DooooT

Thank you sir!!!

49er

Did some digging and found out the wheelbase measurements for the TL:

Front wheelbase is 62.1" or 157.7cm or 1577mm
Rear Wheelbase is 62" or 157.5 cm or 1575 mm

My wheelbase with spacers Front 1611 mm
Rear 1615 mm

So in reality if i get 17mm for the front and my 20 mm for the rear all my tires will be lined up within 1 mm not staggered as others using 15mm front, 20mm rear.

Not noticeable to the naked eye true but like to know if having front and rear wheels lined up is a bad thing? Is traction or braking for rear and front footprint being the same cause for problems?

no44specialk

So let me make sure I understand before I go and buy these. I plan on keeping my stock tls rim on my car, 15 in the front and 20 in the rear would create a staggered appearance. Anyone with pics? Would having 20mm in the front and rear just make the rims flush with the fenders without rubbing?

49er

No because fenders and quarter panels give a different appearance and the front tires actually turn into your fender lip as your rear doesn't. Also most rear tires are set differently with the alignment you may see pictures showing tires angled top in bottom out.

no44specialk

Ah I got ya. So thats why the 15f/20r creates the flush look?

raydiddy

^ yup u will mos def like the look of the 15/20.

49er

Just installed my rear spacers 20 mm they look a lot better then before to be sure. Now waiting for the 17 mm front spacers to be delivered see how it will complete the look.
Just looking at them in my garage they make the tires and rims stick out looking really good.At first didn't think it would be that noticeable and a waste of money, not anymore.
Compared to my CL without spacers it looks like a water craft bus boat.

raydiddy

where did u find them 17mm at?

Red Voodoo

Don't have pics yet, but I installed 15F/20R last night. Looks great... To me anyway, changes the character of the car almost as much as the A-Spec aero kit did after install. Looks more aggressive and cleans up more of the "wheel gap" that remained after the car was dropped. A great investment, indeed!

25mm spacers are still in transit. 15F/20R is nice, but I'm betting that 20F/25R may be even better. However, I suspect that I may run into some rubbing problems with that set-up, so it'll be experimental. The goal is to NOT roll fenders, and I may be pushing my luck with the extra 5mm.

no44specialk

After doing some more searching on wheel spacers, I've come across a few threads where people don't believe in them- saying that they are unsafe and actually harm a vehicle and it's performance.
I know I'll get a slightly biased view in this thread but what's everyones thoughts on this? I was looking for a relatively simple and cheap mod that would enhance my tls's stance but I definitely don't want to risk my cars integrity and more importantly my health.
I was looking at the eBay vendor who offers them for some where around 75$ a set and looking to run the 15f/20r as I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Thanks for any input!

Red Voodoo

I've read that same theory as well, and I can see their point. Spacers can add additional, albeit limited stress to the suspension components. Also, spacers can increase the risk of wheel vibration. Not sure if I can comment on the effects on the cars handling, but I can tell you that the wider stance has made my car feel more "grounded". It's probably a seat-of-your-pants thing, but it's there.

The Ichiba spacers come with a disclaimer that they are for "off-road use only". I'm assuming that it is because the USDOT doesn't approve of it's use on public roads. I don't know exactly.

As with anything aftermarket, buyer beware. It's good that you are researching the topic. Many don't. At least you are ahead of the curve and know what to expect. I didn't feel that there was enough evidence against using spacers to keep me from going with this mod. It is up to you to decide what is best for your car.

49er

My thoughts why does German cars PORSCHE use spacers for there wheels to stick out more in a wide body 911. These cars are made to handle and be very fast. So what's so unsafe about a expensive car getting spacers from there own German company H&R trax+.

My suggestion is check torque 80 ft/lbs when putting on winter tires and summer and you shouldn't have an issue.
I've had four lug nuts installed on one wheel by mistake that were not OEM. After winter of driving and getting new rims installed, the tire shop showed me i had the wrong nuts on my OEM wheels. Mechanic must of swapped them from another car by mistake when working on it in the past and i didn't notice it except for a slight discoloration of the chrome head.
So check your lug bolts for any cracks or wear that is unusual because they may not be to industry specs and hold up for years of driving without worries.

raydiddy

Pros and Cons

Pro's
Better Handling
Wheel spacers position the wheel further away from the original mounting position. This, in turn, creates a wider track, which improves grip and stability when the car travels around corners.

