Can an incorrect spacer cause this?

[MR2Rocket]

My car has 5mm non-hub centric spacers on the fronts after KW coilover install.

I get a little bit of harmonic-whir on the highway that increases with speed (typical of wheel bearing), but before I go about changing the wheel bearing, could a non-hubcentric spacer (on stock DS1's) cause any issues like this?

Someone told me that 5mm was so small that it didn't need to be hub-centric. I am not sure about that. I am getting a squeaking sound when I turn sharp left at slow speeds from the front right, so I have been checking all the suspension and doing 12-6, 9-3 tests on the wheels, and was also wondering if this wheel spacer bit could be causing any of that...

Narrowing down the list of potential problems...as usual :rolleyes

[elh0102]

I don't believe a 5mm non-hubcentric spacer is causing your problem. I suppose it is possible, but I've never heard of it. I used some just like that on my E46 for a while, and no problems.

[MR2Rocket]

I don't believe a 5mm non-hubcentric spacer is causing your problem. I suppose it is possible, but I've never heard of it. I used some just like that on my E46 for a while, and no problems.

I actually just figured out the the squeaking sound was actually a rubbing...my tire on the right is hitting the inside of the fender well when the springs compress on very sharp turns.

While doing my checks on that, I inspected the spacers...they are certainly 5mm, and not hubcentric. The wheel bolts also didnt seem to go in but 1/4-1/3 of the way, the rest was stuck in the spacer itself.

Since the squeaking I thought I heard was actually the rubbing...now my focus is on the spacers and if they are OK or not.

Are you saying that 5mm non-HC spacers won't do any harm at all? The previous owner told me they needed to be changed because they vibrated a little at higher speeds...which I do have some vibration.

[elh0102]

Sounds like you have a clearance problem for sure, and maybe a spacer, wheel, or tire problem too. Obviously, the tire should not rub, so maybe the car is too low. Depending on where it is rubbing, a bit more or less spacer might help. But I'm confused by your statement about the bolt being "stuck in the spacer." The spacer should not interfere with anything. And the only way I can see the spacer causing vibration, is if it is imperfect (not flat), which you would notice when putting it on the hub. I know it's obvious, but have you had the wheels balanced?

[MR2Rocket]

Sounds like you have a clearance problem for sure, and maybe a spacer, wheel, or tire problem too. Obviously, the tire should not rub, so maybe the car is too low. Depending on where it is rubbing, a bit more or less spacer might help. But I'm confused by your statement about the bolt being "stuck in the spacer." The spacer should not interfere with anything. And the only way I can see the spacer causing vibration, is if it is imperfect (not flat), which you would notice when putting it on the hub. I know it's obvious, but have you had the wheels balanced?

Nope, not balanced. I was told by the previous owner to get hub0centric spacers before I did anything else.

As far as the bolt, it's not "stuck in the spacer," I just mean that only 1/4 of the bolt or so actually attached to the hub.

The wheel is hitting on the front/top of the wheel well when the car is turned sharply to the left, and the suspension compresses. I stuck my hand between the driver's side wheel at full turn inward, and I could get my hand in all the way to the knuckles. On the other side, I couldnt even get my fingertips through, so when the body of the car comes down at all, it rubs.

The spacers are the same on both sides, and from eyeballing, the height from top of the wheel to bottom of fender looks the same on both sides, but perhaps the fenders themselves are inconsistent. I think the height is set the same, but I would have to do actual measurements to know for sure. The tires are stock size on stock wheels.

[Tony@Bekkers]

I don't think that anyone makes a 5mm HC spacer, I have not been able to find any. The only problem with the 5mm is the fact that they are not HC, the previous owner was correct, they will produce a slight vibration at higher speeds. Let me know if you do find some HC ones. Thanks and good luck.

[MR2Rocket]

I don't think that anyone makes a 5mm HC spacer, I have not been able to find any. The only problem with the 5mm is the fact that they are not HC, the previous owner was correct, they will produce a slight vibration at higher speeds. Let me know if you do find some HC ones. Thanks and good luck.

