Wheel spacer install

[svard75]

Hey all. Got my 15mm h&r drm wheel spacers and found I have to cut my oem studs down about 3mm. What tool would you guys suggest I use for that?

[mexillis]

why are you having to cut them?

[Fezzik]

You should not have to cut them for STOCK. Possible aftermarket but I don't know. My trick is to get a lug that is open ended and screw it on. Then I used a disc on a dremel and cut off what I needed and then threaded the lug off so you can realign the thread at the end when it gets freyed.

[svard75]

The inside open space in between the holes is not deep enough for the bolts. When I tighten the wheel to the spacer I can fit my nail between some areas between the spacer and wheel and cannot fit in others. This means I have no space left and if it is not perfectly flush then the wheel can come off with the wheel spacer. Plus two of the five areas have this stupid casting stamp. I shaved one wheels flush with the rest and it still didn't work out. These are stock 18" wheels and I know they were refinished at one point.

[merlinq2]

msvara- this does not sound right- did you get the right kit, the off set might not be right. Never cut a wheel stud, not worth the risk. you can go out and buy an open top lug and tighten it down. I think you need to check the spec's on your kit, sound like the off set or spacer is too big.

Good luck

[svard75]

It's 15mm. For the g35,z350. Centre bore 66.2. I just have retarded rims. I only need to shave off 3mm and they'll fit perfectly.

[merlinq2]

what is the offset, your issue is the offset

[Fezzik]

If you are on stock wheels something is wrong. take a picture for us to help show us what is going on.

[spiderwebfx]

He's referring to bolt on type spacers rather than the slip-ons you use with extended studs.
Offset doesn't matter in relation to this. The holes in between the stud holes on the wheels aren't deep enough to cater to the factory studs going through them.

Trimming them 3mm shouldn't 'cause an issue. The integrity of the nut on the stud won't be effected as long as the nut fully engages on the thread (i.e no overhang at all). As mentioned above, put the nut on first before trimming them down, this will re-thread the stud so you can get the nut back on. Be careful not to cross-thread the nut when putting it back on, do it by hand until you are confident it is not going to cross-thread.

A hacksaw will do the job if you can use it past the brake caliper, otherwise a dremel as mentioned above.


Also, think wheel adaptors for the same stud pattern.

[svard75]

Correct spiderwebfx. The oem wheels don't have the space between the oem holes deep enough to fit the factory hub studs so the wheels sit completely flush with the h&r DRM wheel adapter (not DRS spacer, requires longer hub studs).

I'll take some shots. The plan is to use my dremel and a re-enforced cutting disk and cut the studs flush with the nut while the wheel adapter is on and torqued. I am slipping rubber covers over top of the wheel adapter studs so as to not nick them while cutting. It should be pretty easy to accomplish.

I really appreciate everyone's concerns for my safety! Truly a brotherhood of car enthusiasts!

Cheers

[spiderwebfx]

Better way to do it would be to install the spacer, put the nuts on. Measure the distance from the tip of the stud to the face of the spacer and then dremel them back to that with the spacer off so that you won't damage the spacer at all.

[svard75]

Done. Took longer than I anticipated. The dremel is a good tool because of the small space but I think it would been cut quicker using an angle grinder. Anyhow I will post pictures and a writeup

[svard75]

H&R DRM 114.3 x 5 x 15mm Wheel Adapter Install for Infiniti M35x

(Install performed in May 2013. Instructions and parts may change over time)

Hubcentric Wheel adapters and why I chose these vs spacers or non-hubcentric
I performed plenty of searches and watched lot's of youtube videos on installation of wheel spacers and most of the forums and/or videos entailed the users installing hubcentric adapters vs spacers. I then performed research as to why use adapters vs spacers. Although I didn't find many legitimate pros vs cons I came to my own conclusion that using adapters allows you to revert back to OEM much quicker than spacers. Spacers are also highly dependent on the length of the OEM studs and the width of the spacer. I didn't like the idea of having to press or bang the OEM studs out and install longer studs. I also did not like having the possibility of the spacers being inadvertently removed while a shop serviced your car. Why I chose hubcentric vs non-hubcentric is pretty simple. Why wouldn't you choose hubcentric? It centers the wheel for a better install and keeps it centered while driving plus it reduces the amount of centrifugal stress the studs have to endure.

Tools needed
Car Jack
Jack Stands
Hardened Steel cutting tool (Rotary Tool (Use with 2" re-enforced cutting disk), or Angle Grinder (Use with 3" re-enforced cutting disk))

Anti-Seize Paste or Grease
Blue Loctite

Steel brush or wool
Torque Wrench (85 nm is required for the plate nuts)
17mm socket
A couple of uncut wood 1x1's for depressing the brake pedal

Safety Tools
N95 Mask (Mandatory)

Protective Eye wear (Mandatory)
Clean non-flammable Rag and re-usable plastic tie-wraps

Preparation Work
Plan the execution for this install. Perform this on a day you have time to work at a reasonable pace, decent weather, access to food and water to keep you
hydrated and not hungry, and ensure you are well rested (Do Not attempt while drunk or high )
Jack one side of the car up and remove the wheel. Have a look at the inside of the wheel. If your wheels do have the gaps between the OEM holes then you may be okay to install the DRM adapters without grinding the OEM studs down. To determine this temporarily mount the DRM spacer on this wheel and hand tighten using a socket. Install the wheel and torque down the OEM nuts to spec in a cross pattern. DO NOT LOWER THE CAR!
Remove the Wheel and take a look at the inside gaps. If you see the stud impressions you will need to shave the studs down a few millimeters.

I personally thought I could get away with just shaving down the inside of the actual wheels since as you can see there were two gaps that contained casting stamps.

