Quality wheel spacers? I know, sort of an oxymoron

[Ludachris]

I hopefully won't be running them for too long. Just until I get my Racing Harts sold and get new wheels that will fit. I'll be using 1/4" spacers. I know they sell them at Pep Boys, but I'd rather get some better quality ones if they're available since I'll probably run a couple track days with them. However, I need them in a few days.

 

[DGajre777]

I found these:
Stillen Wheel Spacers, Universal 4 or 5 Lug - 5mm, Part #: 20332 - $33.24
http://www.sportcompactonly.com/product.aspx?p=2228&c=142&l=2

All these brands are on SummitRacing:
Eibach Springs, Mr. Gasket Co., Cragar, Trans-Dapt Performance Products, Gorilla Automotive Products, Cal Custom, Moroso I got the link below after I did a filter for 5 lug, 5 x 4.5" bolt pattern which is the 5 x 114.5mm pattern for our cars. http://store.summitracing.com/egnse...3+4294906458+115+4294906456&Ntk=KeywordSearch

If the link above doesn't work, you can filter it from here: http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?Ntt=Wheel+spacers&N=115+4294923107&Ntk=KeywordSearch

I hope this helps.

 

[tstkl]

how can a wheel spacer be poor quality? do the pep boy's ones break or something?

 

[spoolin11]

I'll be using 1/4" spacers. I know they sell them at Pep Boys, but I'd rather get some better quality ones if they're available

I have tried to do a little research on this myself and have found that the best spacers for the money are made by a company called Supercar Engineering. The only down side is the largest spacer they make is 5mm which is not exactly ¼" but as far as quality goes these are designed for DSM’s/3000GT's. Just like you I would rather run a ¼" spacer but I am not willing to sacrifice quality because we all know wheel spacers are a touchy subject.

Here is the link; http://supercar-engineering.com/sc2/product_info.php?cPath=9&products_id=44

~ Ryan

 

[ITSME4G63]

Ive been lusting over these for some time, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/5x11...42614QQitemZ8061026801QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
theyve got 15mm also, just not listed now.
will get them when the cars up and runnin good.

 

[Ludachris]

how can a wheel spacer be poor quality? do the pep boy's ones break or something?

I'm worried about materials used. If one did break or crack on a track day, I'd be in trouble.

 

[wret]

As I understand it, the reason many "experts" frown on spacers is because of the additional strain placed on the studs due to greater leverage and an extra mating surface. The thicker the spacer, the greater the stress. It's not a matter of the spacer failing, it's the risk of breaking studs.

The thicker spacers incorporate their own studs to alleviate the strain.

 

[ITSME4G63]

The thicker spacers incorporate their own studs to alleviate the strain.

Yeah, thats why you should go with something like I posted about from ebay, it mounts ont your existing studs and has its own studs coming out of it, so the lug pattern is still the same and you arent stressing the studs.

 

[Tevenor]

Yes, the spacer issue is not related to the spacer as much as it is related to the strain on the studs. Ideal mating requires a certain percentage of stud thread to lug clamping force. When you place a spacer in there without elongating the stud to account for the lost threads, you weaken that relationship.

Does it mean immediate failure? Usually not. I know lots of people who run spacers for wheels only at the track. But over time it will weaken the stud making it more prone to shearing.

If you are really concerned, buy the cheapo spacers from PepBoys and then spend the money to buy the extended lugs from RRE. You will get the offset you need AND the same stud thread contact.

Or you can go with the more expensive all in one deals that sometimes shear on their own anyways.

 

[Ludachris]

The KYO studs should be here today. I'll go out and buy some cheap spacers. I'm just hoping I can get the wheel studs changed out and the new brake kit installed by Thursday. Having ABS makes changing studs a little more time consuming from what I hear.

 

[wret]

It's not so bad (at least not on a 2g). You should be able to change them without removing your caliper entirely. Just remove the bottom caliper guide bolt and rotate the caliper up. Rotate the hub until the back of the stud is visible and knock it out. Slide in a new one, rotate, and knock out another.

 

[underradar92]

The KYO studs should be here today. I'll go out and buy some cheap spacers. I'm just hoping I can get the wheel studs changed out and the new brake kit installed by Thursday. Having ABS makes changing studs a little more time consuming from what I hear.

Make that a LOT more time consuming. I ended up drilling and chiseling the trigger wheels in half in order to remove them, rather than removing the spindle, and pressing out the hub! The abs system is too outdated and its function (diagonal 2 channel) was annoying to me anyway. Now, about that light...

