|
If it rubs all the time, rolling the fenders may not be the best option. It would involve a bat (or similar), a towel, and applying pressure such that the downward edge of the fender gets "rolled" up and out of harm's way.
It seems you are not at your final solution anyway since you are talking about 17" wheels and disk brakes "in the future." That opens up a new can of worms ... do you want a sort-term solution for now, or do you want to one-step it to the final solution? The latter has the potential of being cost-saving. It also carries the risk of needing some tweaking as the other final solutions are done in conjunction.
As far as the future is concerned, which brakes you choose could mean an extra quarter-inch of offset to take into account, although, not necessarily. The wheels will be a variable, too, until the offset and width of these seventeen-inchers become known.
So, I would strongly recommend look for a short-term -- and cheap -- solution.
Are you commited to the 2½-inch drop? I have a Super Beetle so I don't know if drop spindles have flexibility in the amount of drop which can be applied.
What kind of a ride do you want? A stiffer suspension will offer less travel and, hopefully, less fender fouling.
A narrower tire may be a solution if it's the sidewall that is fouling. If you're fouling on the tread itself, you'll need to change wheels (by offset and/or width), tires, and/or beam. It could be one, two or all three if lowering the front by a lesser amount isn't an option.
A more narrow beam will affect the steering. As a Super owner, I have no experience with such an adjustment. Intuitively, it would seem to me the steering would be less effective ... but I just don't know.
Another tire substitution could be going with a lower profile tire -- one with less sidewall. This was one of my solutions. By switching from a 205/55-16 to a 195/50-16, I gained an extra 0.6".
Maybe someone else can jump in here and suggest something I am not thinking.
|