kes86

kes86

Active Member
Folks.

The Defender came fitted with some 8 spoke wheels and 265 Insa Turbo tyres, and is fitted with what looks like 30mm wheel spacers, it also has a 2" suspension lift.

My mates who have both done a fair bit of off roading tell me they are to make up for having a short willy.

Anyway, what is the reason you would fit wheel spacers, tyre rubbing, handling, stability?

Just looking into it before I take them off.

Cheers
 
usually to stop rubbing on radius arms and to ensure the alloys clear the drive members on older 90's and 110's but only need 5mm spacers for that really.
 
Ok, maybe best to take one off and see if the tyres rub on the radius arms. It will need wider arches if they have to stay on. Or maybe the 3 spoke Range Rover wheels and the narrower BF Goodrich tyres I can get hold of would be a good option.
 
People fit them to increae the rate of wheel bearing failure so they can spend more time and money fixing them!
 
I have been told wheel spacers wreck your wheel bearings but do enable you to have a better turning circle. Are the wheels Alloy or steel? some Alloy wheels wont fit old Defenders unless you have spacers.
 
Yes I should have said what spec it is.

1994 300tdi with disks all round. Fitted with 7x16 8 spoke steels with 265 Insa chunky tyres and 30mm wheel spacers and a 2" suspension lift.

I just got hold of some classic range rover alloys and chunky 205 tyres which I think may go on for now.
 
Gives you a better turning circle which is usefull for offroading or just shunting around car parks.

Ooh and as compensation ;)
 
JonnyP said:
Don't throw them away.. Sell them to me..
Click to expand...

You are number 3 in a queue, the guy with the Rangie wheels wants them too, just making sure I dont want them first, as it will be a pain in the pocket to sell and then realise I need to buy a new set.
 
They space the wheels further out on the hub this widens your track aids stability ish.

They are mainly fitted to motors that have silly wide tyres and not very offset rims thus increasing the available turning circle before any thing runs.

They put more strain on your wheel bearings agree
They help wheels fall off sometimes

What's not mentioned is when you turn your wheel the centre line ideally of the tyre should be somwhere near the centre line of your king pin/railco bush of you were to draw a line through. Putting offset rims orb indeed spacers do is move the line more to the inside of the tyre tread or in some cases well inside the tyre.

This means you are not turning the wheel on an axis anymore but pulling and pushing the tyre around a curve which does effect driving feel.
 
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