Wheel spacers, who has fitted them? before and after pics?

[milu]

My Brabus Vito wheels have them as standard. Proper machined to fit though.
I've used em a lot over the years but always proper hub centric ones with a correct centre bore. Never had any trouble as far as safety or bearing stress.
However the wider track can cause some tram lining.

[otolith]

SHutchinson said:

DS197 said:

They're mostly used for looks, not performance. Unless they're fitted to increase the track.

How could they be fitted and NOT increase the track?

They'll have the same effect whatever the motivation for fitting them, he's saying the motivation may vary.

[Conscript]

SHutchinson said:

DS197 said:

yonex said:

The idea of spending money on something to add unsprung weight, and in the case of the cheap ones, risk poor machining and plating screwing up your wheel balance is baffling to me. Unless they are manufacturers ones I wouldn't bother.

They're mostly used for looks, not performance. Unless they're fitted to increase the track.

How could they be fitted and NOT increase the track?

I believe he means, fitted with the primary intention being to increase the track.

EDIT: Beaten.

[anonymous-user]

V8RX7 said:

You do realise that the OEM supplier is generally the one who could supply the product requirements for the cheapest price.

Some after market suppliers are of far higher quality.

I am sure a set of genuine Porsche 930 spacers are ever so slightly better fitting than a set from the average Chinese vendor. Which was my point.

In fact why not just add some camber as well....

[DS197]

otolith said:

They'll have the same effect whatever the motivation for fitting them, he's saying the motivation may vary.

Haha that's what I meant, excuse my poorly written sentence guys

[SHutchinson]

DS197 said:

otolith said:

They'll have the same effect whatever the motivation for fitting them, he's saying the motivation may vary.

Haha that's what I meant, excuse my poorly written sentence guys

Don't worry, I guessed that you meant something slightly different to what you typed.

[SHutchinson]

OP, buy a set, they're relatively cheap and if after running about with them on you decide you don't like them then I'm sure you'd be able to sell them on.

I find, like a lot of these things, the actual non-event of having them fitted fails to live up to the internet hype of talking about them.

[lostkiwi]

kambites said:

X5TUU said:

lostkiwi said:

7. They are banned in some countries for road use.

I struggle to believe this when some performance cars come with these as standard?!

If it's true at all, I'd guess the ban is on changing the effective offset of the wheels from whatever was fitted new.

Pennsylvania - any spacer more than 1/4" is banned.
Massachusetts - all spacers banned
Australia - Banned unless fitted as standard by the manufacturer.
NZ - The fitting of wheel spacers to a vehicle is a modification that requires certification, unless the vehicle, wheel or axle manufacturer approves their use for a particular vehicle.

UK MSA regs - Not to be fitted with any wheel spacer exceeding 2.5cm in thickness. Multiple or laminated spacers and extended studs are prohibited.
NZ MSA regs - Same as for UK

And so on...

[Riley Blue]

yonex said:

In fact why not just add some camber as well....

One car in the pics above would appear to have those fitted...

[kambites]

lostkiwi said:

Massachusetts - all spacers banned

So that means some fully US type approved cars are banned in Massachusetts because they run spacers from the factory? Fair enough.

[Resolutionary]

I've used a plethora of wheel spacers in my time - some as small as 5mm, while my most recent set have been 25mm on each hub.

My last car was an '02 Audi Allroad which in standard form on 17" ET25 wheels would love to lurch around corners. I later added some 18" aftermarket wheels with an ET20, and coupled with 25mm hubcentric spacers the body-roll and overall solidarity when moving at pace was vastly improved, not to mention that the car itself looked so much better as the wheels were no longer lost within the arches.

It's a preference thing - I've definitely heard horror stories but most of these come from people who can't really operate a spanner..

There can be additional wear to tyres and suspension components - again it's probably the case that the hypothetical car wasn't mechanically sound anyway (poor alignment etc) but the added track width accentuated any faults and caused 'excessive' wear. I habitually swap my tyres (square setup, non-staggered) so it's generally quite easy to avoid rubber issues.

