What does everybody think of this. It may be old and some of you may have it. If so, how is it and is it worth $80 a piece?

 

I've been wondering the same thing...

Dan

 

Ok, You ask for an opinion. This is mine. It will differ from many others. But, I am right

If you are going to do something like this you must make sure they are manufactured correct. When your factory wheels fit onto the spindle hub they are centered by the inner diameter of the wheel and the outer diameter of the hub. This is called "Hub Centric". This means the wheel lugs are being used to hold the wheel to the hub not to LOCATE the wheel. A bolt is manufactured to serve ONE function and that is to hold two parts together in "Tension".

A properly designed set of spacers will have a lip on the outside that will locate to the bore in the wheel. If they are made without a lip. RUN.

You can find a machine shop in your area that can make them the way they should be made. Let me know if you need more info on how a proper set of wheel spacers should be designed.

 

Hey, those seem overpriced. There are numerous businesses online and on ebay that will custom make any adapter with any combination for 130-140 bucks for all 4! Just type "wheel adapter" on ebay search and you'll see what I mean.

 

I mostly agree with this statement but the fit between hub and rim is not close enough in tollerace to center the hub. The wheel nuts do this by their tapered shoulder design and the rim having a tapered seat. You will actually find that there is a very small gap all the way around the outside diameter of the hub and the inner bore of the rim. The wheel nuts actually do both tasks, center the rim on the hub flange and hold by tension and that surface tension is what keeps the wheel from flopping around.

If the hub lip was 60mm and the center bore of the rim was 60mm, you couldn't realistically fit them since there would be no space to move the rim over the hub lip. In reality, and mechanical engineering, you need some slop to move one part over another.

The benefit of a hub lip is that you don't gall the threads by sliding a rim and tire across the threads of a wheel bolt. You place the rim on the hub lip, which will support the weight and get the rim 99% centered.

That's my take.

Now as for the wheel spacers to convert to 5x114.3....
I'm not so sure this is a good idea. For one, it needs to be X thick, so that will change your backspacing of the rim. (For those of you who don't know, backspacing is a more accurate way of describing the mounting surface of your rim, kind of like offset, yet backspacing rarely changes with rim width.) With this change in geometry, you need to be aware of your clearances and might not be able to run a stock FC or FD rim without yet another spacer.

I think a better alternative is to:
1. Upgrade to the GSL-SE hubs and rear-end (4x114.3) ~ cheaper than $320

2. Be happy with the selection you do have with 4x110mm ~ cheaper than $320

3. Buy rims what would fit, take them to a wheel builder and have the holes filled and the rim re-drilled for your bolt pattern. ~ cheaper than $320

That's my take and would love to hear everybody elses...

 

CP Racing actually makes the adapters the correct thickness to run FC rims without more spacers.

 

As I said, other opinions will differ.

 

"3. Buy rims what would fit, take them to a wheel builder and have the holes filled and the rim re-drilled for your bolt pattern. ~ cheaper than $320"

There are places that will do this??? Do you know any companies off hand that will do this?

Thanks!

 

You can have any descent machine shop CNC your own custom adapters. I had mine covert to studs also. For all four, it cost me $180.

 

I'd really just like to get a GSL-SE but they are really rare in Oklahoma.