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Wheel spacers - if you have 'em, I'd like your opinion...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lab Rat
  • Start date Start date Apr 22, 2004
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Lab Rat

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Saxonburg, PA
Apr 22, 2004
#1
  • Apr 22, 2004
  • #1
Wheel spacers! Who's got 'em, what kind did you get, what thickness did you get, and how do you like them? And also, did they just improve your car's appearance, or do you actually notice any differences in handling/stability. I'm thinking of getting some, eventually, but there's a BUNCH of other things in line before I spend money on them. I'm just curious.

Matt
 

Rootus

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Apr 22, 2004
#2
  • Apr 22, 2004
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I used to have H&R 25mm spacers. They move the wheels out about an inch, which improved the looks. No difference in handling. Long-term, it'll wear the wheel bearings faster, but probably not significantly. Make sure you get hubcentric spacers, whatever brand you go with.
 

Lab Rat

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Apr 22, 2004
#3
  • Apr 22, 2004
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HairyCanary said:
Make sure you get hubcentric spacers, whatever brand you go with.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "hubcentric"? And by the way, how's Hillsburrito these days? I moved out here to the flat lands in 1996 and haven't been back. I miss Oregon like crazy tho.

Matt
 

Rootus

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  • Apr 22, 2004
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Lab Rat said:
What do you mean by "hubcentric"? And by the way, how's Hillsburrito these days? I moved out here to the flat lands in 1996 and haven't been back. I miss Oregon like crazy tho.

Matt
Click to expand...
Hubcentric means that they center on the wheel hub just like your wheels do. They bolt down to the lugs like a wheel, and the spacers themselves have their own lugnuts to which the wheel bolts to. The alternative is a thinner spacers that just acts as a shim between the wheel and hub. I wouldn't feel safe with a non-hubcentric design, personally.

Used to be out here, eh? I don't think it's changed much, I only moved to Hillsboro about 4 years go (natively from the other side of Portland). It's getting rejuvinated, as far as I can tell -- areas that were once rental houses are getting bought and converted to regular housing, and new developments are popping up all over the place.

Dave
 

Lab Rat

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  • Apr 22, 2004
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HairyCanary said:
Hubcentric means that they center on the wheel hub just like your wheels do. They bolt down to the lugs like a wheel, and the spacers themselves have their own lugnuts to which the wheel bolts to. The alternative is a thinner spacers that just acts as a shim between the wheel and hub. I wouldn't feel safe with a non-hubcentric design, personally.
Click to expand...

Jeez... I didn't know there was a type other than the hubcentric kind. I wouldn't trust one that was basically a shim either!

Used to be out here, eh? I don't think it's changed much, I only moved to Hillsboro about 4 years go (natively from the other side of Portland). It's getting rejuvinated, as far as I can tell -- areas that were once rental houses are getting bought and converted to regular housing, and new developments are popping up all over the place.

Dave
Click to expand...

Wow, sounds good. It used to be kind of run-down around there. I lived in Corvallis but I had a friend who worked at the Oregon Regional Primate Center, so I used to spend a lot of time up that way. Good mountain biking, which is severely lacking in Ohio.

Matt
 

Black Stampede

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Apr 22, 2004
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  • Apr 22, 2004
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I'm in the market for getting some wheel spacers soon as well. I have 98 Cobra wheels with tiny 245s on them so my car looks horrible with its current spacing. I was originally going to get H&Rs, but now that Eibach has came out with their own which are significantly cheaper I'm going to go with those.

I think I need the largest possible cause my wheels are sunk in so far. What is the largest? 1.5 inch ?

Thanks
 

Ryan Paterick

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  • Apr 22, 2004
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had the 1.5" spacer and felt that it improved my handling. I'm really picky when it comes to handling on this car and notice the slightest mod. This just felt like the car was more stable in the rear(during a corner) and also steering the car was more responsive.

I sold them because they stuck out too much. I would rec. the 1".
 

Zero Signal

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Feb 24, 2003
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Tucson, AZ
Apr 22, 2004
#8
  • Apr 22, 2004
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Anyone have some pics? I remember seeing a picture of the rear with 1" spacers and it put the wheel almost perfectly flush with the fender, it was nice.
 
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94yellowGT

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#9
  • Apr 22, 2004
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Is it OK handling wise to put 1" spacers on just the rears. I bought MOMO FWD wheels that are only 8" wide. The fronts look good while the backs sink in too much.

