problem with wheel spacers?

**NitrousVette** · 10-20-2006, 03:38 AM

I just purchased 15mm Wheel spacers for my Audi TT Quattro and ive noticed when im going about 80mph i can feel a vibration through the steering wheel. Is this somehting wrong with the spacers, or should i get an allignment? or can i send the spacers to a machine shop to get them balanced? The vibration im feeling, is the same feeling as driving on unbalanced wheels. what should i do? or what is wrong?

**Euro** · 10-20-2006 03:38 AM

**RavinJetta** · 10-20-2006, 06:54 AM

Are they hubcentric spacers?

**NitrousVette** · 10-20-2006, 03:05 PM

whats hubcentric? there the corrext bolt pattern for the TT, which is a 5x100, but they also have holes for the 5x112 bolt pattern which is for the A4...

**RavinJetta** · 10-20-2006, 03:09 PM

Hubcentric mean that that the spacer will automatically center it self on the face of the rotor. Is there play when you put your spacer on at all. For example when I put on my H7r spacers the fit tight on there and I can just spin them around to line up the holes. They will not however go on lopsided.

**NitrousVette** · 10-20-2006, 04:38 PM

These spacers were CNC machined, my mechanic was the one who put them on and torqued them down. On street driving its fine but when the speed exceeds 80mph theres a vibration through the steering wheel. the holes line up with the holes on the rotor, but theres a extra set of holes. These spacers are 5x100 and 5x112 bolt pattern.

**karl** · 10-20-2006, 04:46 PM

do the spacers have a lip??? this is where the centerhole of the wheel would rest---if not, that might be your problem (thats hubcentric.) lug centric is when the bolt holes line up

**Monster8V** · 10-20-2006, 05:08 PM

First id check the torque of the bolts.

Then try rotoating the tires. The see if the vibration moves do a different corner. You could have thrown a wheel weight.

Next, try rotating the spacers 180 degrees. If they somehow are not ballanced, they could do this, althought ive never see this happen.

**BanamexDF** · 10-20-2006, 05:24 PM

Make sure that both the surface of the wheel hub and the spacers are smooth and clean. I took a little sand paper to my my wheel hub because the rear ones were a bit rusted. Next, put the spacers on and torque them before lowering the car onto the wheels. These tricks should help with the wobbling.

**NitrousVette** · 10-22-2006, 11:21 PM

K thanks everybody. The spacers were amde by "ICHIBA USA". heres a link, can someone please tell me if these are "hubcentric"? http://www.ichibausa.com/

**NitrousVette** · 10-22-2006, 11:23 PM

wait it says on the description it is hubcentric.....sometimes this week my car is going to wicked motorsports to get new brake pads, brembo slotted F + R rotors installed, as well as red caliper paint, and hopefully some eibach struts....besides a alignment, i shoudl get the tires rotated?

**mike** · 10-22-2006, 11:30 PM

hub-centric means that the hub centers the wheel, i.e. our cars, you can put the spacer on the hub and you shouldn't be able to move it around on the hub, but slight resistance when you try to spin it. If they are quality spacers, the chance of them being the balance problem is slim, if all your bushings are good, try swapping wheels with a buddy, do all four, if it goes away, your problems are in your wheel/tire assembly.

I'm not a fan of spacers, they throw of your roll radius, steering axis inclination and your included angle, also contact patch and the way the load sits on a wheel bearing.

**NitrousVette** · 10-22-2006, 11:34 PM

Yea i had some regrets but i bought these aftermarket rims that actually sit an inch or so inside the fender, and doesnt line up with the fender. now with the spacer it sits just as the OEM wheels sit. When you say it might be with the tire/wheel assembly are you referring to getting my wheels re-balanced? before i purchase the spacers my car didnt have this problem.

**mike** · 10-22-2006, 11:36 PM

if you take them out and put the wheels back in, does it go away? if it does, then you have bunk spacers (kinda hard piece to screw up but anything is possible) H&R makes a nice spacer set, expensive, but comes with bolts and all

**mike** · 10-22-2006, 11:37 PM

on a funny note, I had a guy with a E38 740i with Foose wheels use electrical tape wrapped around the hub as a hubcentric ring, needless to say it didn't work and we all had a good laugh when I took the wheel off

**NitrousVette** · 10-22-2006, 11:57 PM

haha. well we will see how it goes this week at wicked motorsports. Thanks for the advice. Ill make sure to keep you posted later this week after i get my car back. Thanks again.