Wheel Spacer Question!

[oneslowwdsm]

I recently lowered the rear of my car and I don't like how the rear wheels go inside the wheel well and I'm thinking of getting spacers just for the rear. Would this be a problem for an AWD car? I'm going to be test fitting with some washers and then buy a proper sized spacer but I wasn't sure if it would damage anything drivetrain wise if I got them just on the rear. The front seems to sit pretty flush but I hate how the rear looks.

 

[MaKaPhiLLy]

Even though they're inside the wheel well. They won't be getting chewed up as bad when you hit a bump with the wheel spacers on there.

 

[oneslowwdsm]

Thanks! But that didn't answer my question.

 

[LandoAWD]

Post the wheel specs.

 

[jtmcinder]

To answer the guy's question: having a different track in the front and rear won't do anything bad to the drivetrain. Feel free to put spacers on only one end (or run different offsets front to rear). Note, however, that increasing the rear track will not help handling at all and could actually hurt.

 

[oneslowwdsm]

They are stock 17" 2gb talon wheels, not sure of the actual specs. And thanks jtm that's what I needed to know. Looks like I won't be running them until I get my fenders rolled as I drove around and it dropped a bit more. Almost hitting the fender/quarter panel on one side but the other seems to sit a about a quarter of a inch higher.

Is this a common thing for 2g's? I know my old GSX sat a tad higher on one side than the other once I lowered it, I never understood why.

 

[Ludachris]

They are stock 17" 2gb talon wheels, not sure of the actual specs. And thanks jtm that's what I needed to know. Looks like I won't be running them until I get my fenders rolled as I drove around and it dropped a bit more. Almost hitting the fender/quarter panel on one side but the other seems to sit a about a quarter of a inch higher.

Is this a common thing for 2g's? I know my old GSX sat a tad higher on one side than the other once I lowered it, I never understood why.

The real question is - is this a common thing for lowering springs? It can be. My Talon doesn't sit level at all 4 corners with the Intrax lowering springs that came with the car when I bought it. Unless your car was wrecked and the subframe got tweaked, or you have some severely worn suspension bushings (pretty uncommon), it's most likely the springs that are making it sit that way.

 

[99gst_racer]

Note, however, that increasing the rear track will not help handling at all and could actually hurt.

How could it hurt? (just curious)

 

[oneslowwdsm]

The real question is - is this a common thing for lowering springs? It can be. My Talon doesn't sit level at all 4 corners with the Intrax lowering springs that came with the car when I bought it. Unless your car was wrecked and the subframe got tweaked, or you have some severely worn suspension bushings (pretty uncommon), it's most likely the springs that are making it sit that way.

I suppose so. I love the way it rides now though, nice and stiff feel no body roll whatsoever like I used to. Skunk 2 coilovers (gotta update the profile)

 

[jtmcinder]

How could it hurt? (just curious)

When you alter the track, you alter how much the suspension must compress for a certain amount of body roll, along with all the other, more-obvious changes. Yes, you reduce weight transfer at that end, but the body-roll (assuming a rigid chassis, which I suppose is silly when we're talking 2G DSMs) is determined by both ends and much less weight transfer occurs in the rear, anyway. If he wants to widen the front only, I'm not worried at all. Widening only the rear on a front-heavy car rarely helps and sometimes hurts. Having an adjustable rear bar would be my suggestion here.

Additionally, for autocrossers, widening the rear can cause you to start clipping cones with the inside rear, but I doubt that this is an issue here. Keeping the rear tires inside the body-work is a plus for cone-dodging unless and until you commit to the giant-tires-that-don't-tuck approach.

ps. people who "feel no body roll" need to either drive faster, turn harder, get better tires, or simply replace their stinky-animal suspension for something that actually handles; otherwise they are just making themselves look silly

 

[oneslowwdsm]

ohh whatever^ I was exaggerating.

 

[black-spyder-]

correct the negative camber in the rear so that the top of the wheel becomes more flush to the fender.. rolling the rear fenders is always an option to prevent tire rub.. if you do decide to get spacers make sure they're hub centric and come with new longer studs to replace your old oem studs with... I think H&R makes decent spacers

 

[oneslowwdsm]

Suppose you do correct the camber, would the wheels sit more flush or just tuck back inside the wheel wells?

 

[inspire]

Wheel spacers create a hazard because the provide to much friction onto the lug nuts and can cause them to heat up and break while your driving. But it is a good way to kick up rocks onto the people riding your tail on the Interstate.

they*

 

[99gst_racer]

Wheel spacers create a hazard because the provide to much friction onto the lug nuts and can cause them to heat up and break while your driving.

Friction onto the lug nuts? Is that really what you meant to say?