Better Appearance
The wider stance that wheel spacers give a car also means that the car will have a more aggressive appearance, since the wheels are closer to the outer edge of the fender, or even with it.

Con's
Increased Mechanical Wear
One of the problems with wheel spacers can be increased mechanical wear. Since the forces on the wheel and tire are further away from the suspension than normal, the amount of force on the suspension's mechanical parts is greater. Wheel bearings, bushings and other components may wear prematurely.

Potential Fitment Issue
potential problem with wheel spacers is interference with the bodywork. If spacers are used in combination with a lowered suspension as well as wider wheels and tires, the tires may make contact with the fender lip unless the bodywork is modified.

But all in all, Its been used by many automakers and IMO I don't believe that you are harming your vehicle nor health... Just follow proper installation procedures and you will be fine. Definitely get something hub-centric to eliminate the vibrations.

49er

Just to add to pros turning into cons depending how tired you feel or want when driving your wider track spacers.


A long wheelbase car should have more stability during brakings and, if it's polar inertia is not so high, should produce more yaw moment in corner entry. On the other hand, in slow corners it should have a more "understeering tendency" asking for more steering angle and it should be less agile.

A wide track will produce less weight transfer and so should give an higher cornering grip potential, but the car will tend to follow wider lines on the track and to have, for example, a bigger frontal area.

raydiddy

good point.

lakers9

i am doing the same thing you are..do you have any pictures of the different fitments or jus 15/20mm. i am also on stock i have a 2008 acura tl (cbp). thanks

raydiddy

One of the guys is trying them all out, he will be posting pictures soon. My 15mm should be here on Monday so I will post as soon as I install them

Red Voodoo

I had some time today to try these out. Key term here was "some", so I wasn't able to do many variations. I tried 15F/20R and 20F/25R. I preferred the look of 20F/25R and stuck with that. My only gripe with this more aggressive combo was the occasional rubbing of the rear tires on the fender under hard turns and large bumps. I'll probably stick with it since it's the look I was going for, but now I'm stuck with having to roll or shave the fenders a bit to have complete clearance since my wife and two young children ride with me every so often.

Excuse my mediocre point and shoot photography and filthy car.

15F/20R












20F/25R












As mentioned, I ran into an issue with fender rubbing with the 25mm on the rear. Not horrible, but months of dealing with it will prematurely ruin the tires, so I'm going to have to decide whether to roll or shave as soon as I have the funds to do so.








Pardon that last shot... a bit blurry.

Summary: If you want a more aggressive look with the OEM wheels, spacers are the way to go. If you don't want to deal with fender modifications, go no larger than 20mm in the rear. Another thing... Listen for any changes in the road noise the tire makes. If something seems out of balance, be sure to check the nuts holding the spacers onto the hub. I didn't tighten mine very well on one wheel, and I was able to tell right away (along with the wheel vibration) that I took a short cut that needed to be addressed immediately.

stvtec

iTrader: (2)

Red Voodoo your car has seriously been an inspiration since I joined this board with my WDP. It is awesome that you are taking the time to get pics of all the various combinations sir! I commend you!

It would be good to also note how much your car is lowered.

I have a set of Ichiba 25mm for the rear and 15mm for the front, also with OEM wheels (and A-Specs). My car is lowered 1" on Eibachs in the front, and stock height in the rear. I'll get pics after I get a chance to install them and add to this thread. These pics have made me even more eager to do this!

Red Voodoo

Thanks for the kind words, my friend. I take some pride in the direction my car has taken since I purchased it bone stock in late '08. I'm glad to see some of my hard work is recongized now and then. Thanks!

I'm dropped on Tein S-tech springs. I don't have the exact measurement, but I believe that they reduced the ride height about 1.5-1.75 inches front and rear. There is a very slight rake, so that leaves me to believe that that front was dropped a quarter inch more than the rear.

stvtec

iTrader: (2)

I dropped the front 1" and the rear is stock height, and I think the car has just a "slight" rake. No stereo equipment in the trunk or anything, either. Maybe my rear suspension is saggy, although the car has just 30k miles. In any case, I'll get some close up pics with the 15/25mm setup. I was planning to wait until I put on the a-spec wheels (again) but I may be tempted to do the spacers on the 17's in the next few days.

