Wheel Spacers - Bad News?

[1STMP]

As for stressing bearings, if I do run these, they
will be only on the rear. My rear axle has been
shortened 3" inches per side to make room for
the wider tires when being on the track. I would
think that due to the shorter axles, the stress on
the bearings wouldn't be as great while using
spacers while it's being run on the street. The
stress on the bearings should be about the same.

 

[bm02tj]

The stress or load is offset whether with rim offset or spacer it will be the same

 

[DoomRunner]

PSA. Here is what happens when someone improperly torques the wheel adapter nuts. Makes a loud noise that signals impending doom. Just like you think it would sound when your wheel is about to fall off.

 

[dvw]

First; a spacer slides over the studs. I doesn't have a second set of studs. That would be an adapter. Second; you have to know what drives the wheel. It it is the friction between the wheel and the surface it is bolted to. It is this friction driven by clamp load that does the driving. It is not the studs themselves. A thicker or better quality stud allows for more clamp load. That clamp load doesn't care if there is a thin drum, thick rotor, or spacer as long as it's clamped properly. Wheel bearings don't care either unless the offset is severe. I run spacers on my racecar. It has over 850 passes. Runs mid 1.2x 60ft. It's cracked wheels. It's broken 3 sets of Dana 60 gears. But its never hurt an axle bearing or had a loose wheel. Wheels are always properly torqued. I check the torque after the first few passes when a wheel has been removed for service. After that they retain torque without ever loosening.
Doug

 

[DoomRunner]

First; a spacer slides over the studs. I doesn't have a second set of studs. That would be an adapter.
Doug

Thanks for pointing that out. Edited my post...

 

[1STMP]

My concerns are changing the load on the bearings by moving the load, the others are fastener and spacer failure. IMO a recipe for disaster.

Move that load out via more
backspace and a wider wheel.
The forces on the bearing and
lugs would be the same as using
a spacer.
I believe where failures show up
is non-hubcentric spacers with
poor installation practices.

 

[66Satellite47]

Adapters are scary. I used 1/4" home made spacers on my '65 Coronet drag car for a couple years with a couple different wheels. The dvw comments are right on. Proper torque to get the clamping force is the key.

 

[Stumper]

Looking for a general consensus here on the use
of wheel spacers. I know some drag racers use
them when their "big" tires are removed and the
car is in street duty, with the spacers and smaller
tires and wheels are installed. I've not heard of
any catastrophic failures when they've been
implemented. I have heard the engineering
references both pro and con.
Has anyone run these and wish they hadn't?

I ran a set of 5/8" for several years on a 700hP Plymouth with 325 ET Tires on 10" wheels and a spooled rear end and had no issues. The caveat being I didn't race the car.

 

[33 IMP]

I ran a set of 5/8" for several years on a 700hP Plymouth with 325 ET Tires on 10" wheels and a spooled rear end and had no issues. The caveat being I didn't race the car.

I ran a set of home-made billet 1/2" for several years on a nine second car, with 14" slicks on 14"wheels, and a spooled rear with a transbrake, and had no issues. The caveat being i raced the car every chance I got.

 

[Snook]

Use a quality spacer and you won't have any issues. I used the ones from Billet Specialties and never a problem on a 775+ HP wedge with a D60. IMO, no problem...

Chuck (snook)