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thane
24-11-2007, 19:39
Has anyone had any experience of using them/making them?

Just an idea I had at work, could soon source a bit of bar and turn a few off, just curious at to whats safe and whats a suitable steel (hardened)?

I assume no thicker 25mm, prob go between 15mm and 20mm?
(BTW this isn't to go on a willy yet, my 197 for starters if I do this, then at a later date I'll make some up to suit MK1 fitament)

thoughts/advice?

cliorod
24-11-2007, 20:05
Thane,
As with most things,if you use good quality Aluminium ~~~ I was lucky working !!!! at Rolls~ Royce :wink: :roll: :wink: ,I used aircfraft spec. :wink: aluminium ~~ My old 5Gt Turbo Rally car even had some made out of Titanium :twisted: :roll: :twisted: .Thing to do is to ensure you either Laquer,powder coat or anodise them ~~ to protect them from the elements.The "SPARCO" :wink: :wink: ones I have on my current rally car are Aluminium.

Lunner
24-11-2007, 20:42
Ideally if you are going for 15mm or so they want to be hubcentric ones too, i had some 15mm ones but they caused vibration through the wheel at high speeds, like if the wheel hadn't been balanced properly

cliorod
25-11-2007, 17:24
Yes " Lunner" is 110% correct :wink: :wink: I forgot to mention :oops: :shock: :oops: ,that the thicker you go,ensure that they locate on the hub centre,with the WHEEL spigot re~machined on the spacer to locate the wheel ~~ or else the problems Lunner had will most deffo appear !!!!.I have seen wheels with odd shaped wheel nut holes :roll: :cry: :cry: ,due to the wheel not located on the centre. :wink:
Sorry for any confusion :oops:

BRUN
25-11-2007, 18:10
anything over a 5mm spacer you will usually need longer bolts for aswell, make sure your getting at the least 6 full turns of the bolt

thane
25-11-2007, 19:49
ok thanks guys, without having the wheels off to look at the hubs, at be basically looking replicate the hub face on one half of the space, so it would as concentric as possible.

I will have to wait til im back at work but the aluminium we have at work is used to make impellers for turbochargers, so I'm not too sure if it will be strong enough to take the loads of being a spacer, though I will wait til I've read the material spec. My first choice however is some steel bar that is induction hardened to about 50-60 HB and used as the shaft in a turbocharger, and comes in the right size diameter (I hope).

Failing that it might be nimonic bar...

cliorod
26-11-2007, 02:25
Thane,
Trust me,you do not need to go to the bother of NIMONICS or heat treated steel. :shock: :shock:
As I said in my first post,My "MAXI" style Rally car has Sparco wheel spacers ~~ in Aluminium. :wink: :wink:
If you were to use Nimonic,the weight on the hub would be increased ~~ as you Know it weighs very heavy.. :oops:
As long as you get the hub and wheel locations concentric and ensure the wheel studs are long enough,you will not have a problem.To put your mind further at rest ~~ For a different car,~~ the old Mk.II Ford Escort ~~ I think it is Rally design that now sells complete hubs of Aluminium ~~~ not just spacers.Just have a look on the RALLY DESIGN or DEMON TWEEKS and you will see.I do not think in 30 years of competitive motorsport,Have I ever seen or used anything other than good quality ALLY or TITANIUM :wink: :roll: :wink:

thane
26-11-2007, 14:17
ok, thanks for the feedback, it's just part of the job to over-engineer, though I suppose given the thickness and loading it would be subject to ally should be upto the job. next trick is getting hold of some and having it anodised. I'll keep you guys posted, never know, might be able to do more then one set...

MAXIBOY
26-11-2007, 14:45
i have eibach spacers that bolt to the hub then the wheels bolt to the spacers. these are made from ally and have been 100% ok. also a good design as they can use standard bolts and locking wheel bolts

Lunner
26-11-2007, 20:47
i have eibach spacers that bolt to the hub then the wheels bolt to the spacers. these are made from ally and have been 100% ok. also a good design as they can use standard bolts and locking wheel bolts

I had eibach ones, but i just used longer wheel bolts and they bolted through

MAXIBOY
26-11-2007, 20:52
depends on the thinkness i think mine are 30mm

thane
26-11-2007, 21:06
surely when you start talking 30mm+ thats alot of extra straind on the bearings? the thing that's put me off going past the likes of 25mm being the extra forces being transferred through the hub and suspension, particularly on crappy rough ar$e british roads?

MAXIBOY
26-11-2007, 21:33
the extra strain put on by spacers in not a lot. i,m running 30mm spacers 15et offset rims and huge 8.5 x 18 rims on 225/35x18 tyres and have no problems with bearing life

thane
03-12-2007, 22:31
ok, weve agreed that alu spacers are absolutely fine, is steel the same? granted it would have the usual rust problems but a lick of grease can help with that, reason I ask is it's easier for me to get steel at the mo instead of alu

MAXIBOY
03-12-2007, 22:54
just the weight issue again really.

thane
03-12-2007, 23:01
righto back to work next week so will start scrounging for some material, hopefully find a long enough bit of bar and rattle off a couple of sets. Am I right in assuming that spacers are ok on the back as they are on the front? (dumb question but better safe then sorry with these torsion setups)

MAXIBOY
03-12-2007, 23:13
yes fine..

thane
03-12-2007, 23:14
cheers buddy