Minimum brake caliper clearance to wheels?

What is the minimum wheel clearance that you can get away with? I sanded on the caliper a little and it spins freely now. Is that all it needs?

ignore the blue paint, it is what i was using as a guide coat to figure out where it was rubbing.

I've had grief with tie rod ends too close to the wheel, but I live a way out in the country so there's mud to deal with and that builds up on the inside of the wheel. That gritty dried mud 'sands' off anything within a quarter of an inch or more. Someone else, who drives only on pavement should chime in here.

Just my opinion, but as long as it's clearing you should be good. I assume it's the outer part of the caliper that made contact with the rim? Also assuming your pads are new, so as they wear the caliper is going to move away from the rim only adding to the clearance. I worked on a 69 Dodge Dart a few years ago that had a scarebird front disc conversion and it had the same problem - it had been done priort to coming to me and it had been ground in spots for clearance.

Good luck!

BillM said:

Just my opinion, but as long as it's clearing you should be good. I assume it's the outer part of the caliper that made contact with the rim? Also assuming your pads are new, so as they wear the caliper is going to move away from the rim only adding to the clearance. I worked on a 69 Dodge Dart a few years ago that had a scarebird front disc conversion and it had the same problem - it had been done priort to coming to me and it had been ground in spots for clearance.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

I didn't think about clearances changing when I do a brake job. Hopefully these are good pads that will last a long time.

Between 1/8 to 1/4 inch will work, I try for at least 3/16"
I grind the backs of the calipers to get my clearance. Those things are really thick.

Turns out my spare tire won't fit over these calipers either.... i hit a massive pot hole and got a flat. I put the spare on but it wouldn't roll..... so i beat the wheel back into shape with a tiny hammer (because that was all that was in my trunk) and sprayed a can of fixaflat in it. When i go to the aluminum wheels, one of the steel wheels is going to be a full size spare.

Flipper_1938 said:

Turns out my spare tire won't fit over these calipers either.... i hit a massive pot hole and got a flat. I put the spare on but it wouldn't roll..... so i beat the wheel back into shape with a tiny hammer (because that was all that was in my trunk) and sprayed a can of fixaflat in it. When i go to the aluminum wheels, one of the steel wheels is going to be a full size spare.View attachment 181093View attachment 181094View attachment 181095

Click to expand...

You could have always done the double change, but it's a pain. Put the small spare on the back and the back tire on the front where the flat is.

Running 17" alloys on winter tires (Blizzaks - at my wife's insistence - it's "her car" anyway) on our 2019 Honda CR-V that came with 18s. I wanted steel wheels for the winter set, but apparently this model didn't have an option for steelies, and I couldn't find any after-market wheels that would fit, either. Well, the 17's didn't really fit, either. From what the seller thought, they are from an Accord, around 2004. I have to run 5mm spacers to get a bit of clearance. (I think it's around 3/16". No sign of trouble so far.)

Hopefully these will be on my car tomorrow

300,000 mile daily driver has new shoes

Flipper_1938 said:

300,000 mile daily driver has new shoes
View attachment 181241View attachment 181242

Click to expand...

New shoes look good on there!