Spacers or not?
08-29-2006, 07:56 AM
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Hello fellow Forum members!
I have been searching a lot of facts about spacers and chatted around
various BMW Forums.
Overhere I get a lot of negative feedback for even 15 mm spacers rear.
I'm not even talking about large wheels, only regular 245/40 18" tyres.
Example:
123 wheel, rear 245/40 18” vs. 124 wheel, rear 275/35 18” = difference 30 mm in breadth.
So if I want to have the 123 wheel as much out as the 124 wheel has, 15 mm spacers are needed.
Anyone know the differances in these two wheels offset?
I been told that the bearings etc wouldn't hold and the handling would suffer seriously.
I know there's been a lot of discussion about this and I do know how to use Search.
please!
I have been searching a lot of facts about spacers and chatted around
various BMW Forums.
Overhere I get a lot of negative feedback for even 15 mm spacers rear.
I'm not even talking about large wheels, only regular 245/40 18" tyres.
Example:
123 wheel, rear 245/40 18” vs. 124 wheel, rear 275/35 18” = difference 30 mm in breadth.
So if I want to have the 123 wheel as much out as the 124 wheel has, 15 mm spacers are needed.
Anyone know the differances in these two wheels offset?
I been told that the bearings etc wouldn't hold and the handling would suffer seriously.
I know there's been a lot of discussion about this and I do know how to use Search.
please!
08-29-2006, 08:12 AM
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My Ride: 535d Sport, carbon black, media pack, visibility pack, grey leather, heated seats, sun protection glass, voice control, Eibach ProKit, 19" 166 style wheels, e-maps ECU remap to 325hp and 640NM, top speed limiter removed
It surprises me that you are thinking about a "non BMW" mod. 
Nevertheless, it could be that the spacers add slightly more pressure to the wheel bearings, but I am convinced if using quality items (e.g. with TUV approval), it will be minimal.
e.g. Porsche run a wheelspacer program for their customers for 30 years already, to allow their customers to individualize offset, stance etc. If Porsche does it as a factory option, it can't be that bad.
Good quality stuff and a little info also here www.spurverbreiterung.de
From 20mm and more, I'd highly recommended a system that gets bolted to the hub, instead of using longer bolts. (like system 4 on above website)
Good luck, I am sure there will be much more advice coming.
p.s. I have used 15mm spacers on my former E39 for over a year and many thousand miles. Never had a problem.
Nevertheless, it could be that the spacers add slightly more pressure to the wheel bearings, but I am convinced if using quality items (e.g. with TUV approval), it will be minimal.
e.g. Porsche run a wheelspacer program for their customers for 30 years already, to allow their customers to individualize offset, stance etc. If Porsche does it as a factory option, it can't be that bad.
Good quality stuff and a little info also here www.spurverbreiterung.de
From 20mm and more, I'd highly recommended a system that gets bolted to the hub, instead of using longer bolts. (like system 4 on above website)
Good luck, I am sure there will be much more advice coming.
p.s. I have used 15mm spacers on my former E39 for over a year and many thousand miles. Never had a problem.
08-29-2006, 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by olli_535d' post='328252' date='Aug 29 2006, 07:12 PM
It surprises me that you are thinking about a "non BMW" mod.
Yes, me too, I hate "ghetto-bling-bling-tuning", that's why I'm asking.
But it's the winter, I can't get desent wintertires working overhere with wider wheels... :thumbsdown:
And this problem comes with the E92 335Ci,
same problem but with 225 vs. 255 tyres.
08-29-2006, 08:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Ricracing' post='328247' date='Aug 29 2006, 04:56 PM
Example:
123 wheel, rear 245/40 18? vs. 124 wheel, rear 275/35 18? = difference 30 mm in breadth.
So if I want to have the 123 wheel as much out as the 124 wheel has, 15 mm spacers are needed.
Anyone know the differances in these two wheels offset?
I been told that the bearings etc wouldn't hold and the handling would suffer seriously.
123 wheel, rear 245/40 18? vs. 124 wheel, rear 275/35 18? = difference 30 mm in breadth.
So if I want to have the 123 wheel as much out as the 124 wheel has, 15 mm spacers are needed.
Anyone know the differances in these two wheels offset?
I been told that the bearings etc wouldn't hold and the handling would suffer seriously.
08-29-2006, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by colejl' post='328274' date='Aug 29 2006, 07:49 PM
123 wheels are ET20. 124 wheels are ET20/32 (Front/Rear)
Could this mean that instead of 15 mm spacers a change of
offset to plus 12 (from original wheel offset) would do it?
