Home > Wheels & Tyres > wheel spacer safety issue? |
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LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324 |
Wheel spacers have been around for a long time now and I can't recall any issues with additional mechanical stress to wheel bearings. I guess the only real safety issue is to make sure they're fitted properly. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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3rd Nov 2011 4:25pm |
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leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8581 |
MSA run events normally ban the use of wheel spacers. So if fitted you would not normally be allowed to enter your local club RTV event.
Brendan |
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3rd Nov 2011 5:46pm |
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Romadog Member Since: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Powys Posts: 1749 |
Make sure your spacers are Type Approved would be a good start otherwise your insurance maybe void
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3rd Nov 2011 6:37pm |
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JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412 |
And make sure your insurance know they are fitted as they would consider them a modification. John http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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3rd Nov 2011 7:45pm |
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diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6093 |
I have a set that I sometimes fit to the 110. It certainly looks better with them on, however I always end up with the wheel wobble on the front sometimes; my swivel preload is fine, TRE's, panhard rod etc, which is strange.
And when they're fitted, I always have this niggling feeling that when I hoof it around a bend, I'm "overloading" something....maybe I'm just thinking too much into it with a mechanical-sympathy head on alas, nothing has broken off, and like was said, thousands of others use them with no problem. |
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3rd Nov 2011 8:14pm |
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twopoint6khz Member Since: 18 Aug 2011 Location: North Lakes Posts: 654 |
Assuming they're properly aligned they put no more stress on your bearings than wheels of the same offset, e.g. modulars. There are more nuts to come undone though.
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3rd Nov 2011 9:00pm |
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jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8035 |
true. if you run spacers combined with a large offset rim then you can get bearing issues. worse case is large offset, large tyre and then spacers. the further the load is from the kingpin the worse the effect on the bearings and scrub turn Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop |
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3rd Nov 2011 9:03pm |
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Martin H. Lee Member Since: 21 Oct 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 15 |
I don't intend to use big tyres and negative offset and spacers together. I am thinking of stock alloy wheel and spacer with 235s or 255s for reducing turning circle and for stable looks. By the way, if I use Zu alloy wheels, how much more negative offset I can get than stock alloy wheels? Live, Love, Pray |
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3rd Nov 2011 11:16pm |
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Martin H. Lee Member Since: 21 Oct 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 15 |
I didn't think about the insurrance issues. Good point. Then alloy wheels, such as Zu alloy wheels, which has more negative offset than stock alloy, they also can cause problem too? Cheers Martin Live, Love, Pray |
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3rd Nov 2011 11:21pm |
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blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17391 |
As stated above, wheel spacers won't affect your wheelbearings any more or any less than wheels with an equivalent changed offset. It is just another of those urban legends that they will.
Unless you opt for a very thick spacer or hugely different offset wheel, the increased loadings on the suspension components should be negligible. The only aspect of the steering geometry that will be affected is the 'scrub radius', which is a function of the steering axis inclination and camber angle. The scrub radius is the distance between the point at which a line drawn through the centres of the top and bottom swivel pins instersects with the ground, and the line along which a plane through the rotational centre of the tyre intersects with the ground (which is generally outboard of the steering axis interstection point). The scrub radius will increase if the tyre is moved outwards, either by use of a spacer or by use of a wheel with reduced (ie "more negative") offset. However, the scrub radius will decrease is a larger diameter tyre is fitted without changing the offset, since the act of raising the axle further from the ground will move the intersection point of the steering axis and ground plane outwards. Fitting a wider tyre of the same diameter to a wheel of the same offset won't affect the scrub radius at all, since the increase in tyre with is shared equally on either side of the rim. The result of this is that fitting spacers and larger tyres will actually affect the steering geometry less than fitting spacers without fitting larger tyres. The effect of increasing the scrub radius is that the vehicle will be more affected by changes and irregularities in the road surface; for eample, it may be more prone to 'tramlining' in lorry-ruts on motorways, more prone to a wobble when crossing white lines; that sort of thing. When I bought my 07 DC it had 285/75s already fitted on standard Boosts without spacers, and I fitted 30mm spacers as soon as I reasonably could (principally because the turning circle was unbelievable!). I found that the steering performance and handling improved afterwards. One thing to bear in mind with spacers, especially thin ones, is that the hub/wheel interface may not be as strong as before, and this is probably the area of most concern (and the reason why spacers are not allowed in motorsport). For the spacer to work, the spacer must be bolted to the original wheelstuds and the the wheel bolted to studs fixed in the spacer. Therefore (a) the spacer must be of adequate strength/thickness to mount the new studs securely, and (b) the spacer must be think enough to accomodate the full length of the original wheel-studs AND the thickness of the nuts holding it to the original studs within the thickness of the spacer. With thin spacers, there is relatively little material left to secure the spacer after it has been counterbored to accomodate the nut. I don't believe that any reputable manufacturer makes spacers for LRs which are less than 30mm, and this is the reason. There is no reason why any of the nuts should ever come loose. There is another urban legend that says the nuts should be threadlocked, but this is not a good idea. If the threads are kept clean with just a hint of copper-grease, and the nuts are torqued correctly, the nuts will not loosen. Many insurance companies will frown upon the use of spacers and it is not clear why. It may be that they are too ignorant to understand them fully, or more likely they have stats whcih show that cars with spacers fitted are more likely to be involved in accidents than those without, which is probably true in the case of the Corsa-Kiddies but not 4WDs. A specialist insurer should be OK with them. |
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4th Nov 2011 10:28am |
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jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8035 |
good answer, very clear and informative. Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop |
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4th Nov 2011 8:45pm |
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blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17391 |
Thanks! I try my best. |
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4th Nov 2011 11:55pm |
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Martin H. Lee Member Since: 21 Oct 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 15 |
All replies thank you very much indeed Live, Love, Pray
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5th Nov 2011 2:24am |
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ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731 |
Glad Blackwolf has confirmed what Matzker (German LR tuning specialists) told me I have top-quality 3cm (each side) spacers and everything else standard (Boost with 235s). The steering stops were adjusted and the turning circle is massively improved. I drive around underground car parks a lot, and the spacers mean I can park in (relatively) normal spaces. Look cool too Without them, I scraped a few pillars with my "pillar sliders" and failed to park - very embarrassing Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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5th Nov 2011 7:44am |
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