H&R Spacer... Lip shaved/broke off?!

ChrisSlicks · 06-10-2011, 10:05 PM

I'm pretty sure it's the corner loads with the stock wheels that cause these to break. With the stock wheels using washer lugs and being hub centric it is possible that they can move a fraction under high load, i.e. when pulling a 1G+ corner. This movement is getting transferred to the hub ring which simply is so weak that it fractures.

So far 100% of the failures are on front wheels that I'm aware of. On our cars the front hubs are under far greater stress than the rear and take the brunt of the car's weight under deceleration and turn in. I'm very careful about how I mount and dismount my wheels, I'm positive that it did not happen during that process.

JB1 · 06-10-2011, 11:53 PM

In my case it might have been a combination of Spearfish's point 2 and Chris' point. After installing the spacers I have taken of my wheels a couple times for swaybar install and break pad swap.

I doubt uneven tightening of the lug nuts was a problem in my case as I always take extreme care of properly tightening the lug nuts. But taking the wheels of or putting them back on could have been part of the problem, I might have bumped the center ring, the wheels are big and heavy and therefore rather hard to handle. Ad to that the cornering and braking load of the 2 autox events and a track day and you have the perfect recipe for a pair of broken hubcentric spacer rings.

I'm done with spacers for now. To bad, as I think our cars (on stock wheels) do need
Spacers to complete the look...

flashburn · 06-11-2011, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spearfish25

2) Something is happening during wheel mounting or dismounting that is breaking these. Either a struggle with the wheel leads to knocking off the lip, or perhaps the lugs are being tightened down without the wheel completely seated on the spacer. That would potentially pinch off the lip when you tighten one lug with a poorly seated wheel. Finally, I'll never ever loosen my lugs without the wheel being up in the air. That will most definitely snap the lip off.

Stupid question, but how do you keep the front wheel from spinning in order to loosen the lugnuts without initially loosening it while it's on the ground? Do you just have another person around to stay on the brake?

ZForce · 06-11-2011, 12:32 PM

No issues here with both 370Z's installed with 20/25mm for over a year now with 10k miles on them. No AutoX nor Track days, just alot of canyon carving.

JB1 · 06-11-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashburn

Stupid question, but how do you keep the front wheel from spinning in order to loosen the lugnuts without initially loosening it while it's on the ground? Do you just have another person around to stay on the brake?

By using an impact wrench.

06-10-2011, 10:05 PM	#136 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 653	I'm pretty sure it's the corner loads with the stock wheels that cause these to break. With the stock wheels using washer lugs and being hub centric it is possible that they can move a fraction under high load, i.e. when pulling a 1G+ corner. This movement is getting transferred to the hub ring which simply is so weak that it fractures. So far 100% of the failures are on front wheels that I'm aware of. On our cars the front hubs are under far greater stress than the rear and take the brunt of the car's weight under deceleration and turn in. I'm very careful about how I mount and dismount my wheels, I'm positive that it did not happen during that process. __________________ Hotchkis ARB \| Stillen CAI \| Art Pipes \| Berk CBE \| Stillen AP Racing Brakes \| AE Performance Oil Cooler \| BC Racing ER Coilovers \| Doran Control Arms

06-10-2011, 11:53 PM	#137 (permalink)
JB1 Track Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 748 Drives: 09 Nissan 370Z sold Rep Power: 17	In my case it might have been a combination of Spearfish's point 2 and Chris' point. After installing the spacers I have taken of my wheels a couple times for swaybar install and break pad swap. I doubt uneven tightening of the lug nuts was a problem in my case as I always take extreme care of properly tightening the lug nuts. But taking the wheels of or putting them back on could have been part of the problem, I might have bumped the center ring, the wheels are big and heavy and therefore rather hard to handle. Ad to that the cornering and braking load of the 2 autox events and a track day and you have the perfect recipe for a pair of broken hubcentric spacer rings. I'm done with spacers for now. To bad, as I think our cars (on stock wheels) do need Spacers to complete the look... __________________ Black Fangs // Black rear Valance // Berk CBE // COBB post MAF tubes // K&N drop in filters // Setrab Oil Cooler // Stillen Sway bars // Z1 SS brake lines // Stillen brake cooling kit // Harness bar // Last edited by JB1; 06-10-2011 at 11:56 PM.

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06-11-2011, 12:32 PM	#139 (permalink)
ZForce A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Roseville, CA Posts: 2,359 Drives: 09 370Z Tour + Sport Rep Power: 21	No issues here with both 370Z's installed with 20/25mm for over a year now with 10k miles on them. No AutoX nor Track days, just alot of canyon carving.