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Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:07 pm
by rs4uk
Hi Guys

Just wondered if anyone else who is running spacers gets a vibration from the car like your alloys need balancing?

I didnt have this problem before fitting spacers but seems to happen between 60-70 mph?

Running 10mm on the rear and 8mm on the front

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:46 pm
by MikeFish
Did you get the right fitment? Where did you buy them from?

Also, check and clean the hub face as well as both sides of the spacer and the wheel face. Any little bit of grit here will cause the wheel to not sit 100% flat and wobble.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:47 pm
by MikeFish
If that doesn't clear it try swapping wheels / spacers front to rear or remove one set of spacers altogether to narrow down which axle it is at least.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:06 pm
by RS4_Ollie
Are 8mm wide enough to be hub centric?

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:16 pm
by MikeFish
Yes. Anything over 5mm.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:52 pm
by Surrey Sam
I've had a whisker under 160mph on the clock before with spacers fitted and no vibration at any speed to that point.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:57 pm
by R1RS4
Yes as Mike says

Clean up the face of the hubs and also run a large flat file over the wheel mating face, also just to check you have increased your bolt length accordingly?

Good luck

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:15 pm
by FaisalJ
Rs4uk - just to be sure; the spacers you bought, are they hubcentric?

I've had 8mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm and 25mm spacers on my last couple of cars, all hubcentrics, and none of them caused any vibration. I've had the car on track with spacers too - no issues.

The first set of spacers I ever bought though were not hubcentric (before I knew better) and caused lots of vibration.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:52 am
by audi_do_dat_den
If the hub surface and also the wheel mounting face are not properly cleaned before fitting the spacers, you will get vibration.
If there's rust, a flake of old wheel lacquer or just general <beep> between the spacer and the hub or the spacer and the wheel (or both), the thickness of the spacer will amplify the vibration massively.

As also mentioned, if they're not hubcentric and not from a reputable manufacturer, they might not be perfectly centred on the spigot..... and cause vibration.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:28 pm
by rs4uk
Hi guys thanks for the replies

The spacers I have are 8mm front forge spacers and 10mm unbranded rear spacers

Now this might sounds like a daft question - hubcentric are the spacers specially designed for the hub?

The vibration im getting is from the steering wheel so will take the spacers off clean up and refit them and see what results i get

What make spacers is everyone else running? H&R seem the popular choice

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 5:26 pm
by audi_do_dat_den
I have H&R and theyre a perfect fit on the centre spigot.
I would pay great attention to the surface of the hub and the mounting face of the wheel, even get in there with some decent emery to get every trace of corrosion off the hub and ensure the back of the wheel is nice and smooth.
Even a fraction of a millimetre sized piece of crud or rust will cause wobble when the wheel is spinning at those sorts of speeds.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:20 pm
by MikeFish
rs4uk wrote:
Now this might sounds like a daft question - hubcentric are the spacers specially designed for the hub?
The hubcentric spacers have a lip that sits in the hub to keep the spacer dead centre and stop any vibrations. This is a common issue for non-hubcentric spacers. You may find just removing them and refitting them will make them better / worse depending on how off centre you manage to fit them (if they are not hubcentric).
rs4uk wrote:
What make spacers is everyone else running? H&R seem the popular choice
Most people use the H&R hub centric ones. There are so many variations too, with different size and angle of the hubcentric lips. If you decide to buy any I'd recommend using either Revolution who are site sponsers, or Virdee. Both of these will make sure you have the correct fitment.

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:20 pm
by rs4uk
Hi Mike thanks for explaining the difference between hubcentric spacers and hubcentric - didn't actually know what the difference was

My fronts are not hubcenric so removing them tomorrow and see what difference it makes and hopefully replace them with H&R ones

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:04 am
by toyneg
I used to run 8mm hubcentric ones up front but had the same symptoms as you, it is caused by the hub of the wheel not sitting flush enough on the spacer, I couldnt get mine right at all so ended up just running 10mm on the back and now no issues

Re: Spacers causes vibration between 60-70 mph?

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:16 pm
by rs4uk
Front spacers removed - non hubcentric 8mm, left the rear spacers on 10mm hubcentric

No vibration at all !!