PSA to anyone wanting raised spindles...

[JackkTheMackk]

I had my spindles raised by elephant racing +19mm to fit my 15” Fuchs, like their website advertises, only to find out that they actually won’t clear. I would love to save other people from this headache if they were interested in doing the same, as my Fuchs are now $1,500 paper weights.

I’m running decambered ball joint and bent the lip of the control arm up and the wheels cleared no issue in the air but on the ground I went to take the car for the first test drive and they are far from clearing.

Turned out of my driveway to some grinding noise and it didn’t stop. I drove just around my block and went straight back to my driveway to see how much they were grinding. Jacked the car up, took the wheels off, and found that they rub the control arm and ball joint nut and theres no way to have them safely clear the ball joint nut without grinding enough away enough to ruin it and cause a safety issue there.

I reached out to ER and got short replies from Chuck only offering advice on heavy modifications to make to my suspension to make them clear AFTER having the service done. This should really be advertised by them as “fits 15” Fuchs with modifications to suspension”, not just “fits 15” Fuchs” like their site says , gave him my number twice asking him to call me and he doesn’t have any interest to help out in this situation at all.

Pictures of carnage and my ruined Fuchs that I spent hours refinishing myself.

[AlistairWallace]

I see you are running the stopTech brakes, what do you think of them?

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by AlistairWallace

I see you are running the stopTech brakes, what do you think of them?

They are incredible, worth all the money. 2a race front and 2 race rear kit. They almost stop the car as well as the raised spindles rubbing on fuchs.

[jjeffries]

Originally Posted by AlistairWallace

I see you are running the stopTech brakes, what do you think of them?

Alistair, this question to Jack seems somewhat akin to asking the lifeboat survivors of the Titanic how they liked the band's music, no?

Jack, that's a serious bummer and I feel badly for you. I'd be ... agitated, at the least.

John

[jjeffries]

Jack, have you measured the amount the spindles were actually raised? Perhaps its more than 19mm.

John

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by jjeffries

Alistair, this question to Jack seems somewhat akin to asking the lifeboat survivors of the Titanic how they liked the band's music, no?

Jack, that's a serious bummer and I feel badly for you. I'd be ... agitated, at the least.

John

I am very agitated with them. I spent over $1,000 on them redoing my front struts and they ruined $1,500 worth of wheels that I spent hours refinishing and have told me “not our fault” when they advertise this service to fit 15” wheels.

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by jjeffries

Jack, have you measured the amount the spindles were actually raised? Perhaps its more than 19mm.

John

I tried finding the number of how much they are raised in stock form but couldn’t find it. Have that on hand by chance?

[jpnovak]

That sucks. I usually only raise spindles 17mm for 15" wheels. Keep in mind that the a-arm will actually bend down closer to the rim under load compression. This is magnified at very low ride heights/big bumps.

19mm can work but you have to shave (grind down) the castellated nut, remove the securing pin and bracket from the ball joint and trim the outside edges of the control arm.

What was actually cutting into the wheel? The ball joint nut or side of a-arm.

The wheels could be welded up on that edge and reprofiled.

BTW, That looks like 15x7. what size tire is that?

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

That sucks. I usually only raise spindles 17mm for 15" wheels. Keep in mind that the a-arm will actually bend down closer to the rim under load compression. This is magnified at very low ride heights/big bumps.

19mm can work but you have to shave (grind down) the castellated nut, remove the securing pin and bracket from the ball joint and trim the outside edges of the control arm.

What was actually cutting into the wheel? The ball joint nut or side of a-arm.

The wheels could be welded up on that edge and reprofiled.

BTW, That looks like 15x7. what size tire is that?

It’s very fair to say that these things should be advertised before the service is done. If i knew all of this had to be done I would not have raised them 19mm and gone the safe route and went 14mm, or even asked them their opinion on it before choosing a height. I went with 19mm without hesitation because they advertised it.

The lip of the A arm hit barely but the nut was what really hit along with the bottom of the ball joint. Even if you shaved off enough of the nut the bottom of the ball joint would still hit.

225/50 R888R on a 15x7 front and 235/50 R888R on a 15x8 in the rear.

[scootergt3]

any room for a wheel spacer?

[winders]

Originally Posted by JackkTheMackk

I am very agitated with them. I spent over $1,000 on them redoing my front struts and they ruined $1,500 worth of wheels that I spent hours refinishing and have told me “not our fault” when they advertise this service to fit 15” wheels.

That really sucks. It seems it is their fault as they sell the spindle raising service saying it is fine for 15" wheels with no caveats. If you are going to sell to do-it-yourselfers, you need to provide enough information to make sure any possible problems can be avoided.

This is another example why I don't recommend Elephant to anyone......not even enemies.

[Sebscst]

I have 15” Fuchs with boxster brakes and 19 mm raised spindles from rebel racing. I have not had any issues and no rubbing. The end of the a arm is close to the inside of the rim but there is clearance. I think someone above has already suggested maybe they were not raised to 19mm.

[jjeffries]

Originally Posted by JackkTheMackk

I tried finding the number of how much they are raised in stock form but couldn’t find it. Have that on hand by chance?

Jack, sorry, no. But I'm wondering if whomever did the strut mod raised them more than than the specified amount.

I wish you earnest luck in gaining some resolution.

John

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by Sebscst

I have 15” Fuchs with boxster brakes and 19 mm raised spindles from rebel racing. I have not had any issues and no rubbing. The end of the a arm is close to the inside of the rim but there is clearance. I think someone above has already suggested maybe they were not raised to 19mm.

Looking back on it I wished I sent them off to Clint. I thought if I used ER i would be in great hands since they’re a well know company but I guess the opposite happened and they’ve sucked to deal with.

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by scootergt3

any room for a wheel spacer?

None at all.

Originally Posted by winders

That really sucks. It seems it is their fault as they sell the spindle raising service saying it is fine for 15" wheels with no caveats. If you are going to sell to do-it-yourselfers, you need to provide enough information to make sure any possible problems can be avoided.

This is another example why I don't recommend Elephant to anyone......not even enemies.

Yeah that’s the thing. If they made me aware of everything I would have to do with having them raised 19mm I would have not gone this direction. They just have it advertised that it fits with no warning about other required modifications what so ever.

I wasn’t aware they were a business to avoid until this happened. I would not recommend ER to anyone now.

[winders]

Lots of people here love Elephant.....I am not one of them. I like Clint at Rebel, Cary at ERP, and Ira and Tarett........Clint can be a real pain to contact and get stuff delivered but his products are great.

[JackkTheMackk]

Originally Posted by winders

Lots of people here love Elephant.....I am not one of them. I like Clint at Rebel, Cary at ERP, and Ira and Tarett........Clint can be a real pain to contact and get stuff delivered but his products are great.

I have his rear custom bilstein shocks and teflon control arm bushings. Shipping kinda took a minute.. but the parts are amazing and worth all the money. I went with ER poly bronze in the rear spring plates and should have shelled out the extra cash for clint’s. Live and learn, next car will be a lot easier.

[gled49]

RSR struts raised the spindles 11mm. My car with R7’s and 7mm wheel spacers was a tight fit, A arm to wheel.

[porsche930dude]

I wonder if its actually an issue with the ball joint. Aftermarket perhaps lowering the a-arm more than an oe part

[CBA]

Talk to Steve Alacron at Suspension Specialities in Torrance. He does excellent work. A specific question he asked me when he did my car.

Are your wheels 15" or 16". If they are 16" would you ever consider going back to
15" wheels in the future. I plan on raising your spindles and 17mm is the limit if
you want to ever run 15" wheels.