H&R wheel spacers

[CelicaSport]

Whats up everybody, I got a few questoins I was really needing some help with. I have been wanting to get some wheel spacers for my car for a while. I have KYB gas shocks, and eibach sportline lowering springs, I dont have a kit, but my car still sits nice and low...it sounds like **** everytime i hit a bump or anything at all but thats a different story maybe my shocks need to be changed i dont know...

http://www.newcelica.org/photopost/data/500/13724celica-med.jpg

I have katana vr-6 17 inch wheels. If I were to get H&R 5mm wheel spacers would it look good and make my rims sit flush with my car? Think it will look good on 17s? Is there any performace loss? Any other issues, side effects I should know about? I really have no idea how they work I am guessing they are just a peice of metal that spaces the wheel between the rim and the brake, lol. Anyone have any pictures? Wil post pictures when I get them if that is what I end up doing, just wanna know if it is worth it and how it will look...

[Blue Bomber]

Just like you said, spacers sit in between the wheel and rotor. They're basically flat discs that extend the wheels out. Go too far beyond the stock offset, and you'll mess up the suspension geometry. Get spacers that are too thick, and you'll screw up your hub bearings. 5mm is pretty safe, though, but you'll need to get them installed at a shop. They'll have to press in new bolts for your wheels, since you may strip the old ones because the lugnuts won't have as many threads to hold on to.

[larryd]

Hey out of curiosity did you install your springs and struts at different times? If so did you notice if the car got lower after installing your struts and if so about how much? :)

[ivantrd]

Originally posted by larryd
Hey out of curiosity did you install your springs and struts at different times? If so did you notice if the car got lower after installing your struts and if so about how much? :)

I'm also wondering about this so here's a free bump on the question. I've heard from many people that when the day comes to change my struts my car will sit even lower than with my hotchkis springs and stock struts like it is right now...

[Blue Bomber]

All depends on how tall the body of the new strut (everything except the shiny rod) is vs the stock strut. If it's shorter, your car will be lower, if it's longer, your car will be higher. It'd be nice if someone could measure the bodies of their aftermarket struts before they're installed, and the bodies of the stock struts after. ;)

[ivantrd]

good info blue!

if anyone knows this info from their setup please reply since i'm about to change struts and would really like the car to sit lower

[J2KGTS6]

i have H&R 5mm wheel spacers on mine, had then for a couple years now. My rims didn't come in 40mm offset at the time, so they are 48mm... so i'm sitting at 43mm offset right now. They are very slightly inset in the wheel well but you can hardly tell.

what is the offset on your rims? i was told by a shop that i didn't need to the new wheel studs installed and it would be fine, and like i said i've had my wheels like this for a couple years now and i've have no problems at all.