Wheel spacers on
#1
08-05-2011, 08:17 AM
Wheel spacers on
I know it's kind of a dumb question. But I'm just daydreaming here at work and thought I'd get another opinion.
I am going to hang on to my 17" rims, I think, for purposes of ride quality and gas mileage. But I want to do something else to them. I've already stripped them to bare aluminum and kind of gave them a "burnished" look.
So my question. On a non-lowered G35 sedan with stock 17" wheels, would adding spacers enhance aesthetics, detract, or just do nothing at all?
Like I said, not a useful question for the forum, but more of a thing that makes me say hmmmm. I'm having trouble picturing it.
I am going to hang on to my 17" rims, I think, for purposes of ride quality and gas mileage. But I want to do something else to them. I've already stripped them to bare aluminum and kind of gave them a "burnished" look.
So my question. On a non-lowered G35 sedan with stock 17" wheels, would adding spacers enhance aesthetics, detract, or just do nothing at all?
Like I said, not a useful question for the forum, but more of a thing that makes me say hmmmm. I'm having trouble picturing it.
#2
08-05-2011, 12:55 PM
Registered User
#3
08-05-2011, 12:58 PM
#4
08-05-2011, 01:09 PM
#5
08-05-2011, 01:15 PM
#6
08-05-2011, 01:24 PM
Registered User
I'm also going to throw some spacers on my stock wheels. Nice cheap/subtle way to set the car apart from others while saving for awesome/expensive aftermarket wheels. Will post pics when done... There's a wheel fitment thread kicking around somewhere, right? I was going to start by test fitting 15mm all around.
#7
08-05-2011, 01:26 PM
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#8
08-05-2011, 01:30 PM
Registered User
#9
08-05-2011, 01:37 PM
This was posted on another forum and seems helpful. A Toyota Celica forum, I think.
Wheel Spacers and Adapters are two different things. A spacer will bring the distance from your wheel and the cylinder out by as much as 1/4" - anything more than this is unsafe.
Many auto part shops carry spacers and most wheel warehouses use/install them on several cars each day.
A wheel adapter is 1" or larger and attach to your cylinder by way of lug nuts - you then bolt your wheels to this new wheel adapter's lug pattern.
By using a wheel adapter with the same lug pattern as your original, you push the distance of your wheels out by an inch or more.
Most manufacturers, even Porsche and BMW, leave extra space between the wheels and the fenders, to suit arcane regulations or to leave space for flapping tire chains. These Light-alloy adapters are used to push your existing wheels or even your hot, aftermarket alloys out to fill the wheel-wells or your custom wide-body fenders properly, giving you better cornering, better aerodynamics and even better looks.
Wheel adapters have two uses; they are used to push the distance of your wheels out further by adding an adapter of the same bolt pattern to your existing factory hub-wheel setup. Or They can also change your bolt pattern from a 5x100 to a 5x114 or even 4x100. prices for these range from $300 to $400 (a set of 4 x $75 to $100 each piece at 1" each), and are difficult to find (Pepboys, Autozone and most import shops don't carry these - you'll have to call around to many specialty shops to find these)
Installation is simple; remove your wheel, set one over your existing bolts, use an additional set of lug nuts to tighten them down. Then place your wheels over the adapter's bolt set and tighten those down. About a week later, remove your wheels and re-tighten your 1" adapter now that it has settled - then replace your wheels and you are all set.
Many auto part shops carry spacers and most wheel warehouses use/install them on several cars each day.
A wheel adapter is 1" or larger and attach to your cylinder by way of lug nuts - you then bolt your wheels to this new wheel adapter's lug pattern.
By using a wheel adapter with the same lug pattern as your original, you push the distance of your wheels out by an inch or more.
Most manufacturers, even Porsche and BMW, leave extra space between the wheels and the fenders, to suit arcane regulations or to leave space for flapping tire chains. These Light-alloy adapters are used to push your existing wheels or even your hot, aftermarket alloys out to fill the wheel-wells or your custom wide-body fenders properly, giving you better cornering, better aerodynamics and even better looks.
