Wheel spacers/adapters

[Lsstefan]

Hey guys.
I really like the stock EB rims and I'd rather buy other stuff for the car than new wheels. But the stance is so ugly sometimes due to the wheel being inside the arch...
So one solution is to buy wider rims or to put some spacers. Spacers are kinda small and I don't trust them, so I want adapters. I won't adapt anything, but you catch my drift.
25 mm(1 inch) should be enough. I don't really want China products as there are some bumpy and potholy roads here, but don't want to spend 500 E for them either.
Any recommendations? H&R might make decent ones. Eibach I heard do good.

Cheers.

Sponsored

 

[Ericc B]

Spacers are a bit of a challenge on the S550.

Obviously you only want hubcentric spacers that are bolted to your axle and have their own studs. Those are perfectly safe.

The main problem is that the optimal spacer for the stock wheels is 20mm but the cars studs are about 30mm. This means the studs will poke through the spacer about 10mm. Most OEM wheels do not have deep enough 'pockets' between their boltholes to accomodate for that and the only solution is to cut the stock studs. If you do that you have a perfect look.

The alternative is to install 25mm spacers. Because these are 5mm thicker the original studs will poke less through the spacer and any stock wheel will clear them. The downside is that 25mm brings out your rear wheels too far and that looks stupid.

If you follow the US section on this forum you can find endless amounts of pictures of people who have used 1" (25mm spacers) and think it looks alright but in reality their cars look like monster trucks. My personal opinion of course.

Another thing to beware of is that the thread on the studs of the S550 is different from that of previous generations Mustangs. This means that existing spacers do not fit. Both Eibach and H&R apparently have new generation spacers in development. I think the Eibach is about to be released.

Here's a topic abut 20mm spacers: http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32086

Here's a topic abut 25mm (1 inch) spacers: http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25048

 

[Gryphon]

I agree that 25 looks like too much. IMHO, wheels shouldn't poke out of the wheelarches, but should be as close to flush as possible. 20mm is the optimal distance, it looks like.

 

[Ericc B]

You could actually get away with a 25mm in the front, because the OEM wheel sits a few mm more inward in the front than in the rear. But in the rear a 25mm is definately a no go.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet, but I think I will end up passing up on the spacers, use the OEM wheels for winter and get a nice fat 20" set with improved ET for the summer.

Unless I decide to lower the car that is, because a lowered car with OEM wheels and no spacers looks even more stupid than with 25mm spacers.

 

[Lsstefan]

Thx for the reply guys. All the technical info I already knew because I read the forums and asked guys from AM and N4SM.
I want to buy some, but my problem is this: pair of spacers cost [MENTION=17112]10[/MENTION]0$ give or take. Decent sum. Add shipping and taxes results 200$. Add another pair for the front results 400$. I don't want to spend 400$ on spacers only to replace the wheels in 2 years.
I asked if you have any EU recommendations, or if you had any experience before with spacers to recommend. I highly doubt there is not a car in the world that fits the mustang wheel dimensions.

Cheers.

 

[Ericc B]

Just search for a local supplyer that carries H&R or Eibach. Or eBay Germany. No need to buy spacers in the US. I bought the ones for my other Stang via EBay in Germany

 

[Lsstefan]

Just search for a local supplyer that carries H&R or Eibach. Or eBay Germany. No need to buy spacers in the US. I bought the ones for my other Stang via EBay in Germany

For the one you got on order?
I'm a little afraid of ebay, that's why I'm asking for recommendations.

Thx

 

[Ericc B]

For the one you got on order?
I'm a little afraid of ebay, that's why I'm asking for recommendations.
Thx

No for my old 95.

I checked Eibach and H&R sites, but there are currently no s550 spacers available yet.

 

[Lsstefan]

I read the s197 wheels match s550. So spacers should match the same. Worst case scenario I'll need centering rings.
Thing is I found the center bore to be between 70.5 and 73.1
Idk which one is. Some sites say 73.1, yet someone people here bought 70.5 wheels and put them flawlessly...
I'll ask the US community if I can put s197 spacers on my PP wheels.

