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Old 07-10-2003, 10:33 AM
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Having dealt with the hassles of spacers, I would not use them. While there are a few people that are able to use them with success, the chances of having problems are great. I would strongly suggest getting wheels that have the correct offset from the beginning than trying to make something work.

If you have to use something to make your wheels work, use an adapter instead of a spacer. They are much safer and a lot less hassle.

Quote:
If the wheels are hub-centric balanced, doesn't that mean that the load is on the hub and not the lugs? After installing wheel spacers, you've now transferred the load to the lugs. Is this okay to do or what?
Your wheels are balanced hub-centric because that should be the dead center of the wheel. OE wheels are centered by the hub, but because aftermarket wheels are made for a variety of vehicles, the center hole of the wheel is usually larger than your hub. This requires your lugs to center the wheel which even with the correct lugs to match the taper of your wheel, it may not center, thus causing a vibration. Now, when you add spacers, you are increasing the likely hood of a balance problem because they make it more difficult for the wheel to center itself. They also put more stress on the lugs. Longer studs and ET lug nuts help keep it secure, but try holding a book in close to your body then hold it straight out. The further you move the weight away, the heaver it will get.
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