Tie rod end ball joint rubbing on wheel

[B2NTY]

Yo, I'm looking for some advice ASAP as I'm supposed to be driving this car 600 miles to visit family and friends for Christmas really soon. I've just gotten done installing a CNC71 angle kit on the car and the tie rode end ball joints are rubbing on the inside of the wheels. I believe I've got three options at the moment, get 17" wheels, buy spacers, or turn the ball joints upside down so that the nut is on the bottom and not the top. Would this be okay to do for a one way trip? Once I get where I'm going, which is a bigger city, I'll have access to loads of 17" wheels through FB marketplace and would buy a set while I'm down there. I'll take any advice, recommendations, or help thank you

[roguetoaster]

You could remove the angle kit, which makes no sense to install just before a presumably highway road trip.

[B2NTY]

That's a good suggestion and yeah it doesn't make sense to do prior to this trip but the cr is being built to drift and I got them in the mail so for the free time I've had for the last week or so I've installed them. It's just today I finally got the wheels on and saw the issue. I could put back the old stuff but time and effort wise it's not entirely worth while as the I'm gonna be taking the kit off just to install it again. I'd like to find a solution to this rather then go back to step one. Thank you for commenting though, I really appreciate it!

[iansane]

That ball joint is tapered so you won't be able to correctly install it from the top side if it's meant to install from the bottom. Looks like you've got to upsize your wheels or run bigass spacers.

[IronJoe]

This was an issue on certain GC coilover kits recently, they discovered that there's quite a lot of variation in aftermarket tie rod ends. They found one company that makes a lower-profile tie rod end (FAG I believe) that fits in these scenarios.

Thread:

https://s14net.vbulletin.net/forum/s14/general-e30-m3-discussion/1321213-ground-control-kit/page4

If I were you I'd remove your angle kit for the time being, and get some lower profile tie rod ends that will play nicely with your setup once your holiday travel is over.

[varg]

You could remove the angle kit, which makes no sense to install just before a presumably highway road trip.

First post best post.

Just take the angle kit off. You have no other option if you can't find wheels before your road trip. No, you can't flip your tie rods inverted, how do you not notice that they have tapered shafts having just installed them? If you could do that, your steering geometry would be a wreck in bump conditions. Sigh, drift kids... I thought you guys had moved on to VQs now that E30s aren't dirt cheap anymore.

[B2NTY]

That ball joint is tapered so you won't be able to correctly install it from the top side if it's meant to install from the bottom. Looks like you've got to upsize your wheels or run bigass spacers.

I had initially looked it up and saw that they are tapered and would be incorrect but was wondering if it would work in a pinch even if it's not recommended. From what it sounds like it won't, so I'm on the hunt for some 17s or low-profile tie rod ends now lol. Thank you for the input and help.

This was an issue on certain GC coilover kits recently, they discovered that there's quite a lot of variation in aftermarket tie rod ends. They found one company that makes a lower-profile tie rod end (FAG I believe) that fits in these scenarios.

If I were you I'd remove your angle kit for the time being, and get some lower profile tie rod ends that will play nicely with your setup once your holiday travel is over.

Woah, thanks for the thread! I'm gonna be looking out for some lower-profile ends or some 17s, whichever I find first. Thank you again for the thread and help.

First post best post.

Just take the angle kit off. You have no other option if you can't find wheels before your road trip. No, you can't flip your tie rods inverted, how do you not notice that they have tapered shafts having just installed them? If you could do that, your steering geometry would be a wreck in bump conditions. Sigh, drift kids... I thought you guys had moved on to VQs now that E30s aren't dirt cheap anymore.

From doing more research and the input from the cool people on this forum I now know that I can't do that but didn't know that when I first created this thread. I was thinking desperately and saw an immediate and easy solution. A solution in which I didn't know if it would or wouldn't work, so I created this post. I'm sorry I don't live up to your expectations or wishes but I'm going to do what I would like to to the car I drive regardless of what anyone else thinks, even you R3V oldheads. Also, yeah I like and want to drift the E30 I've owned and dailied for the last few years. I hugged some trees in 2022 while driving down some windies, I've owned this car since before then and it was meant to be a daily canyon carver but after that accident, I wanted to move to something more chill yet just as fun. That's where I found drifting and thought it was what I was looking for. So this humble E30 is being turned into a bit of a drift missle that I'll still keep street-legal and drive on the daily. (I live somewhere where a car isn't a necessity to get around).

Sorry that was terribly long but thank you for commenting on the post!


As a conclusion to this thread, I haven't been able to find 17s immediately and if I order lower-profile tie rod ends they won't arrive in time. I've caved and just bought a plane ticket to where I'm going but thank you to everyone who viewed the post and especially those who left comments.

[MrBurgundy]

You have to hammer the wheels out

[B2NTY]

Hehe, no they come off just fine. It's only slight rub, the wheels still spin but only a little then they start scrapping.

[Panici]

I'm sorry I don't live up to your expectations or wishes but I'm going to do what I would like to to the car I drive regardless of what anyone else thinks, even you R3V oldheads.

...

As a conclusion to this thread, I haven't been able to find 17s immediately and if I order lower-profile tie rod ends they won't arrive in time. I've caved and just bought a plane ticket to where I'm going but thank you to everyone who viewed the post and especially those who left comments.

Props to you for doing what you like. Everyone has an opinion and in the end it's your ride.
E30s have been used for motorsports for decades. If you have the $$$ to build/break/repair a now-classic chassis then more power to you!

Glad you took the smart choice in this case and flew out.
Asking for trouble road tripping something with untested modifications.

Although, sometimes that's part of the fun (if you don't mind taking longer and wrenching as you go). IMO as long as you're not putting other road users at risk then have at it!