 

[Tevenor]

Make that a LOT more time consuming. I ended up drilling and chiseling the trigger wheels in half in order to remove them, rather than removing the spindle, and pressing out the hub! The abs system is too outdated and its function (diagonal 2 channel) was annoying to me anyway. Now, about that light...

Remember that 1G's have a component hub setup while 2G's have a unit hub setup. They are different beasts.

 

[Ludachris]

Make that a LOT more time consuming. I ended up drilling and chiseling the trigger wheels in half in order to remove them, rather than removing the spindle, and pressing out the hub! The abs system is too outdated and its function (diagonal 2 channel) was annoying to me anyway. Now, about that light...

I never thought of doing that. If I don't have to pull the hub I'd rather not. Did you damage anything in the process while destroying the trigger wheel?

 

[underradar92]

I never thought of doing that. If I don't have to pull the hub I'd rather not. Did you damage anything in the process while destroying the trigger wheel?

Just the trigger wheel. It helps to drill a couple small holes through the flange that mates to the hub, also, the flange has 5 spot faces to clear the stud flanges, try to chisel directly over the spot face as its thinner there. Use a good sharp chisel, the wheel is cast iron I think, so it takes a while, but once you split it you can pry the thing and it will break in two.

 

[Morphius]

Typically, on vehicles, the studs do not carry the normal force or veritcal load of the vehicle. The center hub surface does (or bore). Notice how your stock DSM rims are a PITA to get off becuase they are frozen on the hub? It's due to that designed interference at the hub. The reason there is a boss that sticks out on your hub. Thus, your stock wheels are hubcentric.

The key is finding someone who will build you some hubcentric adapters that are both hubcentric to the car and the wheels you intend to use. This is the only guy I've found that will build them hubcentric to both the car and the wheel:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dats...059827997QQcategoryZ66486QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He was asking about $250 for a set built that way. You'll have to email him or call him for such a set. He normally doesn't build them, but can. It just costs more.


With a properly built set of adapters, you won't break lugs. You will however, increase stress and wear on the hub bearings. Frankly, I wouldn't trust a set of adapters unless they were hubcentric to the car and wheel.

 

[underradar92]

H&R also makes a few hub-centric spacers. http://www.hrsprings.com/site/index.html

 

[underradar92]

I made my own spacers, BTW. The small tapped holes are for "jack screws" since any anti-seize on the hub creates problems with 2-piece rotors. Did a similar thing on the hats, also.

 

[Blk95gs]

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/

I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH!

VW people swear by them. They will make custom ones. Hubcentric rings, adapters, spacers, the whole deal.

 

[Morphius]

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/

I think that's the same guy who's listing stuff on ebay. Pic at the site, is the same one in the ebay listing. (comparing to the link I posted above)

I agree, they are the best I've found so far.

 

[Ludachris]

Make that a LOT more time consuming. I ended up drilling and chiseling the trigger wheels in half in order to remove them, rather than removing the spindle, and pressing out the hub! The abs system is too outdated and its function (diagonal 2 channel) was annoying to me anyway. Now, about that light...

Put my new studs in yesterday and got rid of the ABS wheels - wrote a how-to for others:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231325

 

[Morphius]

Typically, on vehicles, the studs do not carry the normal force or veritcal load of the vehicle. The center hub surface does (or bore). Notice how your stock DSM rims are a PITA to get off becuase they are frozen on the hub? It's due to that designed interference at the hub. The reason there is a boss that sticks out on your hub. Thus, your stock wheels are hubcentric.

The key is finding someone who will build you some hubcentric adapters that are both hubcentric to the car and the wheels you intend to use. This is the only guy I've found that will build them hubcentric to both the car and the wheel:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dats...059827997QQcategoryZ66486QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He was asking about $250 for a set built that way. You'll have to email him or call him for such a set. He normally doesn't build them, but can. It just costs more.


With a properly built set of adapters, you won't break lugs. You will however, increase stress and wear on the hub bearings. Frankly, I wouldn't trust a set of adapters unless they were hubcentric to the car and wheel.

After much discussion with coworkers (in industry), I stand to correct myself (admitting minor misinformation )

Looking at forces on the wheel hub interface, prior to torquing the wheel down, the hub interface is carrying the load. However, once torqued, the scenario changes. The load is then being carried by the wheel/hub (ie they act as one unit). Anyone with some statics background, can understand that through the concept of translation, the normal forces of the vehicle are also acting on the studs in shear (once torqued).

The load capacity of the wheel/hub is dependent on the bolt circle, lug diameters and # of lugs. Thus why a honda may have 4 lugs on a 100mm bolt circle and a 3/4 ton truck has 8 lugs on a 5.5" or 6" bolt circle.