 | Home > Wheels & Tyres > Spacers - yay or nay? |
 
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232   
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Does anyone do thinner spacers? Say 15mm or 20mm?
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30th Mar 2017 9:23am |
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| X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2297 
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Hello stephen123
Overall I would say yes...but it's close. I have a smaller steering wheel also...which I think makes the whole job of steering feel much better. (I personally have just got use to the cabin size, but a smaller wheel, less arm movement, is just better) All of the above advice applies, best quality, hubcentric...etc Number one plus for fitting wheel spacers is the improved turning circle, adjust the steering stops in, to preserve the clearance of the Tyre on the axle components, and its a different vehicle, not quite with a London Taxi's turning circle, but it turns a 5 point turn into a 3 point turn. The improved turning circle is the thing that it would be difficult to lose once you have it, even though like most I would guess that this was a by product of wanting a different, Wheel / Tyre combination, the Defender whilst never really a road hugging, fast cornering vehicle, unless modified to the compromise of it's off road abilities, is however improved with a slightly wider stance and more rubber on the road, spacers help you achieve this. A negative is that spacers will put more stress / wear on the wheel bearings, therefore probably reducing their life expectancy, but at £25 a corner for genuine replacements (if DIY) not too big a problem. I also extended the wheel arches to keep the vehicle technically legal (projection of Tyres) although mine went through its first MOT without this addition  Click image to enlarge Good Luck SKIP https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html |
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30th Mar 2017 9:25am |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110 
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You can get them with extended bolts but I wouldn't go more than 10mm due to the weight of a defender. I also wouldn't go less than 25mm with the captive bolts, maybe 20mm if it's not a working truck (not a lot of towing/heavy loads). |
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30th Mar 2017 9:29am |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110
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Depends on the rubber, a wide MT tyre will make a defender handle much worse on the road. Tyres that extend further than the arch are just an MOT advisory, however the police have the right to pull you over and fine you...etc if the mood takes them. |
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30th Mar 2017 9:35am |
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| camelman Member Since: 27 Feb 2013 Location: Peak District Posts: 3386
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Most of the UK parts dealers do these wheels at around £40 a wheel at various offsets and sizes (16x7 16x8 and 16x10) thus removing the need for spacers. A lot of after market alloys also have larger offsets but obviously you're then paying £100+ per wheel. |
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30th Mar 2017 9:46am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17600 
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It is unlikely that anyone reputable makes thinner spacers than 30mm. A good-quality spacer (such as Rakeway, for example) has to be thick enough to accomodate the wheelnut which holds the spacer to the hub, the full length of the original stud, and the head of the setscrew which forms the new stud, all in the thickness of the spacer. There has to be enough thckness in the spacer (a) between the wheelnut and hub and (b) between the setscrew head and wheel for adequate strength. Using high spec alloys, this means 30mm is usually the minimum possible overall thickness for the spacer. To go thinner than this the technique is to fit a plain disk drilled to fit over the existing studs, usually in conjunction with longer studs. Whilst properly done, with good materials etc, this is unlikely to cause problems the loading on the hub and studs will be very different to proper spacers as described above, and it will inherently be less strong, more likely to cause the wheel to come loose, and generally less satisfactory (there are several engineering factors at play which I don't really want to get into). A good quality 30mm spacer properly fitted, and properly torqued is no more likely to fail, come off, or cause problems, than the native wheel itself. Contrary to popular Internet opinion (ie old wives' tales) it doesn't load your hubs or wheelbearings any more than using a wheel with a comparable offset would either. It is something of a mystery to me why there is a belief that all spacers are intrinsically dangerous.
Failures are as far as I can tell very rare. Where are all these "catastrophic failures" that are "floating about"? I suggest that this is another Internet myth. I look forward to someone providing hard evidence that failure of a good quality spacer is any more likely than failure of a good quality wheel. |
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30th Mar 2017 10:52am |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232
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This is one reason why I don't believe in extended wheel studs. Fine if the studs are greater in diameter. Skip, Where did you get your 'eyebrow' extensions for the wheel arches from? Many thanks |
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30th Mar 2017 11:00am |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110
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It's certainly not a myth mate: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wheel+sp...mp;bih=615 |
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30th Mar 2017 11:13am |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232
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I think there is confusion being created regarding 'catastrophic' failures. If a part is 'designed' right, tested right, and used right(i.e. to up to what it was designed to do) it will NOT fail. It will only fail when it goes out of its correct zone.
This usually happens after the Design stage due to either manufacturing or operator. |
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30th Mar 2017 11:41am |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110
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I agree, that's why I made the point about the spacer failure being caused by user error rather than by poor design
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30th Mar 2017 11:49am |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232
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Sorry Kit,
I misread your reference. Thats what happens when your trying to text, answer emails and read the internet on a phone whilst driving down the M1 at 80!!!! |
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30th Mar 2017 12:06pm |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110
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No worries, easily done
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30th Mar 2017 12:22pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17600
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That seems to show perhaps half a dozen failede spacers (several pictures are of the same spacer), so hardly a lot. I am not saying they can't be broken, enything can if you put your mind to it. I am saying that failures are very rare and are usually down to stupidity, not the spacers. We are in fact on completely the same wavelength, it is only really the common-ness of failures I would dispute, |
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30th Mar 2017 1:37pm |
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| Kit Member Since: 12 Feb 2016 Location: Shropshire Posts: 1110
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I haven't mentioned frequency (at any point)
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30th Mar 2017 3:06pm |
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