Wheel Spacer...

[kido81]

a buddy of mine was reading online somewhere that i shouldn't be runing 2 different size spaces on my car because it would F-Up my quattro system.. I just wanted to make sure if this is correct. I never heard anyone say that before and i know that lot of people are running different size.. I have like 1/8" in the front and 3/16" in the back.. Not much but i hope i'm not messing it up....

[thebigchu]

IMO, it should make no difference at all as long as your front left and front right are the same.

[2ndEngineS4]

I'm pretty sure that it makes no difference. Wheel/Tire diameter is what matters when it comes down to fubaring quattro. I ran 8 mm rear, 5mm front for 25K miles and never had a problem. Running different width spacers front to rear might make understeer worse but if you don't do road courses, I doubt that you will ever notice.

[GyzmoS4]

Is 12.5mm too wide for stock wheels?

[2ndEngineS4]

Is 12.5mm too wide for stock wheels?

Personally, yes. Your wheel bearings will suffer. If you don't mind $400 wheel bearing jobs, then no.

[revhards4]

wheel spacers are fine...to many myths about wheel bearings going out with them...it's all B.S...if you run a wider rim and wider tire willthe wheel bearings wear out sooner? of course not!

[2ndEngineS4]

wheel spacers are fine...to many myths about wheel bearings going out with them...it's all B.S...if you run a wider rim and wider tire willthe wheel bearings wear out sooner? of course not!

Prove it. I think you should revisit your high school physics class lessons if you think that increasing the distance of the wheel from the hub doesn't increase the amount of wear on your wheel bearings. Aside from that, running a wider rim is hardly equivalent to running wheel spacers.

[GyzmoS4]

So is running any size spacers going to create a problem with the wheel bearing? or is it that the 12.5 is just too wide? Maybe a smaller size would be ok? To the OP, sorry for thread jacking, just trying to get a little info b4 purchasing spacers.

[1997gtx]

I run 10mm all the way around on the stock rims for over 30k miles and have never had one issue with anything.
--Adam

[Rated S]

I've run 25mm in back and 10mm upfront for at least a year now with no problems (~20k miles).

[JDM EJ1 95]

anyone have pics with stock wheels + spacers?

[1997gtx]

Mine:

[2ndEngineS4]

I run 10mm all the way around on the stock rims for over 30k miles and have never had one issue with anything.
--Adam

And there are some people with pre 01.5's who are still running stock turbos who have been chipped for 130K miles. . .what's your point? All I'm saying is that increasing the distance from the hub mounting surface on the wheel to the hub will increase the wear on the wheel bearings. I don't make these things up, do your research. Personally, I run 8 mm spacers all the way around. I am aware of the potential consequences and am willing to make the sacrifice for appearance sake. That's all.

[revhards4]

Prove it. I think you should revisit your high school physics class lessons if you think that increasing the distance of the wheel from the hub doesn't increase the amount of wear on your wheel bearings. Aside from that, running a wider rim is hardly equivalent to running wheel spacers.

The hub is still inside the wheel smart guy The only way it would have a drastic affect on the bearings is when the inner lip of the wheel is past the hub. Spacers do little if nothing to help speed along the process of wheel bearings wearing out. It happens on cars of all makes and models with factory wheels.

[kido81]

Thanks everyone 4 your input I do understand that running spacers is putting more stress on da bearing then having the wheel on the hub but i think since i use studs not bolts im putting more stress on da studs then da bearing

[GyzmoS4]

Mine:

That's pretty much the look im going for. Thanks

[BastardS4]

ugh. im not explaining this.

[2ndEngineS4]

The hub is still inside the wheel smart guy The only way it would have a drastic affect on the bearings is when the inner lip of the wheel is past the hub. Spacers do little if nothing to help speed along the process of wheel bearings wearing out. It happens on cars of all makes and models with factory wheels.

If you even had the slightest understanding of thrust angles and their effect on bearing wear/performance, we would not be having this conversation, smart guy. So, Mr. bearing expert, what type of bearings are found in the wheels of our cars?

[revhards4]

To many engineers on these forums...not enough real world experience. Everyone's got a hypothetical of something that may happen and all this fluid dynamic calculations and yada yada yada. But, not to many people here try anything for themselves and see what happens, wheather it works or not. Sure your vast experience in calculations and bearing load may look good on paper but wheel bearings go out on all types of cars, with factory wheels and tires. So, if you work as an engineer try figuring that out and fix the problem, because none of the thousand wheel bearings that I replaced in my lifetime working as a tech at a dealership did any of those cars consist of having spacers.