I have not been able to find a HC 5mm, I am pretty sure it does not exist. I may have seen 8mm, but I could have been dreaming.

I can go into a 10mm HC, and I don't think the space difference would bother me at all, I just don't want to spend the $100 if it's not going to make any difference than the non HC 5mm.... But based on what you're saying, and what I heard from the PO, I should get something hub centric.

Some people have just said that with 5mm it doesnt matter, but I don't see how an improper-fitting spacer, no matter what the width, can NOT do something bad...:mad

[elh0102]

I don't think that anyone makes a 5mm HC spacer, I have not been able to find any. The only problem with the 5mm is the fact that they are not HC, the previous owner was correct, they will produce a slight vibration at higher speeds. Let me know if you do find some HC ones. Thanks and good luck.

I really don't mean to argue, but can you explain that? I have used a flat 5mm spacer with no vibration at all, including high speed track driving. If the spacer is flat, and the wheel is under proper torque, how is a vibration caused? Again, I'm not disagreeing that it may be a common problem, I just don't understand it.

[MR2Rocket]

I really don't mean to argue, but can you explain that? I have used a flat 5mm spacer with no vibration at all, including high speed track driving. If the spacer is flat, and the wheel is under proper torque, how is a vibration caused? Again, I'm not disagreeing that it may be a common problem, I just don't understand it.

All I can say is, when I pulled my wheels off the other day, one of my spacers was stuck to the hub, and the other practically fell off. Bolts on both sides were torqued down....

I don't know much about the spacers and whatnot, I have never had to use them on any of my cars before the M, but I will say I get a little vibration at high speeds, and it makes sense IN THEORY, that a spacer that isn't properly designed for a wheel could cause a problem.

That's just my $.02, maybe well get a more scientific answer. At any rate, I think I may go ahead and switch to 10mm HC spacers, and see what happens. Worst case, nothing changes, and I sell them back on the boards. :)

[elh0102]

Okay, I think I might get it now. The 5mm spacers I used, although not hubcentric, were made to the bore diameter of the BMW hub. So, they were a perfect fit, and there was no way they could move and cause an out-of-balance situation. It sounds like that might not be the case with the spacers you have.

[MR2Rocket]

Okay, I think I might get it now. The 5mm spacers I used, although not hubcentric, were made to the bore diameter of the BMW hub. So, they were a perfect fit, and there was no way they could move and cause an out-of-balance situation. It sounds like that might not be the case with the spacers you have.

I have never heard of this bore-diameter thing you speak of...do you know what brand your spacers are? Or where I could look at some?

I don't know anything about the ones on my car except they look like generic 5mm spacers...they have two bolt patters from what I can tell...if I had to guess I would say there were pretty inexpensive.

[elh0102]

I have never heard of this bore-diameter thing you speak of...do you know what brand your spacers are? Or where I could look at some?

I don't know anything about the ones on my car except they look like generic 5mm spacers...they have two bolt patters from what I can tell...if I had to guess I would say there were pretty inexpensive.

I know you didn't buy them, and with all due respect to whomever did, those are not worth the effort it would take to throw them in the trash. I'm not surprised at your problem. Mine were made by H&R. I bought them from TC Kline, but good spacers are available from Bimmerworld, Turner, etc.

[MR2Rocket]

I know you didn't buy them, and with all due respect to whomever did, those are not worth the effort it would take to throw them in the trash. I'm not surprised at your problem. Mine were made by H&R. I bought them from TC Kline, but good spacers are available from Bimmerworld, Turner, etc.

Did you get longer wheel bolts as well?

[elh0102]

Did you get longer wheel bolts as well?

Yes. 5mm isn't much, but unless you have the recommended minimum engagement, you will need longer bolts. The folks at TCK or Bimmerworld will know the minimum recommendation.

[MR2Rocket]

Yes. 5mm isn't much, but unless you have the recommended minimum engagement, you will need longer bolts. The folks at TCK or Bimmerworld will know the minimum recommendation.

I think I'm going to get a set of 8mm or 10mm hub-centric spacers with the longer bolts, just so I can rest easy knowing the spacers are hub-centric. And 10mm spacing really isn't that much....