wheel spacers pro's n con's

[nastytroll]

F250 and F350 with duel rear tyres run spacers too. For onroad use I would only run steel spacers.

We ran steel spacers on a street car for 8 years and never had any problems.

Ally spacers suffer the same issues as ally wheels, due to expansion they can come loose.

[Ryan_006]

I run 2' spacers on the rear of my 86 lux for play, take them off for daily driving. Never had an issue, in saying that dont know that id be confident putting them on the front

Cheers

[evanstaniland]

im using patrol offset 15x10s i also have a set of 15x10s suited to a lux

you can get 15x10 rims with a -44 offset from OPW

better than flipped rims, these are manufactured with big offset.

Evan

[monmendoza]

I placed 2" aluminum wheel spacers on my 4" lifted Feroza (2" body lift + 2" suspension lift) because I wanted to have a wider stance on my rig thus making it more stable . I believe that my rig is more stable offroad because I used wheel spacers. In a few instances while offroading my mates Ferozas and zuk toppled over deep ruts while I was able to navigate it fine. I just don't know if the reason I did'nt topple over was because of the wheel spacers or I was just a more careful driver.

On the other hand it has been pointed out that there is a strong possibility that you will destroy your wheel bearings faster if you install them because of heavier load. Jim Allen in his book 4x4 Bible specifically mentioned this. But since I don't use my Feroza very often anyway except when going offroad, I goes it is okay.

Another very annoying thing when you have wheel spacers is your rig easily gets dirty. This is okay when you go offroad but even a small pool of water in the street will make your newly cleaned rig very dirty. I goes this irritates me more than the thought that I will bust my wheel bearings sooner rather than later.

[bazzle]

Wheel spacers on big rigs, Porsches etc are fully engineered and tested.
Spacers used on race cars are normally checked every track day for tightness etc, road/off road users just do not do this.
Factory ones with longer studs are normally a press fit or part of a hub, drum assy and do not rely on a second set of hidden bolts to hold on, also the mounts are rated and tested for the extra loading flex that can be applied esp if they come loose.

Bazzle

[jessie928]

Lots of Porsche's run wheel spacers from the factory...things like 928s in the rear, 944 turbos in the rear and lots of 911 had spacers all over the place.

Im sure other manufacturers would be running them as well.

So to say running wheelspacers is bad engineering or dangerous isnt quiet right.

Sam

yep!

the 928 GT runs 17mm spacers from factory.

heaps 911's with 930 wide bodies run huge ( bolt in type) spacers to fill in the guards

i would have had to install them if i went ahead with the widebody on my 964 C4 because the 10" wheels i had for the rear woudl have sat like frontrunners under the 930 guards!

THERE is nothing wrong with wheelspacers, other then they will place the same load on your wheelbearings that wheels with a huge negative offset will.

your scrub radius changes OBVIOUSLY but ofset changes this also.

i woudl say that if your wheelspacer fails, its a USER problem
stuff like

not cleaning the mounting faces ( hub and spacer) before you fit them
under tightening them
not cleaning the mounting faces ( hub and spacer) before you fit them
undertigtening them

i repeated them on purpose

i run 2" spacers on the patrol on the street and in the bush, the increase in vehicle stability is AWSOME!

the big plus for running spacers instead of wheels with HUGE negative ofset is that the wheel with minimal neg offset is MUCH stronger and less prone to bending than a wheel with -44 offset.

Jes

[sloshy]

On the other hand it has been pointed out that there is a strong possibility that you will destroy your wheel bearings faster if you install them because of heavier load.

This is not a stab at you personally but that is a crock of shit.

[locktup4x4]

Just about every daily driver/trail rig I know of has at least 1.5" wheel spacers front and rear. I've only heard of one issue. The dude lost a wheel. He tightened the spacer to the drum but forgot to tighten the wheel to the spacer. He walked down the road grabbed his tire and mounted it back on. He took one lug nut from the other three wheels and bolted it back on.
Ive been running the same 2" spacers front and rear for about 6 years. 2 of those years I drove it on the street.


Jason

[N*A*M]

i have 3" steel spacers in the buggy but they're a PITA
you cant check if they're still done up correctly without taking the wheel off

i'd spend the money on the right rim set up
one less thing to go wrong

[NutterGQ]

On the other hand it has been pointed out that there is a strong possibility that you will destroy your wheel bearings faster if you install them because of heavier load.

This is not a stab at you personally but that is a crock of shit.

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centreline of bearings.

[sloshy]

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centerline of bearings.

The weight on the bearings doesn't change, the extra leverage is dick all.
So has someone actually done tests to prove running spacers will wear out bearings quicker? No, everyone that says they where bearings quicker are the people that don't like spacers and just think they would. I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years and probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out. Its simple, if you don't like them don't run them

I reckon some have a better chance of wearing bearings out quicker picking fat sheilas up on weekends.