Red Voodoo

Looking forward to it... I had 15F/20R on since Tuesday. I liked the way it looked, but was happy that I picked up a set of 25mm as well. It doesn't appear that I'm going to have any use for the 15mm after all.

raydiddy

Very Nice Red.... The 20/25 def looks good. I might just get me a set of 25's myself... I'm lowered about 2' in the front, you think I might run into some issues? I'll be rolling my rear fenders soon so thats not an issue for the 25mm rears.

Red Voodoo

If you roll the rear fenders, you will encounter no problems as far as I can tell.

quanaman

iTrader: (4)

Nice thread.

Red Voodoo: You're car is delicious. I can't help but love stock wheels on any color combo, especially WDP. A black roof would definitely set it off.

Currently I have 20mm in the rear. I want to add some to the front; i know you mentioned there are some rubbing issues in the rear with the 25mm, but what about the front? Any issues? I'm thinking about getting 20mm for the front; but might do 15mm. I'm also planning on dropping the car on stock shocks+H&R springs.

Red Voodoo

No rubbing in the front with the 20mm spacers on my suspension set-up, even with hard braking. I've only run into an issue with the 25mm in the rear, as the pictures show.

Thanks for the kudos! I went back and forth with the black roof for several months, but ended up going with the body color roof spoiler instead. The black roof just wouldn't look right now, unless I removed the roof spoiler altogether or had it painted black to match. Plus, I saw one in person several months ago, and I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. So for now, I'm going to keep 'er white.

JayK

So this here >>

http://cgi.ebay.ca/HUBCENTRIC-WHEEL-...ht_5226wt_1139

Is all we need? it comes with everything?

I have a set of wheels I want to put on, but they hit the big brembo caliber in front. These should solve the problem too?

Thanx. Just got my car and found this site. I've read a lot of useful stuff already.

raydiddy

Thats it bro... should clear the BB with no problem... what specs are your rims?

Mr Prom

raydiddy... any updated pics of you car?

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

The car looks great, Red Voodoo. Think youre going to stick with the 25/20 combo? What do you plan on doing with your extra sets of spacers?

I'm on the fence about whether or not to add some to my 05 WDP. I'm completely stock (running 245/45R17 tires though) and think the spacers really clean up the look. I drive a lot though (~100 miles a day) so I'm a little anxious about adding spacers with my long commute.

raydiddy

I get my front spacers in the mail hopefully today... But I have pulled the trigger and decided to get the xxr527's in the et+20... so I will probably be selling the spacers once I mount my rims...

robertran88

would like to see spacers with the type S wheels, does anyone have any?

Red Voodoo

Thanks! I'm going to stick with the more aggressive fitment, and will most likely sell the 15mm in the Black Market here at Acurazine.

Spacers do make a big difference in how the car presents itself. it definitely adds some flavor. I don't know how something as subtle as wheel spacers can dramatically change the appearance of a car, but in my eyes it did (although my wife didn't see a difference... go figure!). I was considering with going with a 245 width tire, but now I'm not so sure with the spacer size I chose.

The car rides fine with them. I commute about 60 miles a day round trip mixed city and highway, and the car feels solid.

raydiddy

LOL... now that made me laugh. Women just don't understand... My woman fights with me whenever I buy a small unnoticeable parts that don't stand out in her opinion, but makes a heck of a difference to me and other car enthusiasts...

stvtec

iTrader: (2)

25mm Ichiba wheel spacers at stock height



peekaboo

jsonkimz

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, a 245 will probably rub with 25mm spacers. I know how you feel- I'm not sure my girlfriend would notice if I got a new paintjob... in a different color. Muchless something as subtle as spacers. But I think the make a great change to the look of the car. I'm still on the fence though. I'm just worried about the long term effects of spacers on my car since I drive so much. I plan on driving this thing into the ground so it needs to last me. No unnecessary wear.

That looks good! 235/45R17 tire?

stvtec

iTrader: (2)

Yep thanks, stock size. I'll get a pic with the a-spec 18's maybe next week.

robertran88

25mm looks amazing but is it safe? can you take close up on the spacers while there on the car (close up on the brakes kinda pic)

stvtec

iTrader: (2)

Close up of the spacers installed with the wheel off? I'll try to remember to do that when I swap the 18s on.

lakers9

i basically bought some 15mm and 20mm akata wheel spacers for my acura tl 2008

what tools will i need

how do i install the 15mm in the front...anybody have a diy thread i can goto....i know the rears are simple to install but the 15mm dont come with studs. what size studs will i need