Spacers rookie mistake

[Impureclient]

This could have turned out real bad so I just wanted to put this up as a warning since it would come up under a search when others are installing spacers also.

I installed my spacers about 1k miles ago. Initially they ran very a slight wobble to the steering wheel. Not much but at "certain high speeds" it really worried me but I figured I would get a more accurate rebalance since that could be the issue. So about a few weeks ago I also started getting a light clicking sound when I turned tightly either way. It was a few days before my scheduled oil change so I thought I'd let the dealer look at it while it's up in the air and see what's up.

The day of and on the way over to the dealer instead of a clicking it turned into a louder thumping. Up in the air getting the oil changed, turns out 4 out of 5 lug nuts where hand tightened. Like they could just take them off by hand loose. I know I ran a torque wrench on them to 80 ft lbs but guessed somehow I missed that wheel which seemed very unlikely. Maybe one more day and my wheel would have flew off.

So I leave and for the next couple days I still feel a slight shake in the steering wheel but the clicking/banging was gone. So I jack the front end up and check my right side that was loose. That wheel was wobbling as it turned about 1/8" off like it was severely bent. I removed it and find that the studs were pushing slightly against the wheel so it couldn't sit flush. The depression that is made into the wheel wasn't quit big enough and the stud touched just enough to make a slight impression. This could have easily been caught from the beginning by spinning the wheel after the spacer install and seeing that wobble.

So I took out my dremel and took a little off the inside where the stud was touching the wheel and did the same on the other depressions to make it even. Tighten it back up and no wobble when spinning the tire. Took it down the road to "much too high" speeds and it was smooth as butter.

TLDR: After installing spacers, check to see that the wheel sits flush against the spacer by spinning the wheel when it's up in the air.

[mav1178]

Are they bolt-on or slip-on spacers? I'm assuming bolt-on since you are talking about stud touching the wheel.

This is pretty much the main reason why I will never run bolt-on spacers for street use, just doubling the potential sources of failure.

-alex

[Lynxis]

Yeah I ran into the same problem with my spacers but I noticed my wheels didn't sit on the hub correctly when I tried to put them on. I thought it would be fine because the wheels have pits for the bolts but the pits are spaced for the 5x114 version of the wheel so the bolts hit the hub on the 5x100 version.





This seems to be a problem with a lot of wheels available with multiple bolt patterns and the only way around it would be to cut the OEM studs. I wasn't willing to do that to my car because I've got another set of wheels that don't need spacers so I ended up selling my spacers and buying another set of wheels that fit without the spacer.

[8R6]

what size spacer do you have? 25mm spacers clear the stock studs, barely.

[Impureclient]

Bolt on V-PROJECT-INNOVATION 20mm front and 25mm rear is what I have. That pic above with the 5 red Xs are exactly where mine touched and where I removed some metal. This was only one one side, not sure why only one side touched. I'd like to just not use spacers as is always recommended but selling these wheels off and buying another lighter and better fitting set that I like for $800-$1500 just seems wasteful.

[Shinchu]

Adam Lz on youtube had the same exact issue. Another reason i hate spacers.