[-Scott-]

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centerline of bearings.

The weight on the bearings doesn't change, the extra leverage is dick all.
...
I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years and probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out. Its simple, if you don't like them don't run them

No. The "extra leverage" isn't "dick all" (whatever that means), but the change in leverage will vary significantly depending on original geometry and the size of the spacers. And yes, as others have noted, the same increase in loads occur if you change to a rim with the equivalent offset.

You've been lucky with them. Congratulations. Your argument that they're fine, simply because you've not had a problem, is the direct opposite of those who have had problems.

the 928 GT runs 17mm spacers from factory.

Are you suggesting that all wheelspacers are OK because some Porsches come from the factory with 17mm spacers?

heaps 911's with 930 wide bodies run huge ( bolt in type) spacers to fill in the guards

I'm confused. Did the 930s come from the factory with these huge spacers, or did they have a different solution?

[jessie928]

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centerline of bearings.

The weight on the bearings doesn't change, the extra leverage is dick all.
...
I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years and probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out. Its simple, if you don't like them don't run them

No. The "extra leverage" isn't "dick all" (whatever that means), but the change in leverage will vary significantly depending on original geometry and the size of the spacers. And yes, as others have noted, the same increase in loads occur if you change to a rim with the equivalent offset.

You've been lucky with them. Congratulations. Your argument that they're fine, simply because you've not had a problem, is the direct opposite of those who have had problems.

the 928 GT runs 17mm spacers from factory.

Are you suggesting that all wheelspacers are OK because some Porsches come from the factory with 17mm spacers?

heaps 911's with 930 wide bodies run huge ( bolt in type) spacers to fill in the guards

I'm confused. Did the 930s come from the factory with these huge spacers, or did they have a different solution?

the technology of the " SPACER" is proven and used worldwide on many vehicles.

the exact same type of steel and alloy spacers that bolt to the hub and then you bolt the wheel on, used on race cars that race around the track at 300km/h

obviously if you use a 2$ spacer, or an average idiot to install it, you CAN have problems.

simple really.

JEs

[-Scott-]

the technology of the " SPACER" is proven and used worldwide on many vehicles.

The technology of "DRUGS" is proven, and used worldwide on many people.

Does that mean that all drugs are good?

Done properly, for the right reasons, they work. Done by amateurs, as a cheap solution to achieve something that shouldn't be achieved, they're nasty. Your experience doesn't change that.

[zookimal]

Factory Porsche spacers don't have 2 sets of nuts though.

The hubs have a female thread that you screw a stud into, in some cases, through a spacer.

[monmendoza]

On the other hand it has been pointed out that there is a strong possibility that you will destroy your wheel bearings faster if you install them because of heavier load.

This is not a stab at you personally but that is a crock of shit.

Comes from Four-Wheeler's Bible by Jim Allen page 106.
" The OEM designs the wheel so that the load is placed evenly over the wheel bearings. Altering these dimensions radically can cause premature bearing wear"

[jessie928]

the technology of the " SPACER" is proven and used worldwide on many vehicles.

The technology of "DRUGS" is proven, and used worldwide on many people.

Does that mean that all drugs are good?

Done properly, for the right reasons, they work. Done by amateurs, as a cheap solution to achieve something that shouldn't be achieved, they're nasty. Your experience doesn't change that.

if you read my post properly, you woudl not have to make such an unrelated comment

[NutterGQ]

For the record I would never run any sort of wheel spacers on a daily driver.

followed by:

I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years nd probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out.

Its still the road champ.

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centerline of bearings.

The weight on the bearings doesn't change, the extra leverage is dick all.
So has someone actually done tests to prove running spacers will wear out bearings quicker? No, everyone that says they where bearings quicker are the people that don't like spacers and just think they would. I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years and probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out. Its simple, if you don't like them don't run them

I reckon some have a better chance of wearing bearings out quicker picking fat sheilas up on weekends.

If you don't even understand the basic concept of leverage/load how would you know, and fat chicks need love to ok, its not all about you Fabio.

[-Scott-]

if you read my post properly, you woudl not have to make such an unrelated comment

I'm participating in a discussion on the pros and cons of wheel spacers. I read your post multiple times, and all I can see is:

• Spacers have been around for years.
  Porsche use spacers from the factory.
  Others install HUGE spacers when they bling one Porsche to look like another.

That sounds to me like you support the use of spacers - unconditionally. If I have mis-interpreted your comment, please elaborate.

[sloshy]

For the record I would never run any sort of wheel spacers on a daily driver.

followed by:

I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years nd probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out.

Its still the road champ.

hardly crap, its making extra leveridge as the centre of the wheel is no longer on or near centerline of bearings.

