Spacers for factory fuchs?
 

I was wondering if I could give my car a slightly more aggressive look by moving the wheels out a bit with spacers.

As it is they appear deep in the wheel arches especially in the rear.

Are there any adverse effects of doing this? Any benefits besides appearance?

Thanx

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David

1988 911 Carrera
Coupe

[This message has been edited by Periokid (edited 07-02-2001).]

If you space more than a quarter inch, you generally have to install longer lug bolts. The effect on handling is probably not great, but a wider stance can't hurt, and it look cool, too.

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist home page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page

Jack,

Thanks for the reply.

I have no experience with spacers. Is this an easy thing to do for applications that are more than a 1/4 inch?

Thanx

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David

1988 911 Carrera
Coupe

Two ways....buy adapter/spacers from companies like Better Bodies. Or pull and replace your short studs with longer ones and then use turbo style spacers. They slip over the long studs and do the same thing.

The adapter/spacers bolt to the hub and you bolt the wheel to them use ten lug nuts per wheel. They are slightly illegal in a lot of racing venues. A lot of people think they are unsafe.

Some will let them be used because they do not fit the classic example of adapters....meaning ones that alter the bolt pattern so as to fit a different lug pattern.

So....your choice.

John Walker justed posted a cheap way to pull rear studs....pound them out the e-brake hole.....cool, saves replacing the bearing and pulling the hubs.

I have been using German made spacer/adpters and they work fine with my 993 wheels. But I have been warned that next year they will D/Q if I keep using them. So I am debating getting race wheels with the proper offsett or doing the longer studs change.

you can change the wheel studs, or you can buy spacers greater than 1/2 inch that have built in studs.

Wheel spacers will have the effect of softening your suspension, since they increase the effective length of the lever compressing your tbars. This is more pronounced on the front than it is on the rear. Spacers also increase the load on your wheel bearings.

These side effects are negligable for thin spacers 1/4 - 1/2 inch. They start to become significant when you consider 1 inch and bigger.

you also need to be carefull of tire clearance on the front. Not just during suspension compression, but also turning. Space out the wheels and the tire traces a bigger arc when you turn the wheel. Tires move forward and back further.

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http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...s/frontwsm.jpg Chuck Moreland '86 Cab - "Sparky", '77 Targa - "Sweet Pea"

[This message has been edited by Clark Griswald (edited 07-02-2001).]

Thanks for the information.

Given my car and the current fuchs, I think 1/4 inch might be too small of a change.

A 1/2 might be better and i can avoid going to an inch to avoid and detrimental suspension changes.

It seem that the way to go is using the longer studs. If so, is there a kit for studs and spacers at 1/2"

I'm doing the same research myself. Looks like Better Bodies has the best price out ther:

http://www.betterbodiesmotorsport.com/interiors/wheels/spacers.html

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-Richard
'84 Carrera Cabriolet
'74 911 Widebody 3.6 Project

Good price.

But is 1" too much? 2 inch is certainly much too much.

Is this type of spacer safe? Why don't track events allow this type of spacer?

I'm sure the purists among us will tell you that 1/2" is too much. Personally, I'm just going to drive my car around town, so I could care less if they were 6". 1" and 2" seem to be very popular, and lots of folks are using them. Must not be too bad.

Any nasty Porsche-with-2"-spacer wreck photos out there?

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-Richard
'84 Carrera Cabriolet
'74 911 Widebody 3.6 Project

The 70's and 80's turbos had 2 inch rear, 1 inch front spacers.

Yes, the Turbos had 2" spacers in the rear. The kind with just five longer studs.

I put 21mm spacers on the rear of my SC and it looks great. I had to roll the left fender lip. That's about 3/4" and I used longer studs.

I tried 5/8" spacers in front, but this is too much. Perhaps 1/4" would work.

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'83 SC

With my Fuchs I used 1/4 inch on the front and no rubbing. I also used a 1 inch spacer on the rear, the type with the lugs incorporated into the spacer. The look is great. I don't think you could go much further. But, every P-car is different.


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Paul
78SC Targa

pbs911,

what size wheels are your fuchs?

I was thinking 1/4 inch in the front as you have.

1" in the rear seems like a huge change.

Do you have a picture?

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David

1988 911 Carrera
Coupe

[This message has been edited by Periokid (edited 07-04-2001).]

David, I have 6 and 7 inch Fuchs mounted with 215 X55 X 16 and 225 X 50 X 16 Yoko Intermediates. No pictures, but the rears really fill out the fenders. No modifications to the body were necessary. I would like the fronts out a little more. However, I got a good deal on the 1/4 inch spacers ($5.00 each). I'm very happy with these spacers. Now, when I see an SC without them, it looks funny.


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Paul
78SC Targa

WOW,

1 inch in the rear. I am impressed as the fenders where fine.

I also have 225/50 16 on the rear but my fronts are 205/55 16.

I do not know the width of my wheels as I am new to the car.

I assume my car has the same hub offset as your SC (mine is an 88 standard body).

Since you think the 1/4 up front is not enough, do you think a 1/2 will do?

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David

1988 911 Carrera
Coupe

[This message has been edited by Periokid (edited 07-04-2001).]

Spacers are on.

This is the side with the deepest wheels. The other side is 1/2 inch farther out.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...ds/spacer1.jpg

Below is after adding a one inch adapter in the rear and a 1/4 inch spacer in the front.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...ds/spacer2.jpg




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David

1988 911 Carrera Coupe
Leonoff Net

Using the longer studs allows you to tailor the spacer size to EXACTLY what you want.
The installation is more difficult, but the results are perfect.

This is what I wanted. I was mentioning the difference between the right and left sides of the car. The side shown is more recessed than the opposite side.

I could fine tune the spacer size but I still would not make the left have a different size spacer than the right.

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David

1988 911 Carrera Coupe
Leonoff Net

I'm putting 1" spacers on the back of my '86 tomorrow - pictures will be posted. Got them right here from Pelican Parts. Here is the link:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/POR_911M_suspen_pg12.htm#item19

Also, here is another thread that went on last weekend about spacers that got me to order the parts:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/Forum3/HTML/011286.html


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jrdavid68
1986 Carrera (166K Miles)
1980 911SC (176K Miles)
2001 VW Passat (< 2000 Miles)
1972 Chevy C10 (40,300 Miles)

For those who are interested in this topic:

I have posted a few pictures on my web site. Just click on the Leonoff Net link below and go to the 911 section.

I think I have some decent before and after pictures.

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David

1988 911 Carrera Coupe
Leonoff Net