WHeel Spacerzz

[fat1ace93]

Just traded my 91 coupe for an 89 hatch, and right now its sitting at about a good 3 inches off the ground.. i have pretty managable wheel space, and I want to throw some spacers on... I know im going 30mm in the front, but want to go bigger in the back, as the rear wheels just sit closer in. i want to go aggressive here, but nothing too crazy, any ideas on how big i should go? right now im thinking somewhere in between 40 and 50mm. Suggestions would be appreciated!

[Ace2cool]

D:

That much added space will destroy your hubs/bearings. The fact that you're spelling it "WHeel Spacerzz" should be an indication that you should probably research a little before you post about anything like this. What are the specs on your wheels? What is your desired goal? I'm just trying to provide some constructive criticism before the flames rise up. This thread is already destined for doom. 50mm spacers....

[fat1ace93]

Dont know for the specs on the wheels, i know theyre 18in. but havent taken the time to look at the rest... How does that damage the the hub though? What can i do to get that space, but keep the hub in good shape? and i want the tires to poke out a good centimeter from the fender.

[numbnuts240]

What can i do to get that space, but keep the hub in good shape?

get properly sized wheels.

[Irvxing]

Forget the MASSIVE spacers and consider wider wheels. Pics should help as well so i can see how your car is sitting. What are you trying to achieve?

[krash]

D:

That much added space will destroy your hubs/bearings.

I know this argument is made a lot, but I'm not really sure if its valid. It would just be like running a very low offset wheel or something.

And now that I think about it, wtf offset do you have that you want 50mm spacers???? Like I said, I don't know if the wheel bearing argument is valid, but your wheel studs are going to be hilarious. The smart/right thing to do here is get a proper sized wheel.

[Ace2cool]

How does that damage the the hub though?

Places the wheel farther from the hub, so the centerline of the wheel is further out. Therefore, more stress is being put on the hub, causing the bearing to fail earlier. Messes up all the geometry. With a 50mm spacer, you would expect to replace hubs or repack bearings at least every 10K miles, if not less.

Either wider wheels, or a better offset for your car.

[Ace2cool]

D:

That much added space will destroy your hubs/bearings.

I know this argument is made a lot, but I'm not really sure if its valid. It would just be like running a very low offset wheel or something.

It is similar, but most low-offset wheels are going to have enough meat under the car to support it as well. Not like throwing spacers on a 195mm wide tire to "flush it out."

[krash]

OOOOOOH I see now. The offset is less, but on a proper wheel some of the tire is close to if not under the hub, meaning some of the upward forces applied do not exert as much torque on the hub and can even cancel out. If you space out a skinny wheel, then all the upward force is generating larger torques on the hub. Makes sense. So if you were to somehow have a 17x6 -10 wheel, you'd be screwed as well I assume.

[Ace2cool]

Boom, you got it brosef. It's all about having at least as much contact patch as stock under the hub itself.

[krash]