My mechanic (not that I couldn't do these myself, but I'm just lazy and don't have the time) refused to put on my 20mm H&R spacers today. When I asked him why, he said he doesn't believe in spacers and said he has heard of too many people losing wheels and getting into accidents with them. He said I would have to torque them every other day or so for them to be safe. He told me that if I wanted to have my wheels flush, to buy bigger rims.

Anyone heard this stuff before? Was my mechanic passing up easy money and/or being lazy?

I probably won't be going back to him in the future, but I'm wondering if what he said about the safety thing is true.

 

there's always 2 sides of the story about wheel spacers. i can boldly say many many people has positive feedbacks about it but some do have bad things to say too. the people who's wheels fell off or got into an accident with it probably installed it incorrectly by not TQ'ing them down or maybe they abuse the crap out of it causing the studs to break. i know lot's of people runs spacers included myself and never had a problem. your mechanic is simply in denial about them which i can understand. i wouldn't worry about what he has to say.

if you're gonna install these diy, be sure to have a TQ wrench and TQ them down at 82lbs in a star pattern.

 

Thanks Wei.

 

I am with your mechanic 100% on this issue. Yes, many people use them without issue. But he is right - buy the right sized wheel and it's a non issue.

 

I get your point Jeremy, however..I really like the oem sport 19's. I think they just look good, for now. Maybe down the road I'll get something else...down the road....

 

Your mechanics concern is spelled "liability".

 

Im sure it is, however he didn't say that. He said he doesn't believe in spacers and that's why he wouldn't install them. Idk, I don't think personal opinion should come into play when you're trying to take care of a customer. I mean I don't think half the people that I scan at the hospital actually need them, but I don't make that decision.

Idk...just seemed shady to me.

 

Understanding the way wheel spacers work is simple mechanics. Wheel spacers do not do anything but increase the offset of the wheel. They do not increase sheer-load anymore than if you went and bought a high offset wheel in the first place, so in theory there is NOTHING wrong with wheel spacers.

The safety problem with wheel spacers arises from whether you have enough thread on your lug nuts, and if the spacers you are running are hub-centric.

There are two types of wheel spacers on the market these days.

The first type, and what has become the most popular, are the offset studded wheel spacers. These come with there own studs and flat nuts to space the wheel out.

- The majority of these, if not all of them, are crap.

And it is not because of the sheer strength, it is because they usually run poor grade chinese studs, and the spacer itself is made out of very brittle aluminum. I have seen these time and time again, sheer, snap off, and strip. I believe the only reason people run these is because they either can't afford to do proper wheel spacers, they lazy out, the aren't informed better, or aren't commited to the hella-flush cause :P

The second type of wheel spacer is the pass-through wheel spacer.

- This is the best way to space out you wheel.

Why? because you go and buy yourself quality extended wheel studs, and press them into your factory hub. Both Nismo and ARP sell extended wheel studs.



IMHO this is the only proper way of running wheel spacers on your car, it removes the emphasis of your wheel spacer holding the wheel in place, and makes your wheel spacer, what its actually meant to be.

A wheel spacer.

 

Thanks for the I no dim.