Wheel adapters have two uses; they are used to push the distance of your wheels out further by adding an adapter of the same bolt pattern to your existing factory hub-wheel setup. Or They can also change your bolt pattern from a 5x100 to a 5x114 or even 4x100. prices for these range from $300 to $400 (a set of 4 x $75 to $100 each piece at 1" each), and are difficult to find (Pepboys, Autozone and most import shops don't carry these - you'll have to call around to many specialty shops to find these)
Installation is simple; remove your wheel, set one over your existing bolts, use an additional set of lug nuts to tighten them down. Then place your wheels over the adapter's bolt set and tighten those down. About a week later, remove your wheels and re-tighten your 1" adapter now that it has settled - then replace your wheels and you are all set.
#10
08-05-2011, 01:46 PM
Registered User
I have just been educated. I don't think I'd even consider buying "spacers" ever because 1/4" won't do much for any setup I've ever contemplated. I bought some aluminum 12.5 mm spacers I was gonna put on the rears for my 97 maxima a few years back. I never did, though. I still have those things in the garage. I believe they would need to be put on inside the rotor, maybe. They didn't seem to fit on the outside. Who cares now, though.
Last edited by obsdnoblivion; 08-05-2011 at 01:52 PM.
#11
08-05-2011, 01:49 PM
Registered User
#12
08-05-2011, 02:18 PM
#13
08-05-2011, 03:07 PM
Registered User
Lol I've never even heard the term "adapter" used. What is referred to as an "adapter" above is just a bolt-on spacer.
Slip-on:
Slip-on's are generally only available in smaller sizes (15m or less). You just slide then onto your existing wheel studs then put the wheel on. Most are not hub centric so you have to actually move them around by hand with the wheel pseudo-tight to ensure that the spacer is centered. If not you could get vibration at higher speeds. Going big w/ a slip-on is risky because the bigger you go, you're lessening the amount of wheel stud left for your lugnuts to grab onto. Some people run big slip-ons with extended studs, but I personally consider bolt-ons to be the safest solution if you want a big spacer.
Bolt-on:
Bolt-on's are safe if you want a real thick spacer (like anything over 20/25mm) because they're hub-centric to ensure the wheel stays centered. You're essentially bolting the spacer to the hub & brake rotor, then bolting the wheel to the spacer.
I was running 40mm bolt-ons on my drift car for a while with no issues. On the other hand I lost a wheel running slip-ons one time because I had factory studs which only left like 4 threads for my lugnuts to grab onto lol whoops!
Slip-on:
Slip-on's are generally only available in smaller sizes (15m or less). You just slide then onto your existing wheel studs then put the wheel on. Most are not hub centric so you have to actually move them around by hand with the wheel pseudo-tight to ensure that the spacer is centered. If not you could get vibration at higher speeds. Going big w/ a slip-on is risky because the bigger you go, you're lessening the amount of wheel stud left for your lugnuts to grab onto. Some people run big slip-ons with extended studs, but I personally consider bolt-ons to be the safest solution if you want a big spacer.
Bolt-on:
Bolt-on's are safe if you want a real thick spacer (like anything over 20/25mm) because they're hub-centric to ensure the wheel stays centered. You're essentially bolting the spacer to the hub & brake rotor, then bolting the wheel to the spacer.
I was running 40mm bolt-ons on my drift car for a while with no issues. On the other hand I lost a wheel running slip-ons one time because I had factory studs which only left like 4 threads for my lugnuts to grab onto lol whoops!
Last edited by EvBot DET; 08-05-2011 at 03:13 PM.
#14
08-05-2011, 03:54 PM
#15
08-05-2011, 04:04 PM
Registered User
Yep, just one other small potential issue. I've only had the wheels off my G a couple times and I forget if they have reliefs cut into the backside of the wheel face... If you run a smaller bolt-on spacer your factory studs might protrude past the face of the spacer like below. In that case you're basically screwed unless your wheels have reliefs like the ones below for the extra stud length to poke into.
Without reliefs the wheel won't mount flush to the spacer. I ran into this issue a while back w/ bolt-on 20mm and wound up installing them then grinding the excess stud length off because my cheap wheels didn't have reliefs. Not really the best solution, but it worked lol
Without reliefs the wheel won't mount flush to the spacer. I ran into this issue a while back w/ bolt-on 20mm and wound up installing them then grinding the excess stud length off because my cheap wheels didn't have reliefs. Not really the best solution, but it worked lol