Narrow Tracking a Mk1

Hi all I am in need of more room under the front arches to achieve the drop I want and still be able to use the steering a bit. Now I can buy 2 new front wheels the same as the ones I bought last month but increase the ET from 20 to 35 but then the wheel will foul on the shock and the brake carrier or I can move everything else in which involves lots of cutting and welding. I was wondering if anyone has any past experience of this type of work.
I did consider putting this in the HELP!!!! thread but I'm not quite shaw what help I need yet so I thought  I'd just have a bit of a chat about it first.
Thanks you guys

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Well Jamie when it comes to this stuff I know about as much about it as Paddington Bear does about Nuclear Fusion.  

But that picture as you know looks scary.  

I can only think of rolling the arches out big time and then see what you can get away with.

But as I understand it that is a one way street, so I'll leave to to someone who knows a great deal more than me and just give you a bump!  

Paddington Bear and  Nuclear Fusion…. LOLOLOL…..

Installing cool looking tyres and wheels can be a large pain in the posterior, as well as lowering your car.

The Wheel offset comes in play as well as how low you can go.

Rolling the Fenders is one option…there are others as well…  The issue is when you turn the wheels does it rub on the inner fender….  Certain wheels can rub on the Caliper or Tie-rods, and or the inner fender if not done right.

Then lowering the car is also an issue as the Tie-rods can hit the frame or the CV can go wonky as the ungiving position of it angled…so more wear can occur.

There are tons of (lowering my Golf, or Cabriolet threads at the vwvortex.  Tone if information there as well.

I remember one gent who said I keep cutting my tires and this is the 3rd set I have replaced in 3 weeks….and the "Stupid" tire store won't road hazard them….

Well lowering the car and not having issues go hand in hand.  If you can't afford to make the changes needed, then raise the car a wee bit.

Did you use strut tower extenders,,,,, did you give enough clearance to the Spindle and Tie-rod?  Pictures of the under side of the car go hand in hand, so we can see the clearance issues that you have to suggest changes….

This is why I like stock…. No further work, or thinking  needed.

Hey thanks for getting back to me, I am thinking of shorten the bottom arms and the track rods / spindles and tie rods, the anti roll / sway bar will stay in the same place, I can get the driveshafts shortened by 40 mm which is what I want to gain overall, and get some camber plates for the top mounts as I'm running coilovers so I think the main obstacle is going to be getting the driveshafts shortened, I will get some pics asap.
Thanks for your input I will pick your brains a lot more I hope


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Golf Cabrio said

Well Jamie when it comes to this stuff I know about as much about it as Paddington Bear does about Nuclear Fusion.  

But that picture as you know looks scary.  

I can only think of rolling the arches out big time and then see what you can get away with.

But as I understand it that is a one way street, so I'll leave to to someone who knows a great deal more than me and just give you a bump!  

Oh well it's all a challenge but I think I've formulated a plan see below


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Would it not be simpler and easier to change back to standard to have some modified front wings made by a good local body shop. After all the wings are held on with just nuts and bolts can be done while the cars existing ones are on and then simply swapped. Maybe go for a similar look to the lancia intergrale (hf turbo) look. Redirect Notice. Seems a lot of expensive and special work + set up for 40mm otherwise which might also destroy the handling if not 100% correct.


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Just get a good fabricator to flare the arches slightly.

Or stick it on air and drive it at a sensible height?  


Cant believe I just said that, I drive around with my gearbox mount smacking the floor… and if it isn't the mount, its my wishbones.    

Also, how wide are the front wheels? You sure et35 will hit on the inside?

Gentleman I thank you for your input, those of you who suggested that I put it back to standard or drive it at a sensible height … go  stand in the corner and think about what you said , you know who you are ! Now that said I have considered changing the front arch shape as that's what I do for a living. I restore and build classic Porsche 356 and early 911 but that would be the easy way out and my concern with that is I would end up with a car thats wider at the front than at the back and would look weird ( says the man with 17x7.5" wheels on a mk1 I hear you cry ! ) I know but I want to fill the arches and have it slammed, I'm not to worried about handling as such it's never going to be a fast car it's more about the aesthetic for me. Also I would like to keep the body work as standard as possible so if one day in the distant future a 1992 Gti Cabby is actually worth any money bolt on bits can be easily reversed. Anybody know any engineers that might be worth talking to as far as machining the drive shafts go? After all if we wanted an easy life with things that didn't take any thought we'd all be driving Kia's but we're Dubbers people, through and through to the core âceCEï¸�


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This is what I'm working on at the moment for my day job

If you look real hard and squint your eyes you can just about make out a Porsche 911 RS lol


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did I say make it standard . To be fair I was referring to potential to change
It back in the future. I get your point though this is a toy and past time not a chance to do your day job for a hobby so go for it and enjoy the challenge of lining up all the steering geometry etc. Don't shorten the drive shafts too much or it will look like a reliant robin lol or maybe the tumbler from batman . Not sure but if really wide wheels moved in board could that give real oversteer? Cool work on the jig, I wish I had the skill to do such things but too impatient and dare I say stupid.


