Spacers???
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
More unsprung weight does all the wrong things...slower acceleration, longer braking, more fuel consumption, ride deterioration...the goal is to find the lightest wheels you can.
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
^none of those symptoms listed you will notice at all...I have had them on several cars, never noticed any of that one bit (before and after) and I'm sure others who run them will say the same. Unless you have ever ran them yourself, than there really is nothing to say but you have just been given over-exaggerated info from others who more than likely never ran them to experience any of that themselves
Last edited by xXHotelCrazyXx; May 31, 2011 at 10:38 PM.
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C300 Sport 6MT
Also, the goal is to buy wheels with the proper fitment to begn with. You're spending the money, so why not get the correct setup from the get go?
Spacers are fine to use though and are an easy way to fiddle with the look of your car.
Spacers are fine to use though and are an easy way to fiddle with the look of your car.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
^none of those symptoms listed you will notice at all...I have had them on several cars, never noticed any of that one bit (before and after) and I'm sure others who run them will say the same. Unless you have ever ran them yourself, than there really is nothing to say but you have just been given over-exaggerated info from others who more than likely never ran them to experience any of that themselves
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
Changing wheel sizes/and or weights are one thing, especially when there are 3-5+ lbs difference for each wheel, but wheel spacers, you wont notice a thing.
Last edited by xXHotelCrazyXx; May 31, 2011 at 11:25 PM.
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From: Bergen County,NJ
2010 C300 Sport 6 speed Steel Gray
I
Figured that. Just wondered why people dont like it. Thought there was a good reason.
^none of those symptoms listed you will notice at all...I have had them on several cars, never noticed any of that one bit (before and after) and I'm sure others who run them will say the same. Unless you have ever ran them yourself, than there really is nothing to say but you have just been given over-exaggerated info from others who more than likely never ran them to experience any of that themselves
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
There really is no "good" reason. People just think that everyone need to spend loads of $$$ to spend on custom offsets or you will "destroy your cars engineering lol" or finding a wheel that looks good with the perfect offset which rarely happens. Spacers are a good, cheap, effective mod that enhance the look of the car and marginally improve handling by widening the track of the car.
Last edited by xXHotelCrazyXx; Jun 1, 2011 at 01:16 AM.
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From: PHX
2011_C350
Ok then, OP lose two lbs of body fat and you've got cake and are eating it.
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'11 C350 '13 F150 lariat
the big thing with spacers is fitment. MB wheels are hubcentric and seat a certain way, the hub takes alot of the pressure of the road, and most spacers are just rings and pressure the bolts directly, not the hub. If your racing or rough on ur car, u want quality lugs, and hubcentric spacers for MB. Im not a fan of them, I think ur better off with proper hubcentric wheels, unless ur trying to push ur stock wheels out a little, then its a different story, u have no choice
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
The goal in most good engineering is to take out weight, not add it. I have not weighed a spacer, but 2 pounds here, a larger/heavier wheel there, and this stuff adds up. Sometimes, it is avoidable, sometimes not, so the goal is always to get rid of as much weight as possible where one can, doing a cost/benefit analysis on each decision. I've sat with and learned from OE engineers who understand the systemic benefits of adding up "grains of sand" to improve the overall result. Adding weight is directionally incorrect and a wide range of properly fitting great wheel choices exists which allows avoiding this type of weight band-aid approach for no other real benefit.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
I understand your point, and yes I do because the cost/benefit suggests having them in case of a need which would otherwise strand me. However, one of the reasons we all have minispares (and for BMW, no spare, but RFTs) is weight reduction versus a full size spare. But, my trunk is empty other than that. Each item is a decision as to the value versus the penalty, and my point was that one can get great wheels which fit without needing to add more parts which don't add offsetting (no pun intended) value.
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
If i was that concerned about weight like you are, especially over something so tiny such as spacers, (which no calibrated butt can feel), i would just shed the spare, jack, tool kit etc than...phone a friend when you call someone. Do you really do that much spirited driving to car about a few extra pounds honestly Im just curious? The C300 is a pig and by no means a fast/great handling car.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
If i was that concerned about weight like you are, especially over something so tiny such as spacers, (which no calibrated butt can feel), i would just shed the spare, jack, tool kit etc than...phone a friend when you call someone. Do you really do that much spirited driving to car about a few extra pounds honestly Im just curious? The C300 is a pig and by no means a fast/great handling car.
