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Wheel spacer worry....



t90_lle

East of England
ClioSport Area Rep
A mechanic friend has told me not to put spacers on my car as they'll damage my suspension an wheel bearings etc... i'm looking at hubcentric set which bolt to the hub then i bolt the wheel too. Is this true?? has any other CS member had any issues??
Please help!!
 
  SG9 Forester STi
Personally I would stay away from spacers but having said that many people still use them.

Do you track the car at all?
 
I used hub centric spacers on my old Audi. Personally I wouldn't use any other type if your going to use them.

They bolt to the hub. Then you bolt the wheel too them. Simple. And in my opinion much much stronger/safer than using bolt through spacers.

I drove my car hard and didn't have any issues in the two years I had it.
 
Ive never track'd my car and dont plan to tbh.

In that case I wouldn't worry too much. It's not like you're going to be putting massive strain on your bearings because you shouldn't be flying round corners on normal roads.

I've had hubcentric spacers on for about 3 months and had no problems yet.
 

Coops Mk1

ClioSport Club Member
  Lots of Scrap...
I have run 15mm bolt through (but centre bore lipped) spacers on the front of my mk1 for 5 years, done 5 track days and countless pod runs and lots of road use and still on same bearings I put in when I did the front end overhaul at same time I fitted the spacers. I also run none centre bored flat 10mm ktec spacers on the rear, same again have done for years yada yada

never had any issues from either, car drives beautiful and handles fantastically
 
  XC90, 330d, Trophy’s
It's not so much the spacers that adds issues the suspension and bearings, it's changing drastically from the original offsets, as ultimately a wheel with a 10mm lower offset, or a standard wheel with a 10mm spacer will be doing the same thing.
its the extra load generated on items such as the bearings, it certainly won't kill them over a few weeks or even months, but will shorten the life span of the parts.
 

Coops Mk1

ClioSport Club Member
  Lots of Scrap...
correct, tis not something that will lead to an instant failure, and I don't deny it will add wear, but from my experience that extra wear is so negligible over the life I get from parts and the cost of the parts its just not even worth talking about. its the same when people mention camber wearing tyres out, that comment makes me laugh so hard my eyes bleed, total total rubbish
 
  XC90, 330d, Trophy’s
Exactly.
As a simple example, if a standard genuine wheel bearing may last 60k, then with a set of spacers or wider offset, these may now last 50k.
 


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