Wheel Spacers

[thane]

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]

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

[Lunner]

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]

Yes " Lunner" is 110% correct I forgot to mention ,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 ,due to the wheel not located on the centre.
Sorry for any confusion

[BRUN]

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]

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]

Thane,
Trust me,you do not need to go to the bother of NIMONICS or heat treated steel.
As I said in my first post,My "MAXI" style Rally car has Sparco wheel spacers ~~ in Aluminium.
If you were to use Nimonic,the weight on the hub would be increased ~~ as you Know it weighs very heavy..
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

[thane]

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]

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]

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