Rear Wheels/Wheel Well Gap Not same

[DougZ]

I recently noticed that my rear tires don't have identical gap between the tires and the wheel well. Right rear has about 3/8" more gap than the left rear tire. It's hard to see in the photos. Is this due to camber angles being different. Can this be adjusted to be identical. I haven't done any adjustments to the car since I had it. Rear tire wear is even. Car tracks straight and there are no vibrations. Next year I will probably get new tires and I can have the tire shop take a look.

[Josh D]

Could be a camber/alignment issue. Do both rear tires wear the same?

[DRACO A5OG]

Yes, if cambers are not symmetrical you will see this. But also remember our cars were hand built so that could contribute to it. Another possibility is a TC on that side, that would be worse case.

I noted this many years ago, drove me crazy so I added 1/4" spacer on the passenger side rear per recommendations of a Well Known Alignment shop.

[JohnJL]

Ever have a corner balancing done?

[DougZ]

Originally Posted by Josh D

Could be a camber/alignment issue. Do both rear tires wear the same?

I only put on about 2K miles since I had the car and tire wear looks even to me. Tire tread is deep but tires are about 8 years old so I will replace them next year.

[DRACO A5OG]

Go to a JUST tires shop and get a free alignment print out.

[DougZ]

Originally Posted by JohnJL

Ever have a corner balancing done?

When I looked thru stack of previous owners service records it did state that car had corner balancing done. Ride height is slightly lowered than normal. Euro height I would assume.

I recently added 23mm rear spacers. That's how I found out the gap was different. Left side had little bit of rubbing if cornering right, while the right tire had clearance and no rubbing when cornering left. I removed the spacers until this is resolved.

[911h20]

Originally Posted by DougZ

I recently noticed that my rear tires don't have identical gap between the tires and the wheel well. Right rear has about 3/8" more gap than the left rear tire. It's hard to see in the photos. Is this due to camber angles being different. Can this be adjusted to be identical. I haven't done any adjustments to the car since I had it. Rear tire wear is even. Car tracks straight and there are no vibrations. Next year I will probably get new tires and I can have the tire shop take a look.

I was told by a company that did my corner balance and alignment on my 87 491 that the left rear shock fails quicker than the right side because it sits near the Cat. Apparently the heat is detrimental. So after aligning my 87 I went home to check my 88 and sure enough it sat lower on the left than on the right side. My 88 has the original shocks on all 4 corners. Maybe other have notice the same.

[gshiwota]

I had this same problem on my '82 911SC. My car was a low mileage pristine example (no body work or accidents) and the alignment checked out. One of the rear wheels sat closer to the fender edge than the other.

I was told by a body shop familiar that worked on these cars in the 80s and 90s that this is common on 911s as they bodies were hand fitted and sometimes one of the rear tires would rub against the body when you tried fitting wider tires. After hearing this I figured this is just another quirk of our cars.

[sky1jord]

I have precisely the same problem on my '88, even the same left/right issue. Never noticed until I added 28 mm spacers. A reputable alignment shop says alignment it spot on, never been touched since it left the factory. Tires wear evenly (7 in rears, stock ride height), no noticeable road issues.
My mechanic says "Duh, these cars are hand built, no surprise here". I'm not happy with that answer, although I can't see a downside issue other than I always find myself thinking about it.

[DougZ]

Originally Posted by sky1jord

I have precisely the same problem on my '88, even the same left/right issue. Never noticed until I added 28 mm spacers. A reputable alignment shop says alignment it spot on, never been touched since it left the factory. Tires wear evenly (7 in rears, stock ride height), no noticeable road issues.
My mechanic says "Duh, these cars are hand built, no surprise here". I'm not happy with that answer, although I can't see a downside issue other than I always find myself thinking about it.

I guess I will wait to find out when I check the alignment. My car was never involved in an accident so it must be the "Hand Built" factor from the factory. I like things to look symmetrical so this will bug me also.

[DRACO A5OG]

I just could not imagine Germans allowing this but oh well, Function then Form, I guess ???

Like our exterior mirrors, no?

[wayner]

Take a measurement off of a hard point of the suspension, inboard of the wheel to the lip and tell us what you find.

I've always gotten a kick out of people who wear by the way the factory did things, as if they were gods.

I think they are gods of engine engineering, but bodies were just a place to put that stuff.

I've always joked that these bodies were designed in the 60s, build using 50s construction techniques and sold in the 80s.

[Reiver]

I have the exact same issue on my '83 SC...nothing out of whack, tires wear evenly, tracks perfectly...just a Porsche quirk.
The owner of the indy shop says some folks notice some do not but it is very common.

[Fergie]

I have the same issue on my 84 Carrera. Has driven me nuts. Replaced the shocks and this helped a little. Wheels seem to line up square if I lift rear suspension off of ground and place back down. Then when I drive it and return the drivers side is back to un-square. Checked everything from rim offset, tire width and suspension. A well respected P-mechanic told me that a few torsion bar splines have probably rusted or broken and both sides would therefore need to be replaced. He does not believe in the hand built thing and it has always been torsion bar when this condition exists. Please update it you solve

[Mothy]

I have the same thing on my '83 SC. Not an alignment issue as it has been checked and at the time the car had same rear camber left and right. (since been corner balanced)

Previous owner (long time ago) had aftermarket rims on the car with slightly different offset left and right :roll eyes: - about half an inch different. Only picked it up myself after 18 months when I had new tyres fitted and the rims were swapped left to right - one started to rub badly and the other had plenty of clearance.

Running even offset rims now and I know the difference is there BUT since you cannot look at both sides of the car at the same time no-one notices it. Even in a concours it was not picked up.

Tim

[Reiver]

Owners usually don't notice this until they lower their cars a bit...it is more the norm than not.
Or real anal Porsche owners that do things like stare at their wheel wells.......

[gamin]

Common. Hand built cars. You may find the distance between front and rear wheels on each side may be different too. If the alignment is ok and good tire wear, big deal. As noted above, you can only see one side of the car at a time. One of the things that makes a 911 a 911.

[Bakester]

On my '86 cab, I have noticed the same issue, more overhang on the right than the left. I just accepted it as it drives fine and the shop didn't say anything about it when they did the corner balance.

[McLaren-TAG]

There are lots and lots and lots of things on our cars that aren't symmetrical.