Help please! (wheels/spacers/studs)
#1
Help please! (wheels/spacers/studs)
I just bought some Y2K's in 18x9.5" and 18x10.5" and the offsets are a little large for F-bodies. The offsets for the 18x9.5"s are 65mm and for the rear 18x10.5"s they are 56mm. What size spacers will work best and where can I get them? I've searched and found that the biggest spacer I can use on stock studs is 1/4". Is 1/4" fine for the rears? Will this make the offset 50mm? What do you recommend for the fronts 1/2" plus longer studs? What size studs will I need and will this be safe? Will the 1/2" spacers make the offsets about 52mm or is my calculating off?
Sorry for all the questions, but I searched and found so many conflicting answers. Your guys' help would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for all the questions, but I searched and found so many conflicting answers. Your guys' help would be greatly appreciated.
#2
A 1/4 inch spacer would give you 49.6 mm offset from a 56 mm offset wheel, which is good clearance on a 10.5" wheel (0.25" = 6.4 mm). If you run a 5/16" spacer, you could get 8 mm of clearance which would result in a 48 mm offset. I would just stick with the 1/4" spacer because you can use the stock studs. I've only heard of people running 5/16" spacer but I wouldn't try it. Then again, there are people who don't even recommend running spacers to begin with.
For the fronts I would suggest you go with a custom made spacer at least 0.35" or bigger. That translates to something in between a 11/32" and 3/8" spacer. That should give you the additional 9mm of clearance to go from a 65mm to a 56 mm offset in the front.
You could also buy a set of aftermarket 18x9.5 Y2K wheels for the front. I've seen some in 54 mm offset.
Good luck with this.
For the fronts I would suggest you go with a custom made spacer at least 0.35" or bigger. That translates to something in between a 11/32" and 3/8" spacer. That should give you the additional 9mm of clearance to go from a 65mm to a 56 mm offset in the front.
You could also buy a set of aftermarket 18x9.5 Y2K wheels for the front. I've seen some in 54 mm offset.
Good luck with this.
#3
Thanks alot your post really helped. I think the fronts are the only ones that are going to give me trouble. Does someone know if it is safe to have a spacer of 3/8-1/2" up front with longer studs? Also which studs would work the best and how would I install the studs and take the old ones out(hammer)?
#5
First, stud removal, search "wheel studs" for more info:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ht=wheel+studs
What fits really depends on the thickness of the wheel center as well as your personal opinion on how much length you need on your studs. I tried cheap *** Pepboys 5/16" spacers on the rears because most people here agreed that that was as thick as I could go with stock studs. I only could get 2 full turns on the lugs, which is definitely too close for comfort. I don't think I would be comfortable with the 1/4" spacers either. Without the spacers I can only get about 10 turns with my ZR1's, likely due to the thickness of the center of the wheel. For the front wheels I went with 1" billet adapter spacers from ebay with great success and would highly recommend them. However, I haven't been able to find adapters less than 1", the manufacturer said they need minimum 1" to properly seat the studs. So, my personal solution to move the rears out is probably the best solution to your fronts. I ordered Baer 1/2" billet spacers (with EXACT 5x4.75" bolt pattern, not some generic one-size-fits-all spacer) from Thunder Racing: http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...&sid=537#P3886
Then I ordered ARP 2.5" studs (stock are 1.5"):
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku
and new lugs.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ht=wheel+studs
What fits really depends on the thickness of the wheel center as well as your personal opinion on how much length you need on your studs. I tried cheap *** Pepboys 5/16" spacers on the rears because most people here agreed that that was as thick as I could go with stock studs. I only could get 2 full turns on the lugs, which is definitely too close for comfort. I don't think I would be comfortable with the 1/4" spacers either. Without the spacers I can only get about 10 turns with my ZR1's, likely due to the thickness of the center of the wheel. For the front wheels I went with 1" billet adapter spacers from ebay with great success and would highly recommend them. However, I haven't been able to find adapters less than 1", the manufacturer said they need minimum 1" to properly seat the studs. So, my personal solution to move the rears out is probably the best solution to your fronts. I ordered Baer 1/2" billet spacers (with EXACT 5x4.75" bolt pattern, not some generic one-size-fits-all spacer) from Thunder Racing: http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...&sid=537#P3886
Then I ordered ARP 2.5" studs (stock are 1.5"):
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku
and new lugs.
#7
I think the best solution would be to sell the fronts and get a new pair with the correct offset in the 54-58 mm range. For the rear a GM 1/8" spacer (part #14091902) (52.8mm offset) would work nicely. You could run a 1/2" spacer in the front that would give you a 52.2mm offset, but 1/4" is the biggest I would go (58.6mm offset).
I run a 56mm 17.x9.5 and have a 1/4" spacer in the front (49.6mm offset) just to give it a better look when combined with the 50mm 17x11 in the rear. I got stock length ARP wheel studs installed in the front that gave me some peace of mind. They are stronger and have threads that run the full length of the stud unlike the stockers that have a that threadless part on the end. With the 1/4" spacer and the stock studs it only allowed a few turns of each lug. I wouldn't recommend driving on them like that.
I run a 56mm 17.x9.5 and have a 1/4" spacer in the front (49.6mm offset) just to give it a better look when combined with the 50mm 17x11 in the rear. I got stock length ARP wheel studs installed in the front that gave me some peace of mind. They are stronger and have threads that run the full length of the stud unlike the stockers that have a that threadless part on the end. With the 1/4" spacer and the stock studs it only allowed a few turns of each lug. I wouldn't recommend driving on them like that.
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#8
I think white01ss is right in that you should consider selling the fronts - not to lecture, but you really should have done some more research before buying that offset.
BUT anyway, if you're bent on keeping the setup you have now then here's what I would do:
1) get yourself a pair of high quality 1/4" hubcentric spacers for the rears and those will be fine.
2) pick up a pair of 3/4" adapters for the fronts. The resultant offset will be just a tick under 46mm, which should work pretty well.
If you go this route, I would HIGHLY recommend you contact my man Andris Skulte for the spacers/adapters and that you get wheelcentric/hubcentric adapters for front and hubcentric spacers for rear.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions on my input.
BUT anyway, if you're bent on keeping the setup you have now then here's what I would do:
1) get yourself a pair of high quality 1/4" hubcentric spacers for the rears and those will be fine.
2) pick up a pair of 3/4" adapters for the fronts. The resultant offset will be just a tick under 46mm, which should work pretty well.
If you go this route, I would HIGHLY recommend you contact my man Andris Skulte for the spacers/adapters and that you get wheelcentric/hubcentric adapters for front and hubcentric spacers for rear.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions on my input.