Installing wheel spacers
 

Okay, this is somewhat a repeat topic, but honestly I couldn't find an exact answer. I'm considering installing some conservative wheel spacers for the stock wheels, to help remove a little fender gap. Mazdatrix sells the 5mm spacers that do not include studs, here: http://www.mazdatrix.com/wheel1.htm Would I be able to get away with installing these spacers without dismantling the hub and putting in new studs? What about 10mm? Also, these 15mm spacers come with studs: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MEWA:IT&ih=023
Can someone explain how these work and what's involved with installing them?

Thanks in advance guys.

The ebay spacer looks like you put it over the stock studs and then put the nuts they provide on the stock studs. Given the thickness of that spacer minus the height of the stock studs gives you the indentation they are asking you to have in the back of your rims to make sure the stock studs dont hit.

By doing this you will add stress to the suspension. Something to think about.

A conservative spacer is okay. 5-10mm.
Fronts allow a 6-7mm spacer max and rears are about 10mm i believe.
Studs aren't needed for small spacers, BUT
Don't get ebay spacers. Needs to be hub centric.
RX8 is 66.7?? Someone correct me on this.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Yeah, from the reading I did, the consensus was that a 5-10mm spacer would not adversely affect handling or put too much stress on the suspension. Any other input is appreciated though.

Anyone know where I can get 10mm spacers like the 5mm that mazdatrix sells?

I'm bumping this back up because I still wanted to get info on possibly putting 10mm spacers on the rear wheels. I found some Eibach 10mm spacers here http://www.drivewire.com/performance...eelspacer.html . These spacers come with studs apparently, so would it be absolutely necessary to use these longer studs on the rear wheels? Or would this only apply to the front wheels? According to one of the replies above, 10mm would be okay for the rear on the stock studs, so I'm a little unsure which way to go. Another consideration is that the Eibach spacers are over $100 more than the mazdatrix 5mm spacers!

Thanks again for any advice,

Not much people run spacers nowadays. Try it out yourself and let us know how it goes..
:)

If you have them in hand
 

put a pair on the front and see how thye affect handling. You will know quick. Don't run this way; go all four ASAP if it works.

This may help the looks but it isn;t a great performance move...

I love how when someone mentions spacers everyone jumps them about how bad it will effect handling, but if someone gets wheels with a +35 offset everyone ooos and aahhhs about how awesome it is. It's the exact same thing. Having gotten that off my chest...

With a 5mm spacer you might be able to get away with using the existing studs, but I don't think I'd chance it.

With 10mm you will definitely have to change the studs which is a pretty involved process I'm told.

With 15mm you may be able to use the kind of spacer that bolt to the original studs, then has it's own studs to attach the wheel to. The original studs are 25mm long and there is a cavity between bolt holes on the back of the OEM wheel that is about 10mm deep. So it *should* work.

If you go with a 20 or 25mm then you can definitely use the spacers with attached studs.

I've thought about trying 15mm spacers, but I'm scared the cavities behind the wheels won't quite be deep enough. Try it out and let us know.

Aipex, thanks very much for your suggestions. All I wanted was to improve the look of the stock wheels on the car without going overboard. I'm buying aftermarket wheels soon with at least a +40 offset anyway, so like you said, it's the same thing. If I try a spacer on the car, I'll definitely post the results.

Thanks again.

I was told that I should get some spacers for my aftermarket wheels... but I'm not sure it'll work out for me..

I have 19x9.5 wheels, with a 35 offset, and they slightly rub on my tanabe springs. My neighbor is telling me to get some 10mm spacers to sit them further out but, I'm not so sure abou that.

That would effectively make your wheels 19x9.5 +25. That's not going to fit unless you run some serious camber and roll your fenders.

i thouht id piggy back off this instead of posting something new, i have 19x8.5 and 19x9.5 that i put on today...its +45 offset and to me looks a lil too sunken in. i have a drop on coilovers and think i may lower it a 1/4 inch more to get rid of the gap all around and at that point if im not satisfiedi would like to put 5mm in the front and maybe in the rear...

from the fender to the top of tire i have a good 2 fingers length top to bottom, id like to get it down to one finger gap so i will adjust the height to see how i can get it.

now from fender to the face of the rim im at about 1.5 fingers meaning the rim is sunken in by 1.5 fingers the rear is more like 2 fingers to fender...id like the wheel to sit further out towards the fender down to like a half finger...as flush as possible without rubbing...

is a 5mm spacer all i need??????????? any recomendations on brand, what about the rear????