Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes spacers = bad?

This is a silly simple question but there has been a lot of talk about not wanting to use spacers but I have yet to see a post about why this is.. and yes I did a search.

Thank you for any help.

Wheel spacer are not a bad thing if you consider two issues:

First the centering of the wheel. Many wheels are 'hub centric' and require the center of the wheel fit the hub. If you add too much spacer then you may loose this and have rotational problems of the wheel. Most aftermarket wheels suck in this area as they are multi application and mass produced. Factory wheels seem to tollerate the loss of this better, they are stud centric.

Secondly, the length of the studs MUST be modified if the wheel is moved out a lot. As a rule of thumb the nut should engage 1.5 times the thread diameter. Thus 12mm = 18 of thread to be safe. They don't need to protrude past the nut.

All of this is a mess to consider when doing brake kits that's how I know what it's about.

And don't forget that spacers place the wheel closer to the fender if the car is lowered.

Todd, just to clarify something, most modern cars seem to use a "hub centric" wheel setup not only for the obvious centering purpose, but also to make the hub support some of the car's weight. You definitely don't want to take that away and transfer all the weight on the studs. OEM SVT wheels are hub-centric just like any other aftermarket rim should be.. for the Contour application at least!