So whats the problem with spacers?
 

I have a widebody NA and just got rid of the super heavy wheels the last owner had on there and purchased a set of 6ULS. Now obviously with the +36 offset of the wheels it looks like crap on a widebody. I have heard it is better to go with a lower offset vs using wheel spacers, but what really is the problem with them? Are you more likeley to brake a stud because of the extra leverage? What about getting adaptors, (they bolt to the original studs and have a new set for the wheels? This vehicle will not be going to a track, just DD fun car for now.

Well for one your looking at more leverage, which can lead to a broken stud and other odd issues. Basically, I have always understood that if you can get wheels with a different offset, its just better in general.

There is no problem with spacers.

Thanks for the responses, anyone with mechanical engineering experience that can tell us for sure if the extra force will have a negative impact? Also would the new width act like the control arms were extended rather than act like the wheel with a lower offset, which would keep the cornering characteristics more like stock?

read: Cspence

added stress on the wheel bearings also

If my current bearings can last all season on r-comps, with about 15 days of track action, this dude can drive to and from Tin Lizzy's with those spacers.

what he said^

Basically they add more stress to everything. Stock wheels center the load over the wheel bearings and youll notice most if not all cars from the factory will center the load right over the wheel bearing. When you buy the +36 offset its not a huge change in where the weight is placed but when you keep moving it outwards you can eventually *sometimes* run into problems. Mostly people do all kinds of crazy crap without having issues. Just look at all the hondas with diamond steelies and spacers, or for some reason around here in socal people (cough mexicans) like to put tiny +0 offset wheels on their astro vans and f150s, and then they add spacers. I don't really hear about them having problems and like I said most people don't but if you were going to break a stud or wreck your alignment bushings its much more likely to happen with the crazy offsets and spacers rather then the stockies

You'll be fine. Either go with long ARP studs and a hubcentric spacer or get the bolt on adapters with their own studs.

Like these guys said, if its a street driven car and you use quality spacers/studs, its not the end of the world and you'll probably be fine.

Weight, stress, gayness, etc.

Notice the post counts of the people saying it's fine vs that of the people telling you the opposite. I'd get the spacers.

Well ive been running the spacers since the post went up and have not had an issue. I had them custom made so they are great quality. If something happens I will be sure to update, but for now I don't even sweat it. If I do a track day and try to take the vehicle to the limits of my driving ability, then I may worry a bit. Since that won't happen within the next year or two, I think I'll be ok. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the response. For everyone that posted with nothing helpful... your welcome for boosting your post count lol...

Spacers just change the net offset of the wheel. There are many grades available. They are safe if used as intended and to spec. Porsche even uses them on some bone stock 911s which are intended to be driven quite hard. No problems. On wheel bearings, spacers produce the same load to them as the equivalent offset wheel would exhibit.

The problem is that many use them improperly. Like some clown using those generic multiple pattern plate spacers to hellaflush his ride. Hey lets stack up a bunch of them. And use the stock studs or wheel bolts. Hey they fell off. Well there was one thread doing all the work genius. Not to mention the instability of the stack, poor tolerances, and non-hubcentric layout.

Ugh:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1311461507

These are spacers made by HR, the spring people. They are fine.
http://www.trakplus.com/images/width-overview.jpg

I've notcied tire shops refuse to service cars with aftermarket spacers.

I can imagine the kind of stuff they have seen over the years. I have teched at autocrosses for many years. I've seen folks try to use stacks of washers at each stud as a "spacer". And then they hold the wheel on with maybe 2 threads. Yeah I am the guy who has to say the most powerful word in the English Language to them. No. But I do try to hook them up with a car for the event as a co-driver. Or maybe have them use some other wheels/tires or something. And to educate them so that they learn and can be safer. I mean, I don't want them to go away mad or have their wheels fall off at any point at the event or elsewhere. I want them to have fun and come back again. Without dying or destroying their beloved car.

Im in the auto industrys and I wont touch spacers (at the shop), Its more of a corporate/a small group ruined it for everyone. Plus america is way to litigious so in the case of a failure theyd probably sue me, even if the install spacers werent at fault, cause some dumbass old timer down the street told them it was. Ive been sued for dumber reasons haha.

At my old shop, a regular wanted me to put some balancers on his wheels. pretty much a spacer attached to a ring that was filled with beads and fluids (same principle of putting flour in tires I think) told him know I wouldnt cause inthe event of a failure it would be epic. He took it down the street and had someone else throw them on, came bad a few months later and everything behind the pass wheel was destroyed.

As long as the studs are up to snuff spacers are fine though. Putting a spacer on affects the bearings just the same different offset wheels, and on alot of cares that run high offset wheels its actually better as it make brings the wheel closer to center over the wheel. In non extreme cases though Ive never seen a problem. If you think about it a rotor is pretty much the same thing as a wheel spacer.

The only times Ive seen noticeable accelerated wear on bearing/front end parts from offset/spacer changes, are crazy low offset stuff or hugely heavy big diameter wheels. I dont think either apply in this case.

Just put them on.

Also note that certain spacers are TÜV approved by the German Technical Inspection Agency. Those three letters are the real deal. America has no comparable designation.

That's impossible. You added something new, can't be exactly the same.

The spacers themselves don't add to the stress. Its the change in offset that does (so it would be the same if he ran 40mm offset w/ a 5mm spacer or 35mm offset).