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How thick wheel spacers with stock studs?

iso100

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#1
Any idea how thick of a wheel spacer you can run without going with longer studs?

I was thinking about getting 5mm for the rear.
 


dyn085

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#2
On past Ford models the max was 8mm, so I would assume this to be the same. I wouldn't be worried with 5mm.
 


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iso100

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Thread Starter #3
Cool, thanks. I'm trying to equalize the fender gap (lateral) between the front (wider) and back.
 


razorlab

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#4
Personally 5 would be pushing it on stock studs, as they aren't very long on the Fiesta. You should have approx 10 turns of thread engagement.

Also, most 5mm spacers do not have the hub centric lip and can cause balance issues.
 


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iso100

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Thread Starter #5
Hmm. Maybe it's not worth it then.
 


dyn085

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#6
Personally 5 would be pushing it on stock studs, as they aren't very long on the Fiesta. You should have approx 10 turns of thread engagement.

Also, most 5mm spacers do not have the hub centric lip and can cause balance issues.
They are the same nuts and torque specs so the studs will have the same protrusion and thread engagement through the wheel.

Hubcentric is nice but not mandatory, but 5mm doesn't usually cover the whole lip. I haven't measured on these hubs though, so I can't say for sure.
 


dyn085

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#8
Minus 5mm. Which is almost .2"

Let us remember the original question:
My original statement of maximum spacer size on other OEM studs is where I'm making the comparison of same thread size/pitch, same OEM wheel nut, and same torque specifications. If the thread engagement was different between the two models then there would be differences.

I would be willing to bet that if 8mm is maximum spacer thickness on those wheels, that that measurement would directly apply to ours as well.
 


razorlab

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#9
Yes but I am talking about thread engagement. Which decreases 5mm when using a 5mm spacer. You have to make sure there is enough thread engagement to make sure they torque right. Rule of thumb is approx 10 spins to be comfortable.
 


XuperXero

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#10
10 full turns? That's quite a lot. I've done 6 full turns minimum and have never had any problems.
 


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#11
Sorry to revive an old thread but just curious if anyone had used a 5mm spacer in the rear without changing the existing studs since? Would it still be considered safe/unsafe?
 


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#12
Wheel spacers are a bad idea overall, they increase the load on the wheel hub bearings and the joints of the axles by changing the geometry. I wouldn't put them on my car.
 


VirtualRonin

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#13
Sorry to revive an old thread but just curious if anyone had used a 5mm spacer in the rear without changing the existing studs since? Would it still be considered safe/unsafe?
I thought about running with stock studs using a 5mm spacer in the rear but changed my mind after I did a test fit. I bought the H&R 5mm Trak+ kit for the rear and it came with longer studs (only slightly to account for the 5mm spacer). I decided since I autocross my car I would rather have the peace of mind having a proper length stud and installed the H&R studs. I bought a stud install kit from a local OReilly's and it worked great. If you're only daily driving you might be ok without them but it's a personal choice. It can be done, but I wouldn't feel as safe without adding extra stud length to make up for the spacer. There is still enough lip left on the hub to center the wheel as well.

It didn't really doing anything major for the handling of the car, it was more cosmetic than anything but I think it looks great and it was worth the $60 I paid for the spacer kit. The stud install tool was extra but made the stud install a cinch.
 


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#14
I thought about running with stock studs using a 5mm spacer in the rear but changed my mind after I did a test fit. I bought the H&R 5mm Trak+ kit for the rear and it came with longer studs (only slightly to account for the 5mm spacer). I decided since I autocross my car I would rather have the peace of mind having a proper length stud and installed the H&R studs. I bought a stud install kit from a local OReilly's and it worked great. If you're only daily driving you might be ok without them but it's a personal choice. It can be done, but I wouldn't feel as safe without adding extra stud length to make up for the spacer. There is still enough lip left on the hub to center the wheel as well.

It didn't really doing anything major for the handling of the car, it was more cosmetic than anything but I think it looks great and it was worth the $60 I paid for the spacer kit. The stud install tool was extra but made the stud install a cinch.


Thanks man. Appreciate your input on this. I agree, peace of mind and safety first. Was it hard to replace the studs?
 


VirtualRonin

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#15
Thanks man. Appreciate your input on this. I agree, peace of mind and safety first. Was it hard to replace the studs?
Pretty easy. You'll have to remove the rear brake calipers so you can remove the rear disc to get at the studs. For the studs I only needed a hammer, punch, and stud installation tool. You use a lug nut with the stud install tool for the new studs; old ones tap out pretty easy after a couple well placed hits with the hammer (punch is optional if you want to save them). I used a ratchet to tighten the studs and seat them. Mounted the wheels and torqued them; then again after 50 and 100 miles


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#16
Pretty easy. You'll have to remove the rear brake calipers so you can remove the rear disc to get at the studs. For the studs I only needed a hammer, punch, and stud installation tool. You use a lug nut with the stud install tool for the new studs; old ones tap out pretty easy after a couple well placed hits with the hammer (punch is optional if you want to save them). I used a ratchet to tighten the studs and seat them. Mounted the wheels and torqued them; then again after 50 and 100 miles


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Thanks buddy :)
 


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