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Black I don't no what you do for a living but body work is what is dummies who didn't pay attention at school do when we realise all the good jobs have gone lol, I have to say I am a little nervous but I think 40mm should be enough then I haven't got to work to hard when I get to the top mount . I've always wondered how people managed to find out what stock parts are interchangeable from one car to another and what mods work( or don't ) and I suppose the only way to find out is to try it, so it sounds good now but I'm sure I'll encounter numerous unforeseen problems but that's all part of the learning curve I suppose. So strip down at the weekend and get started I guess and we'll see how it pans out.


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nd this is where im up to now ;-)

Lots of measuring before you strip anything!

Try some camber plates first! You'll be amazed at what they can do. I managed to get Cragar S/S wheels to fit on my Derby using top camber plates and 'clearancing' the brake calipers a bit.

They were approx 0mm off set but I needed 20mm spacers to clear the brakes. Which added up to about 25mm poke. With camber plates got them legal, if not tucked.

Start easy, if that don't work go hard core! ;-)

jamie8v said

… but body work is what is dummies who didn't pay attention at school do when we realise all the good jobs have gone…



So strip down at the weekend and get started I guess and we'll see how it pans out.


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I never knock what a folk does or doesn't do for a living.
I have known Body Workers who took Corvettes from a 2 seater to a 4 seater and it looked like a sleek wagon.
Well respected body shop, that folks came to from all over the country. His shop looked like a Surgery…Spotless.

Good body shop guys are artists, in demand and quite exceptional in what they do… Creaters and fabricators who work in Steel, Plastics, and Chemicals…. A skilled eye and touch.

I once knew a man who was a Mensa member at a young age…smart, kind, and installed Carpet for a living.

Planning and asking questions prior to execution is what it is about, your dream, not necessarily mine or others.  Planning and execution is what it is about.

Good Luck on your quest.

borednow said

Lots of measuring before you strip anything!

Try some camber plates first! You'll be amazed at what they can do. I managed to get Cragar S/S wheels to fit on my Derby using top camber plates and 'clearancing' the brake calipers a bit.

They were approx 0mm off set but I needed 20mm spacers to clear the brakes. Which added up to about 25mm poke. With camber plates got them legal, if not tucked.

Start easy, if that don't work go hard core! ;-)

Dude I have a plan ( sort of lol )
I have found some cheap camber plates on the bay of E £40 ( they're for a bmw e46 but we can re-engineer them ) I have found that febi wishbones are only £20 each so I can get some of those encase things go horribly wrong and I can cut and shut my drive shafts until I find the correct length.
I think though I'm still going to have to bite the bullet and admit I got carried away with the size of my wheels. So I may also have to buy some 16's but I'll stick the 17's on eBay or put them on my lady's bmw mini we'll see but the 16" are still 7.5" wide and if I increase the ET they will hit the brakes. Either way I've got some work to do. So I'd better get out in the garage lol


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Briano1234 said

jamie8v said

… but body work is what is dummies who didn't pay attention at school do when we realise all the good jobs have gone…



So strip down at the weekend and get started I guess and we'll see how it pans out.


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I never knock what a folk does or doesn't do for a living.
I have known Body Workers who took Corvettes from a 2 seater to a 4 seater and it looked like a sleek wagon.
Well respected body shop, that folks came to from all over the country. His shop looked like a Surgery…Spotless.

Good body shop guys are artists, in demand and quite exceptional in what they do… Creaters and fabricators who work in Steel, Plastics, and Chemicals…. A skilled eye and touch.

I once knew a man who was a Mensa member at a young age…smart, kind, and installed Carpet for a living.

Planning and asking questions prior to execution is what it is about, your dream, not necessarily mine or others.  Planning and execution is what it is about.

Good Luck on your quest.

Thanks Brian that's very kind of you to say.
  I really love working on early Porsche 356 pre A's are my personal favourite they have such a beautiful flow to them, and as parts that are available to buy seldom fit and require so much rework that's when I get the chance to fabricate from scratch.



911's are a bit boring to be honest lol


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jamie8v said

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Before and after



Took 40mm out of my wishbone and things look like they're going in the right direction, need to get some adjustable top mounts but also wanted to raise the mount to increase the travel. Anyway phase 1 is encouraging.


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You have some skill there Jamie   The first pic I could tell it was a 911 - not an RS though! lol. That must be scary the first time you ever strip a car back that much, but I guess all jigged-up it's no issue.