Wheel spacers?

[Triplegreen500]

So, I like my survivor 500's factory 14s and hubcaps. I just dig the "original" look. But...the wheels are so far back in the body, I'd love to get the spaced out more, to "fill" the fenders a bit. Anyone ever done wheel spacers for this reason? I'm thinking 1.5" rear, possibly 2" depending on tire-to-fender clearance; maybe 1" or 1.5" up front? I'll have to measure clearances at full lock...

Thoughts?

 

[4mulas]

I think that’s pretty far to go with a spacer on any car with more than 100 horsepower. You’d have to change all the studs too obviously. I wouldn’t go much more than a half an inch and that’s only if I had to. Not fan of spacers at all if you can’t tell.
The best solution is to get wider wheels made with the oem center’s in the desired offset you want, or buy them done if you can find an off the shelf solution

 

[Kern Dog]

I used to like the cheap and easy methods like this but over the last few years, I started adopting a mentality that includes spending a little more to do it right.
A thin spacer works fine but the thicker they get, the more stresses they impart on the lug bolts. This is obvious to you so I won't elaborate on the physics of it.
One method that does seem safer and more durable is a bolt on wheel spacer. Billet ones are available and are far stronger than cast aluminum. You can get them in different thicknesses. The main drawback of them is that they add another step when removing the drums for service. Otherwise, they are a solid connection for the wheels rather than a cantilevered "slip on" spacer over long lug bolts arrangement.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Sorry, I was speaking of the bolt-on spacers, not slip-in shims.

 

[747mopar]

With most rim offerings being just shy of a correct fit I can see adding 1/2", what your suggesting is way to much IMO. The farther away from the mounting surface you get the more stress you put on the studs, I wouldn't do it. Can you go to a wider tire and less shim?

 

[33 IMP]

4mulas is right, a custom wheel is the proper solution.
Otoh...i'm using a 1 1/2 spacer on a 700hp,9 second car for just that reason. I bought custom wheels with as much offset to the outside as they could make, use 4" custom studs, a billet spacer bolted to the axles.
The 15x12 custom wheels were to replace a 15x15 wheel with 18.5x31 tires, so i could use 315 drag radials. It just didnt look right with the new wheels where they were. With the bolt-on spacers i can still use whichever set of tires i want.

 

[MoparLeo]

Using a spacer is like putting a longer handle on a lever. The farther from the hub that the wheel sits, the more pressure is put on the wheels studs and in the case of the fronts, the inner bearing is the support bearing and the much smaller outer bearing is to locate and center the bearing. Like your cars door hinges. Open the door and you will see that the lower hinge is much larger than the upper hinge. That is because the lower hinge, like the inner wheel bearing supports the load/weight of the door/car. the upper hinge like the outer bearing is to primarily locate/center the door/wheel hub.
They are not intended to support weight. The center register/hub is supposed to do that. If you want to "fill" the fender between the outer lip and the tire you will need either a wider rim ( preferred ) or one with more negative offset. Excessive offsets and/or spacers can cause wheel stud failures, outer bearing wear/failures.
https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyre-wheel-calculators/wheel-offset-backspace-calculator

 

[Kern Dog]

The body overhang of a Charger is a byproduct of the Coke Bottle styling. To a non purist like me, these cars B E G for wider wheels and tires.

I understand your interest in keeping a stock wheel. AS dramatic as it may seem, a W I D E R axle would be ONE way to achieve your goal. The 71-74 B body, 70-74 E body and some C body axles are wider by 3-4 inches. This would work but would still leave the front wheels tucked way in.

 

[MoparLeo]

From this angle it looks like e reverse/negative offset on that rear wheel. 8" ? 7" were generally the widest standard offset and when you went to 8" or wider the rim offset would get reversed for drum/ control arm clearance on the older cars.
The exception to the rule was the Chevrolet Corvette Ralley wheels back in the seventies. Their 8" wheel was not reversed because they didn't have the clearance and wanted to keep the car low, so they tucked the wider tires inside the wells.
I hade a 57 Chevy wagon many years ago and used 15 X 7 Monte Carlo wheels up front and 15 X 8 Corvette Ralleyes on the rear. 295/50-15" rear tires with the stock ride height. And the fender lips are very low on a 57. Offset was the key.

 

[myk r sanchez]

What about the spacers that are bolted onto the original hub's lug nuts, and then the wheel is bolted onto the spacer that has its own set of wheel studs? Im not a fan of spacers either but that solution seems reasonable to me. I'm also running that type of a spacer on both of my mustangs...

 

[66 Sat]

What about the spacers that are bolted onto the original hub's lug nuts, and then the wheel is bolted onto the spacer that has its own set of wheel studs? Im not a fan of spacers either but that solution seems reasonable to me. I'm also running that type of a spacer on both of my mustangs...

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I don't think it's any different structurally except you get more length of stud. The wheel is still cantilevering off the original studs. As an example, imagine using this method to keep adding width, bolting one spacer to the next, going wider and wider. You can't - it would snap the original studs. It's a neat design, but gives a false sense of security.

 

[myk r sanchez]

Well I would imagine that, hopefully, only one spacer would be used. Also, the spacer is designed so that it fits very securely into the hub itself; they call it a hubcentric spacer. I would imagine that takes a lot of stress off of the wheel studs?

Ultimately I dont like spacers. I see the only truly safe alternative is to get the appropriate wheel or a wider axle. As soon as I win that Powerball ill be sure to do either method and eliminate my spacers lol...

 

[66 Sat]

Well I would imagine that, hopefully, only one spacer would be used. Also, the spacer is designed so that it fits very securely into the hub itself; they call it a hubcentric spacer. I would imagine that takes a lot of stress off of the wheel studs?

Hubcentric would make a massive difference.to the strength of the spacer. The multiple spacer scenario was only an example of how the forces would be increasing, but still carried by the original studs. In the hubcentric design the failure point would be further inboard i.e. where the hub attaches.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Studs need room to move laterally in order to bend and snap.

Bolt-on spacers keep the studs straight. The only way to break them is to shear them, which is extremely difficult to do.