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Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:23 am
by D3855
Just noticed that my car has 20mm spacers on front and 15mm on rear! Isn't it ment to be the other way round?

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:36 am
by RS6chris!
OEM wheels?

Lowered?

Most opt for 15mm rear and 12/10mm front depending on usability.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:52 am
by D3855
Ye mate and 21". Not lowered though. Wondering if this is also why I have tons of torque steer. Gona swap them back round today

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 11:08 am
by MikeFish
15mm rear is OK, that's that I have. But I've never seen 20mm on the front. I couldn't get any spacer on my fronts once lowered.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 11:59 am
by D3855
Just been out to swap them round did 1 side. Then moved onto other side and there the right way! 20 rear 15 front.... :(

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 1:52 pm
by MikeFish
So you had 15mm on the front on one side and 20mm on the other? Has that cured your torque steer problem?

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 1:59 pm
by Markp
I am now geometry specialist but should a proper 4 wheel alignment not found a discrepancy?

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:10 pm
by MikeFish
Markp wrote:I am now geometry specialist but should a proper 4 wheel alignment not found a discrepancy?
I'm not sure how much spacers will affect the geometry.
I wouldn't have expected them to notice it though, I'd assume they'd just adjust the car to put it back to spec. Not unusual for it to be out more one side than the other. Probably worth getting it set up properly now.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:22 pm
by D3855
Correct Mike yes

Been out in it just now and it's not cured that torque steer lol but just trying to find a specialist as close to Manchester as poss to do the alignment. But may get my mate to attempt it just 1 last time and have the rear tow set to zero instead like have been advised in other thread.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 5:28 pm
by chunky79
How did they not notice they were different from each other when doing the alignment??

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 5:53 pm
by D3855
Haven't a bloody clue mate

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 6:26 pm
by kmpowell
chunky79 wrote:How did they not notice they were different from each other when doing the alignment??
Because he took it to his mate who works at Kwik-fit. Enough said.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 6:57 pm
by MikeFish
I don't see why the alignment guy would notice? When most people take a car to be aligned one side is further out of alignment then the other. Why would you check if there was different size spacers? I know kwik fit are useless but I wouldn't have expected a decent garage to notice either.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:34 pm
by chunky79
Mike, I would expect someone who is fitting alignment discs to the wheels to notice if one side is sticking out more than the other. If someone has taken a car in saying they have issues I'd expect things like this to have been checked, perhaps I just expect to much from experts. Yeah it was kwick fit, but even so, this should have been spotted imo.
A good alignment machine should have picked up if the axles weren't aligned too! If the axles was out, either adjust it or see why it's out.

Re: Wheel spacers 20mm fronts 15mm rear wtf

Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:55 pm
by MikeFish
The difference was only 5mm. I bet some cars with no spacers have bigger differences. And they normally do both wheels on one side of the car then move round to do fit them on the other side so even harder to spot the difference. Not sure if the machine should spot it though. Maybe I expect top little from these guys.