Wheel Spacers - Opinions

[C.A.R.]

My Genuine O.Z. Spacers were hubcentric and had a 'lip' on the face so they mimicked the hub face. This lip is what I would look out for, it's why people run spigot rings on alloys where needed also. With those pictured on the previous page you are going to have fun getting them accurately lined up every time you want to remove a wheel.

[TheHeretic]

Many of them have lips. That was just the first pic in google. If your car requires a lip, it should have it.

[PhillipM]

doogz said:

Really?

I have alloy wheels on my car. Aluminium alloy that is. And the hub is made of steel. The car is ten years old, and nothing's corroded away to nothing yet.

Quite often find alloy wheels corrode and seize themselves to steel hubs unless a smear of grease or anti-sieze was applied first.

[B'stard Child]

doogz said:

PhillipM said:

Quite often find alloy wheels corrode and seize themselves to steel hubs unless a smear of grease or anti-sieze was applied first.

The wheels on one of my cars have corroded somewhat. That particular wheel is especially bad for it. No seizing issues though, and I've never heard of wheel failing as a result of being made of aluminium alloy, and bolted to steel.

Seen it loads of times over the years when no anti-sieze grease has been applied to the hubs.

The wheels don't fail you just have to stick the boot into the tyre at 90 deg points round the outside to break the wheel free

[mat205125]

Fartgalen said:

JB! said:

TheHeretic said:

This style are better than the simple plate versions.

I'd rather run long-bolt ones.

That type can corrode themselves to the hub and the other type can be suceptable to stripped threads.

Also 2 lots of things to torque with any other type.

They're usually made from aluminium. At least the one time I've used them (this sort) they were. So there's no risk of corrosion. I used them on an SN95 Mustang on the rears only, just because the wheels naturally sit a little too far under the wheelhouse. A 1" spacer improved the looks and made the back feel much more stable.

Where's the spigot centre for the wheel to sit on?

Go for some high quality (Eibach or H&R) hubcentric wheel spacers, and you'll have no problems at 15mm.

[TheHeretic]

mat205125 said:

Where's the spigot centre for the wheel to sit on?

Go for some high quality (Eibach or H&R) hubcentric wheel spacers, and you'll have no problems at 15mm.

Not all of them are required. My Vitara does not have one.

[The Wookie]

As said, make sure they're hub centric and you'll be fine.

My 928 GTS has them on the back from the factory, there's nothing inherently wrong with wheel spacers. Depending on the car there is a risk of creating some odd effects by changing the offset, particularly on the front, but you'll know fairly quickly if that's the case, i.e. white-lining (or tramlining), kickback over bumps and braking stability.

[The Wookie]

TheHeretic said:

Not all of them are required. My Vitara does not have one.

Depends whether you've got a stud loaded or a hub loaded design. Good example would be Land Rover Defenders vs Jeeps.

Defenders have big beefy studs and don't need hub centrics, Jeeps use the hub itself to carry load so the studs are quite spindly and thus absolutely must have them. Subsequently you hear of quite a few cases of Jeeps with spaces shedding wheels, but not so many Landy's.

Most modern passenger cars will likely have a flange on the hub to take some load, so sticking with hubcentrics is advisable

[TheHeretic]

No spigot on the Vit either.

[Ozzie Osmond]

The Wookie said:

Depends whether you've got a stud loaded or a hub loaded design. Good example would be Land Rover Defenders vs Jeeps.

Defenders have big beefy studs and don't need hub centrics, Jeeps use the hub itself to carry load so the studs are quite spindly and thus absolutely must have them. Subsequently you hear of quite a few cases of Jeeps with spaces shedding wheels, but not so many Landy's.

Most modern passenger cars will likely have a flange on the hub to take some load, so sticking with hubcentrics is advisable

I've never heard of a "stud-loaded design". The bolts hold the wheel in place - the hub takes the load. Amongst other things, all racing cars have a single central nut holding the wheel onto the hub, so guess where the load goes.

If you've got your wheels hanging on the bolts/studs you're taking a silly risk.

