Styling (Styling) wheel spacers

[Razman]

Right right right, I've had a good search around about wheel spacers on centos.

My wheels are just the cinquecento sporting 4spokes, what sort of spacer size is the best compromise for compatibility and handling? Not looking for massive improvements really

30mm? 40mm? What do you guys think?

Whatever happens they will definately be hubcentric spacers as I'm not a fan of the system of longer bolts with the spacer sandwiched between

Thanks!

 

[blu73]

if you got stock wheels don't fit spacers, will just make it twitchy and less pleasurable to drive. Well that said, cinq sportings had 3mm spacers at front and none at back. sei sportings had no spacers at all & sei abarths (with the 14" wheels) had 10mm at front and none at back. (measurements are per side).

So can't remember what car you have but if you're using the original wheels then just stick to whichever of the above applies.

 

[Pep0]

you could drop it to sporting height and check with broker

 

[fingers99]

If only handling was so simple.

Sticking great big spacers on will just make the car handle badly, overload suspension components and wheel bearings.

In extremis, you can end up with a car that puts you in the ditch (or into oncoming traffic) much quicker than you can react every time you encounter a bump mid corner.

Don't do it!

For what's actually needed, see Custard's thing here.

 

[Razman]

Alas, the experts have spoken

I only talk handling as I don't want to end up in a ditch (that's been answered )

My car is a cinquecento sporting, and I just think the back wheels look a little lost, the fronts aren't too bad really

What about some little 10mm spacers on the back? I mean I'm building a show car, but I don't want it to be undriveable

 

[Cinq999]

I had 10mm spacers on the back of mine for about 9 months. I took them off for the MOT last month, and I could honestly notice the difference. The rear end felt far less stable while conering, and the rear end would lose grip easier. They were only simple sandwich type spacers...but if I were to do it again, I would definitely fit them, but the hubcentric ones.

 

[fingers99]

At the back it won't make a hell of a lot of difference, but avoid anything too big in the way of spacers. Generally, wider front track promotes turn in, wider rear track promotes stability and understeer.

You'll find many (most? all?) mid and rear engined cars have wider rear tyres (simply to help put the power down) while most of the better FWD drag cars have wider fronts, for the same reason.

 

[Razman]

I'm not sure they have 10mm hub centric spacers, Is it enough clearance for the bolts?

What about 30mm? (Hubcentric)

Anyway it's more styling really, but at the same time I don't want to end up in a ditch

 

[Cento186]

For a little while I had the Abarth 10mm spacers on the front of my sei when I only had 13" sporting wheels and it made a big difference! I found the turn in was more sharp and it felt more stable when cornering at speed. :slayer:

Although I now have the 14" Abarth alloys to match and they're so much more grippy If I was doing it for looks I would probably go for 15mm on the front and 10mm on the back so the wheels fill the arches, but to try and keep the balance of the front being wider.
IMO the wheels look a little lost in the back arches if you look at them from behind.

I would recommend hubcentric spacers although don't got nuts with the width, as said above, it will have some negative affects on the handling if you go too wide.

 

[Pep0]

dropping it 20 mm more will

improve handling
improve aesthetics

if you don't tell your broker and there is an accident it would be real bad

 

[blu73]

too big and your arches will start fouling your tyres, my sei had 10mm on the rear with original wheels and 40mm drop and under shall we call it enthusiastic cornering the tyres caught the arches and made quite a clear groove all the way round them

My uncle has fitted 20mm spacers all round on his car and that has gone from being a nice car to a scary twitchy car - he seems fine with it as its for his mrs and she drives really slowly. But bear in mind this is a merc sl500 which did have immense grip before, if you chuck it into a corner now it tries to kill you without fail. So whatever you fit just be a bit cautious before going flat out anywhere as it does change the handling characteristics of a car alot.

 

[jatkinson]

go for it , stick some 30 or 40mm spacers on , so we can all laugh , as i think its 20 mm or more and it sticks past the arch

 

[fingers99]

I'm not sure they have 10mm hub centric spacers, Is it enough clearance for the bolts?

Don't get this bit.

But do use studs rather than bolts, or re-fitting a wheel will be a nightmare.

 

[Eklipze3k]

Don't get this bit.

But do use studs rather than bolts, or re-fitting a wheel will be a nightmare.

I think the OP is getting confused between hubcentric spacers (where the centre bore is matched and provides proper centering) and spacers which bolt to the hub, and then the wheel bolts onto the spacer.

 

[Razman]

I think the OP is getting confused between hubcentric spacers (where the centre bore is matched and provides proper centering) and spacers which bolt to the hub, and then the wheel bolts onto the spacer.

Yep that's it, I'm mixing hubcentric up with those, sorry

And if you want laughs and a disaster, they make spacers all the way up to 80mm so total track widening would be 16cm

THAT would ruin tires

 

[Eklipze3k]

Spacers are not designed purely for style, 80mm spacers could legitimately be used if the vehicle has a standard offset of ET-(negative)40 and the owner wanted to fit ET40 wheels. This would allow the wheels to still sit in the middle of the arches as they should. I can't see anyone being that mental or adamant about fitting that particular wheel though.

 

[Razman]

Learn something new every day

I kinda meant sticking 80mm spacers on a stock wheel

 

[Red Rocket CINQ]

I agree with the previous post, don't put big spacers on standard wheels. I was using 16mm spacers per side front and back and with the wheels I had on there (after market) it was excellent, went around corners very well, decided to put my black Abarth alloys back on with the spacers and the car was unbelievably twitchy. changing lanes on a dual carriageway and it suddenly pulls u one way. really not a good idea. I'm went back to Abarth spacers front and back, it handled pretty good then. the wheels will probably be up for sale soon. momo 14s 100x4 pcd 6j. comes with spigot rings and wobble bolts.

and will include the 16mm spacers. took them off as I don't like the idea of wobble bolts, but that's just me.

 

[Razman]

Ahh well, it doesn't seem worth the messing around, and the risks!

Thanks for the replies, if you hadn't I would have stuck 30mm spacers on it