Anyone know wheel spacers?

[JDub]

I’m considering using wheel spacers to get a more aggressive stance but some local shops recommend against it. Anyone here know what issues could arise from spacing out the wheels? Are there any guidelines on how far is too far? Does it place unnecessary stresses on other parts? Thanks for any advise…

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[Mtnman1]

Well, if numerous shops are telling you.....

Personally, i would never use spacers. Buy the wheel with the offset you are looking for.

 

[JDub]

There are other local shops that do offer them without opinion. I’m actually asking for someone with articulable reasons why it wouldn’t be good rather than just opinion of a technique that some agree with and others don't.

 

[SilverPigeon]

From a purely physics aspect, they're bad. Here's why:
1. The vehicle was designed for one interface bolted connection between the wheel and the vehicle hub. You will be creating a second bolted interface which does two things:
a. It creates a second mode of failure of components from a possible 1 of 6 stud/nut failures to 1 in 12 failures. More possible failures is bad.
b. It moves any vertical load on the wheel/hub interface outwards, thus increasing the "lever" component of any vertical load.
c. It inserts a metal or alloy in between the wheel and hub which may or may not have been contaminated in its making or have errors in its machining.

Regardless of how infrequently failures could be attributed to wheel spacers, you are nonetheless increasing the possibility of failure events. This is why @Mtnman1 Tod's opinion is valid and why I agree with him.

 

[JDub]

There we go. Thanks I appreciate your input. Are those types of failures common with spacers or just possibilities to consider ?

 

[SilverPigeon]

Just possibilities... but having those possibilities eventuate at 70MPH wouldn't be good ?

 

[Mtnman1]

There are other local shops that do offer them without opinion. I’m actually asking for someone with articulable reasons why it wouldn’t be good rather than just opinion of a technique that some agree with and others don't.

Yeah, sorry was disrupted earier and did not finish.

As stated above, the weight is moved further out from hub/axle, creating additional load that those components were not designed for.

I will also add to the excellant reply above, spacers add to the potential of vibration. Are those spacers perfectly balanced? If not you just added another issue.

 

[Big Dog Daddy]

Don't use wheel spacers! There extremely dangerous.

 

[JDub]

Thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated as I am new to the game.

 

[nitrobass24]

I’ll be that guy. Get the spacers.

They are super common on high performance vehicles and I have run them on all my other cars for over a decade.

There are 2 types
Bolt through (more common on euro vehicles) where you can just get longer lug bolts.
Bolt-on where you have double the lugs.

yes there are more points of failure technically.
Yes the wheels will create a greater lever on vertical loads…as they would with a new wheel with less offset…so for me this a red herring.

Buy from a reputable brand that does high quality machining with quality materials. No different then if you were buying a new wheel.

 

[JDub]

Well huh…. Thanks for your perspective on it. Sounds reasonable.

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