Spacers, what are the drawbacks

[nightSpirit]

I am running Speedline Turbines on my Cup for the track, the calipers and wheels when hot foul slightly. I've ground down where I can to clear but thought about fitting spacers as they'll also increase the track slightly...larger footprint and all that (might be placebo).

Any thoughts on what size to go front and rear, any bad experiences? as the car is being pushed HARD on track I don't want weak links.

 

[Sam@NP]

What brakes are you running?

Depending on the inner shape of the wheels 5mm spacers may do the job.

 

[nightSpirit]

Wilwood 4 pots. 5mm would be fine but i cant find a decent seller with longer bolts included

 

[Sam@NP]

I run wilwoods on my Trophy and have no issues with rubbing on my T spec turinis or my 15inch Team dynamics. Strange

 

[Chip-mk1]

If its only Slighty catching when hot just run a 3mm shim and standard bolts.

 

[nightSpirit]

3mm shim? Where from?

 

[JackJack]

Wilwood 4 pots. 5mm would be fine but i cant find a decent seller with longer bolts included

Buy the spacers and bolts separately?

 

[Chip-mk1]

3mm shim? Where from?

8 quid delivered on eBay for a nasty universal set.
Get those to test the theory, if it works fine get some made which are a more exacting fit.

 

[nightSpirit]

8 quid delivered on eBay for a nasty universal set.
Get those to test the theory, if it works fine get some made which are a more exacting fit.

Seems like a waste of money to me! I'm doing a spot of research (including this site). Demon Tweeks sell the bolts so the question is do I fit 5mm all round or go a little larger to increase the track more, say 10mm?

Thanks for the replies guys

 

[Chip-mk1]

15mm or more make it easier to get proper hubecentric adaptors, 10mm is an awkward size to reliabley achieve.

15mm though can cause clearance issues at the rear.

 

[nightSpirit]

Right. I am running -2.5 deg camber front and rear if that affects anything

 

[Chip-mk1]

It will help with clearance at the rear if you have quite a lot of camber. Which is why all the "scene" idiots do it, so they can go "low and wide" and still tuck the tops of the tyres in.

 

[nightSpirit]

Thanks Chip, so hubcentric is the preferred route but that means going larger with the spacing? unless I buy car specific smaller spacers that won't allow offset fitment.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Thanks Chip, so hubcentric is the preferred route but that means going larger with the spacing?

Yes, in order for it be deep enough to accomodate the existing spigot and then have its own spigot that the wheel sits onto, it needs to be around the 15mm mark.

unless I buy car specific smaller spacers that won't allow offset fitment.

I have no idea at all what that line means, despite having read it several times.

 

[nightSpirit]

Ah yes. Jjc rally do a decent looking 16mm kit. What i meant to say was that fitting universals will be hard to sit centrally on the hub so wheel wobble is almost certain

 

[nightSpirit]

Forgot to say, will spacing to 16mm shorten bearing life at any alarming rate?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Ah yes. Jjc rally do a decent looking 16mm kit. What i meant to say was that fitting universals will be hard to sit centrally on the hub so wheel wobble is almost certain

although they wont sit centrally, it doesnt normally cause any sort of wobble as they are so light and so far in so have very little effect on balance.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Forgot to say, will spacing to 16mm shorten bearing life at any alarming rate?

No, it will increase the load of course, but not to any massive extent where it starts killing bearings in 10% of the time or anything like that.

 

[nightSpirit]

Ok cheers Chip, you've been most helpful. I'll get a set on order and see what they're like.

 

[Bobby.]

Just don't get the delta mics ones the bolts are weak.

Also are your brakes scraping on the actual wheels or just the balancing weights?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Yes I've had problems with the delta mic longer bolts stretching too.
Pure Motorsport stud and nuts is a better option. Or Harry Hockley ones if you have deep pockets (over 200 a set iirc last time I bought them)

 

[Hutchie]

25mm spacers with studs and nuts @ 70mph not fun

i must hammer this home, dont skrimp on cheap studs, you get what you pay for!!!!!!!

 

[DannyR]

Delta Mics bolt to hub bolts aren't too bad as long as not tightened and undone when warm,

I changed mine for standard wheel bolts with the heads cut down.

 

[dmallett]

Delta Mics bolt to hub bolts aren't too bad as long as not tightened and undone when warm,

I changed mine for standard wheel bolts with the heads cut down.

Exactly this. Mine didn't fall off in a year. Can't fault them for the money!

 

[Bobby.]

The spacers are ok even know they weight a tone but the bolts are like cheese, wouldn't trust them on track myself, would be confident using oe modded bolts though.

 

[nightSpirit]

Just don't get the delta mics ones the bolts are weak.

Also are your brakes scraping on the actual wheels or just the balancing weights?

I have no idea what delta mics are/is?

I'm assuming that the JJC items will be decent, I've bought from them before.

The brakes sadly (just nearside) were scraping on the wheel.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Delta Mics bolt to hub bolts aren't too bad as long as not tightened and undone when warm,

I changed mine for standard wheel bolts with the heads cut down.

Hardly a good idea to have bolts you cant undo when warm if its for a trackday car for example, lol

They are nowhere near the quality of the original bolts.

Not worth the risk IMHO, the passenger side front ends up a liability.

 

[nightSpirit]

Googled delta mics. So theyre just cheapo spacers...i will check what jjc say about theres.