Wheel Spacers
12-14-2002, 10:44 PM
#1
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Wheel Spacers
I was looking through an option mag, and a lot of the 240's have wheel spacers but i was wondering when you put one on do you have to chop off the ends of the lugs so that they do not touch the wheels?
12-15-2002, 06:46 PM
#2
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Wheel spacers are not a good idea for several reasons...
First of all, they mess up the offset of the wheels, and subsequently ruin the camber. This causes the wheels to ride on an angle, which significantly wears on the tires, and more importantly reduces the contact patch of the tires.
The other problem is because the offset is messed up, the wheels are no longer sitting on the inner collar, which normally supports the weight of the car. Instead, all the weight is going on the lugs, which can cause a lot of flex, increases "unsprung weight" (as it's both further out, and not as stiff) and also buts significant strain on the lugs themselves.
Aside from that there's nothing wrong with wheel spacers!
Just my 2 cents.
First of all, they mess up the offset of the wheels, and subsequently ruin the camber. This causes the wheels to ride on an angle, which significantly wears on the tires, and more importantly reduces the contact patch of the tires.
The other problem is because the offset is messed up, the wheels are no longer sitting on the inner collar, which normally supports the weight of the car. Instead, all the weight is going on the lugs, which can cause a lot of flex, increases "unsprung weight" (as it's both further out, and not as stiff) and also buts significant strain on the lugs themselves.
Aside from that there's nothing wrong with wheel spacers!
Just my 2 cents.
12-16-2002, 09:01 PM
#3
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That is not correct. Wheel spacers just widen the stance of your car, they do not affect the camber. How could they? The cheap wheel spacers are CRAP. Howevery H&R wheel spacers come with a new collar built in for your wheel to sit on, and lengthened and hardened studs. By the way, I have a set of brand new, never used H&R 15mm spacers for sale.
late
late
12-17-2002, 06:28 AM
#5
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I think I would agree that the wheel spacer should not effect camber. Although something in the back of my mind is telling me that it might, I just can't figure it out. I'd have to draw lots of pictures and cry twice.
As for the "inner collar", a quality spacer is going to not only utilize the hubcentric ring on the hub, but will include its OWN hubcentric ring on its face, to maintain proper orientation and mounting with the wheel.
And, finally, running a spacer DOES NOT CHANGE WHEEL OFFSET. The offset of a wheel is a function of its construction. By running a spacer you are NOT changing the construction of the wheel. However you ARE moving the ENTIRE wheel out based on the mating of the wheel's inside face to the spacer face. It "seems" like you're changing the offset, but you aren't just changing where the wheelface is relative to the wheel rim -- you're moving the whole thing out from the hub as a unit.
Finally two, some cars don't use hubcentric wheels, they actually are lugcentric, so it wouldn't matter that the spacer doesn't have a collar or something on it, because it doesn't need it. Or something.
As for the "inner collar", a quality spacer is going to not only utilize the hubcentric ring on the hub, but will include its OWN hubcentric ring on its face, to maintain proper orientation and mounting with the wheel.
And, finally, running a spacer DOES NOT CHANGE WHEEL OFFSET. The offset of a wheel is a function of its construction. By running a spacer you are NOT changing the construction of the wheel. However you ARE moving the ENTIRE wheel out based on the mating of the wheel's inside face to the spacer face. It "seems" like you're changing the offset, but you aren't just changing where the wheelface is relative to the wheel rim -- you're moving the whole thing out from the hub as a unit.
Finally two, some cars don't use hubcentric wheels, they actually are lugcentric, so it wouldn't matter that the spacer doesn't have a collar or something on it, because it doesn't need it. Or something.
12-17-2002, 06:23 PM
#7
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Alsmot every car in my Option Mag's has wheel spacers and i keep asking myself Wouldnt the cars original lugs bend or snap after a while especially those guys cause they drive really hard at tracks and when they drift?
12-18-2002, 08:32 PM
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Alright, I may have been somewhat ill informed on some of the above things, but wheel spacers are still not generally a good idea.
I happent o know for a fact however that they DO effect the camber of the wheels. It's difficult to explain but think of it this way: If you have a wheel on the end of an axle, and that axle is moved downwards at the opposite end fromt he wheel, this could be considered the camber (i know that's not how it actually works but think of it as a wheel on the end of a pencil). Now think of that same wheel, on the end of a longer axle (or pencil in this case). The end of the axle is moved the same amount, but the wheel is angled less because the axle arm is longer. The fulcrum is further away from the wheel, as a result of wheel spacers, and thus the camber of the wheel is dramatically effected.
Does that make any sense to anyone but me?
I happent o know for a fact however that they DO effect the camber of the wheels. It's difficult to explain but think of it this way: If you have a wheel on the end of an axle, and that axle is moved downwards at the opposite end fromt he wheel, this could be considered the camber (i know that's not how it actually works but think of it as a wheel on the end of a pencil). Now think of that same wheel, on the end of a longer axle (or pencil in this case). The end of the axle is moved the same amount, but the wheel is angled less because the axle arm is longer. The fulcrum is further away from the wheel, as a result of wheel spacers, and thus the camber of the wheel is dramatically effected.
Does that make any sense to anyone but me?
12-19-2002, 06:35 AM
#10
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when the arm is longer it can effect how MUCH change you get for a given movement. but if your axle was a mile long or an inch long, as long as you're not changing the position of either the differential or the wheel, the camber remains the same static value.
As for the lugs breaking, it depends on the strength of the lug and the amount of change... but generally the lug isn't bearing teh weight, the hub still is, and a proper spacer will have a proper size ring to fit onto the car's hub. The HUB may come under more stresses as it now has a bigger lever acting on it (torque = force * radius), but I don't hear about those guys' hubs failing....
As for the lugs breaking, it depends on the strength of the lug and the amount of change... but generally the lug isn't bearing teh weight, the hub still is, and a proper spacer will have a proper size ring to fit onto the car's hub. The HUB may come under more stresses as it now has a bigger lever acting on it (torque = force * radius), but I don't hear about those guys' hubs failing....
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