WIDE wheel spacers
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 3
From: Ottawa Ontario, Canada
WIDE wheel spacers
First of all, I'm using widened OEM Z wheels, not some custom made 3-piece wheel. These wheels are widened to 12" from 10.5".
PROBLEM: The hub that centers the wheel is about 3/8" deep, not deep enough to allow the wheel to engage it to center properly.
CAUSE: I'll likely be using a 1/2" spacer with longer studs.
QUESTION: Centering the wheel... HOW?
If the hub surface is only 3/8" deep and I'm spacing the wheel off the hub by 1/2" the wheel will not center on the hub.
Are 1/2" wheel spacers available that center on the Corvette's hub and also provide a centering surface for the wheel to sit on?
I don't want to rely on the wheel studs to center the wheel... I've tried this before on other cars and it does not work! I get vibrations that are VERY annoying and unsafe...
PROBLEM: The hub that centers the wheel is about 3/8" deep, not deep enough to allow the wheel to engage it to center properly.
CAUSE: I'll likely be using a 1/2" spacer with longer studs.
QUESTION: Centering the wheel... HOW?
If the hub surface is only 3/8" deep and I'm spacing the wheel off the hub by 1/2" the wheel will not center on the hub.
Are 1/2" wheel spacers available that center on the Corvette's hub and also provide a centering surface for the wheel to sit on?
I don't want to rely on the wheel studs to center the wheel... I've tried this before on other cars and it does not work! I get vibrations that are VERY annoying and unsafe...
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
I don't see how you are going to achieve your goal unfortunately. This is why many people don't use spacers.
Personally I think your only option is to use a hubcentric spacer "adapter" (the spacers that bolt onto your stock studs AND have their own studs built into them). Unfortunately the smallest I've ever seen were the 3/4" ones I got custom made by Skulte Performance.
If you can spare the extra 1/4" spacer width, I would go with those. These are the safest design in my opinion as well.
http://www.skulte.com/index.php/cPath/21
They only list down to 1.25", but they have a "Custom" designation as well. When I called they said 3/4" was the minimum.
Edit: actually, it's funny, apparently I'm wrong. If you go to that link, and scroll all the way down, you can see that they also sell slip-on spacers that have their own centering "lip" as well. I never realized that. I would still use the adapters if you could spare that extra 1/4" just for peace of mind. But that's not the question you asked so I will shut up about it now
Dope
Personally I think your only option is to use a hubcentric spacer "adapter" (the spacers that bolt onto your stock studs AND have their own studs built into them). Unfortunately the smallest I've ever seen were the 3/4" ones I got custom made by Skulte Performance.
If you can spare the extra 1/4" spacer width, I would go with those. These are the safest design in my opinion as well.
http://www.skulte.com/index.php/cPath/21
They only list down to 1.25", but they have a "Custom" designation as well. When I called they said 3/4" was the minimum.
Edit: actually, it's funny, apparently I'm wrong. If you go to that link, and scroll all the way down, you can see that they also sell slip-on spacers that have their own centering "lip" as well. I never realized that. I would still use the adapters if you could spare that extra 1/4" just for peace of mind. But that's not the question you asked so I will shut up about it now
Dope
Last edited by Dope; Jul 10, 2007 at 07:05 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
We have 5/8 hub centric spacers for the Corvettes. You can't do a 1/2 because the factory hub like you said sticks out +3/8 inch. We also sell strong longer studs.
Randy
www.dougrippie.com look under wheels
Randy
www.dougrippie.com look under wheels
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 3
From: Ottawa Ontario, Canada
Thanks for the GREAT info!
I think I'll find something that works, the 5/8" hub centric spacer may be the way to go... the 3/4" "hub extension" would be a more sound method, but that extra 1/8" might be too much outboard...
I think I'll find something that works, the 5/8" hub centric spacer may be the way to go... the 3/4" "hub extension" would be a more sound method, but that extra 1/8" might be too much outboard...
