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Well, I don't actively track or autocross my bug anymore, but I still enjoy it on the street. Over the past couple of years I've been reinventing it from it's current baja bug form.

I'm about to order fenders for the un-baja project. I'm going to be using fiberglass and I'm wondering if I should stick with stock width or go one inch wider.

The car is riding on 15x5.5 rims with the popular 195/60 front 205/60 rear tires. It's been lowered about an inch. I'm not conerned about the rear since this is a swing axle car with short axles, but I'm a bit worried about the fronts. I don't want to yank the fenders off the car until I'm ready to get started. Just lining up an old stock fender up front it looks like I'm going to be REALLY close with the stock width fenders. I wouldn't mind the added track of +1" fenders, but I don't want to run really big spacers and sacrifce by wheel bearing life.

I figured this would be the best place to find out exactly how much you can stuff in the stock fenders without a lot of rubbing. Thanks for your help

Kelly

This is a constant discusson in the Eurolook forum, you might want to check there. Also at www.germanlook.com.

You're right, some combinations of 5.5 wheels and tires rub on lowered cars at full lock on turns, on braking when turning, etc. Most people are trying to find the combination of widest wheels/tires they can fit under stock fenders, so if you intend to buy new and can go any width the choices are wide open. If I were going to buy new fenders I think I'd start with the wheels first, look at every possible choice, get what I wanted, then buy the right sized fenders to fit.

i had issues with 195/55 on 5.5x15 under stock fenders. if i breaked during a turn i got rub. in a hard break and hard turn it could have been dangerous, not to mention i was wearing my fenders off. this was with CB disc brakes and spindles so the track was a touch wider than stock.

take paul's advice. choose the ride height, track width, brakes, wheels and tires you want. then get the fenders that fit.

unless you have something against fiberglass (which it sounds like you don't) most of the time the answer is wider front fenders. i just got the creative car craft 1.5" widened for standard beetle.

I'll check out the german look forum.

Yes you are correct. Choose wheels, tires, and brakes then buy fenders.

That's why I listed my wheel size and tire size. I'm sticking with what I listed. Brakes are stock late model Ghia. I may go to rear disc, but since my car is a short axle swing axle car I can just adjust the spacer used to equal up the track as necessary.

My feeling is unless you are a vintage fanatic, fiberglass is the way.

Kelly