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Don't ever use cheap spacers (or any spacers possibly?)

PranK

By PranK,
in General Automotive Discussion

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PranK Grand Master

PranK

Posted
Posted

Firstly, I don't need shit. I've been giving myself enough of it to last a lifetime.

For 10 years I've wanted to put spacers on my cars and never trusted them. Too many bad stories. But for some reason I thought I'd get some cheap Chinese ones from eBay to put in while I did Springs and shocks.

Well... I dropped the car back down and took it for a test drive. It started clunking from the rear within 10 metres from my house. I immediately did a uey and went back home. I found that 3 of the extra length lug nuts were finger tight. I pulled the wheel off with the expectation that my Springs were out of the mounts and I noticed the state of the spacer.

I had to heat it to get it off and beat the bejesus out of it with all sorts of tools but, here she is in all her glory.

I feel extremely lucky. I'll never use spacers again.

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IMG_20200716_142226.jpg

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Ben C34 Grand Master

Ben C34

Posted
Posted

looks bad, did you remember to give it a few extrra ugga-dugga's when tightening up the nuts with the rattle gun?

 

 

to be fair I think something else has happened here, perhaps that locating ring size was wrong?

PranK Grand Master

PranK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I tightened it a lot. Rattle gun and then double check with the bar. I have a thing about lug nuts.

The locater trying was stuck in the rim when I took it off.

GTofuS-T Grand Master

GTofuS-T

Posted
Posted

Ouch

31 minutes ago, PranK said:

But for some reason I thought I'd get some cheap Chinese ones from eBay

there's your problem...I don't feel like repeating myself from another thread, but cheap + china = no QC = playing Russian roulette 

  • Like 1
KiwiRS4T Grand Master

KiwiRS4T

Posted
Posted

I have used many spacers over the years without a problem.  10mm is too much for slip on spacers...they should   be bolt on.. with the right combination of spacers and hubcentric rings should be fine. They need to be done up properly before putting any weight on the wheel.

Like Ben said what was the CB of the wheel and what were the inside and outside mm of the rings? The spacer looks like an odd diameter as well. The rings are soft - they are only made of aluminium - some are made of plastic. They are only meant to locate the wheels until you tighten them up.

Many aftermarket wheels have 73.1CB so to go on a Nissan the rings should state 73.1 to 66.1

 

iruvyouskyrine Grand Master

iruvyouskyrine

Posted
Posted

yeah there was more at play here than just shit spacers (but don't be confused, those look like truly shit spacers). Centre bore looks to be an issue for sure. Spacers are't ideal but they aren't that bad. Have run them on my drift cars for years and never even had an issue. 

  • Like 1
Steve85 Mentor

Steve85

Posted
Posted

I don't know enough about wheels, suspension or spacers to be of an use here, but glad that you only had this minor amount of damage. 
I shudder to think if it had let go at high speed... :( 

I am happy that you can post it up here though, sounds like you got off reasonably lightly all factors considered.

hardsteppa Grand Master

hardsteppa

Posted
Posted

i'm not sure I understand the issue either; I used GK tech hubcentric issues with longer studs for many years with no issues, although agreed, never use uncentred " slipon" type/truly cheap sh^t. 

I had the " techs" at one Bob Jane outlet refuse to fit new tyres to my car because " I had spacers, and they're baaad, mmkay?"  I asked him if he realised they were hubcentric, and he truly had no idea what that meant. 

Leroy Peterson Grand Master

Leroy Peterson

Posted
Posted

I've used 5mm non-hub centred ones in the past just to clear brakes. As long as you do your best to centre them properly/evenly before you fully tighten the wheel nuts, ive not had an issue. If its not centre properly I get slightly shakey steering wheel at 100kmh.
Switched to hub Gktech ones now and theyre not an issue.

Good thing you picked up on it Prank

Duncan Grand Master

Duncan

Posted
Posted

Hey Christian, not sure if you ever got to the bottom of this, but I reckon the outer diameter of the raised part that was meant to slip inside your wheel was larger than the inside of your wheel. So, when you tighten it up the wheel nuts tighten down but the whole force was pushed onto the raised lip, not the spacer.

When the lip failed, all of a sudden your wheel nuts had 5mm of clearance and quickly departed.

If you take a wheel off and push the spacer onto the rear of the wheel; does it slide inside so the wheel surface and spacer are flat, or does the centre lip prevent that

  • Like 1
PranK Grand Master

PranK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks all,

So the spacer on the drivers side was fine. They both fit snug on the hub (and hub lip) and into the wheel. I plan on taking the passenger side wheel off this week and measuring the hub and the wheel to double check. I've held the two spacers against each other and they are identical in size.

I'll update once I've checked it out. 

I've found the spacers feedback in here to be interesting, I was definitely expecting a lot more anti-spacer attitudes.

 

  • Like 1
Steve85 Mentor

Steve85

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, PranK said:

I've found the spacers feedback in here to be interesting, I was definitely expecting a lot more anti-spacer attitudes.

 

I think most of us are old and wise enough to know better than to come out swinging on this stuff. Sometimes we all make mistakes and sometimes sh*t just goes wrong. Live and learn!

*Plus we know you're not a troll and are always helpful... :)

GTofuS-T Grand Master

GTofuS-T

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, PranK said:

I've found the spacers feedback in here to be interesting, I was definitely expecting a lot more anti-spacer attitudes.

You should have posted a pro-spacer thread in order to get that response here :P 

  • Like 1
The Bogan Grand Master

The Bogan

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, GTofuS-T said:

You should have posted a pro-spacer thread in order to get that response here :P 

Not from me.

I've used lots of different "bolt on" spacers, from fleabay to brand name (fleabay items with a brand name painted on them).

Never once had an issue.

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