Need to know the logic: Why such a price discrepancy in cost of wheel spacers?
 

Here's something I have peripherally noticed: the cost of wheel spacers (simple aluminum pieces whose function seems to be virtually passive) varies greatly based on who makes them.

They are invisible, so their esthetic value, in lieu of their functional value, would NOT be like steering wheels (which easily cost $300+ vs $30 Chinese knockoffs).

I think I have seen wheel spacers from China for about $5 each, and similarly sized spacers on Pelican for $75 (don't quote these as exact values, but simply numbers emphasizing the price discrepancy).

So, can an engineer please explain what there bee's that I bees missing?

'Splain me, Loo-sie!

Thx.

I used to use 23mm spacers made by H&R (edit: H&K makes firearms :) ). Since they come with lugs and studs and the spacer is actually attached to the hub, I would think that quality matters more in that case than with a simple 'pass through' spacer.

A spacer handles forces in 3 planes. 1) The clamping force of the lug and is under compression. 2) As the wheel spins it is under torque force. 3) It is involved in transmitting the weight/loading of the car through the wheel to the ground.

There has been a lot of discussion on here about the force that spacers larger than about 1" place on the wheel hub. It has been cited as a cause for premature wheel bearing failure so I would be more concerned about quality with larger spacers in general and specifically those with integrated studs (one more thing that could go wrong).

Seems like there isn't a lot that can go wrong with a thin pass-through spacer -- it's pretty simple. That's assuming it isn't made out of some total junk material of course.

Other than that, the old adage 'you get what you pay for' and a general quality concern for things made in China, I've got nothing.

It will be interesting to hear what other responses you get.

My guess would be the quality of the metal alloy. Thirty years ago when hardware stores (Lowes, Menards ...) starting selling cheap Chinese made steel tools (hammers, sockets, pliers ...), I found that the "steel" would quickly break. Ten years ago I bought some cheap wheel spacers (supposedly made of aluminium) that disintegrated after a few months. More recently I have found that the "metal" in cheap furniture (typically sourced from a 3rd world country) has the strength of a bar of butter. Remember the Chinese made dog foods that were adulterated with melamine? The Chinese baby food scandal?
I would imagine that foreign auto makers in China have to closely monitor their subcontractors to avoid being scammed with adulterated metal parts.

H&R are the best in my opinion. I cracked a cheaper brand new one just trying to bolt it on to my rear hub and I wasn't putting that much force on it.

it's scam, they charge that much because they can. I have used 3 sets of aluminum spacers bought on ebay for $20 and they are perfectly fine after many years of use.

'Scam' strikes me as a strong word choice. Nobody is going to do a metallurgical analysis on these things. So it comes down to 'who do you trust' to a certain degree.

Personally, I'm much more willing to take chances on things that don't materially affect my personal safety. But that's just my opinion.

There are really only two possibilities:

A) They are the EXACT same product. Price differnce is attributed to no middleman, less price markup. Difference is a function of economics.

B) They are materially different in some way. How would you know short of metallurgical analysis and comparison of the two?

The material choice matters in some instances. The design certainly matters, in all instances. The quality of manufacturing makes a difference in all instances.

If you want any useful info, you need to define the question a little more tightly. Also, realize there may be things you can't discern from an ad or Ebay listing, so you can only learn so much.

They are not all created equally and I can't think of a part made in China I'd put on anything I own, without knowing a great deal more about it than what I might learn from a typical ad. I grew up in Asia and I don't respect much of what gets made there.

JR

OK, so the quality of the aluminum (usually the main metal component of the spacers, right?) might be the difference.
I guess this would be even more important if these were cast aluminum, as the casting process can result in craters and defects in the material.

OTOH, there is the question of paying the "Porsche tax" (for want of a better generalized term), which we all know exists on many (most?) name brand products -- e.g., esp. clothing.
Really is disturbing when one finds out that a certain product that is touted as Quality, is actually made in the same country (and sometimes even same factory) as the cheap stuff -- the main difference being the middleman, brand name, and audacity of the company.

The material in H&R spacers seems to the naked eye as a different material. I have had both in my possession. I believe that the price difference is for a reason. I am not saying that the cheaper ones won't work but I had one crack new out of the box and they had to replace it.

Also the H&R spacers are made in Germany and not China.

Add marketing costs. H&R advertises. :)

China produces more aluminum than the rest of the world combined. I have no idea what aluminum alloy H&r uses but if I was to guess, it is imported aluminum from China just like most USA made parts are produced here with Chinese aluminum. Could be wrong

Oh crap -- I think we're getting to the point of "Trump, right or wrong" vs "NEVER Trump, regardless if he is ever right".

Lack of facts results in opinions based on emotions. So it's a coin toss.
Who in the world has time, resources and money to do a metallurgical study on H/R's stuff -- and, remember the recent scandal regarding such an upright company like VW, lying about their pollution/mileage testing. Shows that name brands are not quite as honorable as we would like to believe.

...the times we live in....

My opinions aren't based on emotions...

First, you have to ask what type of spacer you want. There are two basic types. One type makes the choice of manufacturing method and alloy more important.

Then you have to specify if you want hub-centric spacers- you do.

Then the quality of manufacturing enters the question. You want parallel surfaces, an accurate bolt circle diameter, etc. You don't want holes that are grossly oversized. I'd prefer an anodized finish, for corrosion resistance (another area where the alloy used might be relevant), etc.

It's your money. Do a little research to understand all of the factors involved, then pick whatever you want.

JR

Years ago - early ebay - I sold autoparts online. Usually had the same part with a different description at a low price, a midrange price and a premium price. Each price range suited a different buyer. I'm sure people still do this.

Funny thing is even Porsche has different prices and part #s for what appears to be the same 21mm spacer
477.501.701 21mm spacer used on 944 & some Audis
930.341.065.00 21mm spacer used on 930s