Wheel spacers

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I've had to use 3mm spacers to get my new alloys to clear the front calipers but do you fit them on the rear wheels aswell? I've not used spacers before.

 

Cheers

[dan 0]

You don't need to put spacers on the rears as well but, they may look better & give better lateral traction. You can safely use up to 5mm spacers with the OE nuts.

 

I have 3mm spacers on my back wheels only... just for appearance :)

[LicklePaulie 0]

I didn't have to use spacers on the front cos them is big wheels and allow for big brakes - I did however need to use spacers on the rear to avoid the wheels rubbing on the coilovers! Not an answer to your question I know but there you are.

You may not need spacers to clear your rear calipers but might want to retain the wider rear track (in proportion to the front)... It's all up to you!

[coullstar 0]

Are you sure about the 5mm spacers and OE nuts? I was thinking of doing the same.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

cheers chaps.

 

I have actually put them on the rear anyway but thought I'd seek your opinions as I think the wheels stick out a little further than I'd like. Offset was 38 on a 7 x 6 but with the 3mm spacers all round, offset is now 35 and about right for the extra width....I think!

 

I might take the rear spacers off then. It just looks weird because although I have the same width and model of tyre I had on my 15s, on 16s, they look narrower! I wish I'd gone for 215x40s now! Nevermind!!

 

Would taking 6mm out of the rear track (compared to spaced out fronts) make much of a difference to the handling then?

 

My wheels came with new bolts and are plenty long enough, but ideally you need at least 10mm of thread in the hubs.

 

I'll get some pics up when the camera is to hand......

[jedi-knight83 0]

they wont clear the front calipers??? have you upgraded the brakes already then or is that the standard calipers you cant clear???

 

thought bigger wheels would go over them easily?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

They didn't go over the standard calipers! It only took 3mm to provide the necessary clearance though. It's that big bar that hangs off the side of the caliper (near to the hub centre) that fouled the wheel.....bloody thing.

 

Yes big wheels give the required diameter to clear big discs but caliper clearance is entirely down to wheel design.

 

When you fit the Brembos et al, you lose that silly bar thing anyway....

[jedi-knight83 0]

big bar??? you mean the carrier?

 

heres a question....bbs solitudes and speedline vr6 wheels....they both go over standard brakes (obviously) but are they exactly the same space inside???

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah the carrier, bar, brackety thing....it's wider than the caliper itself.

 

The base of the Speedline spokes have been shaped especially to clear the carrier. Same with the Solitudes I suspect.

[dan 0]

Are you sure about the 5mm spacers and OE nuts? I was thinking of doing the same.

 

Well I was told that the original bolts would do upto 5mm, any more than 5mm would need special extended bolts (about £1.00 each)

 

I would double check before fitting 5mm spacers...

[daves16v 1]

AFAIK the bolt length into the hub must be at least 1x bolt diameter, e,g 12mm dia bolt = minimum 12mm thread length.

[Supercharged 2]

Alot of people with Mk3 GTi's have problems getting aftermarket wheels to fit over there calipers (which are the same as Corrado's I think...) even 17's which are sopposedy the correct offset

 

AFAIK the bolt length into the hub must be at least 1x bolt diameter, e,g 12mm dia bolt = minimum 12mm thread length.

 

Also when buying longer bolts make sure you also don't get them too long as they will grate against the ABS rotors...

[pablo_vr6 0]

I've had to use 3mm spacers to get my new alloys to clear the front calipers but do you fit them on the rear wheels aswell? I've not used spacers before.

 

Cheers

 

just got my rims on and needed 3mm spacers on the front to clear the calipers. gonna put 5s on front and rear tho just to push them out a little.

[Henny 0]

I've got 11mm spacers on the fronts to clear the brembos... no spacers on the rear...

 

I can safely say that it hasn't affected the handling that I've noticed and I have given her some real stick over the last couple of months on drag strips, sprint circuits, and test tracks, so I think I'd have noticed any bad side effects by now! ;) :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Cheers Ian mate, that was just the answer I was hoping for :lol:

 

Is the track exactly the same front and rear if using standard wheels and no spacers?

 

Or is the C like the MK2 XR2, i.e. wider track at the front than the rear?

 

What I'm getting at is, 22mm is a feckin lot of difference in track, LOL!!!

 

But it works, so..... good on ya 8)

[Henny 0]

couldn't tell ya what the track widths are supposed to be... :| All I know is that I needed to get the tracking re-set as the 11mm per side obviously changed the tracking enough that it was gonna scrub my tyres if I'd have left it alone... I'm considering putting spacers on the rear too just to even it up a little, but that's just a cosmetic thing.... 8)