Due to arch clearance problems on my nova and the need to space the front wheels out to clear the coilover platforms (5mm), I have bought some wide arches. I want to use the wide arches to my advantage by increasing the front track width. I can't afford to buy the full wide track suspension kit, so that's not an option.
What are the negatives to using wheel spacers (25mm)?
I realise increased wheel bearing wear wil be one effect, but what effect will it have on the handling?
Any evidence to back up claims will be appreciated!
It will be like fitting the wrong offset wheels, so expect tramlining. You will have to work out different camber,toe and castor angles/settings, if you want to keep handling tip top.
Castor, camber, toe etc. would all be 'played' with anyway so finding settings wouldn't be an issue.
Tramlining, is this where the car has a tendancy to follow undulations in the road (eg. white lines) and am I therefore right in thinking it wouldn't be much of an issue on a track?
Depending on the type of spacers it would also cause the wheels not to locate on the hubs anymore which would cause wheel wobble and vibration. Also can't imagine the car handling right unless the rear track was widened as well.
Also if you fit shorter coilover springs you can raise the adjustable platforms up and then there will be no issue of the wheel being near the platform, this is what I had to do with my ET49 wheels on my Nova to avoid using wheel spacers.
I know, I know, Its not ideal. But surely adding larger width rims (which everyone does) has the same effect, I.e puts a larger strain on the hubs/bolts etc by increasing the moment of the forces acting on the tyre?
e.g. The tyres outside edge of contact patch is further away from the hub so when cornering the leverage is greater. Surely all a wheelspacer will do is magnify this to a degree
not really, you can modify the shock holes and hub to compensate surely, and may have to use eccentrics too, although i have them and you need to grind out a fair amout of metal to have full adjustment on them.
just a thought too about steering arms, youd need to use a corsa rack, easy enough that one
dont know about nova, but on my tigra (which is basically corsa, right?) i had to put 10mm spacers to get any reasonable lock on as it on 18's (i know silly me ), and it still felt like the ditches were pulling me in lol, received some 25mm ones in the post as i was going to do exactly the same thing with the arches as well, but seeing them i decided ill keep the 10's and put up with some scrubbage
10mm - 20mm wider total - fair, sharper corners, at expense of tiny amount of added 'sway'
25mm - ridiculous - thats 50mm total wider, will sway alot, i would seriously worry about bolt strenght as its going on the track
they'll work,and i cant see them being much weaker than a wheel with the right offset, but you will be loading the hub bearings alot more, which may lead to problems on trackand miuch as you can adjust the camber and castor, you will still be away from the offset the car was designed to work with
But if i get a 25 offset pair of front wheels I can't swap them front to back as the rear arches aren't wide
And as for wheel bearing loading, by fitting sticky wider
tyres, stiffer suspension etc etc the life of bearings is reduced. So reducing it further doesn't really bother me lol. Anyway a standard bearing in a standard car is good for 50,000 easy, I'd be more than happy with a tenth of that lol
think abou the movement of the wheel when you turn a corner
Lower offset wheels ahve the same adverse effects, but avoid the bolt breaking issues.
leaving the rear Id imagine would feel quite odd, but dont know.
TBH id leave it all till you can afford to do it right.
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