08-30-2006, 03:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Ricracing' post='328284' date='Aug 29 2006, 07:16 PM
Could this mean that instead of 15 mm spacers a change of
offset to plus 12 (from original wheel offset) would do it?
offset to plus 12 (from original wheel offset) would do it?
the math is not that right:
the 275s on the 124 are mounted on 9j and have an ET of 32
the 245s on the 123 are mounted on 8j and have an ET of 20
Even though you have 30mm wider tires mounted in the rear, the 275s in the rear stick out only 0,7mm more than the 245s in the front. why? because:
for the rear: (9j/2)*2,54-32/10 = 8,23 cm (ie. the outside of the alloy is 8,23 cm away from the mounting point))
for the front: (8j/2)*2,54-20/10= 8,16 cm
I guess, you want your rear tires to fill the gap nicely and stick out as much as the front do. To have this aligned, people have seen spacers in the region of 12-15 mm to be appropriate.
i have made the mistake once in teh past to believe only becuase i have wider tires in the rear, the wheels will be aligned - everything depends on this ET, ie. he offset..
see you rumman
08-31-2006, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by rsyed' post='328598' date='Aug 30 2006, 12:46 PM
hey guys,
the math is not that right:
the 275s on the 124 are mounted on 9j and have an ET of 32
the 245s on the 123 are mounted on 8j and have an ET of 20
Even though you have 30mm wider tires mounted in the rear, the 275s in the rear stick out only 0,7mm more than the 245s in the front. why? because:
for the rear: (9j/2)*2,54-32/10 = 8,23 cm (ie. the outside of the alloy is 8,23 cm away from the mounting point))
for the front: (8j/2)*2,54-20/10= 8,16 cm
I guess, you want your rear tires to fill the gap nicely and stick out as much as the front do. To have this aligned, people have seen spacers in the region of 12-15 mm to be appropriate.
i have made the mistake once in teh past to believe only becuase i have wider tires in the rear, the wheels will be aligned - everything depends on this ET, ie. he offset..
see you rumman
the math is not that right:
the 275s on the 124 are mounted on 9j and have an ET of 32
the 245s on the 123 are mounted on 8j and have an ET of 20
Even though you have 30mm wider tires mounted in the rear, the 275s in the rear stick out only 0,7mm more than the 245s in the front. why? because:
for the rear: (9j/2)*2,54-32/10 = 8,23 cm (ie. the outside of the alloy is 8,23 cm away from the mounting point))
for the front: (8j/2)*2,54-20/10= 8,16 cm
I guess, you want your rear tires to fill the gap nicely and stick out as much as the front do. To have this aligned, people have seen spacers in the region of 12-15 mm to be appropriate.
i have made the mistake once in teh past to believe only becuase i have wider tires in the rear, the wheels will be aligned - everything depends on this ET, ie. he offset..
see you rumman
09-01-2006, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by AlVal' post='329316' date='Aug 31 2006, 11:10 PM
Im about to get 166ms fitted, and wondering whether I need to get a whole new set of bolts for the rear wheels if I use spacers? surely a 10mm spacer means 10mm longer bolts?
The spacers usually come with longer bolts.
10 mm spacers must have 10 mm longer bolts.
Thanks for the mathematics, rsyed
The "problem" is only the rear axel.
Your calculations would mean that 29 mm of the tyre
width (245 vs. 275) would go on the inside?
Can this be correct?
Even if this is a E60 discussion, look at the E90 318i with
standard rear wheels/tyres 7J x 16 205/55 R 16 vs.
option 8 1/2J x 17 255/40 R 17 wheels/tyres.
The differance is huge! OK, the tyre is 40 mm wider,
not only 30 mm as in the E60 case, but anyway...
How do you explain this?
de_smet_h,
You do not have the same problem as I with my 123's.
09-01-2006, 01:02 PM
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The spacers usually come with longer bolts.
10 mm spacers must have 10 mm longer bolts.
Thanks for the mathematics, rsyed
The "problem" is only the rear axel.
Your calculations would mean that 29 mm of the tyre
width (245 vs. 275) would go on the inside?
Can this be correct?
Even if this is a E60 discussion, look at the E90 318i with
standard rear wheels/tyres 7J x 16 205/55 R 16 vs.
option 8 1/2J x 17 255/40 R 17 wheels/tyres.
The differance is huge! OK, the tyre is 40 mm wider,
not only 30 mm as in the E60 case, but anyway...
How do you explain this?
de_smet_h,
You do not have the same problem as I with my 123's.
10 mm spacers must have 10 mm longer bolts.
Thanks for the mathematics, rsyed
The "problem" is only the rear axel.
Your calculations would mean that 29 mm of the tyre
width (245 vs. 275) would go on the inside?
Can this be correct?
Even if this is a E60 discussion, look at the E90 318i with
standard rear wheels/tyres 7J x 16 205/55 R 16 vs.
option 8 1/2J x 17 255/40 R 17 wheels/tyres.
The differance is huge! OK, the tyre is 40 mm wider,
not only 30 mm as in the E60 case, but anyway...
How do you explain this?
de_smet_h,
You do not have the same problem as I with my 123's.
the math for the e90 is simple: 7j x 16 with et 34 vs. 8,5j x 17 et 37 (i looked up the et on realoem)
(7j/2)*2,54-34/10 = 5,49 cm
(8,5j/2)*2,54-37/10 = 7,09 cm
this means, even if the tires are 4 cm wider, compared to the 16, the wider wheels stick out 1,6 cm more.
cheers rumman