spacers - why?

[Paul172sport]

Forgive the numpty question,

but so many threads refer to which spacers to fit, but why actually fit them?

is it just for looks or are their greater handling benefits?

 

[Dan@M.A.D]

they give you a wider track so lower the centre of gravity i believe thus improving handling , I doubt you would notice a massive difference though.

 

[James28]

I got them purely for looks tbh. Even if supposedly there is a mechanical advantage to them.
Although upon trying to remove one, I've found it has somehow got stuck solid to the hub, and I can't prize it off.

 

[dmallett]

Looks for me, the lower you go the more hidden your wheels look.

 

[wag1]

Looks for me too. Rear of the Williams looked silly with the wheels so buried

 

[Cub.]

Looks largely for me, although the wider track is supposed to help slightly. If they have stuck solid on to the hub, then someone didn't put enough copper grease on.......

 

[b2-stingray]

Surley fitting spacers upsets the geometry of the car?

 

[James28]

Wheel alignment..

 

[Rob]

Surley fitting spacers upsets the geometry of the car?

The cup came with a naturally wider track, I don't see how replicating this would cause any issues?

 

[b2-stingray]

The cup came with a naturally wider track, I don't see how replicating this would cause any issues?

Is the wider track gained from the wheels or wider supension arms/components?

 

[Wick]

Is the wider track gained from the wheels or wider supension arms/components?

Both iirc. Wheel offset is et37 and suspension track is wider.

 

[Kam.]

Do it for looks. My PH1 is on spacers. Looks much better, but tramlines a little more than before.

 

[imprezaworks]

What size spacers? ^^

 

[Steven103]

Everyone here does it for looks.

If you want to widen the track for performance purposes then you fabricate new wishbones/driveshafts/custom suspension pickup points/etc. Widening it via spacers affects the geometry in a slightly different way.

Strictly speaking spacers reduce the roll centre height, not the centre of gravity (though if you want to be extremely picky if the hubs are below the C of G anyway, then adding more weight below it would lower the C of G in terms of percentage of overall car height but this isn't the point!)

As said, the wishbones of the cup packed stuff are slightly longer, hence the need for cup-specific drive shafts.

 

[stephen chadwick]

has everyone forgotten burp speeds car? used for proper racing not looks. fitted some on mine for handling purposes looks is a bonus at higher speed the car seems allot more stable

 

[Kam.]

What size spacers? ^^

I think I did 25mm eibach spacers each side on the front.

 

[Kam.]

Everyone here does it for looks.

If you want to widen the track for performance purposes then you fabricate new wishbones/driveshafts/custom suspension pickup points/etc. Widening it via spacers affects the geometry in a slightly different way.

Strictly speaking spacers reduce the roll centre height, not the centre of gravity (though if you want to be extremely picky if the hubs are below the C of G anyway, then adding more weight below it would lower the C of G in terms of percentage of overall car height but this isn't the point!)

As said, the wishbones of the cup packed stuff are slightly longer, hence the need for cup-specific drive shafts.

The cup pack is the best option, but certainly the Eibach spacers weigh bugger all though they dont change the geometry in the best way.

 

[imprezaworks]

I think I did 25mm eibach spacers each side on the front.

Cheers

 

[dalejenga]

looks better, and stops my wheels from rubbing on roundabouts etc!

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

i dont see for example 20mm either side is going to any serious damage, and it is a big improvement in looks

 

[barnesautos]

I'm running 20mm spacers on my Ph1 for looks mainly

6mm on the rear

 

[Tony Hunter]

has everyone forgotten burp speeds car? used for proper racing not looks. fitted some on mine for handling purposes looks is a bonus at higher speed the car seems allot more stable

No I haven't forgotten.

 

[Chip-mk1]

they give you a wider track so lower the centre of gravity i believe thus improving handling , I doubt you would notice a massive difference though.

It will not alter the centre of gravity, what it will do is house that CoG within a wider base.



Handling wise, the rear is unlikely to cause any negative effects at all, other than you may find it very slightly more understeery but we're only talking a small amount, and the plus side is increase stability.

On the front you'll find it bump steers and tramlines more as you are upsetting the geometry, but again you gain stability, up to you to decide if for what your car gets used for that is a benefit overall or not.



Bear in mind when looking at race cars that they are basically always cornering on the limit as well, so effects like altering the ackerman angle will be less noticeable as when you have all the weight leant over onto the outside wheel in the first place, what the inside one is doing becomes less relevant.

So its not always a case of what works on a racecar is good for the road.

 

[Gaz_]

I found them twitchy as hell on my 197 with 16mm hubcentrics. Felt awful, especially braking. Bin fodder imo

 

[Chip-mk1]

I found them twitchy as hell on my 197 with 16mm hubcentrics. Felt awful, especially braking. Bin fodder imo

Its very application specific, they work with more benefits than drawbacks on some cars and vice versa on others.

Racers generally wont care about a car being "twitchy" either, as they obviously want to rapidly change direction anyway, so again it depends not just on the car, but what its being used for, on a nice smooth track with no bumps to pull you about you might not have disliked them as much either as down a bumpy road.

Personally though Im with you as a rule as I think clio sport's have great geometry as standard and in most cases people will find them worse overall if they alter it with spacers.

 

[stephen chadwick]

20mm front and rear

one of the problems i found is that the wheel has a larger turning radius with the spacers on, so slower sharper corners the wheels rum on the inner arches.

 

[Tony Hunter]

By the way,I wouldn't put them on my road car,but the race car we need to be as wide as possible.

And no I'm not going to write a essay on the reasons for and against,but the car has been set up as it is and that's it.