Installing spacers on wheels?

[Maluco]

Firstly, greetings everyone! I am new here and would like to salute all of you. As per my username, I am the proud owner of an 84 318i (however I've been having a few probs lately :down: which you will mostly likely hear about in the near future)

So, I was just wondering if there are any cons to installing spacers on my 318i, my wheels aren't really flush with the body and I'm thinking it would look alot better that way. I am attempting to paste a pic now. Thanks

[IS]

Aside from increased upsprung weight, adding a spacer wont have any ill effects as long as it is hubcentric.

[nando]

you must also use longer lugnuts..

[Maluco]

"hubcentric"? I guess I'll just make sure to ask for them that way?

do you have any idea how much longer? I guess I would have to special order longer lugnuts. All of mine are wheel locks and I was hoping to use them...

[A_325i]

depends on the size of spacer you use....i have 20mm spacers and i bought 75mm studs if you get a huge spacer i highly suggest turnermotorsport for your wheel studs

[Digitalwave]

"hubcentric"? I guess I'll just make sure to ask for them that way?

do you have any idea how much longer? I guess I would have to special order longer lugnuts. All of mine are wheel locks and I was hoping to use them...

Hubcentric means that the size of the center bore of the spacer is the same size as the hub on the car, so there is no play in the spacer when there is mounted. That can cause wheel vibrations. If you order H&R wheel spacers from www.turnermotorsport.com for the E30, they are hubcentric.

[Maluco]

cool, I'll check out www.turnermotorsport.com when I decide to purchase them. One last question, can you guys, based on the pic I pasted, suggest a size of spacer? what's the best way of going about deciding or figuring out what makes the wheels flush with the body. The front doesn't seem like it needs as much as the back either... thanks again you guys.

[Digitalwave]

To be honest it doesn't look like you need them in the front. It's hard to tell because your car isn't lowered, so you don't have any camber.

[Maluco]

yeah the front does look ok. it's really the back, mostly at certain angles, that looks like it needs out some.

you actually bring up something else I've thought about doing, lowering the car... customizing my car in general is new to me. I've been told to just install some Eibach springs in the front but don't know what to do with the back. I'll have to do some reading up. Would you happen to have any links on this topic handy? If not, I'll do some searches when I get some time. Thanks (is that your 325, nice)

[Sean]

I would most DEFINATELY NOT just put in Eibachs up front and leave the rears alone (if that's what you meant). It would be very off balance, and handle worse.

As much as I hate to sound...non-original...the Bilstein Sports combined with H&R Sport Springs tends to be a winner combination. it lowers the car about 1.25inches all the way around and it handles 10x better. At the same time, it's still very streetable.

That's the setup I'd suggest. Eibach's have been known to sag over time too, maybe that's just hear-say though - so, that may not be 100% correct.

You will, however, need to get NEW shocks and struts if you install lowering/upgraded springs. Pairing the old Shocks with new springs will cause problems.

[Digitalwave]

yeah the front does look ok. it's really the back, mostly at certain angles, that looks like it needs out some.

you actually bring up something else I've thought about doing, lowering the car... customizing my car in general is new to me. I've been told to just install some Eibach springs in the front but don't know what to do with the back. I'll have to do some reading up. Would you happen to have any links on this topic handy? If not, I'll do some searches when I get some time. Thanks (is that your 325, nice)

Yeah, that's my car. There are a lot of threads in the Spring forum about this type of stuff, I don't have any off hand but you won't have trouble finding any.

[MR 325]

What offset are your wheels, any idea?

[Maluco]

Sean, in regards to your reply, I would lower both the front and the back. I have struts in the front and just shocks in the back. You stated "the Bilstein Sports combined with H&R Sport Springs tends to be a winner combination. it lowers the car about 1.25inches all the way around" I looked up some images under Bilstein Sports on google and it looks like it's a set of both the struts and the rear shocks, is this correct? So then all I would need is the springs, yes? Another concern, it seems like my tires are rubbing my struts when I hit dips in the street/highway. I take it Bilstein takes this into consideration in the design of their struts? Thanks

MR 325I don't know what my offset is? How can I find out? My old wheels were stolen, and I hurriedly bought the ones I have now from a friend.(wheels and tires = $500 - something positive coming from something negative = PRICELESS)

thanks again guys

[Digitalwave]

Your tire is rubbing on the strut because the offset of the rims is too high. The spacers would cure that, not the struts. The front aren't really struts, there are strut tubes and there is a removable shock in there.

[IS]

Offsets are stamped on the wheels - it will say et __ mm. Most likely somwhere around 25mm.