Wheel Spacers - CEG Archives

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Are any of you running wheel spacers? What thickness are you using? Have you noticed any extra wear on tires or been going through wheel bearings? Any other thoughts are appreciated too. Thanks.

I am running a 3/16" spacer on all four wheels. I have not had any tire wear or bearing problems associated with the spacers (though they have only been on for about 3K miles).

im running custom machined 13 mm (~1/2") spacers with my 19s on the front. no odd wear noticed.

Those of you who are running wheel spacers..

Where have you bought them from?
Are all generally the same in quality, how concerned should I be when purchasing wheels spacers? Finally, are aluminium spacers better than steel, vise versa?

any help from people who knows something, would be appreciated!

I got mine custom cnc machined. I cant remember where, but I found the place online. Make sure they are hubcentric. Good way to break a stud if they arent. Im guessing aluminum is more popular because its easier to machine.

Any idea what I'd look to pay for a custom CNC job? Reason I ask is cause I found several online made by EIBACH for around a $100 bones for a pair.

Mine aren't custom made, but they are made by H&R. I have 5mm in front, and 15mm in the back. They are hubcentric. I took them off because the rubbing in the back was starting to annoy me, but my wheels are 8 inches wide and carry 40mm's of offset. I put them on mainly to give the car a more aggressive look (which I felt was accomplished nicely).

I didn't notice any excessive tire wear, nor are my bearings shot.

Most expensive part is the setup time. If you've already got the file for the wheel spacer in the software they need then they just buzz them out for you at about $50 per hour and material costs. Two wheel spacers at that point would be about $15. With the setup time to make the file...You're looking at $50-$75 I'd guess.
If you have the inner diameter, outer diameter and stud spacing then make a drawing and go find out.

You took them OFF because of rubbing? What was happening?

I should've been more specific. The sidewall of the tires were touching the fenderlips. Upon hard compression, such as getting out of a steep driveway and leaving at an angle, the sidewalls would get cut. Purely cosmetic, but I didn't want to wreck them anymore. I need to cut the fenderlips away a little more to gain the clearance I need to run the spacers all the time.

Originally posted by ZZCSVT:
Any idea what I'd look to pay for a custom CNC job? Reason I ask is cause I found several online made by EIBACH for around a $100 bones for a pair.

I think I payed about $100.

I think I paid about $50 for a set of four. They were not hubcentric - more of a universal set. I believe the place I bought them from is out of business - they were somewhere near Des Moines, IA.

Originally posted by Hdbngr8:
I think I paid about $50 for a set of four. They were not hubcentric - more of a universal set. I believe the place I bought them from is out of business - they were somewhere near Des Moines, IA.

I would never by a set thats not hubcentric!

Last thing you need is your studs breaking.

I use hubcectric rings for the wheels - so who cares about the wheel spacers?

With non-hubcentric spacers on, how on earth are the hubcentric rings even touching the hub??

The spacers are not that thick - my rings engage the hub with no problem.

I have H&R Spacers on the Coug... 15mm in the front and 30mm in the rear..

get the H&R's if you really want spacers.. they are made great and fit perfectly and I have no problems.. the ride and handling are better and zero probs with anything.

I got mine from here.. the H&R kits are the best.

http://www.livermoreperformance.com/ford_wheel_spacers.html

can someone explain what exactly are hubsentric rings and hubs and what the difference is btw them and non-hubsentric.

If anyone can post pics of them to help explain that would be great.

All spacers are the same. Don't get dupped by the name. I went to my local performance shop and got my spacers for like $3 a piece.

Hubcentric wheels/rings/spacers fit securely to the hub. That way force can be passed through the hub, and the whole assembly fits very tightly together so that it's aligned properly when you put it together. Lugcentric setups ( I think the Miata is one, but I'm not sure) rely on thw lugs only - there's no contact between the hub and wheel.

At first, it would seem that hubcentric is the way to go: after all, the lugs are pretty small to take that kind of force. However, it's not the lugs that take the force. The lugs are in tenion, and they hold the wheel to the hub tighly enough that the friction between the wheel/hub keeps the car up and off the lugs/hub center. So really, the difference between lugcentric/hubcentric is not that huge. The force shouldn't go through the hub anyway. Now for spacers, I'd go hubcentric anyway, partly because you're adding leverage and stress to the system, and partly because it's easier to get it centered. A poor-fitting spacer can throw off your balance and also not seat properly.

