I've got a set of rims that requires spacers for the rear (undriven) wheels. Before I can get proper spacers, I was hoping to drive the car about 30 miles to a friend's to work on it. I used huge, stacked washers (totaling a bit under 1/4" thick) to initially test-fit the rims -- would it be okay to drive the car BRIEFLY and GENTLY with the washers, or am I looking to put myself in the running for a Darwin Award?
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June 2, 2010 1:56 p.m. procainestart Dork
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June 2, 2010 2:00 p.m. BoxheadTim Dork
Depending on the washer material, I'm getting a bit of a Darwin Award feel from this...
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June 2, 2010 2:03 p.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork
Don't do it.
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June 2, 2010 2:09 p.m. splitime Reader
I wouldn't use the washers for anything other than test fitting for spacer sizes.
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June 2, 2010 2:12 p.m. carguy123 SuperDork
If you've only got to go 30 miles and it's not at speed or thru a great set of twisty bits you should make it.
Oh, I guess I should add if your rims aren't hubcentric.
I had to run some for a couple of weeks once with no ill effects.
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June 2, 2010 2:13 p.m. captainzib HalfDork
Yeah, I don't think washer thickness tolerances aren't as tight as actual wheel spacers.
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June 2, 2010 2:15 p.m. ReverendDexter Dork
carguy123 wrote:
Oh, I guess I should add if your rims aren't hubcentric.
This is the litmus test. If your wheels are lug-centric, then driving a short distance with the washers should be fine, provided you don't bang the wheel through some nasty potholes.
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June 2, 2010 2:51 p.m. GameboyRMH SuperDork
Slow and gentle and lug-centric, you might get away with it for a very short distance, but I wouldn't be surprised if the lugs snapped if you stopped hard or something.
You don't have any steelies you can roll on?
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June 2, 2010 3:10 p.m. procainestart Dork
GameboyRMH wrote: You don't have any steelies you can roll on?
I was trying to avoid dragging out/mounting some very old, completely bald tires, but that's looking like the direction I'll be taking... -
June 2, 2010 7:29 p.m. 44Dwarf HalfDork
This guy on e-bay was quick to ship! realy nice finish on them too.
superhighvelocity
he's got a store too. One happy customer not related yad yada yada... And there on my dwarf race car i no own scion 44dwarf
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June 2, 2010 7:54 p.m. Streetwiseguy Reader
Don't do it. Won't work, and you will die. Someday I'm gonna take the washers out from behind the rear wheels on my Sentra.
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June 2, 2010 8:34 p.m. 93gsxturbo Reader
We rocked this sweet unit to the DSM Shootout in Norwalk Ohio this year with approximately 3/8" of hardened grade 8 washers as spacers on the front wheels.
Drove as good as can be expected and we are still alive!
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June 2, 2010 9:06 p.m. TJ Dork
I'd do it. Even if a rear wheel falls off the chances of you dying are slim. It's the other people out on the road that need to be worried. I would do it for a short trip, be nervous about it, and everything would work out just fine. Of course I drove my old Sprite I had in college with a missing stud on one of the rear wheels for about 6 months and I lived to tell.
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June 3, 2010 11:55 a.m. Wowak SuperDork
If another set of wheels with old crap tires is available, I'd rather go with that then the washers.
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June 3, 2010 12:19 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork
yea.. I would run bald tyres before I ran washers
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June 3, 2010 1:20 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork
I did something like that but I used a brake rotor. Sliced the outer surface off and ground it flat, picture a 5" diameter washer with four holes in it and a big hole in the center. It might be just as dumb as washers, but you have 100% contact, less chance of flex. A guy I know Auto-Xed a Jetta with these, got past Tech.
YMMV.
Dan
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June 3, 2010 1:25 p.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork
914Driver wrote:
I did something like that but I used a brake rotor. Sliced the outer surface off and ground it flat, picture a 5" diameter washer with four holes in it and a big hole in the center. It might be just as dumb as washers, but you have 100% contact, less chance of flex. A guy I know Auto-Xed a Jetta with these, got past Tech.
YMMV.
Dan
I have zero problem with that version.
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June 3, 2010 2:50 p.m. Soma007 New Reader
DILYSI Dave wrote:
914Driver wrote:
I did something like that but I used a brake rotor. Sliced the outer surface off and ground it flat, picture a 5" diameter washer with four holes in it and a big hole in the center. It might be just as dumb as washers, but you have 100% contact, less chance of flex. A guy I know Auto-Xed a Jetta with these, got past Tech.
YMMV.
Dan
I have zero problem with that version.
Me either, that's just as good as any wheel spacer could be.
But the washers? I wouldn't... Its not the lugnuts that transfer the forces from the wheel to the hub, its the friction between the hub and the wheel surface. By using washers you're giving it much, much less surface area to work with. If that friction bond fails (by say hitting a pothole) then all that force gets transmitted to the studs as a bending movement which they aren't designed to take.
That said you might get away with it if you drove carefully enough. I'd only do it as a last resort though.
Jason
