Wheel spacers
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Reading
Wheel spacers
Hoping someone can help as the E60 forum is shocking!
Getting a 520d M-Sport shortly as a company car with optional M172 19" wheels (non run-flat so smoother than the 18").
Lots of the yanks have added 12mm spacers to the rear to make the wheels fill the arches more from a horizontal perspective & I admit it looks better.
My question is how this affects the handling by moving the rears out by this amount vs what was designed / engineered with the car. The yanks have all claimed it makes no difference, but given all their roads are straight and they claim amazing bhp increases on the S by giving it a wash I'm not feeling 100% confident.
Anyone with some pearls of wisdom they could share would be appreciated; I have seen spacers crop up on the forum a few times & whilst I understand what they 'do' I dont really graps what the risks may be.
Thanks
Matt
Getting a 520d M-Sport shortly as a company car with optional M172 19" wheels (non run-flat so smoother than the 18").
Lots of the yanks have added 12mm spacers to the rear to make the wheels fill the arches more from a horizontal perspective & I admit it looks better.
My question is how this affects the handling by moving the rears out by this amount vs what was designed / engineered with the car. The yanks have all claimed it makes no difference, but given all their roads are straight and they claim amazing bhp increases on the S by giving it a wash I'm not feeling 100% confident.
Anyone with some pearls of wisdom they could share would be appreciated; I have seen spacers crop up on the forum a few times & whilst I understand what they 'do' I dont really graps what the risks may be.
Thanks
Matt
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,661
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From: Perth, Australia
There are several different sorts.
Generally - they are okay as it's the same as running a wheel with a diff offset.
If you are running an offset non stock, it can chew wheel bearings. Usually if it's a few mm it'll not make a difference.
if it's just a small plate (under 5mm), you can get them on the stock wheel studs.
from 5mm to 10mm they usually supply longer studs.
The big ones (I used to run 25mm on my old MR2 to compensate for the wheels I bought as it needed a staggered offset) actually bolt to your hubs, and then have new bolts to mount your wheel to.
Generally - they are okay as it's the same as running a wheel with a diff offset.
If you are running an offset non stock, it can chew wheel bearings. Usually if it's a few mm it'll not make a difference.
if it's just a small plate (under 5mm), you can get them on the stock wheel studs.
from 5mm to 10mm they usually supply longer studs.
The big ones (I used to run 25mm on my old MR2 to compensate for the wheels I bought as it needed a staggered offset) actually bolt to your hubs, and then have new bolts to mount your wheel to.
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From: Reading
Originally Posted by Nick Graves,Jun 16 2008, 07:35 PM
I saw a BMW wheel catalogue, where the wheels came in soooo many offsets, it was stupid.
I think consulting BMW is the only safe bet.
I'd not deviate from OEM by more than about 5mm either.
I think consulting BMW is the only safe bet.
I'd not deviate from OEM by more than about 5mm either.
even looking at 5's on the road there seem to be many variances; how else do you take wheels from 16-19" to fit on the same platform?!
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From: Hertford
Originally Posted by MJ2k,Jun 16 2008, 07:39 PM
even looking at 5's on the road there seem to be many variances; how else do you take wheels from 16-19" to fit on the same platform?!Especially when the platform covers such a ridiculous array of engine outputs, with the commansurate brake and tyre sizes required...