steering wheel shake w/ spacers?
 

Is it possible, if your wheels/tires are perfectly balanced, for wheel spacers to cause your steering wheel to shake?

I ask because I keep having my wheels/tires balanced and each time my steering wheel is still shaking. Car has 18,xxx miles on it. Lowered on H&R springs only. Never any damage. I can't figure it out. Tonight actually, I even had the wheels balanced with the spacers connected, and it made it WORSE!!!

Check if the spacers are installed correctly

What type of spacers did you get? Do they have a lip on them? Good quality hub-centric spacers should NOT cause any vibration, unless something else is wrong. Lug centric (no lip on the spacer) can cause some slight vibrations, due to the wheel not being perfectly centered on the hub.
Remove the spacers and see if you still have a vibration.

You've found your problem. Remove and reinstall the spacers.

I have the Ichiba version 1 on the fronts . There's two sets of holes. Only one fits. It has a hub centric ring. The thing is , there's a little bit of play in the lug area where I can actually turn the spacer a touch to the left or right. I will recheck tonight and report back

Here's another thought. I used the studs that were supplied with a previous set of front spacers. Maybe it's possible the I china ones are thicker or something .

It's possible that they are still loose even if you have them torqued to spec, I recommend just tightening the **** out of them :tup:

since they're the Ichiba version 1's, they can't be put on "backwards", so that takes care of that. The only thing I can come up with is that the play around the lugs is causing my problem. That, or the RoadForce wheel balance machine is not accurate for my Nismo wheels.


I dunno. You're not supposed to balance spacers WITH the wheels when you go to get them balanced, right. I mean, they are still connected to the hub.

z1 bolt on spacers installed myself. never any shaking or vibration. you're not suppose to be able to turn the spacers at all by hand. and no you get the wheels balanced separately.

H&R DRS and no vibrations for 4K.

Are the spacers bolt on or stud through? What size are they?

I had the ichibas on mine for a while. After removing them, smooth sailing. Ended up getting h&r's. Still had a tiny bit of vibration. Eventually got new rims.

Still installer error, there is always a bit of play. Your wheels have a bit of play too...


What size spacers are you installing? Also, have you tried installing them with some anti seize on the backs? When you install them, do you drive around a bit, make a few left/right turns like you're in a slolam, then re tighten the spacer's lug nuts?
Lastly, DO NOT over torque them like someone mentioned above...

I think this is where people mess up with spacers. I'd even say one re-torqueing isn't enough. hit it again after a few hundred miles.

This. Torque to spec. That's why there's a spec. Overtorque it and you'll break something.

Yeah, I retorqued them once after a few mile drive of driving like I was drunk, and they were fine for many, many thousands of miles, even up to 155MPH

I had the ichiba in my 350Z and has the same problem, vibration and lug nuts coming loose.
Now I'm using the Z1 in the rear of my 370z and no vibration at all.

I have seen cars with a slight run out on the rotors do this as well, unless you re positive it started because of the spacers. Also go to a shop that has road force balance capabilities, it will find and problems with the tires and or the wheels.

Z1 spacers with professional iinstallatio...20k noissues.,

i use 80lbs/ft and loctite blue on the spacer lugs and let them dry overnight. no issue with spacer lugs backing out, nor not being able to remove them later.

I wrote up on this a few years ago: I also know kenchan won't let his wheels near an installer so that's excellent advice and we probably agree.

Just do the job right. Diving from one idea to the next occasionally strikes lucky until the next time.

"on car wheel balancing" is useful when the wheels and tires are fitted wrong.
Are the spacers true in thickness and in absolute roundness?
The thickness of each must not vary by more than one or two (no more!) thousandths of an inch.

Gotta get the overall wheel/hub clearance to the factory 0.1mm. (DIY tolerance will be at least 0.3mm with spacers), or reduce tolerances elsewhere to compensate.
Offer the spacer to the wheel: junk spigot rings of plastic. Best ask your machine shop to machine 4 spigot rings of ally which are a press fit to the spacer and a .05mm clearance to the wheel center.
Be sure the spigot rings are deep enough to engage the wheel itself and not just the taper.
(You have now "saved" .05mm)

Hub to spacer: centralise the spacer accurately with spring steel. Some key rings have a small tape measure attached. The spring steel is often 0.1mm or less and, if lucky (or the spacer Mnfr sloppy) that can go between the hub spigot and the spacer for an almost zero clearance.

If not then use thin elec tape .004" and be sure it does not wrinkle when you slide on the spacer. Now cross-tighten and then torque the spacer evenly to the hub. The tape can GTH.
(you have now fudged or "saved" .03mm or better)
Total tolerance is now .05 +.03 =.08mm. Good enough for any true race car.

Next (probably not necessary unless you still have a problem)
Balance each wheel and mark the weight. Rotate the wheel through 90 deg and re.balance.
If there's a difference go elsewhere.
Do the same to all wheels, leaving the new weights in place.
Fit tires (the red..or yellow balance markers and the circumferential line, if any, are as good as leaving the wheel only weights in place).... and balance them.

Fit wheels to car and cross tighten tightish.
Have the wheels lightly touch the ground and cross torque.

Testing:
Front alignment must be parallel or slightly toed in, Camber equal on each side: Tires new
Rear alignment must be to the car itself and preferably with equal cambers!
Slight Steering shake when cold is normal due to flat spot when parked, then there should be none.
If the shake gets worse with distance travelled then one or more tires has a delamination (easily visible out of round when rotated, hot, and quite common.)
Cause? Robust Kerb crashing!
Be sure that ride heights (floor to wheel arch) are equal ...within a cm---at both wheel pairs.

All 4 wheels/tires done that way will be good for top speed, be quieter, and eliminate vibrations you did not know you had.

Note: If a salesman or tyre fitter or manager or any-one starts hyping "stud centering" or "bolt centering" they want profit, not truth, so go elsewhere!

AND, according to one ex frequent poster on this site "Anything Fritz writes is b/s"
So, therefore everything suggested here is done at your own risk!

Fritz