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Author Topic: Wheel spacers for edition 30  (Read 9300 times)

Offline chigmuss

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #15 on: May 04, 2017, 09:34:00 pm »
I believe I'm right in saying hubcentrics start at 12mm, ie they support the centre bore of the wheel when mounted up, the bolt is merely pulling the wheel onto the hub tightly. I've had 10mm ones (which had no 'support lip') and did get wheel vibration. So anything over 12mm you will be able to have as hubcentric.

Offline MIJ_JAGGER

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #16 on: May 04, 2017, 10:13:44 pm »
H&R makes 10mm hubcentric so does Eibach....

Offline Timsrs

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #17 on: May 04, 2017, 11:00:47 pm »
Do they do 8mm hubcentric

Offline MIJ_JAGGER

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #18 on: May 04, 2017, 11:25:56 pm »
Haven't seen any

Offline AJP

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #19 on: May 04, 2017, 11:45:08 pm »
I had 8mm H&R hubcentrics on the front of a mk4. They exist(ed).

BUT.....

Damian makes a good point. The rear hub 'protrusion' is often deeper than the front. Basically the inner bore of a hubcentric spacer can only be of a certain depth in order to allow the spacer to have a hubcentric lip.

In layman's terms, an 8mm or 10mm hubcentric spacer might not fit far enough onto the hub lip/protrusion. The spacer won't reach the disc.

On the mk4 at least - to confuse the situation further - some mk4s had deeper rear hub lips than others. So some people got away with 10/12mm spacers, while some people could only fit a minimum thickness of 15mm, and lots of people got the hump.

Some success was had with an angle grinder on the rear hub lip, but I'm not advising that...

I've probably described that terribly, I'll do a diagram to clarify if needed!

Offline pudding

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #20 on: May 05, 2017, 09:51:47 am »

Some success was had with an angle grinder on the rear hub lip, but I'm not advising that...


 :surprised:

Reminds me of people cutting chunks out of the front chassis legs for driveshaft clearance because they've lowered the car so much, it's practically undriveable  :grin:   

Any change in handling characteristics from spacers?


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline AJP

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #21 on: May 05, 2017, 10:33:47 am »

Some success was had with an angle grinder on the rear hub lip, but I'm not advising that...


 :surprised:

Reminds me of people cutting chunks out of the front chassis legs for driveshaft clearance because they've lowered the car so much, it's practically undriveable  :grin:   

Any change in handling characteristics from spacers?
Yep, lots of chopping went on in the mk4 scene.

Theoretically if you widen the front track you'll get more rotation/turn in, and widening the rear decreases it, so increasing understeer. That's with a front wheel drive car at least.

It's nice to have a square set of wheels that fit nicely without having to use spacers!

Offline pudding

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #22 on: May 05, 2017, 10:56:52 am »

Some success was had with an angle grinder on the rear hub lip, but I'm not advising that...


 :surprised:

Reminds me of people cutting chunks out of the front chassis legs for driveshaft clearance because they've lowered the car so much, it's practically undriveable  :grin:   

Any change in handling characteristics from spacers?
Yep, lots of chopping went on in the mk4 scene.

Theoretically if you widen the front track you'll get more rotation/turn in, and widening the rear decreases it, so increasing understeer. That's with a front wheel drive car at least.

It's nice to have a square set of wheels that fit nicely without having to use spacers!

You're not wrong.  I felt like an outcast having a standard R32 back in my MK4 days  :grin:

Check this out, it makes for horrifying, but not unsurprising viewing -


OK cool, I was tempted to move the standard wheels out a bit for more track and improve the visuals a bit, but was concerned it would ruin the handling.  And also moving the tyres further out flings up more stones and grit onto the arch lips and sills, and we all know how these cars like to rot in those areas, so didn't want to augment it!


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline AJP

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #23 on: May 05, 2017, 11:05:45 am »

Some success was had with an angle grinder on the rear hub lip, but I'm not advising that...


 :surprised:

Reminds me of people cutting chunks out of the front chassis legs for driveshaft clearance because they've lowered the car so much, it's practically undriveable  :grin:   

Any change in handling characteristics from spacers?
Yep, lots of chopping went on in the mk4 scene.

Theoretically if you widen the front track you'll get more rotation/turn in, and widening the rear decreases it, so increasing understeer. That's with a front wheel drive car at least.

It's nice to have a square set of wheels that fit nicely without having to use spacers!

You're not wrong.  I felt like an outcast having a standard R32 back in my MK4 days  :grin:

Check this out, it makes for horrifying, but not unsurprising viewing -


OK cool, I was tempted to move the standard wheels out a bit for more track and improve the visuals a bit, but was concerned it would ruin the handling.  And also moving the tyres further out flings up more stones and grit onto the arch lips and sills, and we all know how these cars like to rot in those areas, so didn't want to augment it!
I'll have a look at that this evening. Still need to watch the Stoptech vid too!

If you kept the wheels 'square', ie spaced the front and rear the same amount, you shouldn't get any negative effects (provided you kept things within sensible limits).

I'd imagine 10/12mm all round on a Pescara would be a nice result. And if the rear hub lip issue was apparent, you'd be fine with 12 front 15 rear.

It's only really the stancey 'staggered' setups (8" front 10" rear kind of thing) that really throw the handling.

A couple of mill isn't going to do a lot.

Offline pudding

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #24 on: May 05, 2017, 11:57:48 am »
OK cool, I like the sound of a subtle 10mm front and back  :smiley:


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline AJP

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #25 on: May 05, 2017, 07:06:17 pm »
Just watched that vid @Pudding

Wow. What a pile of sh*t. I feel sorry for the guy that bought it. As they say - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

That attempt at a chassis notch?! And the nearside strut/hub just falling out...?! Deathtrap.

Offline pudding

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Re: Wheel spacers for edition 30
« Reply #26 on: May 08, 2017, 01:58:09 pm »
Just watched that vid @Pudding

Wow. What a pile of sh*t. I feel sorry for the guy that bought it. As they say - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

That attempt at a chassis notch?! And the nearside strut/hub just falling out...?! Deathtrap.

Awful wasn't it!  It had 'bodge' written all over it, especially when I saw plasti-dip overspray everywhere!

And the Lion Bar looking welding on the seat runners  :surprised:  It's a complete death trap!


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D