The unfortunate thing about people's misconception of spacers is that if you type in "spacers" in google, one of the first things that pops up is some youtube video with some jackass who didn't use the correct (hub/lug-centric, i forget which) on his car and didn't properly align it so the wheel violently wobbled. Damn idiot threw it on a lift and was bitching throught the entire video about why spacers blow.

Yay for the internet and its flood of foolishness.

 

Howdy,

I'm too lazy to search for it, but I seem to recall reading in the dim darkness of time that the additional surfaces a spacer provides results in more grip between the wheel and hub face, not less. Instead of the clamping force being distributed over only one surface to surface interaction, its distributed over two (or three, or four, or whatever).

I imagine its not a straight linear relationship or anything simple if you actually get into the deep nitty gritty though.

Mark

 

the cone face of the lug nut is interfaced with the cone seat on the wheel, the only way it can slip is for the studs to both bend and stretch

 

true--just look at drag racers for example--no wheel slip but with enough power the tires can actually slip on the rims.

 

Hey everyone - after doing a lot of reading, I'm gonna buy a set of 25mm spacers. My only bsmall lack of clarity is everyone says you need to use hubcentric rings to make sure everything is centered. I already have a set of the rings on my wheels (OZ ultraleggeras) which should center the wheel-spacer interface. Is there some sort of other spacer at the spacer-hub interface? Or do I need different rings of some sort? Or am I good to go?

I do run some HPDE days and aggressive street driving, so I want to make sure they are set up right. I feel pretty confident in the hardware if it's set up right, based on what I've read....

Thanks guys!

 

your wheels would have a ring to adapt to a hubcentric face on the hub itself (or spacer). Without the hubcentric ring on the spacer, the ring on the wheel have nothing to seat against.

Usually spacers will come with hubcentric rings if they are advertised as hubcentric spacers
(ichiba, enkei, etc)

Example of hubcentric spacer ring (note the reduced outer diameter at the top of the ring, that is where the wheel ring would seat)


Example of a hubcentric wheel ring

 

No, they will seat against the stud/lugnut interface. The hubcentric extension takes the shear load off the studs so that they are mainly in tension. In theory this is stronger. In reality racers have run without hubcentric and not had issues. If you have the option and can use them then it makes sense. I use to be very fickle about maintaining it myself, but don't consider it to be that critical any more.

 

Soooo final follow-up question - installing tomorrow! (will post before/after pics)

I'm considering putting a small amount of anti-seize between the spacer and the wheel hub to prevent them from binding. I'll have to remove/reinstall them twice a year because I don't think they will work with my winter tire setup, which has much higher profile tires, plus I'm lowered a bit.
But, since it was discussed above that the all the forces are transmitted via the friction between those surfaces, NOT the studs, would this be a bad idea? Since it would reduce exactly that friction. Just not necessary?

I may be overthinking all this as usual....but....better safe than sorry... Thanks guys...