Wheel Spacers via washers?

[ChiGGz]

Has anyone tried using hardened washers?

Problem is after a camber adjustment, my tires sidewall is extremely close to rubbing against one of the arms. I'm guessing there will be some play when I hit bumps and it will eventually push against it. So I was thinking maybe putting one washer in to give me a slightly more clearance.

Is this ok? Not like I'm shimming it over dramatically, just a bit.
Would I also have to do this to my front wheels too? Keep everything in balance.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

I would spendy the 15 bucks and buy an actual aluminum backing plate. You can get them all the way down to a 1/4''. Depending on stock or aftermarket rims you will be fine as far as threading the lugnuts on. I would take your car to alignment place first and have then set everything as close to stock as possible and then see if it still rubs.

 

[Carter97GSX]

DO NOT USE WASHERS!!! You should be able to find spacer plates of different thicknesses and bolt patters at your local parts store. If you use washers you are running the risk of loading your rims or lugnuts unevenly and thats not ever a good idea. The wheel was designed for the force to be spread across the entire contact surface with the hub, not just in little rings around the lug nuts.

Also, I would not recommend using any thicker spacers than is absolutely necessary. I personally have seen poeple shear off all five lug nuts when they hit a bump because they were using large spacers. If you do go with spacers make sure that when you tighten your lug nuts that the threads of the lug studs go all of the way through the threaded part of the lug nuts. The right thing to do is to buy rims with a different offset, but that can be expensive.

 

[wret]

They're right about the washers. Any spacers used should maintain full contact with the mounting surfaces.

I wouldn't necessarily worry about "close." The general recommendation I picked up from VFAQ is at least a 4mm clearance between the tire and knuckle but I am even questioning this. There should not be any change in this clearance during bump or roll. The tire flexes at the contact patch not at the top. If the tire has enough clearance to spin freely I don't see any reason it would start rubbing later on (unless your bearings are worn).

 

[ChiGGz]

Thanks, I was never sure if there would be any play. There certainly is clearance, and I think it is 4mm cause it's minimal. But as long as there is no play I don't see any reason to be put in any spacers. I guess the next thing to do would be to roll my fenders

Thanks

 

[jayman089]

washers are no no's.