CeBrwn5454

iTrader: (2)

Spacer related question...

I have the Concept Z spacers, and as I was tightening the rears down last night I broke 3 prongs off of the 4 prong spacer lug key (stupid mistake). Should local auto stores carry a replacement or am I going to have to order another spacer lug key from Concept Z?

Thanks for the help!

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

oh man.......that bites.....

local - your gonna have to try all the mom and pop shops and see what they have........i have found them, but its not something they carry, its just something they have acquired over the years so to speak..

most likely you may have to purchase another key - and i suggest getting a few as with those thinner spacers and those 4 prong keys - its not uncommon for them to break.

HOWEVER, answer these questions?


1. What size thickness are your spacers?? I'm guessing 10mm thick!

2. Do your wheels have gaps??? -- Because if so, you can go to a local tire shop and purchse really short replacent hex nuts - nuts that use a typical 17mm socket and not deal with stoopid keys! so long as they fit in the gaps of the wheels..........Review post #5

Narrow lug nuts like these:


UPDATE:
I found that Gorilla has the lug nuts I use on ALL my spacers: !

Ensure all the measurements will work for you and pick and choose!
go to:
http://www.gorilla-auto.com/lug.nuts.page_05

-J

CeBrwn5454

iTrader: (2)

The spacer is 20mm.

I like the 2nd idea. They are the OEM 19in G35 wheels, so I do believe they have gaps.

I am trying to picture exactly what the spacer looks like...so the hex nuts would go into the spacer where the strange lug nuts currently sit. Not a bad idea.

Here's the catch. How would I get the current spacer lug nuts off without a new key?

Thank you for the quick response.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

yes they do! you will be fine!

Yes, the hex will be accessible with a thin walled 17mm socket...
take the spacer off, go to a tire shop and take a 17mm thin wall socket and the spacers with you and verify before you buy the X number of hex lug nuts you need for your car.

Hex lug nuts need to be M12x1.25 and i cant remember the oem taper angle but verify that as well on the "spacers"......has to have the same angle.....to mate with the taper in the spacer......

yeah, im honestly not happy that those 20mm spacers come with those key specific nuts........all 20mm spacers i have ever seen come with nuts like I posted above that use a 17mm socket normally......so ya, that bites!

EASIEST WAY - ya gotta get a new key.............


with out being there and no picture??....post a pic..?? but you can try vice grips and other stuff.....If there is room to grab the weird nut!, but that will be a pain........good luck with that....

-J

CeBrwn5454

iTrader: (2)

Thank you for your help Jason. I'm going to call Concept Z this morning and see what they say.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

CeBrwn5454

iTrader: (2)

Chris at Concept Z has NO idea what he is talking about...didn't know how much the lug key was so he just made up a price of $15. I called him on it, explaining that thats a bit much for a lug key when the kit costs just over $100....and his response "I don't know." Other kits lug keys are online for $5.

Good customer service, I think not.

Jason, thank you for your help. A new lug key is on its way.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

That screams out to me "drop shipping"

They never actually touch the product, thus they dont have any real info or tech info on them.........

like i mentioned early in this thread! whenever buying SPACERS - CALL FIRST - confirm they have them INSTOCK.......

I actually ask the guy "can you go to the warehouse and physically pick them up and check".......

yeah sometimes that way you don't get the best "ONLINE" deal, but its up to you! For me, when i bought my spacers - i paid a premium for them........no forum discount or anything, but I ordered over the phone monday, got them thursday UPS....done and done!

Spacers are just one of those items in the car industry thats a "drop shipping" *****....

-J

TheSyn3rgist

iTrader: (3)

The $60 specials on eBay say they are hubcentric...should I just grab a set of these or go with a brand name? My guess is most of these spacers come from the same factory overseas...

dhays

iTrader: (10)

I bought a set of the ebay hubcentric spacers. I've put them on and taken them off twice (I take them off for AutoX) and so far I'm very pleased. Fit was great, quality looks good. Half the price (or more) of name brand spacers and even less than buying used name-brand spacers.

Anyway, so far so good on my end. BTW, they were very fast with their shipping.

BlackSpec02

iTrader: (17)

^ yep... the specs I was saying would be minimum to keep at least oem fit/stance.

If you want it look better than oem or more aggressive than you need to lower the offset and preferably increase the width.

I have the lmgt-4 nismo wheels which are 18x8.5 +25 front and 18x9.5 +30 rear and I am using a 20mm spacer all around.

You do have to consider your ride height too. The lower your car, the lower offset you can fit due to the negative camber. If my car was even stock height it might look a little weird with the spacers I have and I'm not lowered much.

Overall you really have to do your homework and determine exactly what look you are going for.

I think the only way 20's look good on a Z is if the car is SLAMMED. Plus just going to 20 inches, regardless of the width, throws a lot of performance out the window... especially if they weigh a lot.

You definitely have a lot to consider moving forward.

BlackSpec02

iTrader: (17)

I totally agree. I can only vouch for the seller who sold me mine, but I love them, great value.

Side note - can't believe they are only $60 now! I paid $80 + tax!! DEFINITELY worth it for $40 less than I paid for all 4 of mine!

vlado_t

Hmmm... I think wheel spacers would decrease the life of the wheel bearings. Moving the tire out increases the lever arm and that increases the force on the bearings. No?
And there are many reports of failed bearings in the HR section as it is. Any thoughts on this?

dhays

iTrader: (10)

The spacers, just like using a smaller offset wheel, would put more stress on the bearings. I don't have an HR so I'm not aware of any problems that they have with the wheel bearings.

For normal DD, I'm OK with the spacers. I remove them for autocross though.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

I drift/autoX the hell out of my car with and with out spacers.........have yet to have a wheel bearing go out....

you will find that for the most part the "added" stress isnt so great that people are having wheel bearing problems left and right or anything......not sure what your referring to on the HR's, but most of the threads in regards to wheel bearings going out apprear to be random occurances that some owners have had to deal with...

SOooo:. for the most part spacers on a 350z are not 350z bearing killers...

-J

HXS

iTrader: (18)

are 4-mm spacers ok with stock studs?

no tracking here, just dd and occasional spirited driving.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

where did you find 4mm spacers?

but yes, 5mm spacers is the max you can go before you must change out to longer studs.......many have run 5mm fine and most sites with Z specific spacers will mention this as well on their 5mm spacers.

-J

HXS

iTrader: (18)

thanks J!

http://zilvia.net/f/advertiser-wheel...14-3-4h5h.html

danielhockey9

iTrader: (1)

Sorry but im new here

I Just bought a widebody kit for my 7 (veilside 8PC) and there is piece over the fender so i have to get spacers .. did someone have this kit and know how much mm i have to get ?

P.S sorry for my poor english but im french

Thanks

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

PM regan.....his screen name is VS350z or VS_350z or something like that..

he would know.........they are huge....like 1.5 inch thick!

Also, what you get depends on what your wheel specs and offset are now?? you didnt post any of that information???

either way, its best to install the wheels and MEASURE!

Start searching the internet for big spacers...
http://www.tulipcitywheels.com/tcwst...t_detail&p=667
http://www.thetrackscompany.com/32/59.html
http://www.wheeladapter.com/wheel_adapters.php

-J