# 5mm or 10mm spacers all around



## powerdrift (May 21, 2002)

I'm asking for a friend with a 2001 330i with 18x8 wheels and +40 offset all around. He's using 225/40 Yoko ES100 tires. He's got the stock sport supsension set-up.

He's thinking about getting wheel spacer for a more agressive stance. He wants to put 10mm spacers all around because they'll have the hub centering rings on it. I said that he should get the 5mm spacers cause he may have issues with rubbing up front. The other option I suggested was 10mm in back and 5mm in front. He thought he heard that there were issues with alignment with different spacers in front vs back.

Can anyone here help us out? He plans to Auto-X his car but will be using the same set of wheels on and off track. Will 10mm spacers all around cause rubbing issues up front? If so, is it ok to run 10mm spacers in back and 5mm in front, or should he just get 5mm all around?

TIA


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

I think 5mm will do just fine.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

With 10mm spacers behind ET40 wheels, you're really pushing your luck. Depending on the tires and how the car is driven, it may or may not rub.

Frankly, for 5mm, it's not worth doing anything.


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

They don't make 7.5mm do they? Always been a multiple of 5 I suppose...

I had a paddle shift customer who wanted 25mm all around. That is a HUGE difference...



Kaz said:


> *With 10mm spacers behind ET40 wheels, you're really pushing your luck. Depending on the tires and how the car is driven, it may or may not rub.
> 
> Frankly, for 5mm, it's not worth doing anything. *


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Running with spacers is such a HACK job. You should either get wheels with the proper offset you want, or live with what you got.

I've heard of spacers severing lug nuts on the track and it's not a pretty sight. But then I guess your friend probably has no inclination to ever track his car. :dunno:


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## powerdrift (May 21, 2002)

The HACK said:


> *Running with spacers is such a HACK job. You should either get wheels with the proper offset you want, or live with what you got.
> 
> I've heard of spacers severing lug nuts on the track and it's not a pretty sight. But then I guess your friend probably has no inclination to ever track his car. :dunno: *


Actually, the reason, he wants to get spacers is for better handling on the track. I told him that I'd just get different wheels, but he wanted a quick cheap solution.

Hack, just curious, but how is that spacers can sever the lug bolts? He was looking at Rogue Engineering spacers if that helps.



> _Originally posted by Mr. Paddle.Shift_*
> 
> They don't make 7.5mm do they? Always been a multiple of 5 I suppose...
> 
> I had a paddle shift customer who wanted 25mm all around. That is a HUGE difference... *


Vince, I've seen 7mm spacers from AC Schnitzer and 8mm spacers from some manufacturer that I can't remember.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

powerdrift said:


> *Hack, just curious, but how is that spacers can sever the lug bolts?*


Think of spacers as another piece of the puzzle that has a possibility of moving.

A wheel and brake disc hub is connected to the wheel bearings which is what allow the wheel to turn. If you add spacers, then you have wheel, spacers, brake disc hub, wheel bearing. And the only thing that holds the wheel to the chasis is a longer bolt (which is required with spacers) and the threads that come in contact with the wheel bearing hub. Keep in mind, the lug nuts do not come in contact with the brake disc at all! Take a look at your wheel and brake disc before you put in a lug nut next time. With the addition of the wheel spacer, the spacer is allowed to rotate and come in contact with the lug nut (worst case scenario) but the brake disc isn't. That movement creates a cutting effect and will sever the lug like scissors on a string.

Obviously it's got to be under extreme stress to make it do that, but adding spacers DO create additional stress on the axels by putting the wheel further out. Especially if he's planning on running a lowered suspension where the neg. camber is dramatically increased, that will increase the chance of cutting his lug bolt.

Again, the more elegant and proper solution IS to buy wheels of the proper offset. If he insists on running spacers, make sure he torques his wheels to +10% factory specs AND periodically inspect his lug bolts if he's serious about tracking and autocrossing.


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Right. Now that I recall, ACS makes the 7mm. 

Like what Hack said. Hence I have been avoiding using spacers all these while. I love my Alpina wheels so much that even a brake upgrade means nothing near Brembo or AP Racing. Wheel spacers is out of my list. That's for sure.


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## powerdrift (May 21, 2002)

The HACK said:


> *Think of spacers as another piece of the puzzle that has a possibility of moving.
> 
> A wheel and brake disc hub is connected to the wheel bearings which is what allow the wheel to turn. If you add spacers, then you have wheel, spacers, brake disc hub, wheel bearing. And the only thing that holds the wheel to the chasis is a longer bolt (which is required with spacers) and the threads that come in contact with the wheel bearing hub. Keep in mind, the lug nuts do not come in contact with the brake disc at all! Take a look at your wheel and brake disc before you put in a lug nut next time. With the addition of the wheel spacer, the spacer is allowed to rotate and come in contact with the lug nut (worst case scenario) but the brake disc isn't. That movement creates a cutting effect and will sever the lug like scissors on a string.
> 
> ...


Thanks again Hack! I'll let him know. I recommended that he get some 17's instead of 18's for the track as well... but he's a cheap bastard and wants to run his stock 18's 
Now if only there was an east coast counterpart to yourself for TS around the boston area :


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

Hack . . . are you saying no spacers should EVER be used for any driving or only track driving ? 

How H & R says they are fine to have . . . I can't imagine a company selling a product that can cause a wheel to possibly come off . . .

I was thinking about getting 5mm spacers but your post above is haunting me


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

AF330i said:


> *Hack . . . are you saying no spacers should EVER be used for any driving or only track driving ?
> 
> How H & R says they are fine to have . . . I can't imagine a company selling a product that can cause a wheel to possibly come off . . .
> 
> I was thinking about getting 5mm spacers but your post above is haunting me *


Track driving. The only cases of spacers severing lug bolts I've heard are on the track. Daily driving with a relatively stock suspension should be okay with spacer application.

Regardless, I'd still be inspecting my lug bolts on a very regular basis if I'm ever caught running spacers, tracking or not.


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