Wheel Spacers Versus Performance

[2K3_Boxster_S]

I want to do the infamous 15mm rear 7mm front spacers on my car.

Do wheel spacers negatively affect performance in any way?

Also will the car need an alignment after the change?

wouldn't the cars +/- Camber/Caster and +/- Toe In/Out remained unchanged?

I don't want to increase the rotational mass, so I assume the billet aircraft aluminum are relatively lightweight spacers.

Who makes quaility spacers? I was looking at Eibach. (hub centric)

anyone?

Thanks

[Bob O]

I've had the 7/15 spacers on mine for three-four years. Eibach.(oops...just looked..H&R, not Eibach) No effect on alignment. There might/possibly/ could be a small increase in handling performance due to the slightly wider stance. The only real change is how they bring the tires out to fill the wheel wells. Much better look, imho.



Bob

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by 2K3_Boxster_S

I want to do the infamous 15mm rear 7mm front spacers on my car.

Do wheel spacers negatively affect performance in any way?

Also will the car need an alignment after the change?

wouldn't the cars +/- Camber/Caster and +/- Toe In/Out remained unchanged?

I don't want to increase the rotational mass, so I assume the billet aircraft aluminum are relatively lightweight spacers.

Who makes quaility spacers? I was looking at Eibach. (hub centric)

anyone?

Thanks

Assuming that all things are correct with regard to your alignment specs, adding spacers should have little or no impact on your current suspension set-up. FVD probably spikes a bad chord with you, however, for one price their spacers kits come complete with everything that you need ( i.e. correct length lug bolts, countersink screws ect..), and quality is excellent. In fact, I believe that they actually sources theirs from H&R.

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

FVD probably spikes a bad chord with you,

I have no problem with the company if they supply a good product. Just looking quickly at the spacers they sell. They have the best price I could find, but there 7mm spacers are not hub centric like there 15mm. Is there still enough hub left sticking out for the front wheel to catch on, since its a fairly thin spacer????
H&R is way more expensive but advertises hub centric on both 7mm and 15mm.

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by 2K3_Boxster_S

I have no problem with the company if they supply a good product. Just looking quickly at the spacers they sell. They have the best price I could find, but there 7mm spacers are not hub centric like there 15mm. Is there still enough hub left sticking out for the front wheel to catch on, since its a fairly thin spacer????
H&R is way more expensive but advertises hub centric on both 7mm and 15mm.

The FVD 7 mm spacers are definitely hubcentric, I have them on my vehicle. Perhaps, their site doesn't have a good photo of them, but they are definitely hubcentric. To answer your question, any spacer thicker than 5 mm has to be hubcentric.

[jaykay]

I am doing 15s on the front and 20s on the back..........with 18" sport classics. Why 7s and 15s do you have a different wheel or is there a negative with sizes higher?

The car feels much more stabil, especially over ruts. I have a feeling that there is a roll centre change as well.......towards the longitudinal c of g give less of a roll moment.....can anyone confirm this?

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Originally Posted by jaykay

I am doing 15s on the front and 20s on the back..........with 18" sport classics. Why 7s and 15s do you have a different wheel or is there a negative with sizes higher?

The car feels much more stabil, especially over ruts. I have a feeling that there is a roll centre change as well.......towards the longitudinal c of g give less of a roll moment.....can anyone confirm this?

I have 18 carrera lights.

I've never heard of going 15 and 20. seems a bit much. I don't have much knowledge in this area.

Also will this help run a wider rear tire. Like going from 265 to 275 or 285??

[paulmartin483]

I have used to max35.It was interesting.I assume that all things you have a correctly.But you have find negative wheel as you find and as you thought about it.But i have thought that you have suffer problem when you has run on long drive.But quality you have specified, It was so fantastics.

[mmontfort]

What the hell did he say?

[jaykay]

15s and 20s make the wheels and tires I have flush with the body without contact and rubbing (negative camber on the rears make the bottom half come out). I would have thought this to be quite a common arrangement. Anybody else have 15s and 20s on the rear???

I would think if the offset value of the wider wheels you are considering is the same as the old then, you would gain room for them on the inside with spacers but I think the offset distance will surely change and you will end up rubbing. Also, as far as I know you would have to match/change the wheel size with any change in tire size

Spacers do give you the effect of wider tires and increased track width.....and seem to give a positive roll centre change making the car more sure-footed. Anybody have negative experiences??