I'm hoping to get my old spacers on my current B7 Avant soon - the stock set up is really sunken-in and looks crap. My only fear is fouling the arches and potentially damaging paintwork due to unnecessary contact at speed, but there are ways around that (fender rolling / pulling, different offsets and so on).

My friend had a CLS which he added 15mm spacers to (rear only IIRC) and the difference was day and night - on a car like that they added a lot more overall presence and, believe it or not, stability too.

[V8RX7]

yonex said:

V8RX7 said:

You do realise that the OEM supplier is generally the one who could supply the product requirements for the cheapest price.

Some after market suppliers are of far higher quality.

I am sure a set of genuine Porsche 930 spacers are ever so slightly better fitting than a set from the average Chinese vendor. Which was my point.

Next time trying typing what you actually mean.

I regularly see the BS on here about OEM being superior and whilst it may be superior to tat it is generally NOT the best available.

[J4CKO]

Do those running spacers notify their insurance ?

[300bhp/ton]

lostkiwi said:

UK MSA regs - Not to be fitted with any wheel spacer exceeding 2.5cm in thickness. Multiple or laminated spacers and

Blue Book 56.6

MSA said:

For Trials and
Challenge Events the SRs may permit the use of TUV
Approved hub adapters/wheel spacers up to a
maximum of 30mm in depth.

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Tuesday 5th April 17:25

[X5TUU]

lostkiwi said:

Pennsylvania - any spacer more than 1/4" is banned.
Massachusetts - all spacers banned
Australia - Banned unless fitted as standard by the manufacturer.
NZ - The fitting of wheel spacers to a vehicle is a modification that requires certification, unless the vehicle, wheel or axle manufacturer approves their use for a particular vehicle.

UK MSA regs - Not to be fitted with any wheel spacer exceeding 2.5cm in thickness. Multiple or laminated spacers and extended studs are prohibited.
NZ MSA regs - Same as for UK

And so on...

Ok, So 2 are only states and 2 are countries and then some reg references ... Hardly enough to try and curb what is actually quite a big business or add credence to them being 'dangerous' etc ...

[triggerh4ppy]

Riley Blue said:

One car in the pics above would appear to have those fitted...

im confused, surely this will attach to the wheel hub, how will this give you camber. it will just give you incredibly wobbly wheels. or is that meant to be a joke?

[robinessex]

triggerh4ppy said:

Riley Blue said:

One car in the pics above would appear to have those fitted...

im confused, surely this will attach to the wheel hub, how will this give you camber. it will just give you incredibly wobbly wheels. or is that meant to be a joke?

ER, yes well spotted. A joke. Although so idiot actually made them !!!

[C.A.R.]

I've had spacers - albeit genuine OZ racing ones which took their Superleggera wheel from Ford offset down to Peugeot offset, therefore maintaining the same geometry albeit with a slightly wider tyre. They looked frightning because they were 26mm thick though!

[lostkiwi]

X5TUU said:

lostkiwi said:

Pennsylvania - any spacer more than 1/4" is banned.
Massachusetts - all spacers banned
Australia - Banned unless fitted as standard by the manufacturer.
NZ - The fitting of wheel spacers to a vehicle is a modification that requires certification, unless the vehicle, wheel or axle manufacturer approves their use for a particular vehicle.

UK MSA regs - Not to be fitted with any wheel spacer exceeding 2.5cm in thickness. Multiple or laminated spacers and extended studs are prohibited.
NZ MSA regs - Same as for UK

And so on...

Ok, So 2 are only states and 2 are countries and then some reg references ... Hardly enough to try and curb what is actually quite a big business or add credence to them being 'dangerous' etc ...

Don't recall me saying they were dangerous?

I just pointed out the drawbacks. If someone thinks they're dangerous that's their determination.

[Peanut Gallery]

In my yoof I remember trying to help out a mate who insisted on putting plain spacers on his car to go with his new low pro tyres. You guessed it, no pivot ring. If using spacers, get ones that center the wheel!

I am avoiding comments of center of weight on the bearings.