ACR brake ducts scrape on wheel weights on TA 2

**Stubbygda** · 03-21-2016

I put ACR brake ducts on my TA 2 and at 3/4 to full steering lock the inside wheel weights scrape on the back edge of the ducts. Does it on one side or the other depending on whether u r turning right or left. Anybody else havin this issue? I know the ACR has 19" wheels versus my 18" but i would think others would have also run into this issue on non ACRs. I tried static balancing the wheels to get rid of inside weights but shakes bad above 90 so im gonna have to go back to dynamic balancing. I guess i will try to notch back edge of duct for clearance? Any input appreciated.

**Voice of Reason** · 03-21-2016

Originally Posted by Stubbygda

I put ACR brake ducts on my TA 2 and at 3/4 to full steering lock the inside wheel weights scrape on the back edge of the ducts. Does it on one side or the other depending on whether u r turning right or left. Anybody else havin this issue? I know the ACR has 19" wheels versus my 18" but i would think others would have also run into this issue on non ACRs. I tried static balancing the wheels to get rid of inside weights but shakes bad above 90 so im gonna have to go back to dynamic balancing. I guess i will try to notch back edge of duct for clearance? Any input appreciated.

I haven't had mine on long enough to notice but I'll check the next time I drive it!

**AZTVR** · 03-21-2016

Originally Posted by Stubbygda

I tried static balancing the wheels to get rid of inside weights but shakes bad above 90 so im gonna have to go back to dynamic balancing. I guess i will try to notch back edge of duct for clearance? Any input appreciated.

There are low profile wheel weights, and wheel weights that have one contoured surface so that they can be mounted with the long side perpendicular to the wheel's axis. Some possible options depending on the amount of your lack of clearance.

**Stealth** · 03-21-2016

I have heard a "pop" from the front wheel areas when backing up since I added the ACR Ducts so perhaps this is what it is. I do not get it all the time, just ocassionally when backing at near lock. My '14 GTS has Sidewinder II wheels like the TA. I will need to make sure my wheel weights are still there!

**Nine Ball** · 03-22-2016

Likely because the ducts were designed to work with 19" front wheels on the ACR, which offer more clearance. You can rebalance the wheels with the weights set to a more inward position, if you set the balancing machine to calculate the required weight at a different position on the barrel.

**Stubbygda** · 03-22-2016

Originally Posted by Nine Ball

Likely because the ducts were designed to work with 19" front wheels on the ACR, which offer more clearance. You can rebalance the wheels with the weights set to a more inward position, if you set the balancing machine to calculate the required weight at a different position on the barrel.

I talked with the guy balancing the wheels and he said to do that they would have to input the rim size say as 8" vs 10" and that would allow them to be 2" from inside edge. His concern was that it might not balance correctly since the rim was really bigger. I dont think he really knew and suggested static balance which worked great to about 90 then vibrated badly. I know u do wheels and stuff do u think dynamic balance telling machine the rim is more narrow will work?

**Stubbygda** · 03-22-2016

Originally Posted by Stealth

I have heard a "pop" from the front wheel areas when backing up since I added the ACR Ducts so perhaps this is what it is. I do not get it all the time, just ocassionally when backing at near lock. My '14 GTS has Sidewinder II wheels like the TA. I will need to make sure my wheel weights are still there!

Yep same noise as mine. Im guessing ur weights r still there just some scrapes on back side of duct.

**Simms** · 03-22-2016

Anyone have a pic of the contact point on the duct?

**Stubbygda** · 03-22-2016

Originally Posted by Simms

Anyone have a pic of the contact point on the duct?

Its not that clear but the contact is right above end of my finger.

image.jpg

Here is weight contact

image.jpg

**esm_viper** · 03-22-2016

I just looked at my wheels, the weights are closer to the outside near the spokes. Are the ducts only hitting the wheel weights, or are they hitting the inside of the wheel as well?

**Stubbygda** · 03-22-2016

Originally Posted by esm_viper

I just looked at my wheels, the weights are closer to the outside near the spokes. Are the ducts only hitting the wheel weights, or are they hitting the inside of the wheel as well?

Hard to say. I had them static balanced which moved weights to center and noise went away but it could still be touching rim. I have it on my 2 post lift so cant tell cause plenty clear at droop. I need to move it to my 4 post so i can see it loaded. Im gonna try and do that tomorrow. If it is hitting rim it seems very slight.

**Andi** · 03-23-2016

I just checked on my TA (1.0 // same thing as far as this thread is concerned) and they do indeed rub the sidewinder II wheels. Interestingly, full droop is NOT the situation where they rub (my car is on jack stands with the wheels hanging right now and they don't touch). So, it's some other driving situation where they rub. I will dremel mine before letting the car back down.

Here's some pics. Hope this helps.

IMG_8236.jpg
IMG_8238.jpg
IMG_8239.jpg
IMG_8241.jpg

Cheers,
Andi

**esm_viper** · 03-23-2016

Thanks for the pics. I'm going to trim mine before I install them.

