Wheel spacers

[Bat21]

Finally got the new wheels and tyres fitted to the new build, 16x8 Fond metal Evo Corse wheels 0 offset.

The fronts are great and I have finally got lighter steering back, the previous wheels were -25 offset so made steering heavy if not moving.

The rears could do with sitting out 30mm more due to the new wider camper body that is fitted. RoughTrax do these wheel spacers but the 'engineer' in me feels moving the wheels out with spacers is going to put extra load on the outer wheel bearings..... or am I over thinking this one?

Anyone else run wheel spacers and have no problems?

 

[Tel Boy]

Just to put your mind at rest, I have run 30mm spacers front and back on my 70 series for many years with no noticeable effect on the bearings of any sort. In theory it does indeed put extra load on them. In practice they can take it with no problem.

 

[Josh Tagg]

My 70 also has spacers, im not sure how long they've been on but it doesn't drive bad at all. Surely it's only roughly the same effect as bigger tyres and offset rims?

 

[Bat21]

Thanks for the replies Tel/Josh.

 

[Beau]

my two cent would be to get hub centric spacers like these and not the regular ones. I transitioned to these years back and it solved the little vibration I had with the flush spacers.

 

[Bat21]

Thanks Beau, not sure how these fit. The centre bore must be 106mm to fit the hub so I can't see how the step in it will fit the centre bore of the wheel.
Where are these from?

 

[nielsc]

I run them, no problems. Mind you it is "only" 30mm... Your previous wheel offset was -25, so it's only 5mm more. Just make sure they are torqued, and not too tight or loose.

 

[Bat21]

Thanks nielsc.
You are right, I think I'm going to go with these and keep an eye on the hub temp, if it stays relatively cool then I guess the outer bearing must be okay with the slightly increased load.

 

[Iwan]

I run spacers on my 70 when fitting 80 wheels and use the hub centric type that Beau showed.. no other way to fit the wheels on.. otherwise they catch on the steering arm.

Also been on for many years.. all good!

 

[Tel Boy]

Thanks to @Beau for the heads up on hub centric spacers. I didn't know there was such a thing until your post higher up the page. I have a slight wobble with my flush spacers. Have just ordered a set of HC ones and look forward to seeing if they get rid of it.
Cheers,
Tel.

 

[Bat21]

Thanks to @Beau for the heads up on hub centric spacers. I didn't know there was such a thing until your post higher up the page. I have a slight wobble with my flush spacers. Have just ordered a set of HC ones and look forward to seeing if they get rid of it.
Cheers,
Tel.

I'm guessing these aren't for an 80 Tel?

 

[Tel Boy]

No, for a 70. Like you I am worried how they can fit. Hub is 106mm and wheel centre is 110mm. That only leaves 2mm for the upstand. Advertised for 4Runner, which I believe has the same axles as me. We shall see when they arrive, which wont be for a week or so. I'll let you know what happens!

 

[Iwan]

The spacers are made with a cnc lathe type of machine. Because for example the spacer is 35mm deep then there's a space between the two measurements... 110mm to 106mm then there's a lot of material between the two diameters. One is like a rebate to go over the hub then the other replicates the raise on the hub for the wheel..

They're the same for 60's 70's 80's and on ..

 

[Bat21]

No, for a 70. Like you I am worried how they can fit. Hub is 106mm and wheel centre is 110mm. That only leaves 2mm for the upstand. Advertised for 4Runner, which I believe has the same axles as me. We shall see when they arrive, which wont be for a week or so. I'll let you know what happens!

Thanks Tel, look forward to seeing how this will work.

The spacers are made with a cnc lathe type of machine. Because for example the spacer is 35mm deep then there's a space between the two measurements... 110mm to 106mm then there's a lot of material between the two diameters. One is like a rebate to go over the hub then the other replicates the raise on the hub for the wheel..

They're the same for 60's 70's 80's and on ..

My hub has an outside diameter of 106mm, my wheels have a centre bore of 106.1mm.

I can't see how a spacer can have a centre bore of 106.1mm (or above) and also have a lip of 106mm on it.... it's not possible surely?

 

[Iwan]

Hi Paul, I was just going off the info from the previous comment. Ref 110mm and 106mm as an example.. just trying to help. Sorry.

I fitted 80 alloys to my 70 but with the off set I had to use the spacers. And they fit well, they give a wider stance. Overall spacers are universal if they have 6 stud pattern. Just check the sizes!

Good luck with it and all the best! Also feel that I didn't explain it thoroughly also.

 

[Tel Boy]

I think I got your meaning Iwan, but if I understand correctly this assumes the raised centre of the hub is thinner than the spacer and it is effectively duplicated at a larger offset. But 70 hubs (and a lot of others) stick out a long way and then have freewheeling hubs mounted sticking out even further. Have a look at the pic. The wheel is on a 30mm flush spacer and you can see the space for the flange on the HC spacer does exist but it's mighty thin. The spacers I have ordered seem to have a thin flange, but is it thin enough? We shall see at the end of the week.

 

[Iwan]

That's it! On the IFS trucks 90 series, the front hub looks to have around 20mm or so of hub protrusion which allows for a step to a smaller inner diameter which will allow for outer thickness to meet the centre of the wheel!

On closer inspection of Beau's pic you can just make it out. Also with the semi floating rear axle it'll work perfectly.

But like you show in the pic there's a tiny gap..

Also looking at my 81 theres the same gap with the similar set of wheels. On some alloy wheels that I've seen they're tight on the centre and had to sand the hub a little..

 

[Bat21]

I think I got your meaning Iwan...

Tel Boy, are you sure your wheel nuts are actually tightening up against your wheel and not just bottoming out in the thread?
The stud at around 10 o'clock appears to have pushed the end off the dome nut. This might explain your 'wobble'.

.... On some alloy wheels that I've seen they're tight on the centre and had to sand the hub a little..

As are my new ones with a 106.1mm bore on the 106mm hub.

 

[Tel Boy]

Don't worry, they are proper tight OK. It's just that when I got the original spacers they needed 24 additional wheel studs. I ended up with a mixed lot. Some are just a little too long and push the top off the dome. Every time I take a wheel off the nuts get mixed up and when the wheel goes back on again the top pops off another one. In the end they will all be open-air nuts. I could swap to taller domes to make it look better. Maybe I'll get these to celebrate if the new spacers fit...

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Tel Boy]

Well @Bat21, you were right to be cautious about how the HC spacers will fit. They turned up today, not from China, at least not straight from China. Maxpeedingrods must have a base in the UK. They look very sexy, nicely made, and black nuts!! … but they don't fit Back they go for a refund.

The hole in the base of the spacer for the hub is 106mm, but you can only slide it on 24mm before the hole starts tapering down to 100mm. At the front my 106mm hub sticks out about 60mm, so the spacer won't go on. At the back they fit just fine because the hub on the car hardly sticks out at all. Then the flange at the top to fit inside the wheel centre is 106mm. But the wheel centre is 110mm so the wheel flops around on the spacer. I thought the whole point of these hub centric things was that the wheel should fit up tight to the flange on the spacer and be centrally located by it and not by the studs. Not these wheels, however. So for this car and these wheels it turns out to be a waste of time. I will have to stick to flush spacers.

If I remember right, your 80 front hubs don't stick out as far as mine, but certainly more than the thickness of the spacers. And at the back aren't your hubs more like my front ones? Stick out a mile? If that's right then you will be wasting your time with HC spacers. You will have to use flush ones too. Just don't worry about the bearings - they can take it.