the car is driven in the rain in which case the engine bay gets wetter.

 

[gcassidy]

Put coil-overs on the car and adjust it up a bit.

I'll spend your money for you!!! ;-)oke:

As long as we're spending money, just meet me at PAS in Richmond and we'll put a full Griggs on it! :beer:

Right, and the hood liners are for fire protection, and the golden gate bridge is for sale :lol1:

He's not going to miss them unless the car is driven in the rain in which case the engine bay gets wetter.

It would make changing my air filter on my CAI a lot easier.
Of course the only time it gets driven in the rain is at the track, or getting there.
I may have to think about that. :idea:

 

[racebronco2]

Right, and the hood liners are for fire protection, and the golden gate bridge is for sale :lol1:

He's not going to miss them unless the car is driven in the rain in which case the engine bay gets wetter.

The tracks that we drive (you and i) the landscape is different. Most of the tracks that i have seen have mostly grass. Here in socal (willow springs and buttonwillow) the landscape is dirt and rocks (sometimes the size of a small kids fist). Sometimes between sessions the course workers have to sweep the rocks off of the racing surface. I guess if you drove on the tracks around here or else you would know. I have several friends that did remove then and ended up with dents from the underside of the fenders (older fox body's). When cars do go off track here they kick-up alot of rocks. Why do you think so many cars here use so much blue tape, it's not to keep off flying rubber it's to protect them from flying rocks. Several friends of mine have gotten broken windshields when cars go off or when guys cut the corners.

Running without fender liners is not a problem if the landscape is grass. Who really cars if the inside of the fender get wet.

 

[RDJ]

It would make changing my air filter on my CAI a lot easier.
Of course the only time it gets driven in the rain is at the track, or getting there.
I may have to think about that. :idea:

Bad idea really. leave them in, get stiffer front springs. I used to do auto-x and that is where I learned about the inner fender liners, the wiring harness, and tire rub. stiffer front springs is the way you wan to go ... as I said at least 700lb minimum then you don't have to worry about the ride height affecting your cornering.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Go with stiffer springs, and/or raise the front with thicker isolators.

As Carlos said, Removing the fender liners for the So Cal desert tracks are not a good idea if you can avoid it.

 

[wheelhopper]

I don't think Greg is going to be driving on a SoCal track anytime soon.