Hey Guys,

Picked up a new set of wheels, 18X8 +30. I have 235/40s on the front, and 255/40s out back. Up front the tire rubs against the coilover slightly. From what i measured a 3 or 5 mm spacer will fix it. Is just buying one of those cheep generic wheel spacers on ebay ok? i mean with only 3-5mm is there a saftey issue raised? should I be getting arp studs at this point or is it not really necessary?

Either I buy the spacers for the front, or i grind down 2-3 mm off the coilover and possiably some of the spring... which im thinking would probably be worse than the spacers.

Thanks!

heres a pic:

 

I want to think I've read stock studs are fine up to a 5mm spacer. I just recently put some 5mm spacers on the front of mine because I picked up a set of 18x8+40 Konigs and they were grinding my coilover springs too. I haven't put many miles on the car since I've installed them though, so I can't say I speak from experience just yet.

 

The answer is that it depends, Mustang wheels for instance can't quite get enough thread engagement on stock studs to be considered completely safe.

To figure it out, Count the number of FULL turns you can get from the lugs on the stock studs, subtract 8, then multiply that by 1.5 and you'll get the maximum safe spacer width that you can run. You need at least 1 diameter of thread engagement, and at 12x1.5, that's 12mm, so 8x1.5 = 12, so that's where the subtract 8 comes from, the multiply by 1.5 since the lug moves 1.5mm per rotation.

 

I just got some generic 1/4" 5 lug wheel spacers from a wheel shop in town for $10 bucks each. I have used the stock studs and stock wheels but I have 225/50/16 tires on there and they were rubbing. I haven't had any problems yet (*knock on wood*), but I just did it the other day so have only driven like 200 miles and even on the highway there are no balance problems. I do kinda want to get extended studs pretty soon though, I'd feel a lot better about it. Oh yea, but I did hear my tire scrape the fender at high speed taking turns when you hit a bump or a hill or whatever. I need to roll my fenders.

 

I heard that there are extended Chevy studs you can use that are much cheaper than the arp alternative. Anyone know about these, searching didn't come up with much info.

something about a camero or something?

 

I want to think Corvette.

 

whats even cheaper that they came out with is gorilla brand counter sink lugs,that counter sink throught the rim hole and the hole in the spacer.

i was gonna go with vette lugs till i found out they came out with these.

i got mine at discount tire

 

http://www.gorilla-auto.com/small.di....locks.page_13

like these the et ones

see how the bottom is extended!!

 

Don't you have to drill out the lug holes in the rim to use those?

 

no modification to the wheel is required..also those nuts are great for centering wheels that don't have a snug hub-centric fit.

 

Beauty! Works for me. Now would you guys recommend the Et style with .25" or the Et extreme with .5" that goes into the lug holes with a 5MM spacer?

 

Doesnt wheel spaces put more stress on the wheel bearings and cause them to wear out quicker?

 

I can't see spacers causing more bearing stress than just wider wheels with lower offests, effectively the same principle.

 

Spacers by themselves, no. Incorrect offset with or without spacers, yes.

 

the .25 is fine 1/4" 5mm is less than that