This is a pretty rough write-up, some googling will get you more technical answers.

Phil - please do NOT suggest that running non hubcentric setups is an option. It's simply INCORRECT and dangerous. Too many CEGer's have busted lug-nuts and/or lost wheels from not using hubcentric rings on their Contiques. The CDW-27 wheel end was designed for a hub-loading situation and nothing else. To use the lugs to center and carry the load of the wheels is NOT an option, unless you like gambling with your money and/or life.
Thank you.

Correction - If the spacer allows engagement of the wheel pilot to the hub pilot then the question of hubcentric spacers is irrelevant. If the spacers are thicker than the hub pilot length then I completely agree with you.

I agree with you entirely.

The basic point I am trying to get across is that using any kind of wheel/hub modification that prohibits the engagement of the wheel hub onto the pilot is a very bad idea.

Yep - that is just asking for a broken stud.

Originally posted by Stazi:
The basic point I am trying to get across is that using any kind of wheel/hub modification that prohibits the engagement of the wheel hub onto the pilot is a very bad idea.

Exactly. Can you imagine the lugs failing in a high-G turn. Hello telephone pole, or parked BMW, or mountain drop-off...

Originally posted by Antonio Wright:
All spacers are the same. Don't get dupped by the name. I went to my local performance shop and got my spacers for like $3 a piece.

no, they aren't.. and running around with a universal fit spacer is trouble just waiting to happen.

Honestly wheel spacers are something that you shouldn't skimp on -- you get exactly what you pay for.. H&R might be pricey but they are full replacements and/or come with all the necessary studs/nuts needed to make sure its done right and is better than OEM

Depending upon the thickness of the spacer.

So u got DRS series in the front and DRM in the rear?

Originally posted by Stazi:
Phil - please do NOT suggest that running non hubcentric setups is an option. It's simply INCORRECT and dangerous. Too many CEGer's have busted lug-nuts and/or lost wheels from not using hubcentric rings on their Contiques. The CDW-27 wheel end was designed for a hub-loading situation and nothing else. To use the lugs to center and carry the load of the wheels is NOT an option, unless you like gambling with your money and/or life.
Thank you.

Sorry if it sounded that way. I meant there are hubcentric and lugcentric wheel setups, but that for spacers, especially on the contour, hubcentric is the only appropriate way to go.

I have bolt pattern adapters that are 1" thick. They not only pushed my wheels out to the edge of the wheel wells but also allowed me to get a wheel that in our bolt pattern I could not have put on my car. The only problem was as dion stated with his. In the rear the edge on the wheel well will scrape the tire when you get a big bump. By the way I have some Axis Seven Mod 18x7.5 with my adapters for sale for $900 shipped. In the picture you can see how far out my wheels are. I am only getting rid of them as I am upgrading to 20's.

I am gonna measure the gap between the tire wall's face and the wheel well - hopefully I will figure out what's the "safe" spacer thickness for me (as far as the wheel well rubbing concerned)

baggedsvt, why did u need adapters for the axis mods? you arent the first one with them and i do believe adapters werent used by the other guys. axis will drill their wheels. u couldve gotten them with the correct bolt pattern unless u got them used from a non4x108 car owner. regardless the car looks hot

I got he black ones when they first came out and they were not available in 4x108. i love the look with the wheels pushed out and inch but I can't tuck in the rear with them. I love the wheels but have to upgrade to 20" for this show season.

Originally posted by BaggedSVT:
I got he black ones when they first came out and they were not available in 4x108. i love the look with the wheels pushed out and inch but I can't tuck in the rear with them. I love the wheels but have to upgrade to 20" for this show season.

They still arent available in 4x108 but Axis does custom drill them.

Spacers.*chuckles

Coming soon to a Volvo near me. I need them to use my old snow tires/wheel set up.

As for the Contour, there are options that offer a wider stance without spacers:

Originally posted by Trapps:
As for the Contour, there are options that offer a wider stance without spacers:

What kind of options?

I think he means options of the BBS kind!

ET, aka Off Set. Simply order your wheels with an ET that places your wheels where you want them.