Possibly odd wheel fitment/spacer question...

[Jand3rson]

Ok, so I've got Apex ARC-8s, which are direct E30 fitment. I wanted to push them out a bit in the rear, so Andrew (who is a machinist) made me a set of 10mm spacers. I should note that I also have a stud conversion, shown in the pic below.

So here's what we're looking at, the rear hub with the spacer mounted, and the backside of the Apex wheel.



The spacer only leaves just a hair of hub sticking out, about 1/4" or so. The centerbore of the spacer is perfect, fits nice and snug around the hub, I had to kind of smack them on. I bolted the wheels to the car/torqued them down with the wheels off the ground, and with a few short drives up to about 50-60 mph, I felt no vibrations at all. So I'm pretty confident that the wheels are being held straight to the hub. In fact, I think in the pic, that the spacer isn't even actually sitting totally flush against the face of the hub.

For peace of mind and a little extra "proper fit/centering", I'm wondering if it's possible, or if anyone makes a hub centering ring that will fit the E30 hub, and fit into the flanged-area of the female part of the wheel, shown in the bottom pic. I'd be willing to bet that the amount of hub still sticking past the spacer, and the height of that flanged-area on the wheel hub are pretty damn close, if not the same. It would be nice to have something just to fill the gap.

Or, and I just overthinking this, like I have a tendency to do with just about everything on my car.

[acolella76]

This is why most spacers over 8mm thick have hub-centric rings on them. a la:


Looks like you're now in the market for some hub extenders. Unfortunately, not many people (if any) make them in E30 fitment.

[Todd Black 88]

You need hub centric 10mm spacers, or hub extenders as said above.

Turner sells extenders for 72.6mm, maybe the sell them in e30 size. Or, have your machinist friend make some up.

[Jand3rson]

Or, have your machinist friend make some up.

That was my first idea, but he's unsure about getting the measurement correct, to meet the angle of hole in the wheel. It would have to be exact, because too small, and they wouldn't be doing anything. Too large, and there would be a gap.

[bmwguy325is]

I have put 80k plus miles on a set up just like yours. Studs and spacers. Things are good no shakes or anything.

[MR 325]

I was thinking about spacing mine out too. I had 12-15mm in mind for the rear though. What do you think josh?

[acolella76]

That was my first idea, but he's unsure about getting the measurement correct, to meet the angle of hole in the wheel. It would have to be exact, because too small, and they wouldn't be doing anything. Too large, and there would be a gap.

No need to bevel the hub extender. Just look at other hub extenders and make the same thing in a 57.1mm diameter. You are really over thinking the whole situation.

[LJ851]

No need to bevel the hub extender. Just look at other hub extenders and make the same thing in a 57.1mm diameter. You are really over thinking the whole situation.

That's the truth!

Do what Alex says, he is correct.

[Todd Black 88]

That was my first idea, but he's unsure about getting the measurement correct, to meet the angle of hole in the wheel. It would have to be exact, because too small, and they wouldn't be doing anything. Too large, and there would be a gap.

No, no need to "fit" them to the wheel. I made some up for my m3 when I was running style 5's. I had to run 5mm spacers up front to clear the caliper clips with fresh pads, but with the back side of the wheel the same as your wheels, it let me with no hub lip left to center the wheel.

I used some thick aluminum piping with an OD a little larger then my hub OD. Turned the OD down to match exactly. Turned one end down to match the inner diameter of the front hub, with a tight,tap in fit. Cut it to length(thickness of the spacer I used 5mm). Turned the inside of the outer side down just enough to hammer in some large GM frost plugs as end caps. Done.

[einstein57]

They are pretty cheap on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUBCENTRIC-10MM-WHEEL-SPACERS-ADAPTERS-BMW-E30-3-SERIES-4X100-CB-57-1MM-/170982590784?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27cf5b4940&vxp=mtr

I sent the company who machines my coilover sleeves and asked them about making me hub centric spacers

[Todd Black 88]

Yep, only issue is it's not possible to make hub centric spacers under 10mm due to the length of the regular hub. That's where hub extensions come in to play.

[AndrewBird]

I'm the one who made the spacers. I took some measurements of E30 rear hubs and the thinnest hubcentric spacers that would work are 15mm. Any thinner and it is impossible to make the hole in the backside (for the hub) deep enough for the hub, but still have a centering hub on the spacer.

As far as hub extenders, am I correct in thinking that all it is is a plug that fits into the center of the hub, then sticks out and is the same diameter as the outside of the hub? Does the inside bore of the hub run true enough to the outside? I'm trying to remember, but aren't the inside of the hubs just cast and unmachined?

[Todd Black 88]

[Todd Black 88]

I'm the one who made the spacers. I took some measurements of E30 rear hubs and the thinnest hubcentric spacers that would work are 15mm. Any thinner and it is impossible to make the hole in the backside (for the hub) deep enough for the hub, but still have a centering hub on the spacer.

As far as hub extenders, am I correct in thinking that all it is is a plug that fits into the center of the hub, then sticks out and is the same diameter as the outside of the hub? Does the inside bore of the hub run true enough to the outside? I'm trying to remember, but aren't the inside of the hubs just cast and unmachined?

Yes

[Jand3rson]

I used some thick aluminum piping with an OD a little larger then my hub OD. Turned the OD down to match exactly. Turned one end down to match the inner diameter of the front hub, with a tight,tap in fit. Cut it to length(thickness of the spacer I used 5mm). Turned the inside of the outer side down just enough to hammer in some large GM frost plugs as end caps. Done.

That's brilliant. Andrew could knock those out in no time flat.