That unfortunately was not enough and thank goodness I recognized it based on the OEM stud impressions in these areas. I was fortunate in that after torquing the OEM bolts to the adapter studs I was able to barely fit my thumb nail between the adapter and the mating surface of the wheels. If you do not see any impressions then you can skip the bolt shaving references in this writeup and just perform the install.

WARNING:
FAILURE TO SHAVE THE STUDS DOWN (if necessary) COULD RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE SPACER AND MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND/OR YOU AND YOUR PASSENGERS!

Installation
Jack the car up and place jack stands safely under the wheel area. Remove the wheel and set aside. Put on your safety eyewear and the N95 mask and using the wire brush or wool smooth out the surface of the disk to adapter mating area (The top of the disk where the OEM studs protrude).

Clean it up just enough so that the surface is smooth to the touch. Apply just enough of the anti-seize or grease compound to this surface to prevent the alloy adapter from galvanic corrosion. Mount the DRM adapter and press firmly. Using blue loctite apply to the supplied nuts and thread onto the OEM studs. Hand tighten using the 17mm socket. Using the wood 1x1's cut one piece approximately 2 feet long and another smaller 1 foot long piece. Use these in a T shape to push the brake down. Use the drivers seat to push forward on the brake and keep it depressed for the entire install. Mount the torque wrench and set to 85nm. Torque in a cross pattern 1" at a time until it's at 85nm. Wipe any excess anti-seize or grease compound off the surrounding disk surface (You don't want that stuff to end up on the disk and contaminate the brake pads).

Shaving or Cutting of the OEM studs
There are several ways to approach this part of the install. You can install the adapter and nuts and using a sharpie mark the location of the supplied nuts end on the OEM studs then remove the nuts, adapter, reapply the nuts past the marked area and cut. You can also cut the OEM studs off while the adapter is mounted. I used the second approach and my instructions follow suit.

I used a non-flammable, clean (without grease or oil or especially nothing flammable impregnated within) rag and a couple of re-usable plastic ties. Secured the rag across two of the adapter studs and cut the OEM stud right up to the nut. As you cut the OEM studs you will realize why you should use a clean rag without anything flammable impregnated

I had to remove 3 mm of the OEM stud to make the stud flush with the supplied nuts.

As seen here even after removing the studs the supplied nuts are still protruding out of the adapter. This is because the adapter is only 15mm wide. If you choose 20 or higher the nuts and/or OEM studs may not be an issue at all.

I applied a liberal amount of anti-seize compound to the freshly cut OEM studs and the nut threads just to keep it from rusting. Clean the surface of the adapter and the new studs from all the steel dust and install the wheel.

Repeat to all 4 corners and you're done.

2006 M35x with D2 coilovers 15mm H&R DRM spacers installed and the OEM 18" wheels.

[06M4.5]

Great job

but if I had to do it to my M I would of drilled the wheels in the size on the nut, it would of been much faster. I did this in the past for a few cars for other people.

[merlinq2]

So having read the detailed write up-good job by the way- if you wen with a 20MM spacer, would you still need to cut back on the studs? Just curious

Based on the head on shots it looks like you have more than enough room to push the wheels out at least another 8 to 9 mm with out risk of rubbing the tire against the fender?

[svard75]

Great job

but if I had to do it to my M I would of drilled the wheels in the size on the nut, it would of been much faster. I did this in the past for a few cars for other people.

Good point haha. Hindsights always 20/20

[svard75]

So having read the detailed write up-good job by the way- if you wen with a 20MM spacer, would you still need to cut back on the studs? Just curious

Based on the head on shots it looks like you have more than enough room to push the wheels out at least another 8 to 9 mm with out risk of rubbing the tire against the fender?

Not so sure I would push the wheels out another 5mm. Perhaps if the car was lower but at this height 15mm seems perfect. Although the front camber is a bit more pronounced it may appear like you have more space, but once I get the alignment done I'm hoping it's not as apparent. The rears are right up against the fender but just inside so it doesn't look like the tires are sticking out. If I had the Michelin with the rim protection you would likely see the tire more.

To each their own taste if you prefer the wheels sticking out a bit more then go for it. I would think that you likely wouldn't have to deal with cutting the OEM studs.

[spiderwebfx]

I reckon the extra 5mm would've given all the clearance you need, but it may push the wheel out just a little too far (at least for my liking also).

Just out of curiousity, what Michelin's do you/have you used? I work in a tyre shop over here in New Zealand with our main product lines being the Michelin, BFGoodrich and Continental ranges. Just curious as to what they're like over there?

[svard75]

I reckon the extra 5mm would've given all the clearance you need, but it may push the wheel out just a little too far (at least for my liking also).

Just out of curiousity, what Michelin's do you/have you used? I work in a tyre shop over here in New Zealand with our main product lines being the Michelin, BFGoodrich and Continental ranges. Just curious as to what they're like over there?

Pilot Sport A/S PS2 and Pilot Sport Summer. Both very good tires, although they seem to wear quicker. I replace 2 every 2 years. The first time I bought 4 brand new then I did a very stupid left turn where my rear tire just clipped the curb. When I looked at the tire there was a tennis ball sized bulge protruding out of the drivers rear. I had to replace the 2 rears and since have been replacing 2 every 2 years. The two fronts are coming up soon. The car originally came with Cooper tires and those were terrible. Noisy and hard. I've had Michelin MXM's on my previous cars and they were also very good tires.

Thought I would just update everyone about a nasty discovery. I found that I had accidentally mixed up the two rear wheels so when mounted the direction was reverse. No problem I used my spare to fix that. The discovery was when I attempted to mount my spare to the wheel spacer. Forget about driving around like that. I don't have the full sized spare like some of you may and the donut doesn't have gaps between the holes so if I ever need to use the spare it better be to just limp home very slowly.