Spacers on my new S3!!

JamS3

JamS3

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Just put 8mm spacers on the front of me new S3 and 10mm on the rear. This totally transforms the look from all angles and fill the arches good and proper!

Only had one problem which hopefully someone can figure out...

Had terrible vibration from the steering wheel from about 70mph +, well most of the front of the car! Went to have the wheels balanced and they were all 15g out (good to know when the car is 1 week old!!) and thought this would solve the problem....but it didnt!

So swopped the 8mm on the front for a 5mm one, hardly any vibration now but still SOME there. I can really notice it as the car is new and had nothing whatsoever before.

Now question is seeing as I have put something there which should not be should I expect some vibration as a trade off of putting a spacers on, its not much but a little. Or should I get nothing at all?

Spacers are H + R with longer bolts all bought from TT shop for my car and on the right way!

Thanks
 
******. Was thinking of doing this myself. All credit to you though Jam for being, to my knowledge, the first to do this.

Errrrrm, bit stumped as to the problem though. All I can think of is making sure the spacers are on flat against the hub, then the wheels on, and then the correct torques.

I've never fitted spacers myself, so can't really help much.

Got any pics with them on?

AL
 
I'm no expert here but could the fitting of the spacers have altered the wheel geometry in any way? For instance if theres any amount of camber or toe in on the front then possibily the new position of the wheel could change these settings?

Any pics with the spacers fitted?
 
Al

Will post some tomorrow when its clean plus only finished tonight and it was dark. Think i am the first to do this!

Its not much vibration, well hardly any. Was just wondering if I was meant to get none at all. But on thinking about it you must get some as I said before you are putting something between your wheel and hub which is not meant to be there!

I would not be put off it the looks are so good especially the back!

Funny thing is speaking to the Audi tech the wheels are balanced on the car in the factory apparently so if you take them down to your local tyre fitter and have them balanced there they will be out on a proper machine hence mine being 15g out each!
 
Are the spacers hubcentric ones or are they just a flat piece of metal?
 
They are hubcentric, H + R from the TT Shop. Chamfered (dont know how to spell that!) side goes to the hub and flat part of spacer goes to the back of alloy.
 
mmmmm can't see the spacers being out of balance as they are made from a solid piece of metal but if the wheel doesn't vibrate without the spacers then that puts the focus back onto the spacers!

Get some wire wool and clean the surface of the brake disc where the spacer sits to ensure that its a flush fit and see if that does the trick!
 
Its totally clean the car is brand new!

Just been searching some old posts and it seems people have had problems with spacers under 10mm creating wheel wobble. In particular 8mm Eibach ones (which my 8mm ones were), so it seems right that my 5mm H + R ones would improve things but I may have to put the 10mm on the front and buy myself some 15mm for the rear to make everything right?

Any suggestions?
 
Obviously the spacers have put the wheels out of balance slightly.

Grab the yellow pages and phone round the tyre fitters/wheels suppliers in your area. Someone will offer wheel balancing on the car and get them balanced with the spacers and wheels in place.

J.
 
The quickest why to tell if its a geometry problem is to find someone with a IR temp gun (can get them from maplins cheap) Drive the car for a mile or so with the vibration, then stop and quickly take a reading across the tyre at three points.

If one outer edge is hotter then you have a geometry problem.

If the middle is hotter than the edges then the tyre is over inflated.

If the edges are the same, but the centre is colder then the tyre in under inflated.

Its only a general rule of thumb, which is more useful on track where the correct tyre pressures will differ from the road settings, but it might help in this case.

Chris.
 
Hi Jam, you say your hubcentric spacers have a chamfered side and a flat side? The wheels are centred by the central spigot on the hub, not by the bolts. Hubcentric spacers should be counterbored on the inside face to accept the hub spigot, and be a snug fit on it too. They should have their own spigot on the outer face, which replicates the hub spigot, to centre the wheel. If yours are flat, or can be fitted either way round on the hub (you said they were fitted the "right way round"?), they aren't hubcentric.
 
rachaeljf said:
Hi Jam, you say your hubcentric spacers have a chamfered side and a flat side? The wheels are centred by the central spigot on the hub, not by the bolts. Hubcentric spacers should be counterbored on the inside face to accept the hub spigot, and be a snug fit on it too. They should have their own spigot on the outer face, which replicates the hub spigot, to centre the wheel. If yours are flat, or can be fitted either way round on the hub (you said they were fitted the "right way round"?), they aren't hubcentric.
Click to expand...

