spacers

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ccrdave

Active Member
Posts
175
Do wheel spacers reduce body roll due to the track being wider?

can anybody give me any positive feedback on spacers? I know all the negatives theres loads of posts on here saying the wheels will fall of and the bearing will collapse, but does anybody have anything good to say about them?

just wondering!
 
I have 30mm spacers all round on mine and they seem fine, had just as much hassle with my last one, bearings wise, which had none. As for body roll, who knows, its a disco mine is lifted, running 32" MTs with front and rear ARBs removed so body roll is just something i accept, i try not to go fast enough to notice if im honest.It has a good stance, more assertive shall we say compared to standard discos and defenders, it helps a little off road i suppose if the tracks and ruts are being made by standard motors and smaller 4x4s you can sometimes get a bit more high ground to play with, turning circle is ****e but it was with my standard disco too, all in all i like em.

Now onto more important things, does anybody know whats the biggest tyre i can get on my disco now i have spacers and a lift, without having to cut away any more rust???:p
 
ccrdave said:
tell me why you dont like them please
Click to expand...

go get a rule and hold it out strait holding the tip, put a pound coin on it close to your fingers and note how it feels weight wise ,then put the the pound at the opposite end from what you are holding notice its a lot heavier this has the exact same effect on your wheel bearings the further the wheel is away from the bearing the more strain/load is placed on them, they fail faster plus many spacers are poor quality and break this is why most insurance company's wont allow you to use them if you want wider wheels buy wider wheels
but this is only my thought
 
Spacers also move the pivot point of the front wheel, this leads to excess tyre wear and scrubing and even more load on bearings.

Wider wheels is the way forward...
 
sorry but wont wider offset wheels have the same effect as spacers? moving the centre line of the wheel out by 30mm will be the same if its an offset wheel or a spacer wont it?
and as for the ruler trick well I agree if the wheel was suspended in space but its not its on the ground and there is no sag if the bearing is adjusted properly.

I can see however the extra load placed on the bearing but dont landrover spec a maxiumum of -30mm offset for normal operation anyway?
 
ccrdave said:
sorry but wont wider offset wheels have the same effect as spacers? moving the centre line of the wheel out by 30mm will be the same if its an offset wheel or a spacer wont it?
and as for the ruler trick well I agree if the wheel was suspended in space but its not its on the ground and there is no sag if the bearing is adjusted properly.

I can see however the extra load placed on the bearing but dont landrover spec a maxiumum of -30mm offset for normal operation anyway?
Click to expand...

He said wider wheel not different offset! Fills your arches without cocking up your geometry. There's an imaginary line that goes thru the swivels to the Tarmac and it should correspond with the centre of the wheel to give easy steering and put less stress on components! You can deviate from this but it will affect your geometry and longevity of components, how much depends on how far you go!
 
1spin said:
for what you pay for spacers , why not just get a set of 10x8 rims.
Click to expand...
theese are 10x8 rims on my disco

aldermaston6.png
 
Ok understood about wider rims but dont wider tyres put extra load on componants cos there is more tyre on the road/ground? So whats better having to replace wheel bearings (cheap) or replace steering componants?
I dont use my disco offroad but i do use it to do long journeys carrying some heavy gear and i was just wondering if spacers would give better road manners.
The only wider wheels i can find are steel wheels which are heavier than alloy and give a bigger footprint which will still overload the drive train and use more fuel.
Which is the best compromise?
 
ccrdave said:
Ok understood about wider rims but dont wider tyres put extra load on componants cos there is more tyre on the road/ground? So whats better having to replace wheel bearings (cheap) or replace steering componants?
I dont use my disco offroad but i do use it to do long journeys carrying some heavy gear and i was just wondering if spacers would give better road manners.
The only wider wheels i can find are steel wheels which are heavier than alloy and give a bigger footprint which will still overload the drive train and use more fuel.
Which is the best compromise?
Click to expand...

your right wider wheels bigger tyres will have an effect but i haven't heard of a bigger tyre or wider wheel snapping i have seen with my own eyes a spacer failing, surely stiffer springs and better shocks will give you better road manners if you do however go for spacers make sure they are machined steel or stainless steel, cast or alloy are just not strong
 
ccrdave said:
Ok understood about wider rims but dont wider tyres put extra load on componants cos there is more tyre on the road/ground? So whats better having to replace wheel bearings (cheap) or replace steering componants?
I dont use my disco offroad but i do use it to do long journeys carrying some heavy gear and i was just wondering if spacers would give better road manners.
The only wider wheels i can find are steel wheels which are heavier than alloy and give a bigger footprint which will still overload the drive train and use more fuel.
Which is the best compromise?
Click to expand...

In my opinion:)

Spacers:- pros
Fill arches, look good, widen track, more stable on side slopes, make skinny tyres look more butch

Cons
Steering heavier, Shorten wheel bearing life, affect steering stability, increase tram lining, shorten swivel life, puts more strain on steering components,

Wider wheels with original offset:- pros
Fill arches, look good, widen track, more stable on side slopes, retained geometry, handles correctly

Cons
Steering heavier, slightly more strain on components due to extra rubber on ground but less than above, slightly increased fuel consumption due to drag from larger tyres

Conclusion, for road use and economy, stick with road tyres, standard size, and no spacers, if you want it to look chunky fatter with no spacers works better, if you like the look of spacers it's your choice, any improvement if far out weighed by the negatives, I only use them if I have Clearence issues on an off roader, I don't like them for road use!
You'd be surprised how little weight difference there is between steels and alloys!
 
Diesel Do said:
In my opinion:)

Spacers:- pros
Fill arches, look good, widen track, more stable on side slopes, make skinny tyres look more butch

Cons
Steering heavier, Shorten wheel bearing life, affect steering stability, increase tram lining, shorten swivel life, puts more strain on steering components,

Wider wheels with original offset:- pros
Fill arches, look good, widen track, more stable on side slopes, retained geometry, handles correctly

Cons
Steering heavier, slightly more strain on components due to extra rubber on ground but less than above, slightly increased fuel consumption due to drag from larger tyres

Conclusion, for road use and economy, stick with road tyres, standard size, and no spacers, if you want it to look chunky fatter with no spacers works better, if you like the look of spacers it's your choice, any improvement if far out weighed by the negatives, I only use them if I have Clearence issues on an off roader, I don't like them for road use!
You'd be surprised how little weight difference there is between steels and alloys!
Click to expand...
Excellent stuff thank you
 
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