Spaced Out, What would you do? Options

[Shivers]

Hi guys: I'm working on my trailing arms. Won't be long till it is time to reassemble. I tried the search, gave up and decided to ask directly. I have new hubs, 5x130. My rear flares are GT flares that I am adding 2" in width to each one in the rear. I would really appreciate your opinions on spacers. I need to get lugs on these hubs before I install them. Which spacer in your experience is safer. Long lugs or short lugs bolted to the spacer.
Gentleman, what say you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

I borrowed the base picture then added my junk to it. Carving, some autocross and I hope a track day now and then. Thanks

[Ninja]

Bolted together spacers used to be taboo for racing

I would buy TUV approved spacers

In fact run one inch German spacers on my racecar

Then buy the correct length of studs

Late cars are hub centric

Later front hubs are concentric; the rears never were (stock 4 or 6 cylinder).

I'm with Brant. I've always loathed "adaptors" with a second set of studs mounted in the adaptor.

Maybe the newer stuff is better...
TUV rated stuff is probably pretty good, those Europeans are a picky bunch!

Now, if you made it out of titanium, I wouldn't have any qualms on using it. Just $$$

One thing that is often overlooked is where the wheel bearing sits in regards to the rubber footprint on the ground.
Most of the time the bearing needs to be "centered" in the tire footprint. Get this offset wrong and all sorts of strange issues can crop up.
I'm not sure if the 914 stock bearing is actually centered. I'd try to "mimic" the stock position in my wider footprint.

Front issues, bearing strength/life (minor) and steering effort can be a problem as you can change your scrub radius.

Rear is a BIG hit on bearing strength/life and it will make alignments far more critical.

Both front and rear will usually make bump steer issues worse.

Big time "track width" changes need proper engineering.

Most factory warranties for new stuff get voided over wheel offset changes. They won't pay for anything suspension or wheel bearing related if you change stuff up.

Be very careful when making these changes.

One again, @ChrisFoley is who I'd want to run any track changes by before I actually did them.


I LOVE the look of that white car, just BADASSED!
Ninja approved! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)
I just wouldn't want a rear wheel bearing to fail at triple digit speeds...

[stownsen914]

I've also not been a fan of the adapter style spacers that have a second set of studs. With those, you're basically depending on an aluminum, second hub to carrying all the forces from the drivetrain and the road. Porsche never put aluminum hubs on a rear of 914 or 911 to my knowledge - so I'm not sure how it's a good idea to have adapter/spacers made of aluminum. Perhaps for street use they'd be acceptable. No way I'd put them on anything that hits the track.