5mm spacers and hub rings.

[zooki]

OK, here's my question for the gurus:
I bought a set of Drag DR38 rims(17x7, 40mm offset). The front fit good, but the back look like they could be pushed out a bit more. Can I run a 5mm spacer in conjunction with the hub ring I needed to adapt the rims to the 56.1 center? Is there enough of a lip on the axle to properly center the hub ring even with the spacer installed? Thanks.

[dj petey]

More than 3mm would require longer studs. The factory studs were engineered for a specific wheel hub thickness. Common spacers are supposed to be used only for caliper clearance where there is a 1mm-3mm clearance issue for a particularly tight spoke design. They were never intended to change the track of the wheel base. This should be done by selecting a wheel with the desired offset. The nut needs a minimum number of threads to hold the proper torque. Too few threads and you're asking for trouble.

This may help. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...hlight=spacers

[BAE]

Originally Posted by dj petey

More than 3mm would require longer studs. The factory studs were engineered for a specific wheel hub thickness. Common spacers are supposed to be used only for caliper clearance where there is a 1mm-3mm clearance issue for a particularly tight spoke design. They were never intended to change the track of the wheel base. This should be done by selecting a wheel with the desired offset. The nut needs a minimum number of threads to hold the proper torque. Too few threads and you're asking for trouble.

This may help. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...hlight=spacers

I have installed 5 mm spacers in the rear. Got 7.5 turns on the nuts so it should be sufficient. The only thing is that the 5 mm spacer fills out the whole hub ring, so the wheel is hanging only on the bolts. Is that a problem?

[industrial]

Originally Posted by BAE

I have installed 5 mm spacers in the rear. Got 7.5 turns on the nuts so it should be sufficient. The only thing is that the 5 mm spacer fills out the whole hub ring, so the wheel is hanging only on the bolts. Is that a problem?

Well, as long as you made sure the wheel was centered and you got some torque on all the bolts before you set the car down you should be ok. Not ideal at all though. Why not just get some longer and hardened bolts? They aren't that expensive.

[BAE]

Originally Posted by industrial

Well, as long as you made sure the wheel was centered and you got some torque on all the bolts before you set the car down you should be ok. Not ideal at all though. Why not just get some longer and hardened bolts? They aren't that expensive.

The rule of thumb is that maximum holding strength is achieved at 7 threads of engagement, so that should be ok. Without the spacer the wheel is centered and hanging on the hub ring, so I guess a big part of the loads are transferred directly from wheel to the hub ring. But the spacers is filling out the whole hub ring, so the load transfer from the wheel to the hub is only through friction and the shear strenght of the bolts. That was my concern. It may not be a problem. I don't know.
I have been driving with it for a week and no lost wheels yet. :-)

[dj petey]

Originally Posted by BAE

I have installed 5 mm spacers in the rear. Got 7.5 turns on the nuts so it should be sufficient. The only thing is that the 5 mm spacer fills out the whole hub ring, so the wheel is hanging only on the bolts. Is that a problem?

YES, this is a problem. The wheel should not be floating off the hub. That's why they call it a hub, it's supposed to support the weight of the car. The lug bolts are to keep the wheel connected to the hub, the hub is supposed to bear the weight of the vehicle. This is not safe at all. lug bolts are not designed to support the weight of the car.

[SMOKETREES]

OP are your spacers hubcentric?

[zooki]

I never ended up putting them on. I think I'm going to buy different rims.