Just curious, the general consensus is that using spacers produces excessive wear on the bears, due to load shifting.

BUT as I was thinking about this, it occured to me that using a spacer should in theory produce any additional load on the bearings compared to (in the Z's case) using an exceeding low offset

For example... if I have a wheel that is 9" wide, with a 35mm offset, and I decide to add a 10mm spacer to move the wheel OUT... it should, in theory, be no worse than a 9" wide rim with a 25mm offset, since the 25mm offset wheel achieves the lowered offset by moving the wheel face IN towards the car relative to the rim... correct?

Allow me to illustrate:

____|____ <- 9" rim with 35 mm offset (wheel face is in the middle in this example)


______|__ <- 9" rim with 25 mm offset (wheel face moves towards the by 10 mm to achieve a lower offset)

Have I mixed something up here in my calculations, or is using a spacer no worse than choosing a rim with a low offset?

 

oops forgot to add a third "diagram"

____|=___ <- 9" rim with 35mm offset AND 10 mm spacer (the mounting point is at the same spot as the 25mm offset wheel and therefore, the load on the bearings should be exactly the same?)

 

as long as you are running a good quality spacer you should be fine...

H&R Trak Spacer

 

I have Track Model wheels and was interested in using spacers to push them out, what size spacer do you recommend?

 

15mm on the front..

25mm on the rear.

thats my guess.

 

Ok, thanks for the link to the spacer, but i'm still really confused with this spacers/offset business...

on one hand, we have people running 19x8.5s and 19x9.5s with +25 mm offsets without being criticized (even though the rear sits 14mm closer to the struts compared to the stock wheel)...

on the other, we have people with 19x8.5s in the back with +40 mm offsets and a 1inch (25.4 mm) spacer being criticized (even though the rear sits only 4mm closer to the struts)

but isn't the 2nd case with the spacer actually BETTER for the car than the 1st? since the equilibrium point of the wheel is nearly the SAME location as stock, but the +25mm (lets say they're volks) is actually much further off, thus producing a lot more abnormal wear on the bearings?

 

Sorry to hijack, but you recomend using spacers with the stock enthusiast wheels. I just want to push the wheels out. If so, how big? Thanks in advance.

 

i just ordered the 15 mm spacers for front and rear (Track wheels). Just ups the looks a bit and it doesn't put to much strain on the bearings. Also the drive of the car will still be about the same... if you go wider the car will start to pull towards the grooves in the road. it will become nervous.

 

peter, where did you get your spacers from? did you get the H&R's from performance? i've heard good things about them...

 

Remember that with spacers you are also reducing the thread engagement of your lugnuts, so unless you go with longer studs, you may run into issues with threads stripping.

Finally, a spacer will add an additional tolerance stackup, so if you are using a hub-centric mounting configuration you will have additional runout and face runout of the wheel location surface (with a lug-centric mount you will only need to worry about face runout).

If you are aware of those potential issues, and address them, then I see no problem with spacers.

-D'oh!

 

So has anyone put these on, pics and write ups. I really want some for the rears but want some opionions of peeps who have done it already.

 

I may be wrong here but the way I see it is like this: If you use a wheel with a low offset you are partially distributing the extra stress onto both the bearings and the wheel with the lower offset. If you use a wheel with a higher offset and then add a spacer. All of the extra stress goes to the bearings.

 

so assuming I've got hub/wheel centric spacers, I should have a problem right?

also, genieman... I think I see what you mean... since spacers move the weight of the wheel further out from the stock point, then there's a higher level of wear on the bearings... sortof like the difference in weight when holding a hammer at the base and the middle?

 

whats reasonable..... 10mm.....20mm......is 25mm pushin it???

 

These nice H&R spacer kits are great. The probelm with spacers are the more common ones that are nothing more than a drilled out piece of aluminum (or whatever) that just goes over your studs. Generally you find these in 2, 3, 5, or 8mm sizes. By putting those on...you decrease the amount of usable stud to thred the lug nut on thus creating a possible hazard. I see no issues if you use the proper parts.

 

and remember... this is NOT about the H&R Spacers...

 

Jason, if one where to get the 5mm spacers, would the new posts/bolts be required or is that short enough, where a lot of thread is still showing??

btw, PM a price for the H&Rs (4) in 5mm

 

http://www.performancenissanparts.co...roducts_id=385

$68.95 a pair...

5mm / 15mm / 20mm / 25mm all come with longer hub bolts...

 

Jason, is replacing the studs a requirment even with the 5mm version??

 

Yes, I have a pair of 5 mm H&R spacers, it came with longer bolts. PM if you're interested in purchasing them.