Choosing the right wheel spacers

[Alfa1712]

Originally Posted by NewArt

Wow, that's a lot of calculating! Your prospective fronts are about stock. I would add a 10 or 15 mm spacer to push them out a bit. Don't go overboard as this could cause handling problems. You need 18 mm to bring your rears out to stock. Again add on 10 to 15 mm to push them out a bit, so roughly 30mm should do the trick for the rears.

Thanks NewArt.

I have read of some guys going with 23mm spacers at the rear, so in my case could I not go with 18mm to bring me out to stock + 23mm to fill the arch, giving a total spacer of 41mm at the rear?

Do I also need to consider the fact that my new set up is running 10" wide with 285 tyres, or is that irrelevant?..

[NewArt]

No, it is not irrelevant. You are adding 20mm over stock tire width, so that's 10mm on the outside. There's more to this than just the aesthetics. Changing the effective offset of a wheel will also affect your suspension geometry and could cause handling problems. I stand by my previous recommendations.

[Gilles]

also too large spacers would increase early bearing failure..

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Alfa1712

Thanks NewArt.

I have read of some guys going with 23mm spacers at the rear, so in my case could I not go with 18mm to bring me out to stock + 23mm to fill the arch, giving a total spacer of 41mm at the rear?

Do I also need to consider the fact that my new set up is running 10" wide with 285 tyres, or is that irrelevant?..

If intend to drive the Box you will not like the 285 tires.

[Boxstard]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

If intend to drive the Box you will not like the 285 tires.

Clearly this is more to 'show'....

i drive plain o 2.5 hard and 255 rears are plenty, and I won't think about 18" unless I can reduce overall sprung weight and in fact my 97 is not designed for 18" anyway so little temptation.

And spacers will change suspension geometries/ scrub, effectively soften the spring rate and add more load to wheel bearings. Winder tires pushed out will add more wind drag at speed too.

It will look aggressive I'm sure but you would need to live with functional compromises when you are inside the car and actually driving it.