I won't give up my own emergency capability of a spare...personal decision, but I have spent some time and effort to improve the chassis performance of the C. While the C300 is not a "fast" car, I think "pig" overstates it, and I am ok with the powertrain capability. For me, handling is a more "elegant" capability and far outranks sheer acceleration. Clearly, the C Class is no sports car, but I've gone through changing out front and rear antisway bars, bushings, and researching tires before choosing Pilot Sport A/S Plus (another cost/benefit choice in my climate versus a summer only higher performance tire, I realize). But, now I am happier with the chassis response, which is quite good and surprisingly more neutral with the new bars, although it's not yet my ideal and I will probably consider the F30 when the next gen 3 series launches (as well as for a manual trans). I have been known to spend some extra time looping traffic circles and finding great on/off ramps just for the fun of it.
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From: Bergen County,NJ
2010 C300 Sport 6 speed Steel Gray
the big thing with spacers is fitment. MB wheels are hubcentric and seat a certain way, the hub takes alot of the pressure of the road, and most spacers are just rings and pressure the bolts directly, not the hub. If your racing or rough on ur car, u want quality lugs, and hubcentric spacers for MB. Im not a fan of them, I think ur better off with proper hubcentric wheels, unless ur trying to push ur stock wheels out a little, then its a different story, u have no choice
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
I agree with shedding weight on a car if your really going to use it at the track, but the reality of it is, 98% of us here, our cars will never see any kind of track. With a gross weight of around 4541 lbs, im sorry that is a pig. Its a heavy car and has very loose steering and doesnt give much feedback to the driver as far as "feeling the road goes".
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
I agree with shedding weight on a car if your really going to use it at the track, but the reality of it is, 98% of us here, our cars will never see any kind of track. With a gross weight of around 4541 lbs, im sorry that is a pig. Its a heavy car and has very loose steering and doesnt give much feedback to the driver as far as "feeling the road goes".
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
Curb Weight is the actual weight of the vehicle without any passengers or cargo in it. It’s the base weight that is used in subtraction to calculate the total weight of the vehicle with passengers and cargo.
Gross Vehicle Weight is the total weight of the loaded vehicle. This includes the vehicle itself and the cargo that is loaded within that vehicle.
Gross Vehicle Weight is the total weight of the loaded vehicle. This includes the vehicle itself and the cargo that is loaded within that vehicle.
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings are the ratings that are calculated by the manufacturers as to be the amount of weight that the vehicle will be when the vehicle itself is weighed filled with gasoline and loaded according to manufacturer’s specifications.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
LOL....you are right, thank you, and I realize that, having worked for one of the 3 domestic OEs. I did not know you meant the term literally, as most folks don't know the difference and sometimes use the terms loosely. But, most comparisons are made at curb weight, as gross weight is at full capability, which is not the operating mode of most vehicles most of the time. In fairness, gross weight comparisons somewhat penalize a vehicle for its capability rather than measuring how efficient it may/may not be at the more typical unladen.
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: five oh two
2008 W204 Sport
Well the street can go both ways... Curb weight is a completely empty vehicle with no cargo, passengers or gasoline etc...The car physically cannot drive like that. So Gross weight fits better IMO because your always going to have atleast 1 person, gasoline to make it go and you figure gasoline weighs roughly about 7 lbs...either way....this is about wheel spacers and there just isnt enough physical rotational weight to possibly notice the addition of a wheel spacer.
Last edited by xXHotelCrazyXx; Jun 1, 2011 at 11:57 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Well the street can go both ways... Curb weight is a completely empty vehicle with no cargo, passengers or gasoline etc...The car physically cannot drive like that. So Gross weight fits better IMO because your always going to have atleast 1 person, gasoline to make it go and you figure gasoline weights roughly about 7 lbs...either way....this is about wheel spacers and there just isnt enough physical rotational weight to possibly notice the addition of a wheel spacer.