Perhaps a wheel and tire expert could chime in????

[Cartel]

Originally Posted by paulmartin483

I have used to max35.It was interesting.I assume that all things you have a correctly.But you have find negative wheel as you find and as you thought about it.But i have thought that you have suffer problem when you has run on long drive.But quality you have specified, It was so fantastics.

I could not agree more. Well put.

[jmatta]

2K3 Boxster S...are you running the stock wheel widths/offsets? I run 8 & 10 X 18 and wouldn't have any room or need for spacers, as my wheels fill the fender wells already..

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Originally Posted by jmatta

2K3 Boxster S...are you running the stock wheel widths/offsets? I run 8 & 10 X 18 and wouldn't have any room or need for spacers, as my wheels fill the fender wells already..

yep, i'm running stock 18". Carrera lights. the ones that were a factory option for the 2003. I don't even know how wide they are. 18x9 maybe????

Check this out. it's a Porsche bulletin for the Boxster. This is funny.

Non-OEM Wheels/Bolts [grp4 9701 4407 3/4/97] 1pg
Use of aftermarket wheels or wheel accessories (spacers etc.) or non-OEM wheel bolts on Boxster vehicles is not approved.

Only the standard wheel bolts can be used to securely mount the wheels to the vehicle. Boxster wheel bolts with rotating spherical collars are a special design and made from a correspondingly selected alloy for compatibility with standard wheels.

Endurance tests have shown that conventional, commercially available non-OEM bolts can loosen when the car is driven, even if they were installed and tightened to the specified torque.

Eighteen inch wheels are not approved for use on Boxsters. Use of eighteen inch wheels on Boxsters under severe conditions may result in structural failures of the body and/or suspension.

If you use spacer's you will die. sincerely Porsche. drive safe.

[jaykay]

the discussion got lost on this....anyone with a negative experience while using 15mm spacers on the front and 20s on the rears?

....yes an S is suppose to have wheel bearings that can take this...

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by jaykay

the discussion got lost on this....anyone with a negative experience while using 15mm spacers on the front and 20s on the rears?

....yes an S is suppose to have wheel bearings that can take this...

Ultimately, it comes down to 3 basic concerns; size, offset and clearance. Starting with a baseline of information (i.e. your current wheel set-up), one can calculate the difference in fitment based on changes in wheel size and offset, as well as likely changes in tire width. When properly calculated , one can determine the appropriate amount of clearance. As far as structural integrity is concerned, I know a vast number of enthusiasts, to include myself, who have been using spacers for years with little to no adverse affects. This begs the question, how big is too big when it comes to spacer size ? Over the years, I've seen just about every wheel and spacer configuration imaginable. And at the end of the day, if a particular application works, well then I guess it works. I'll share a little trick with you as to how one can effectively measure inside wheel clearance. By simply taking a series of allen wrenches, see which sizes will pass between the inside lip of the wheel and the strut or perch. Believe it or not, this simple technique has proven to be an excellent way to preliminarily measure inside clearance. From there, one can estimate how changes in offset or spacer size will effect wheel clearance inside the fender. Even my Porsche "guru" was impressed by this. Determining outside fender clearance is easy. Just use your finger.

[jacabean]

I have been running 7 mm front and 14 mm rear for a few weeks. i have been waiting for some sort of wierd vibration or something to happen but all is good. they make the cars stance much better. I would even like to go a little wider on the rears.

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Ordered the following from FVD

23mm = .90 inch Rear
15mm = .60 inch Front

will try to do a Before and After shoot if I have enough time.

should be done this weekend.

[jacabean]

that set up should be very aggressive

[2K3_Boxster_S]

Done. almost a full inch out back and 1/2 inch up front. Amazing difference in looks!!!! Need to get some pics and put up. looking from the rear there seems to be a tiny bit of negative camber.

[Cartel]

Originally Posted by 2K3_Boxster_S

Done. almost a full inch out back and 1/2 inch up front. Amazing difference in looks!!!! Need to get some pics and put up. looking from the rear there seems to be a tiny bit of negative camber.

Please do as I am interested in conducting this modification to my vehicle as well. All the best throughout the installation.