Wheel Spacers for improved handling??

olliecast

olliecast

Active Member
Hi everyone,
Been speaking to a few people and the majority say that a wider wheel spacer on the back will help to combat understeer.

I don`t have to run wheel spacers for my brakes, but i have 2x2mm spacers and 4x5mm spacers in my box of tricks.
I have longer studs to go on all around.

I`m thinking of fitting the longer studs on the back and then running 10mm spaced ou on the rear.

I`m polybushed all around, with whiteline rear roll bar, and tein coilovers.

What have anyone else experienced with running spacers in an attempt to improve handling?

cheers,
ollie
 
N

NME_RR

New Member
Thumbs up mate!!

Do it....

You will notice the difference,

make sure you have 6 or more full turns on the Wheels nuts!
 
Trondelond

Trondelond

Active Member
Well that sucks, as I need spacers in the front to acommodate my brakes. :doh: I think bobby had a lower offset in the front with spacers though.
 
fubar andy

fubar andy

Moderator & N/W Rep
Staff member
olliecast said:
Hi everyone,
Been speaking to a few people and the majority say that a wider wheel spacer on the back will help to combat understeer.
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Eh? :shock:

I have used 13mm spacers on the front and 5mm spacers on the rear and I can tell you that it’s not reduced understeer?!?

I use 225mm wide A048's and 205mm Hancook RS2 tyres and with lot of testing time, guidance from members and modification to my suspension I have helped reduce understeer considerably.

However if your just going to put spacers on the back wheels to reduce understeer you might as well add racing stripes to go faster!

You may also find that adding spacers to the rear may cause you tyres to catch the arches on hard cornering or even cause damage to the tyre!

Bob's added spacers to his, but his wheels will be accommodated due to the extended arches where on this occasion I doubt you'll have that set-up.

I would (depending on your mods) look at other suspension areas such as: camber, castor and toe settings.

There are tonnes of threads about suspension set-up's, its worth having a look through them.
 
Trondelond

Trondelond

Active Member
Good post. But on the other hand - if I put spacers just on the front wheels (10mm), how much - if any - effect will that have?
 
R

riske

Guest
As Andy says, Bobby only fitted spacers on the rear so he could fit wider tires. He did find it elliminated all understeer. Although he also has his suspension set up properly which also help. i would sort the sus out first ollie then go for the spacers. My car doesnt have spacers but i rarely get understeer, more oversteer usually.
 
R

rams_pulsar

New Member
i can say my car has never oversteered unless provoked, unfortunatley understeer is always there to spoil the fun maybe if you run some top quality tyres on front and a set of bike tyres on the back it might step out of line! lol
 
R

riske

Guest
I havnt done anything since i bought it but it is set up on gabs. i have bumpsteer, whiteline kit but no polybushes yet. I think the camber is on the negative side and my back end does like to step out. I'm looking at getting it properly set up in the future.
 
fubar andy

fubar andy

Moderator & N/W Rep
Staff member
riske said:
I havnt done anything since i bought it but it is set up on gabs. i have bumpsteer, whiteline kit but no polybushes yet. I think the camber is on the negative side and my back end does like to step out.
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Well it sounds like you’ve got some sort of super car! :shock:

All this oversteer you’ve got from very little changes to your suspension and Wilwoods that are so amazing, when you brake hard your rear wheels come off the ground!!! :roll:

It puts mine to shame :lol:
 
antgtir

antgtir

New Member
With my current setup im able to manipulate the car into a "little" oversteer however its not the most efficient. Normally entails blipping the throttle as im turning the corner, maybe with a little more power i would be able to hold it.

If i dont blip the throttle its understeer central.

I have Cusco top, front and rear strut braces, whiteline front and rear antiroll bars and a whiteline front lower brace (4pt). Camber is set at -1.5 degrees on the front, standard camber rear. Also coilover suspension.

Depending on how you like your car to handle, the setup will differ, there is never one way you should have your car setup, its bespoke each time for the car you drive, setup you have and also the track type and tyre choice etc. There are multiple combinations to be honest.

I personally enjoy the ability to promote lift off oversteer as it enables me to feel the car around a corner. IMO the worst setup a car can have is something that is not predictable, this can be very dangerous and costly with regards to lap times.

If you haven't done the basic upgrades to the car i.e. suspension, bushes, camber, castor, alignment roll bars, braces etc then i wouldn't bother with the spacer idea personally.

Just thought id add my two pence worth in this discussion, take it or leave it :lol:

Good luck :thumbsup:

Ant.
 
R

riske

Guest
Seems as tho you have a dud car then Andy. I never said they actually come off the ground i was trying to explain that my front brakes made the car squirm, which it does, under heavy braking. Come round and try it out for yourself, i also said that i didnt make the changes but the person before could have been an allergic to understeer and made the changes. Read the posts dude.

Good point Ant
 
R

riske

Guest
riske said:
I have wilwood four pots with 310mm grooved discs on front and grooved discs on the back. YOu can feel the car squirming and very light at the back under heavy braking. Would like to even things out a bit better.
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Where does it say my wheels leave the ground? Im not that dude with the super 500bhp GT2871 powered wheelie-ing pulsar FFS.
 
fubar andy

fubar andy

Moderator & N/W Rep
Staff member
riske said:
Where does it say my wheels leave the ground? Im not that dude with the super 500bhp GT2871 powered wheelie-ing pulsar FFS.
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For the courts benefit exhibit A - click here

You should read some of your posts back to yourself, as they laughable...dude!

To promote lift off oversteer isn't the issue; what is the issue is that you've stated that your car rarely gets understeer, more oversteer and I have questioned this statement.
I could understand if you had made a point that you induce oversteer when driving, but you haven't and now your hiding behind your comment and diverting the point to someone else’s (fictitious) suspension setup.

What I find hard to believe is anything you say about your car, its handling or overall characteristics due to the total bollocks you post about it.
Perhaps if you'd not been so melodramatic with your posts then maybe it would not have been an issue.

So where does this conclude then? I’ll let you decide; however, until you return from cloud-cuckoo-land then you and Mr 500bhp with a 2871 are going to be sharing the same basket together.
 
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riske

Guest
omg!!! if you read the whole thread you can see i was stating that my washer bottle was securely attached and that when i broke my washers didnt come on!!!! You have taken that post and taken it out of proportion. My wheels dont come off the ground when i brake. nor does my car understeer much. You do not know me nor do i care to know you or your driving habits. Stop being pathetic oh holly god of all things that is GTiR. If you really are getting worked up about people perhaps overexaggerating about trying to say that somethings definately wrong with someone else's pulsar then im guilty. oh fcuking well. heres the worlds smallest violin playing just for you. Grow up...dude
 
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