staggered bullitts throwing road debris

[deezdrama]

Just swapped out the stock wheels for some staggered 18" bullitts Ive had for a few years that I originally bought for my 07 crown vic. Got them used on craigslist for a good deal and the kid who sold them to me had them on an s197.

I like the look of the car much better now, been getting alot of compliments since swapping the wheels but notice the whole time Im driving its flinging road debris/dirt/rocks up against my rear fender or at least the inner steel fender well lip. It sounds like people throwing sand/rocks at my car the whole time Im driving and has me concerned. A couple people who have driven with me asked about the sound.

I forget the rear size but can check and post tomorrow, but for anyone who went with wider rear rims have you experienced this?



View attachment 66974

 

[RocketcarX]

Lower the car

 

[deezdrama]

Ive thought about that for looks alone but didnt think about it being an issue with why it sounds like a line of kids flinging pebbles everywhere I go, so lowering would negate some of the road debris noise, issues?
Im worried about causing chips in paint.
Is this just a common issue that comes with going wider in the rear?

 

[RocketcarX]

Yes, more offset means more wheel outside the wheel well.
It would shroud the tire inside the wheel well more and it looks like a 4x4 anywho

 

[Pentalab]

Yes, more offset means more wheel outside the wheel well.
It would shroud the tire inside the wheel well more and it looks like a 4x4 anywho

Nope. More offset means the wheel resides even more inside the wheel well. Less offset means wheel is sticking out more.

I have the same chrome bullitt rims as he does in both a 18 x 9 (30 mm offset)... and also a 18 x 10 (45 mm offset). Both sizes will just barely tuck the tread inside the wheel well. But I also used the rear lower valance off a 2012 GT-500, which comes with tiny rear splash guards, to protect the body, just aft of each rear wheel well.

I suspect it's either the rubber he is using or the surface being driven on. With brand new rubber, after the tape and sticky papers removed from the tread, when I backed out my driveway (the last 6' being gravel), I had a ton of gravel stuck to the new rear tires ! It was clunk-clunk-clunk down the street, stopped after 10'. I must have had at least 100 small rocks stuck to each tire, around the circumference.

 

[stkjock]

nice 4x4, those tires look way short as well

debris thrown is more of a function of where you're driving and the stickiness of your tires

 

[CammedS197]

Was just going to mention the tire itself like stkjock said. The grooves and stickiness of them.

 

[RocketcarX]

Nope. More offset means the wheel resides even more inside the wheel well. Less offset means wheel is sticking out more.

I have the same chrome bullitt rims as he does in both a 18 x 9 (30 mm offset)... and also a 18 x 10 (45 mm offset). Both sizes will just barely tuck the tread inside the wheel well. But I also used the rear lower valance off a 2012 GT-500, which comes with tiny rear splash guards, to protect the body, just aft of each rear wheel well.

I suspect it's either the rubber he is using or the surface being driven on. With brand new rubber, after the tape and sticky papers removed from the tread, when I backed out my driveway (the last 6' being gravel), I had a ton of gravel stuck to the new rear tires ! It was clunk-clunk-clunk down the street, stopped after 10'. I must have had at least 100 small rocks stuck to each tire, around the circumference.

Ok, I got it backwards. The intent of my statement was to let the OP know that the wheels protrude further than stock, thus dey gon trow rocks

 

[RocketcarX]

You aren’t going to be able to stop throw debris, but you can midigate it by lowering the car and keep the debris from making it to your paint. Also some sort of integrated rock guard could work, like a body kit type of thing.

 

[frank s]

Splash guards designed for the S197 GT500 are available from Ford, less than $15.00 when I bought them. They are mounted to the same holes the fender liners use, so no drilling. You need a right-angle screwdriver unless you have the wheels off. The shields are small enough that they pretty much disappear unless you are looking for them, so you won't have to field many "mud flap" comments. Photo shows them on my (gone but not forgotten) 2009 GT/CS. Wheels were 18x8.5 "fanblades" with one-inch H&R spacers.

 

[Wes06]

I made some "mud guards" out of plastic panel I ordered off amazon.

Originally i bought what AM had, but broke one somehow, so I just carbon copied it to my panel I bought and stuck them back on.

Its a little larger than the ones in Frank's pictures, but isnt super huge, Ill take a picture tomorrow if ya want

 

[Brandon08GT]

I’ve had three different brand tires and three different sizes. Mine always sounds like that depending on the condition of the road I’m driving and speed I’m going. No paint chips on the fender so it never really bothered me. I’m sure you will be fine.

 

[Brandon08GT]

I made some "mud guards" out of plastic panel I ordered off amazon.

Originally i bought what AM had, but broke one somehow, so I just carbon copied it to my panel I bought and stuck them back on.

Its a little larger than the ones in Frank's pictures, but isnt super huge, Ill take a picture tomorrow if ya want

I’ve never even considered that but I do kind of like it. Especially since it isn’t big and bulky. I might consider it.

 

[rebus]

Splash guards designed for the S197 GT500 are available from Ford

+1

 

[RED09GT]

Those GT500 ones look good for keeping the rubber off the 1/4 panel at the track.

 

[Gab]

I had the same issue with sticky autocross tires, so I made my own splash guard/mud flap/whateryouwannacall them. I can make a set for cheap, to any size you'd like - PM me if you're interested.

 

[Pentalab]

Those GT500 ones look good for keeping the rubber off the 1/4 panel at the track.

I have the GT-500 ones, and they work good, they are small enough to be barely noticed, but big enough to do the job. I use it in conjunction with the 2012 GT-500 rear lower valance . This is on my 2010. My 2010 is black, so that's part of the reason it all blends in. Black car, black tires, black GT-500 splash guard etc.

 

[deezdrama]

Never received a notification on my stupid phone that I had new comments but - yeah, this has really been bothering me. Here in broke ### illinois the roads are horrendous, potholes everywhere and broken off/loose asphalt on every road that collects on side of the streets.
I havent even seen a street sweeper in years now that I think about it. Guess its not in the budget....sad

Anyway, it sounds like my rear fenders are being sandblasted the entire time Im driving. I think Im going to put factory back on. The debris plus the fact that these tires seem to run a different height than the last set of rears even though they are labled the same size as last pair they sit like an inch lower and my rears look noticeably smaller in profile than the fronts. Sucks because they have pretty decent traction.

I dont mind the factory rims I just dont like that they are grey and nothing else on the car is. Could do some grey stripes but I think I will just plasti-dip them while they are off and if I like the look will properly paint them when the plastidip starts to come off.
Id like the rear wheels to sit a bit more flush though but dont want them to stick out far enough to get the sandblasting effect again..... Thought about 1/4" wheel spacers which would work with factory lugs but not sure if it would even be noticeable, or go with bolt on hubcentrics but I think thinnest I could get is an inch and not sure if that would cause same issue or not.

Any suggestions?