GRIND EM!!!

  I chose to grind my fender lips as opposed to folding them because I wanted to have all the clearance I could afford.   Folding works fine, but it still leaves a few mm of lip for the tire to rub on.   By grinding the lip off, right out to the edge, you get maximum working room.

  Before getting started I should mention that this procedure was done on the rear fender (quarterpanels) of an Mk1 Scirocco.   Albeit most watercooled VWs use the same rim offsets, I can't be sure that this procedure will achieve the same results because of body irregularities on different models.   For those of you who wonder why I didn't shave the front, its cuz the front is usually much stiffer and also you have the ability to change your camber.   Here we go...

  The process is pretty straight forward.   All you need is either a disc grinder with metal grinding blade on it, or you can use a die-grinder.   I used both, as the first time I shaved my fenders I didn't give myself enough clearance.   The real trick in this procedure is making sure you dont slip and grind on the exterior of the car.   Also, do not sit with the grinder in one spot for too long.   You may end up boiling the paint on the exterior.   I recommend grinding with long strokes, taking a break every few minutes to let the metal cool down.

  As far as where to shave and how much, it all depends on what setup you are using.   I am currently running 205/40/17 tires on a 7.5" rim w/ 35mm offset.   With this setup I knew I would encounter rubbing, so I tried to shave off as much as I could in the areas that I thought would be sure to be a problem.   Here are some pics showing where I knew rubbing was likely to occur:

         As you can see, I shaved to the edge on about half of the fender.   Starting from where the bumper lines would intersect the fender lip, I shaved it clear off, up until about the top of the fender.   I still encounter rubbing just above the bumper line, but that is usually when I have 3 or more people in the car.

  But as it turns out, I would also encounter rubbing problems on the front part of the fender.   The next few pics detail where I started to taper my grinding, and also where I recommend grinding more.

         You can see that I started to taper my grind at about the top of the fender.   I should have started my taper at the bumper line on the front side of the fender because I still encounter minimal rubbing there while under load.

  Even tho I still rub on the front part of the rear fender, its very rare.   Also, now that I have the car painted, I am reluctant to shave off more for fear of accidentally grinding on the exterior.   So my advice to you is if you plan on getting some wide rims or low offsets, shave off EVERYTHING between the bumper lines.   If you already have your car painted and are worried about grinding on the exterior, you have the option of folding the lip, but it wont get you as much clearance as grinding.   Should you want to grind over your new paint, by all means "rock on".   Just be carefull.   Should you decide to shave your fenders, be sure to shoot some high quality primer over the exposed metal, followed up by a sealer, and then with paint.

  So now you may be wondering what rims/tires do I need to worry about rubbing?   Its been my experience, that on the Mk1s that you can't have any rim with backspacing of 130mm or larger, unless you run smaller diameter springs, such as with some aftermarket coilovers.   Backspacing is calculated by adding the offset and half the rim width (in millimeters - 25.4mm per inch).   For example, my backspacing on my 7.5" rims with 35mm offset would be:

(7.5"*25.4mm)/2 + 35mm = 130mm

Thats the max I think we should have.   You can certainly have less than that, but its also a factor of how wide you want your tires.   Usually, the larger the profile, the wider the shoulder of the tire, hence you may need smaller offset.   Its been my experience that you need to run the following to limit rubbing (assuming max tire of 205mm):

6.0" rim - 43mm to 45mm offset
6.5" rim - 40mm to 42mm offset
7.0" rim - 38mm to 40mm offset
7.5" rim - 33mm to 35mm offset

  Offsets vary between manufacturers, as well as tire widths.   One wheel/tire combo may work better than another.   Just try and keep your backspacing under 130mm for your wider rims, and around 120mm for your smaller width rims.   But remember, Its always easier to work around having rims with larger offets than it is than having ones with smaller offsets - through the use of spacers.   If you are interested in playing with a backspacing calculator, one is available off the Scirocco.org site. (the link is available in my LINKS section)   Once there, click on the tire.   Any questions?