SCCA VETTE

I can not find any wheels (except for the factory ugly ones) that has the correct offset to fit my 85 without running the damn spacers.

The car is being built to drive on the street and AUTO-X the crap out of it. I have been against using spacers from day one when i started looking for wheels BUT I can not find any wheels that will fit this car.

MY QUESTION IS, is there anybody that IS using the spacers to race on and is there any issues with doing so? Maybe I am just being to critical of them and fighting this wheel problem for no reason.

COMMENTS?

Thanks Phil

BrianCunningham

Spacers add a lot of mass.

Contact John @ CCW he'll make you a set of forged wheels with the right offset for the same price as most knockoffs.

XPC5R

For heavy autocross use, I use them all the time (several years now). Sometimes even stacked depending on wheel/tire combo being used. Just make sure you have the stud length to support them.

I prefer not too for street applications, as you normally lose the hub centering function.

FastZR1

I had to use some small ones on the front of an 89 that we raced. They worked fine with the longer wheel studs.

SPD KILS

Aftermarket wheel companies make alot of A-Mold (ZR1) style wheels with the correct 36mm offset for the 84-87 Vettes. Now days they seem to use ebay for their new wheel sales. AFS is big into this. I have ran spacers for years on high speed events with 315's and have had no problems. I have sold most of my wheels because I went to a C5. I have one set left, it is the black Grand Sport style, 17x9.5 direct fit for 84-87 Vette.

SCCA VETTE

well if you are interested in selling them OM me a price.

It seems that I may be a little critical of the spacers. I am NO PRO racer by no means. This is like a project car for my business that will get auto-x and street driven and a few showes. I DO want it to be safe.

From looking at some of the cars that you guys are running spacers on HELL i should be fine lolol

Thanks for all the help

Phil

John Shiels

I have been using as big as .850" from CCW for3-4 years of hard use no problem I just installed ARP studs. They still load the hubs.

TedDBere

I ran 1/4 inch spacers in my C5 coupe for several years. But be warned...I was constantly stripping the threads out of the nuts due to their minimum number of turns, four. I finally gave up the front spacers the last year I ran it because I felt they weren't safe without extending the studs. I checked the torque before each event and carried 20 extra lug nuts in my autox "kit".

On my new Z I went with CCWs with built in offsets so I didn't have to bother with the spacers.

Good luck.

SCCA VETTE

OK let me ask this question! If i were to decide to run spacers, what is a common offset wheel to look for and what size spacers do i go with. I do see that alot of wheels seem to be 56mm offset. Should I start looking for 56mm and spacers to adapt?

Where do you recomend that I buy a set of quality spacers?

Thanks
Phil

Gary2KC5

I ran spacers on my C5 but, like John states, put ARP studs on all four corners. no problems.

I would be more than a little concerned if my lugs were barely on and I was pulling the thread off when I torqued them down.

John Shiels

CCW or DRM

CCW has bigger sizes if you need over .50" which I think is DRM's biggest size.

0Randy@DRM

Our selection is 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and the hub centric 5/8 of a inch.

What wheel spacers can do is bring many more wheels into your application. That is a great reason for running spacers. I have sold a ton of spacers to racers, waxers, show, high speed, auto-x, and everything else. They work great!!! I would suggest getting either our 1/2 longer stud or our ARP racing stud or the GM studs. It all depends on which spacer you need and what lug nut.

Randy
PS I get asked all the time, what spacers do I need with this wheel and this brake setup? I have no idea!!! Get out to the garage and measure is the only way.

USAsOnlyWay

SCCA, I run the C5 brakes up front on my 86. And yes, OE Wheels, and I don't know about AFS, has phased out their 36mm offset wheels.

I run 1" ADAPTERS. I say adapters because they are not a spacer using the same studs, but rather, a spacer with their own set of studs. So you bolt the spacer onto the wheel bearing using the bearings studs, and then the studs on the spacer bolt to the wheel.

These require a bit of recess for the stock stud to go into, I know OEM wheels and OE wheels work fine.

Technically I think you only need a 3/4" spacer to run 56mm rims on our vettes, but the 1" works fine for me.

I also prefer to use the hub centric style.



P.S. I've been auto-crossing and now street driving on these and I am not too concerned. I just check the torque when I change rims and make sure the spacers are all tight. I am running "OE Wheels" ZR1s on all four corners. I was running OEM Sawblade wheels up front originally.

Carl Johansson

Hey Phil,
I know alot of people who run spacers - and swear by em. I also know several racing orgs that specifically disallow them - by regulation. So either they have had or know of negative experiences with spacers - or are trying to put the spacer manufacturers out of business.

If you need a spacer the adapters with the included studs are the way to go.

I have an 86e - I use it for track days, autoX open road racing, and mountain carving. I put on afs (or ATS - I always forget) 17 inch wheels - that gives me 275´s up front and 315s in the rear - with no adaptors or spacers. It also gives me room for upgrading to C-5 brakes with 13 inch rotors.

I think the offsets are the same for 85 - 86e. I got the complete set of 4 wheels, 5 spoke knockoffs with sumitomos all around for under 1500 bucks - I thought that was a pretty good deal

Carl Johansson