Even with knackered struts, parked sideways on a sloped drive, my wheels have never looked that close to the arch. Park on level ground and take a couple more pics. One like that and one of each side of the van. Be easier to work out.
Looks like the garage fitted your old knackered stock sized spare for some reason (photo 1), which...doesn't fit in the arch with those wheels?
If they did it might be they picked up a puncture in their yard which they hopefully repaired but meanwhile put the spare on and for whatever reason didn't put it back. This happened to me once or twice when I was a fixer and I just got on with repairing the flat at my own expense which TBH was next to nothing. I'd have put the right wheel/tyre back though! Just guessing of course.
Both tyres are the same size - 195/80/R14 91T The wheel nuts are all on and it looks like the wheel full on to the spacer. I’ve got approx 17 mm clearance tyre-arch on the off side and only about 5 mm on the near side. someone is parked on the only flat bit at the mo so will shift when they leave.
I’ve measured the length of the inside tube of each rear shocker. The offside one only has 8 inches of tube showing, the near side one just over 9 inches. I’d have thought it would be the other way round? I thought I’d check them as one started leaking on my Fiat when I was driving back through France.
How close do the arches go to lowered vans wheels? I’ve seen some at shows and wondered how the tyres don’t pop. My main concern is the arch catching the tyre when I’m heading back on the motorway
Mine are quite close in the back, but they don't rub. On my lowered Bug, the near side front can rub on tight corners if there's too much load on board. First you hear it, then you smell it, very unpleasant. I think you'll know if it's rubbing. The rubbing is one reason I have bought new wings, that and the fact they current ones don't match.
If everything is tight as it should be, the tyre shouldn't move any closer to the arch as it rotates. I cant get a finger between my arch and tyre, but its never caused any damage.
I wonder if I pump the tyres up a bit more it would make it thinner and longer and be less close? I’m asking this seriously even if it may sound like a divvy question!
I didn’t realise that could be the case. I will check out the spare as @zedders said in case it’s been changed.
@Merlin Cat my turn for a daft question. Suspension sag aside, you mentioned a spacer, does the other side have one?
Post up the sizes written on each tyre, the newer one looks lower profile. Look at all your tyres and see which is the odd one. Tyres eh? I got up one day to find somebody had swapped all my car wheels (with new tyres) for a set of bald ones, they'd even put the wheels trims back on. Cheeky!
Both tyres are the same size - 195/80/R14 91T. I will have to take the cover off to check the spare tyre size.
Optical illusion. The side wall bulges out on the older tyre, they are a very poor pair despite being the same size and rating. Talking of tyre load rating, 91T is is a weedy car tyre IMO, max weight 600 lbs sounds ok until you realise a stock commercisl 104T rated tyre is max weight 2,000 lbs.
You might find a date code on the sidewall somewhere. It's a 4 digit number in an oval moulded into the tyre. The first two digits are the month and the second two are the year. Will tell you if there's an odd tyre in the mix.