Thanks for the help Ericc. 1100 posts and you still don't have your car. Dang you active..Imagine when the car comes.

 

[SteveS]

I read the s197 wheels match s550. So spacers should match the same. Worst case scenario I'll need centering rings.
Thing is I found the center bore to be between 70.5 and 73.1
Idk which one is. Some sites say 73.1, yet someone people here bought 70.5 wheels and put them flawlessly...
I'll ask the US community if I can put s197 spacers on my PP wheels.

Thanks for the help Ericc. 1100 posts and you still don't have your car. Dang you active..Imagine when the car comes.

They changed the stud sizes for the S550 so the lug nuts that come with S197 spacers won't fit (and the ones that came with the car are too large...).

EDIT: CJPP have Eibach spacers - http://www.cjponyparts.com/2015-mustang-wheel-hardware-accessories/c/80210040/ - or at least list them. Currently not available and twice the price of the American Muscle ones.

 

[Ericc B]

73.1 is a common bore size for generic wheels. You'll need ring adapters to fit wheels like that. It's a common practice with generic wheels.

The S197 spacers will fysically fit indeed but like Steve said the supplied mounting nuts won't because the thread is different. You will need to source 20 new small nuts that fit the spacers and have the correct thread for the S550 studs. On top of that you will need to source 20 S197 wheel nuts, because the ones that come with your car will not fit the thread of the studs on the spacers. So in short: you can actually use S197 spacers, but you need 40 new nuts to make them work.

 

[Ericc B]

1100 posts and you still don't have your car. Dang you active..Imagine when the car comes.

Well that's mainly my own fault. I was at the dealers in January and could have made the very first order here but decided I didn't want to drive a manual and walked away. Half a year later I changed my mind.

 

[Lord Thunder]

1100 posts and you still don't have your car. Dang you active..Imagine when the car comes.

Activity will be zero, as he'll be too busy driving/polishing/modifying his car

 

[Nordic]

The old gen Mustang had UNF 1/2" like many other cars in the old days, the new one has M14 X 1,5 and they are not interchangable if you don´t get new bolts just like Eric and Steve says.

Everything Eric has written in this thread is absolutely correct, I just want to fill in a bit.

Spacers are availble in Europe, http://www.online-velgen.nl/accesso...ers/pro-spacer-20mm-5x114-cb705-s90-4-20-044/ NL

http://www.eibach.pl/eibach-ford-mustang_205-s90-4-20-044-pi-6707.html PL

http://server.pure-pf.com/webshop2/index.php?id_product=4615&controller=product&id_lang=7 SWE

And I guess that Eibach and H&R is the same spacers under different brands.

Just be careful and don´t buy the cheapest set you can find from China, the H&R are a good qualiy brand that I trust, the leverage with spacers will increase the load on the bolts and I would recommend using a torque wrench and loctite for the spacers.

The problem is that you don´t see the nuts when the wheel is in place and if the nuts starts to come loose you may loose the wheel but even if they are a little loose they will damage the bolts on the car as well as the spacers when it moves around.

If you use the factory 18" or 19" wheel and 20 mm spacers the factory bolt will stick out to far trough the spacer and you have to cut it aprox 5 mm, if you do that cover the car and the glass or the hot splatter will ruin your glass, it melts in to the glass.

I know some think all of this is overprotected nonsens but I have worked with cars for almost 30 years and done too many mistakes, no need for some of you to do them too.

 

[Lsstefan]

Wow thx for everything man. So sad winter is coming, but 150 for spacers is a decent price. Not too cheap but not too expensive either.
20-25 mm is what I'll choose.
I asked n4smotorsport here and he told me the stock wheels has pockets to hide the extra bolt.
My knowledge is that the wheel weight sits on the center hub. The bolts only hold the wheel in place. So if the spacer has good hub, there should be no problems.

I'll look more into the matter, thanks for all the help

Sponsored