The weight on the bearings doesn't change, the extra leverage is dick all.
So has someone actually done tests to prove running spacers will wear out bearings quicker? No, everyone that says they where bearings quicker are the people that don't like spacers and just think they would. I'm just going off my experience with running spacers for years and probably 2-3 of those years it was driven on the road a fair bit, and I had never one problem with them coming loose or wheel bearings flogging out. Its simple, if you don't like them don't run them

I reckon some have a better chance of wearing bearings out quicker picking fat sheilas up on weekends.

If you don't even understand the basic concept of leverage/load how would you know, and fat chicks need love to ok, its not all about you Fabio.

Like I said champ , don't like them don't run them, its that easy

[jessie928]

if you read my post properly, you woudl not have to make such an unrelated comment

I'm participating in a discussion on the pros and cons of wheel spacers. I read your post multiple times, and all I can see is:

• Spacers have been around for years.
  Porsche use spacers from the factory.
  Others install HUGE spacers when they bling one Porsche to look like another.

That sounds to me like you support the use of spacers - unconditionally. If I have mis-interpreted your comment, please elaborate.

ok one more time for...

if you have a " proper" well made wheel spacer, and attach it properly to the vehicle. there is no reason not to use them.

they place the same amount of extra load on wheel bearings that steel wheels with heaps of negative offset do.

i have seen idiots bolt wheels to cars that fly off on the freeway without wheel spacers aswell.

so if someone is going to mount a rim on a hub that is packed full of crap, its going to fly off just the same as if someone mounts a spacer to a hub thats full of crap.

JEs

[defmec]

i use wheel spacers because there a smart cheap safe way to go
pros; by only using them off road u save stress on drive line and wheel bearings on road
i can run 35s on road and don't have to fit gay flares to cover the tires
u can use them with different wheels so u will have them for longer
can be used with internal /external bead locks
cons; take 20mins out of your life to fit
off set rims are just as illegal as wheel spacers and will cause the same stress on wheel bearings
if u go wheel spacers get the steel ones and only use them offroad and u wont have any worries
ask people with wheel spacers there opinion as there are alot of people on outers that get there opinions out of there arse

[nastytroll]

Scott, I'm not having a dig but as an engineer how much more leaverage is generated by the extra 2" of offset? I doubt that there would be any noticeable increased wear to wheel bearings ect.

An the comment of:

Comes from Four-Wheeler's Bible by Jim Allen page 106.
" The OEM designs the wheel so that the load is placed evenly over the wheel bearings. Altering these dimensions radically can cause premature bearing wear"

makes a hard argument when there are so many different wheel offsets available from the factory. This statement suggests that we only run standard wheels and tyres.

Upsizing from a 205 to a 35" on a hilux would be more detromental then the 2" spacer, but many people run 35" on hiluxes with no issues. Same thing on wrangler's ect.

I would say the tyres are more of a wear issue then the wheel spacer.

[-Scott-]

Scott, I'm not having a dig but as an engineer how much more leaverage is generated by the extra 2" of offset? I doubt that there would be any noticeable increased wear to wheel bearings ect.

How long is a piece of string?

It depends primarily on the arrangement of the bearings, and their relationship to the centreline of the wheel.

On a rear axle, it probably makes little difference. On a front axle, with two bearings close together on the stub axle, a 2" change in offset could more than treble the forces on the bearings. (I think it's NSW which allows a 50mm change to rear track, but only 25mm to front track.)

Then you need to consider the change in scrub radius, and the forces exerted on steering components. Again, if the factory scrub radius is in the order of 10mm, a 50mm change offset could send the scrub radius out to 60mm. That's a massive change in leverage, and it requires detailed analysis of the geometry of the steering system to determine exactly what the impact will be.

To complicate matters, most people going to larger offset rims are also going to taller tyres, which will also affect scrub radius - typically, the two changes will adjust the scrub radius in different directions, so one change partially negates the other.

makes a hard argument when there are so many different wheel offsets available from the factory. This statement suggests that we only run standard wheels and tyres.

The factory calculates bearing loads based on the geometry of their design and the offset(s) of their wheels. Typically, there isn't a single "best" solution - there's too many variable involved - so the system is designed to ensure that all combinations of wheels & tyres offered by the factory result in loads which are considered acceptable for the weight of the vehicle and the specifications of the components.

This is why Gen 3 Pajeros use different offsets to Gen 2 Pajeros, which are different to Patrols, which have different offsets to LandCruisers. Different designs with different components and different "solutions" from the factory. Just because a LandCruiser works well with -23mm offset, that doesn't mean I can throw those wheels onto a Gen 3 Paj with +46(?)mm offset. And there's no way a Pajero rim would even fit a LandCruiser - that doesn't mean either Toyota or Mitsubishi are wrong, only that they have different designs.