Calipers Clearanced Themselves... What To Do?

DSN46 · August 13, 2008

Okay, so I got new wheels put on. The installer held them up on the studs before mounting the tires and said that there was no problems.

I gave him the big thumbs up.

Everything installed and out the door I went happy as a clam.

No noises or anything strange to speak of on the ride home (about 5 miles). Today, I am going down the road and hear a grinding noise. I pull over and check that lugs are tight and no play in anything. I can't figure it out. Everything was tight, but I made an appt with dealer to check it out anyway. I went to the dealer thinking it might be brakes making the sound. Mechanic pulled the front wheels and called me out to the shop. He showed me the brakes and they were at 80%. He could not see anything rubbing.

Well... I happened to be looking at the calipers and noticed a nice little pile of Alluminum just on the outside edge of the caliper. Then I looked at the inside of the wheel and low and behold a nice little track around the inside!!

So my questions to you are:

1. Will the little track taken out of the wheel compromise its integrity?

2. Would you use Spacers (1/4") to move the wheels out from the front axle?

3. Would you grind the caliper ever so slightly where it rubs? Will this really hurt anything?

The reason I ask is because eventually I'm gonna rotate the new wheels on the back to the front and I don't want them to "self-clearance" also.

I can't take the wheels back now because I was told once they are mounted, that's it.

Please let me know. I don't like spacers too much (although I know ALOT of people running them no problems), but I'm skeered to grind on the calipers too much also.

Thank you and sorry so long.

James

2000DV4.8 · August 13, 2008

What part of the caliper is rubbing? If it is just a very small bit, you may be able to grind the caliper a little. What size wheels did you get put on? Also, pictures of the culprit would be helpful.

Zembonez · August 13, 2008

Take a die grinder and remove about 1/8th of an inch of material from the caliper. It won't hurt a thing and it will never touch again. The wheel with a small groove is fine.

JoshRDavis.84 · August 13, 2008

+1 for pictures. I think the best source to find out if the structure of your wheels is in jeopardy is the manufacturer. Hopefully it all comes out in the end. Let us know.

EDIT: Jim posted before me....I would say his opionion of your caliper and wheel is a good one to go by

geektoad · August 13, 2008

So my questions to you are:
1. Will the little track taken out of the wheel compromise its integrity?

2. Would you use Spacers (1/4") to move the wheels out from the front axle?

3. Would you grind the caliper ever so slightly where it rubs? Will this really hurt anything?

1. Like others said...take a picture so we can see it...hard to make a call otherwise

2. Never. spacers are bad for hubs amongst other things, and just not a good idea in general

3. Yep. I've done it on several vehicles for clearance purposes.

DSN46 · August 13, 2008

Thanks guys!

I will try to get pics up as soon as I can.

The wheels are 16X8 with 4.5" backspacing and zero offset.

I can only describe the track in the wheel as 1/16" deep X 1/8" wide around the inside of the wheel. Looks like it was "shaved".

I will crack it open again tomorrow and look more closely at the situation. I have a die grinder and can start grinding a little off. I'm just mad that the installer held the wheel up and said "Looks good man!" I trusted he knew that after he torqued that lugs down that something like this might happen. I am also confused as to why I heard nothing on the initial drive home. Maybe no heat and nothing expanded yet?

Also... "yes, Jim is wonderful". Thank you Jim. I have been on this board a short time and already you have helped me out twice!

James

2000DV4.8 · August 13, 2008

Thanks guys!
I will try to get pics up as soon as I can.

The wheels are 16X8 with 4.5" backspacing and zero offset.

I can only describe the track in the wheel as 1/16" deep X 1/8" wide around the inside of the wheel. Looks like it was "shaved".

I will crack it open again tomorrow and look more closely at the situation. I have a die grinder and can start grinding a little off. I'm just mad that the installer held the wheel up and said "Looks good man!" I trusted he knew that after he torqued that lugs down that something like this might happen. I am also confused as to why I heard nothing on the initial drive home. Maybe no heat and nothing expanded yet?

Also... "yes, Jim is wonderful". Thank you Jim. I have been on this board a short time and already you have helped me out twice!

James

16x8 and they interfered? That's effing weird...

JoshRDavis.84 · August 13, 2008

Thanks guys!
I will try to get pics up as soon as I can.

The wheels are 16X8 with 4.5" backspacing and zero offset.

I can only describe the track in the wheel as 1/16" deep X 1/8" wide around the inside of the wheel. Looks like it was "shaved".

I will crack it open again tomorrow and look more closely at the situation. I have a die grinder and can start grinding a little off. I'm just mad that the installer held the wheel up and said "Looks good man!" I trusted he knew that after he torqued that lugs down that something like this might happen. I am also confused as to why I heard nothing on the initial drive home. Maybe no heat and nothing expanded yet?

Also... "yes, Jim is wonderful". Thank you Jim. I have been on this board a short time and already you have helped me out twice!

James

16x8 and they interfered? That's effing weird...

Yeah sounds like a good fit must be the design of the wheel...pics may tell the story

Zembonez · August 13, 2008

Also... "yes, Jim is wonderful".

Holy Crap! I'll never be able to live up to that.

I'm ruining my image!

tobias · August 13, 2008

I'd shave the caliper but I'd also take the wheel back and ask the shop to replace it. You can tell them what you are doing to keep it from happening again but it seems like their fault for putting a wheel on your truck that doesn't provide enough clearance. If they were "professionally" installed and this is the result, they should make it right.

2000DV4.8 · August 13, 2008

I'd shave the caliper but I'd also take the wheel back and ask the shop to replace it. You can tell them what you are doing to keep it from happening again but it seems like their fault for putting a wheel on your truck that doesn't provide enough clearance. If they were "professionally" installed and this is the result, they should make it right.

+1

asilverblazer · August 13, 2008

I think there is a difference in returning a wheel that you don't like and returning one the installer put on that doesn't fit.

DSN46 · August 13, 2008

FINAL ANSWER

Alright, I went back to installer. They are good people by the way. I thought I should mention this in case I gave the impression that they weren't earlier. I was upset over something that was not a problem with the wheel or the installler.

The mechanic and I (and two other mechanics) all pulled the wheels and looked at the situation from top to bottom for a long time. We switched wheel placement, checked caliper mounting and inspected every wheel that we took off very closely.

The final answer?

The new wheels have never been touched by a caliper. The "track" I saw was how the wheels were machined at the factory (I thought it looked too perfect).

The aluminum scrapings found on the caliper before? Well, we looked inside the OLD wheels that I took off and sure enough, THEY were scraping. So the residue on the caliper was old. There never was a problem with the wheels to begin with.

So.. we are back to what was the grinding noise I heard in the first place? Dealer mechanic says nothing is wrong with brakes. Front end specialist says nothing is wrong with steering components (lower ball joints a little loose is all). Calipers aren't moving around any and brakes are at 80%.

Today, I can no longer hear the grinding. The day I heard it, it was raining... BADLY... outside. I wonder if the pads that are on there make the "groaning" noise when wet? We could find nothing binding in the front end. Ujoints are tight.

I am at a loss here as to what I heard. Everything added up to be calipers against wheels, but it turns out that ain't it.

So THANK YOU, all of you, for helping me out with what could have been a real bad situation. For anyone searching this: American Racing Outlaw II, 16X8 with 4.5" backspacing wheels DO WORK fine.

Thank you agian,

James