spacer fitment issues on front wheels?
03-10-2014, 12:28 PM
#1
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spacer fitment issues on front wheels?
hi all... just installed aftermarket 20s on the my 07 E63. First issue: the giant bulb shaped hub cover is creating an issue with the center caps on the new wheels, it presses up against them and pushes them out. what is the purpose of having this giant bulb shaped hub cover on there? and am i an idiot for taking a rubber mallet and flattening it a bit so it doesnt hit my center caps?
2nd issue: spacers i ordered from H&R dont fit. they also have an end cap on them, which ive never even seen before. the part number they list on their website for the fronts, simply does not fit. the hub extends out so far that the spacer cant slide on and fit flush against the rotor. It looks like the only way to get a spacer to fit on this hub is to go with a spacer with no lip on it. when the hub is this huge and extends out this far, there is no need for a lip on the spacer. Ive probably purchased about 10 diff sets of spacers over the years from H&R, on many diff rides, and they have never done me wrong... but these just dont fit, and i dont see the purpose for having a cap on a spacer. Someone please enlighten me!
thanks
2nd issue: spacers i ordered from H&R dont fit. they also have an end cap on them, which ive never even seen before. the part number they list on their website for the fronts, simply does not fit. the hub extends out so far that the spacer cant slide on and fit flush against the rotor. It looks like the only way to get a spacer to fit on this hub is to go with a spacer with no lip on it. when the hub is this huge and extends out this far, there is no need for a lip on the spacer. Ive probably purchased about 10 diff sets of spacers over the years from H&R, on many diff rides, and they have never done me wrong... but these just dont fit, and i dont see the purpose for having a cap on a spacer. Someone please enlighten me!
thanks
03-11-2014, 02:23 PM
#2
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nobody here is running front spacers on a W211 E63? i just ordered 3 sets of spacers, so ill figure it out and return the 2 sets that dont work! From what i can tell, any set with a lip is not going to work due to how far the hub extends out. Had the same issue on my E60 M5.
03-12-2014, 11:24 AM
#3
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E55 Wagon | C126 | S210
What you said is correct, spacers are hard to fit on the front of W211's. FWIW, I removed the dust cap all together to clear my 9.5's up front, since the backpad is so shallow. I do not recommend doing this but also don't mind replacing front bearings repeatedly as I run a service shop. And to answer your question: yes, you can beat in the dust cap if needed, it will still keep moisture out as long as it is still sealed on there.
03-12-2014, 12:13 PM
#4
You probably ordered the ones that were listed for fronts. The rears wouldn't have the hub part protruding out.
I wouldn't beat on the cap but look for a flat replacement option.
I wouldn't beat on the cap but look for a flat replacement option.
03-12-2014, 08:13 PM
#6
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2006 E55
I have 10mm hub centric spacers front and rear. For the front I ground off the hub centric part that sticks up so that all I had left was a completely flat spacer and left the front hubs as they were since they provided the wheel centering. My spacers are not h&r so it may not be exactly the same for you but I can't imagine there are too many variants in spacer design.
03-13-2014, 01:24 PM
#7
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Found a company called Akata on ebay that make a hubcentric 10mm with no lip, just a plain flat spacer. Hopefully they do the trick. Now that i google them, im finding horror stories on Acura boards about them. I dont see what could go wrong with a spacer, it either fits perfectly or it doesnt. I guess ill find out when i install them this weekend! thanks for the info guys.
**looks like the complaints about Akata are from bolt on spacers deteriorating, and the wheel coming right off. sounds fun. for a 10mm slip on spacer, i still dont see what the issue could be. i guess if the aluminum they are using is soft and wears, im going to get a vibration and have to toss them out. Ill have to just keep checking for wear and making sure i dont see any issues.
**looks like the complaints about Akata are from bolt on spacers deteriorating, and the wheel coming right off. sounds fun. for a 10mm slip on spacer, i still dont see what the issue could be. i guess if the aluminum they are using is soft and wears, im going to get a vibration and have to toss them out. Ill have to just keep checking for wear and making sure i dont see any issues.
Last edited by MOOK03TRMN8R; 03-13-2014 at 01:48 PM.
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03-13-2014, 06:02 PM
#9
About the flat or lower profile bearing cap I'm not sure you'd just have to look around for someone who has done it before.
The flat spacers can be hard to get a balanced ride out of if you can use a 10mm spacer with a short lip I'd use that instead.
previous car C32 I had to use a 5mm flat spacer on the front. And would get vibrations every time the shop would take the wheels off.
The best way to try and mount them on with out much or any vibration. think I found them on a Audi forum
1 Clean the hub and rotor mounting surfaces with a wire wheel & Drill (also the wheel mounting surface if dirt)
2 while still on jack stand out the spacer and wheel on the car start 3 lug bolts in a triangle pattern. Then torque the three down tight almost to spec before adding the other 2 lug bolts.
3 drop the car and tighten all lugs to spec. Remember to check torque spec after the first 25 miles.
The flat spacers can be hard to get a balanced ride out of if you can use a 10mm spacer with a short lip I'd use that instead.
previous car C32 I had to use a 5mm flat spacer on the front. And would get vibrations every time the shop would take the wheels off.
The best way to try and mount them on with out much or any vibration. think I found them on a Audi forum
1 Clean the hub and rotor mounting surfaces with a wire wheel & Drill (also the wheel mounting surface if dirt)
2 while still on jack stand out the spacer and wheel on the car start 3 lug bolts in a triangle pattern. Then torque the three down tight almost to spec before adding the other 2 lug bolts.
3 drop the car and tighten all lugs to spec. Remember to check torque spec after the first 25 miles.
03-13-2014, 07:33 PM
#10
Junior Member
Thread Starter
cant use a spacer with a lip on it for the front, not possible. the hub is too large (sticks out too much) and wont allow for it. With a spacer of 12mm or less, the wheel will still be in contact with the actual hub and be sitting on the hub. As long as the wheel is in contact with the actual hub, shouldnt be any reason for vibration... unless you have a cheap spacer that isnt fitting correctly. Dont have any Benz experience yet, but went through about 10 diff spacer set ups and wheel set ups on my E60 M5... what i learned is, the wheel must be sitting on either the actual hub, or the lip of a spacer, and if you are going larger than 15mm, you need to use a bolt-on spacer, not one that just slides on over the hub. When it comes to bolt-on spacers, i wouldnt trust anyone but H&R. Buy a cheap set of bolt-ons and you are taking your life in your own hands.
