Running spacers on track.

[John Gordon]

Hi,
I've been debating this in my head for a while and I can't decide whats right. My car came with 25mm spacers fitted. I'm about to run a trackday at Spa, my first time on track with the 197.
The Spacers are h&r bolt to hub type, 25mm. The car trams a lot on the road. But I'm not bothered by that on track. The fear for me is the heat and the fact that they are alloy. How safe are spacers on track? Do I risk a loose wheel running with them?
I tried a search, hope its not a daft post.

 

[imprezaworks]

I've ran spacers on an old phase 1 on track with no issues

 

[Pacman.]

I have ran the exactly the same spacers as you on lots of trackdays. Just every now and then check your wheel nuts.

 

[barnesautos]

Don't want to sound off , I would never ever run bolt to hub spacers . I run the stud thru the spacer type on my Ph1 and never had an issue . Also I wouldn't want to keep pulling the wheels off to check the 4 bolts for them . It'll piss me off no end .

 

[adamlstr]

With stud conversion only imo.

I ran 'high quality' bolt to hub eibach items on the road and they failed, structurally.

 

[JackD]

Is there any benefit to using spacers on track?

 

[mikekean]

Just take them off, ruining your scrub raduius and putting extra load on your wheel bearings. Perfectly safe if they are through stud type though, up to you really but on track id want as much handling as i could get out of the car.

 

[KitsonRis]

I've got the H&R bolt to hub spacers on my Ph1 track car, had no issues so far with them. They are checked often to make sure.
IIRC all the H&R ones come with a steel thread insert so you aren't fastening a steel bolt into aluminium, which is a big no.

But from what has been said here and numerous other times it is down to personal preferance to if they are "safe". Some people have no issues and some do.

 

[alistairolsen]

I run small ones (10mm) due to odd wheel offset, I use longer bolts to match and torque them at the start of the day, each time I check the tyre pressures and thereafter, whenever Im in the pits for a cool down or more fuel or whatever. Never had an issue.

 

[cjgower]

I run 10mm at the front to clear my brakes and use a stud conversion. Works well. As above the most important factor whether you run studs or longer wheel bolts is getting a good torque wrench and checking them regularly.

 

[dann2707]

Make sure you get bolt to hub type or nuts and studs because this.

20160115_125003 by dann2707, on Flickr

20160115_125249 by dann2707, on Flickr

 

[alistairolsen]

Was that a failure of extended bolts which had been seated correctly and recently torqued?

 

[Cub.]

I run 15mm at the front, 10mm at the rear. Hubcentric eibach with a stud and nut kit.

This is primarily to clear the 4 pot brembo's at the front. I haven't had any issues on track, but two of my studs sheered on the road. In honesty, that was my fault as I hadn't checked the torque following some major heat cycles at Goodwood, and I also had run the stud / nut kit for two seasons.

I also run @NorthloopCup 's Roll centre kit, which widens the track aswell, and the good old cup wishbones which effects castor. Coupled with willy's wheels then my overall "track" width and setup is quite wide, and i've had to "modify" the arches to make sure I don't get any scrubbing on hard cornering. Coupled with pretty stiff AST coilover set up and some quality corner weighting / set up investment by J-tech. and I am over the moon with the handling.

My advice, spacers upto 15mm i'd say are fine, if run with a stud and nut kit which is checked regularly, and changed each year / season or more often depending on mileage.

Obligatory whoring photos;

 

[Filters]

I'm guessing running these on track (with longer bolts) would be a bit of a no no then?

 

[Knuckles]

I'd say go for it ^^^

In theory, they're no more dangerous than bolting your wheels to the hubs.

Just make sure they're torqued up every now and then.

 

[Filters]

I'd say go for it ^^^

In theory, they're no more dangerous than bolting your wheels to the hubs.

Just make sure they're torqued up every now and then.

Good call, only issue being I don't have a torque wrench 😂
Anyone going to CFS that would mind me using it from time to time in the afternoon?

@dann2707 what type spacers were you running mate? Looks like you had a lucky escape!

 

[imprezaworks]

Pop to halfords and buy a wrench?

 

[Filters]

Pop to halfords and buy a wrench?

Already sorted one :up:

 

[barnesautos]

I run 15mm at the front, 10mm at the rear. Hubcentric eibach with a stud and nut kit.

This is primarily to clear the 4 pot brembo's at the front. I haven't had any issues on track, but two of my studs sheered on the road. In honesty, that was my fault as I hadn't checked the torque following some major heat cycles at Goodwood, and I also had run the stud / nut kit for two seasons.

I also run @NorthloopCup 's Roll centre kit, which widens the track aswell, and the good old cup wishbones which effects castor. Coupled with willy's wheels then my overall "track" width and setup is quite wide, and i've had to "modify" the arches to make sure I don't get any scrubbing on hard cornering. Coupled with pretty stiff AST coilover set up and some quality corner weighting / set up investment by J-tech. and I am over the moon with the handling.

My advice, spacers upto 15mm i'd say are fine, if run with a stud and nut kit which is checked regularly, and changed each year / season or more often depending on mileage.

I am running pretty much identical to you @CUB but 20mm up front .
Had no issues at all . [emoji1303]

 

[dann2707]

Good call, only issue being I don't have a torque wrench 😂
Anyone going to CFS that would mind me using it from time to time in the afternoon?

@dann2707 what type spacers were you running mate? Looks like you had a lucky escape!

20mm non bolt to hub spacers (hubcentric) with just longer bolts. i'm now running studs and nuts just to be safe. Had no problems since.

Caught it on video at 2:08

 

[Filters]

20mm non bolt to hub spacers (hubcentric) with just longer bolts. i'm now running studs and nuts just to be safe. Had no problems since.

Caught it on video at 2:08

Ahhh, sounds like the same ones I have (picture above)
Think I might give them a miss now :coldsweat::up:

 

[dann2707]

Ahhh, sounds like the same ones I have (picture above)
Think I might give them a miss now :coldsweat::up:

I definitely wouldn't with longer bolts. I learnt my lesson the hard way (but only a broken wing and few mangled threads in the hub).

I'd invest in studs and nuts, they look much better too imo.

 

[alistairolsen]

@dann2707 how long after they were last checked did they fail?

 

[barnesautos]

I'm guessing running these on track (with longer bolts) would be a bit of a no no then? View attachment 157340

Absolutely fine .

What I use are Eibach hub centric type

 

[John Gordon]

Thanks for all the replies. Interesting viewpoints.