[4key]

Only bit of advice I have is not to scrimp on the cost, I've bought cheap copies in the past and found that they screw the wheel balancing up. This also goes for hub adapters if anyone ever gets them, cheap ones fracture way too easily.

[The Black Flash]

B'stard Child said:

doogz said:

PhillipM said:

Quite often find alloy wheels corrode and seize themselves to steel hubs unless a smear of grease or anti-sieze was applied first.

The wheels on one of my cars have corroded somewhat. That particular wheel is especially bad for it. No seizing issues though, and I've never heard of wheel failing as a result of being made of aluminium alloy, and bolted to steel.

Seen it loads of times over the years when no anti-sieze grease has been applied to the hubs.

The wheels don't fail you just have to stick the boot into the tyre at 90 deg points round the outside to break the wheel free

...or undo the bolts and drive the car up and down the road until they come free

It's galvanic corrosion - as said, the wheels don't dissolve away, but the ally welds itself to the steel. Copper grease prevents this.

[The Wookie]

Ozzie Osmond said:

I've never heard of a "stud-loaded design". The bolts hold the wheel in place - the hub takes the load. Amongst other things, all racing cars have a single central nut holding the wheel onto the hub, so guess where the load goes.

If you've got your wheels hanging on the bolts/studs you're taking a silly risk.

Perhaps I've been misinformed on the Defender vs Jeep front (although I do remember the wheel on my Defender not being an interference fit with the hub, but it was a long time ago I took a wheel off it myself), but I do know that most of the load on any design is actually taken up by the clamped face friction of the wheel on the hub, the spigot is primarily there to centre the wheel during mounting and presumably prevent any gradual migration.

[spyder dryver]

[TheHeretic]

Quite. large.

[Moley RUFC]

spyder dryver said:

Bolts like tent pegs to keep them on.

15mm Hub centric spacers to be fitted tomorrow if I get time. I'll post some pre and post pics

[JB!]

B'stard Child said:

doogz said:

PhillipM said:

Quite often find alloy wheels corrode and seize themselves to steel hubs unless a smear of grease or anti-sieze was applied first.

The wheels on one of my cars have corroded somewhat. That particular wheel is especially bad for it. No seizing issues though, and I've never heard of wheel failing as a result of being made of aluminium alloy, and bolted to steel.

Seen it loads of times over the years when no anti-sieze grease has been applied to the hubs.

The wheels don't fail you just have to stick the boot into the tyre at 90 deg points round the outside to break the wheel free

you need to see porsche adapters that have been on a Mk2 golf through a few winters with no copper slip!

you need a hammer and chisel to get them off!!!

i've also used a big hammer to get alloys that have corroded to disc/hub assemblies off, a crap job.

@OP what brand did you go for?

[JB!]

spyder dryver said:

gets me every time! looks like the disc will snap!!!

[B'stard Child]

The Wookie said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

I've never heard of a "stud-loaded design". The bolts hold the wheel in place - the hub takes the load. Amongst other things, all racing cars have a single central nut holding the wheel onto the hub, so guess where the load goes.

If you've got your wheels hanging on the bolts/studs you're taking a silly risk.

Perhaps I've been misinformed on the Defender vs Jeep front (although I do remember the wheel on my Defender not being an interference fit with the hub, but it was a long time ago I took a wheel off it myself), but I do know that most of the load on any design is actually taken up by the clamped face friction of the wheel on the hub, the spigot is primarily there to centre the wheel during mounting and presumably prevent any gradual migration.

Lugcentric - not all cars have hubs to centre the location of wheels the load is taken via froction between the clamped surfaces

[Moley RUFC]

JB! said:

you need to see porsche adapters that have been on a Mk2 golf through a few winters with no copper slip!

you need a hammer and chisel to get them off!!!

i've also used a big hammer to get alloys that have corroded to disc/hub assemblies off, a crap job.

@OP what brand did you go for?

These
VW AUDI SEAT SKODA 5x100/112 15mm HUBCENTRIC SPACERS

http://bit.ly/Qglwdw