I was looking at MAC spacers for around $100.

Ya think only rears and MAC is ok?
 

Lab Rat

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Black Stampede said:
....I was originally going to get H&Rs, but now that Eibach has came out with their own which are significantly cheaper I'm going to go with those. I think I need the largest possible cause my wheels are sunk in so far. What is the largest? 1.5 inch ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I think the largest Eibach makes is 1 3/8". Here's a link:

http://www.stangsuspension.com/store/comersus_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=58

I'd like to see any "before and after" pics anyone might have. I've only ever seen one car that I thought might have had them, and it looked pretty good. Rear wheels were flush with the fender wells. Anyone got pics?

Matt
 

Black Stampede

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  • Apr 22, 2004
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punestang said:
had the 1.5" spacer and felt that it improved my handling.
I sold them because they stuck out too much. I would rec. the 1".
Click to expand...

You really think that 1.5 is too much even for an 8 inch wheel on 245s?? When i look at my tires out back it looks like 1.5 inches couldnt even put them flush to the fender. Any body know?
 

Ryan Paterick

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#12
  • Apr 22, 2004
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Black Stampede said:
You really think that 1.5 is too much even for an 8 inch wheel on 245s?? When i look at my tires out back it looks like 1.5 inches couldnt even put them flush to the fender. Any body know?
Click to expand...


good ???. Not sure really. I wish you could go somewhere and slap all the sizes on and stand back and look at each one to see what fits the best. For your 8" rim, 1.5" maybe is the one to go with. You might even be able to measure from the tire to the fender lip to see what a push of 1.5" out would be like. Not sure how accurate that would be but it's worth a try.
 

Rootus

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  • Apr 22, 2004
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You'd be surprised at how far a little bit goes -- it's like dropping your car, an inch looks like three inches. I thought that the 25mm spacer was just about right. Perhaps a 30 would have been perfect, but not more than that. I didn't want it absolutely *flush* anyway, what a mess...

Dave
 

Green Machine

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Apr 22, 2004
#14
  • Apr 22, 2004
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Dave

Did you have 275-40-17 out the back when you put the 25mm spacer on ?

I'm getting some FMS Cobra R 17x9's with 275-40-17 Nitto 555's on the rear, and I wondered if a set of 25mm spacers would flush it up even ? or would it be over kill ? Don't want it sticking out past the fender lip.

I understand that the Nitto 555's sit a lttle taller than other tire mfg.'s

Thanks,Dewey
 

Rootus

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Green Machine said:
Did you have 275-40-17 out the back when you put the 25mm spacer on ?
Click to expand...
No -- I ran the spacers on two cars, a 98 Cobra and 99 Cobra, in both cases with the stock 17x8 wheels and 245-45-17 tires. With my current rims, it doesn't bother me, it's not nearly as pushed in as the 17x8's were.

I'm getting some FMS Cobra R 17x9's with 275-40-17 Nitto 555's on the rear, and I wondered if a set of 25mm spacers would flush it up even ? or would it be over kill ? Don't want it sticking out past the fender lip.
Click to expand...
I don't think it would actually be past the fender lip, but I think it would be messy -- even with the 17x8's, I found that pushing the wheels out an inch caused a dramatic increase in road splatter hitting the sides of the car.

Dave
 

Gravel

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H&R
 

Zero Signal

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ALright someone here has to have some pics!!
 

HoofnIt

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#18
  • Apr 22, 2004
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I also have the H&R 1" wheel spacers and I'm running 94/95 Cobra 17 x 8" wheels. If you're going to run 9" wheels then the spacers aren't really needed. I like the look of mine after adding the spacers; only thing I would change is to have the car lowered about an inch. Just doesn't look right with a wider stance and the car still sitting too high. I used to have some pics, I'll have to dig around for them.
 

WMDPALMER

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Apr 23, 2004
#19
  • Apr 23, 2004
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I have the MAC 1" spacers from Pacifica Performance. They fit great and really help, with the 8" 98 Cobra's I put on. I haven't really driven it yet this year but i'm sure it will drive just fine. They cost $100

http://forums.stangnet.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18104
 

Black Stampede

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#20
  • Apr 23, 2004
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After seeing that pic Im definitely going with the 1.5 inch spacers. Or whatever is the largest...1 3/8 or whatever Eibach has.....
The 1 inchers help alot, but i still think the wheels could come out further.
 
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