What he says! Its the centre spigot of the hub that as the centering effect, not the bolts, it sounds like you have spaced the wheels off the spigot and the centre of the wheel is not accurately locating.
Hubcentric means there is a machines spigot on the spacer to replace the one of the hub that you space the wheel off of! As the spigot is about 6mil or so, in order to have a proper hubcentric spacer, you need about 15 mil of material. Thsi still goves only about 3mill of material around the spigot machining, which makes it quite weak.
Remember even if there is some spigot "showing" proud of the spacer, the wheel centrebore that locates on it is usually chamfered a little to aid wheel fitting, so it may not be locating still in the centrebore of the wheel. Use a bit of engineering blue, or even some shoe polish, smeered on the end of the spigot, then fit the weel and see if any is tranfered to the centrebore of the wheel, or removed from the spigot?
Also, if your spacers are proepr hubcentrics, with the spigot on the new spacer, check the diameter fo the spigot is exactly the same as the centrebore of your wheel. (to within 0.1mm!) . it could be if its too small,J(on the spigot I mean) the wheel just will never centre up ok and it will always shake.
 
i am thinking about spacers on mine, did you get it sorted Jam?
 
I've just sorted a a similar problem with hubcentric 4mm spacers on my mates Shogun with 20" rims. Well I say, sorted but the only way to cure it was to remove them. It seems to be the way you fit them especially the thinner ones.

You have to support the cars weight like on a lift and torque the wheels up as normal (i.e. 5 point star) ond get someone to hold the brakes on, then only lower the car when there tight.

If you jack up one corner at a time and nip the nuts, then finally torque the bolts when the car has been lowered it can warp the spacer when they are less than 10mm.

I had FK ones on the 8L and there are perfect but they were 10 and 15 mm repectively
 
Yes people sorted it...

H + R only do "proper" spacers ie ones with locating spigots from 10mm up therefore the ones on th back of my car are ok but the 8mm ones on the front are only attached to the wheel by the bolts as it is totally flat so can't get the wheel exactly central hence the wobble!

So....putting the 10mm on the front and ordering some 15mm ones for the rear. Then the pics will get posted!
 
Hi Jam

Do you have a link to the H&R website listing the details of the spacers, or altenative sites??

Cheers
 
Lee have a look on www.thettshop.co.uk and search for wheel spacers, you should find them all on there. They also supply longer bolts.

Also check Damian on DPM Autostyling on this forum as he supplys the same, i'll be giving him a bell about my 15mm ones.
 
JamS3 said:
Lee have a look on www.thettshop.co.uk and search for wheel spacers, you should find them all on there. They also supply longer bolts.

Also check Damian on DPM Autostyling on this forum as he supplys the same, i'll be giving him a bell about my 15mm ones.
Click to expand...


I'm going to do this on my 3.2 I take it the setup is pritty much the same as on the S3?

Also tell me if I'm being stupid, but um will TT spacers fit a A3 yeah?

One last question,

10mm front and 15mm rears will not make the tires rub right?

15mm and 20mm will yeah:uhm:
 
A3_3.2_S-Line said:
Also tell me if I'm being stupid, but um will TT spacers fit a A3 yeah?

One last question,

10mm front and 15mm rears will not make the tires rub right?

15mm and 20mm will yeah:uhm:
Click to expand...

If your talking about the original TT then spacers from that wont fit as the PCD is different - 5x110 for the TT and 5x112 for the new A3
 
The spacers that the ttshop sell though are both 110 and 112, they are multi drilled so you just move them round until the holes match up on the hubs!
 
Well defo post some tomorrow mate! Iv'e finally changed my avatar but it was just a quick pic taken on my nightshift without the spacers!

Iv'e only the 10mm on the rear but it will give a idea what it looks like. Was going to get 15mm for the rear and put the 10mm on the front but think i'm just going to get 10mm for the front too as the tyre is close to the arch now on the rear with 10mm!
 
Hmmm, interested by this MOD. You say the rear is already close to the arch with 10mm. No scrubbing though???
 
No not with the 10mm ones but to be honest I would not like to even try the 15mm ones as I would hazard a guess the wheels would def rub if the back of the car was full!
 
Good to know!
If it's OK, when my car gets delivered and i'm visiting the family, it would be good to try and meet so I can have a look over!!
 
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