Wheel spacers recommendation

[Kzang]

What exactly does the spacer do for the wheels? Does it move them out away from the car more? If your getting bigger ( wider and taller ) wheels & tires than the original ones, why would you need spacers?

[wearenh]

Originally Posted by Recdog11

Just spoke to H&R and they don't have spacers for F15.

guy at H&R said nothing approved yet ...so what are people selling then?
??

Attached find a pic of the partnumbers DIRECTLY from H&R .... maybe they told you
they don't have for F15 ... but they advertise for F16 .... it's the same ...

note that I have circled the partnumber of the pair I have available ... it says 45mm
which is total width change, they are 22.5mm each





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[Doanster]

Originally Posted by Kzang

What exactly does the spacer do for the wheels? Does it move them out away from the car more? If your getting bigger ( wider and taller ) wheels & tires than the original ones, why would you need spacers?

Spacers effectively change the offset of the wheels. You are indeed pushing the wheels further out to become flush with the wheel wells. Just getting bigger/wider wheels doesn't automatically equate to how they will sit in relation to the hub. Most of the time aftermarket wheels do have lower offsets, but that still may not be enough, depending on how flush you want to go (or beyond flush, i.e. poke).

There's always debate possible when it comes to spacers, with one camp saying mild spacers won't cause long term wear/damage to the hub, etc., while the other camp says they are a safety issue due to the extra stress/load introduced.

wearenh thanks for the H&R screenshots!

[Recdog11]

Originally Posted by Kzang

What exactly does the spacer do for the wheels? Does it move them out away from the car more? If your getting bigger ( wider and taller ) wheels & tires than the original ones, why would you need spacers?

For now,,I am getting the 599 21" n wider tire set up..just not at the moment, have to heal up a lil from the new purchase

[Recdog11]

Thanks wearenh
ill check it out !

[Kzang]

Thanks Doanster for the explanation

[r33_RGSport]

That is the beauty of custom wheel. It cut for the exact offset that you wanted.

[hamh]

Good information! I probably will also get the 15mm spacers for my rear wheels when I swap the 19s back in winter.

[spike5150]

Originally Posted by hamh

Good information! I probably will also get the 15mm spacers for my rear wheels when I swap the 19s back in winter.

I just ordered 25mm H&R's for the rear for my 19" winters (449's). Measuring the gap with them installed w/o spacers is about 1 7/8". Looks ridiculous right now. Mine is x-line with 20" 451's stock.

[cy07]

I would say spacers look great with factory staggered 20's. The 19s are a bit too thin to be used with spacers it looks weird. lol.

[hamh]

haha, what can I do, I'm stuck with the 19s

gotta try my best to make them look better with the car.

[spike5150]

Just installed 25mm H&R on my rear wheel winter setup - 449's with all seasons. I think it looks way better than without.

[hamh]

looks good! so for 25mm spacer, are you using 52mm bolts?

[spike5150]

Originally Posted by hamh

looks good! so for 25mm spacer, are you using 52mm bolts?

No, I got DRA spacers which come with bolts to attach spacer to wheel hub first, then use stock bolts to attach wheel to spacer.

[SlammedR8]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Recdog11 - I am running 15mm H&R spacers in the rear without any issues. Fits perfect. up front you need to go at least 15mm or it won't clear the hub. I tried going with a H&R 12mm it didn't work in my case.

What do you mean that 12mm didn't work? How does it not clear the hub, you are creating more space not less in there, it should clear without any issues based on what I am thinking. Please explain though...

[Alan l.]

Search for my thread about this. I posted up pics. The inside of the spacer didn't have enough room to take in all of the stock hub so it prevented the back of the spacer from fully resting on rotor. Not sure if its just the H&R spacers or if it affects all spacers smaller than 15mm.

Alan

[javaperson]

@wearenh, Do you have any other photos of the rear of your X5 with the 15mm spacers? Just wanted to get a better sense of how the wheels look. I have 449 wheels, and they look a little too tucked-in on the rear - thinking of bringing them out, but i don't want them too far out either.

Thanks for the H&R sheet - very helpful.

Originally Posted by wearenh

I bought a complete set of 4 shipped from Germany ... two are the 15mm DR type
with longer bolts that you use instead of the stock bolts, and two are the 22.5mm
DRA type, which also come with bolts, but on those you use the supplied bolts
in addition to the stock bolts (see pics below) ...

I had intended to use the 15 on front and 22.5 on rear, but decided to just use
the 15mm on the rear ... that's why I have the 22.5mm pair available.

Below is a pic of the 15mm on my 19" 467M wheels ... the bigger ones would look
better, I am sure, but I am going leave them this way





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[wearenh]

Originally Posted by javaperson

@wearenh, Do you have any other photos of the rear of your X5 with the 15mm spacers? Just wanted to get a better sense of how the wheels look. I have 449 wheels, and they look a little too tucked-in on the rear - thinking of bringing them out, but i don't want them too far out either.

Thanks for the H&R sheet - very helpful.

no problem ... here are a couple more ... I'd say even the 15mm are conservative,
and could have easily gone to the 22.5 or 25mm

[javaperson]

@wearenh, Thanks for the reply and the additional photos. I think i'm going to go for the 15mm ones on the rear. I don't have the wheel arch flares on my xline, but I agree that 15mm is probably still conservative with my 449s.

Originally Posted by wearenh

no problem ... here are a couple more ... I'd say even the 15mm are conservative,
and could have easily gone to the 22.5 or 25mm