**Stealth** · 03-24-2016

My wheel weights are mounted on the outside of the rims so they're certainly not hitting the brake ducts. I will have to determine what is actually hitting. My brake ducts, if they are hitting, are hitting only occasionally on very sharp, near locked wheel positions when backing and then it's a short little pop and not a rubbing on the rim. thank you again for the photos.

I plan to jack the car up at each front corner and just start dremelling the duct!

**Stubbygda** · 03-25-2016

Stealth remeber even if ur wheels dont have weights on outside this time next balance they might. Typically dynamic balancing ends up with small weight on outside and bulk of weight near spoke side. Anyway my suggestion is to cut enough to clear weights if they were there or u might be doing it again. I started trimming mine oon the car on my lift but i ended up taking off because i needed to cut about 1/4-3/8" off back edge. I also put a 1/8" rivet to hold the 2 pieces together because when u trim it u cut off the bottom lip that overlaps top piece.

Here is a pic of modded left side unmodded right
image.jpg

Here r both side done
image.jpg

I added metal tape on edge to make it easy to see if ever rubs and also to prevent any airflow from going thru the split. here r the finished ducts. Full lock lt and rt no scrapping at least for now lol.
image.jpg

**Nine Ball** · 03-25-2016

Originally Posted by Stubbygda

I talked with the guy balancing the wheels and he said to do that they would have to input the rim size say as 8" vs 10" and that would allow them to be 2" from inside edge. His concern was that it might not balance correctly since the rim was really bigger. I dont think he really knew and suggested static balance which worked great to about 90 then vibrated badly. I know u do wheels and stuff do u think dynamic balance telling machine the rim is more narrow will work?

Nobody uses static (bubble balance) tools to balance performance wheels. If the operator knows what he is doing, he should certainly be able to input the parameters into the dynamic balancing machine to tell it where to position the weights. Then the machine just calculates the required weight, based on those positions it was programmed for. I've had to do this a few times, mostly for cars with big brakes and very little room between the calipers and barrel.

**Stubbygda** · 03-25-2016

Originally Posted by Nine Ball

Nobody uses static (bubble balance) tools to balance performance wheels. If the operator knows what he is doing, he should certainly be able to input the parameters into the dynamic balancing machine to tell it where to position the weights. Then the machine just calculates the required weight, based on those positions it was programmed for. I've had to do this a few times, mostly for cars with big brakes and very little room between the calipers and barrel.

Yea sounds like i need to find a better wheel balancing guy. Ive always had good luck with these folks but not a performance focused outfit. Thanks for the info, now i should be good no matter where they put em.

**Stealth** · 03-25-2016

Rivets are a bit beyond my wheelhouse! My first step will be to jack the care up to see where it is hitting. I have only rarely heard any noise--full lock backing up.

Thanks again for the explanations and pics!

**darbgnik** · 03-25-2016

Originally Posted by Stealth

Rivets are a bit beyond my wheelhouse! My first step will be to jack the care up to see where it is hitting. I have only rarely heard any noise--full lock backing up.

Thanks again for the explanations and pics!

You can buy a complete kit including gun for less than 20 bucks. And you're only a youtube video away from being an expert

**Andi** · 03-25-2016

Originally Posted by Andi

I just checked on my TA (1.0 // same thing as far as this thread is concerned) and they do indeed rub the sidewinder II wheels. Interestingly, full droop is NOT the situation where they rub (my car is on jack stands with the wheels hanging right now and they don't touch). So, it's some other driving situation where they rub. I will dremel mine before letting the car back down.

Here's some pics. Hope this helps.

IMG_8236.jpg
IMG_8238.jpg
IMG_8239.jpg
IMG_8241.jpg

Cheers,
Andi

So I just learned how to use a dremel by trying it out on the brake ducts. Hope this gives enough clearance. If this is not enough, next step will be rebalancing the F wheels per Nine Ball's suggestion and/or replacing that giant rivet with a smaller one.

More pics attached. First pic is shows the starting point (and shows evidence of the abrasion). Next 3 pics are post-dremeling.

Fingers crossed.

new 4.jpg
new 5.jpg
new 6.jpg

**Voice of Reason** · 03-28-2016

I took my ducts off last night after being on for a week. There was some very light scuffing in the same spot on each of them that tells me the wheels did rub a little. Also in that time I maybe put 150 miles on the car. MAYBE. And the amount of rocks that came pouring out of them was unbelievable. I'll be trimming mine back like the pics above but I won't be driving with them on all the time. I'll install them when I head to the track and that's it, I don't care to have the brakes blasted by rocks. I know there was a thread about putting some mesh over the front, these rocks were of varying sizes and to block them the mesh would need to be pretty restrictive, so much that I don't think it would be worth even having them on.

It's really too bad these need trimmed to work with 18" rims. I know they were designed for the ACR, but 5 extra minutes of thinking about other applications should have alerted the CAD designer to allow a little more clearance.

**Stealth** · 03-28-2016

I used the dremel on my ducts in place as well.

Like Andi, I had only one small area on the inboard side of each duct where there was slight scuffing. Hopefully, I took enough material to avoid scraping. I did not notice any scraping on the wheels or wheel weights on the inside edge if the weeks.