25mm spacers with 15/16

[NSXDreamer2]

Hi all, recently purchased a set of the 25mm spacers and I'm planning on installing 'em for my next track day with my pretty used RA1.

I'm expecting they will give me a little more traction and maybe a tag slower steering response??

Anything else I have to aware of??

This will probably my last attempt before I stepping up using 235/40 front and 255 or 265 rear.

Stay tuned, will report the effectiveness of the spacers.:wink:

UPdate on 9/2/06, street driving/on road impression: a very slightly heavier steering feel, especially in street tight corners. The car felt planted in corners, but felt like a little numb compared to the agile, light feet feel without spacers. I will give a much better report after track day on 9/4/06.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Update on the spacers.

First thing first I would like to point out the tires are very very tired after 9 track days.

1. The unsettle feel in ultra high speed that I encountered on street, is confirmed on race track, especially in the morning when the track temp still a little cooler. Possible reason: tire had been flat spotted and as the compound harden, it's "out of round"; maybe the tires are not balanced after that many track days, and/or some of the weight fell off

2. There's a lot more grip and settled in tight corners

3. long sweepers became tiring but not confident inspiring, could be just those damn tires

4. despite all that I was able to make my best lap in the morning closed to my personal best when the tires were good.(I usually made my best time in the afternoon, after getting familiar with the track surface, tire pressure, suspension adj...etc) Even though I never had any confident for the whole day.

5. Now, the draw back, when install and removing the spacers, I must get a person to help stepping on the brake, so I could torque them tight. and the nuts do get loosen after a brief drive... so remove wheels and tighten again... Somewhere along the line, I have not ever needed to worry about the lug nuts when I had the wheel direct bolt on the rotor surface. Well one time is all i needed for it, however, I had checked and torqued the wheels multiple times at the day, and everytime, the nuts does moved a bit, (so the nuts had loosen by itseolf moe than it supposed to)

 

[Hugh]

How about a little Loctite on the spacer studs/nuts?

 

[AU_NSX]

5. Now, the draw back, when install and removing the spacers, I must get a person to help stepping on the brake, so I could torque them tight. and the nuts do get loosen after a brief drive... so remove wheels and tighten again... Somewhere along the line, I have not ever needed to worry about the lug nuts when I had the wheel direct bolt on the rotor surface. Well one time is all i needed for it, however, I had checked and torqued the wheels multiple times at the day, and everytime, the nuts does moved a bit, (so the nuts had loosen by itseolf moe than it supposed to)

This is the reason why spacers are illegal for use on the street (in Australia anyway) unless the car came with spacers from the factory like the 930 Turbo did.

The loosening of the spacer lug nuts is caused by the different coefficients of expansion due to heat between aluminium and steel.

 

[Hugh]

The loosening of the spacer lug nuts is caused by the different coefficients of expansion due to heat between aluminium and steel.

Wouldn't the same issue apply to just wheels with no spacers? I suppose the moral of the story is to check the torque of the lug nuts after after track session.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Wouldn't the same issue apply to just wheels with no spacers? I suppose the moral of the story is to check the torque of the lug nuts after after track session.

I agreed, and I do check that, but based on my experiences, if the nut lug is already tighted the second time you tighten it, (which I mean by you torque wrenched "clicked" but the lug nuts didn't move) then it won't come loose any more

However, the experience with the spacers are that I needed to tighten it for 5 times, which I had never experienced with stock wheels, or after market wheels and nut lugs before.

 

[nsxsupra]

However, the experience with the spacers are that I needed to tighten it for 5 times, which I had never experienced with stock wheels, or after market wheels and nut lugs before.

These are same spacers I had on my NSX for well over a year. I did not rechecked the lugnuts on the spacers even once.

I don't remember the correct torque spec for the H&Rs. Probably in 80~85lb range. Like Hugh suggested, for added insurance, use some loctite (blue instead of red)

 

[NSXDreamer2]

These are same spacers I had on my NSX for well over a year. I did not rechecked the lugnuts on the spacers even once.

I don't remember the correct torque spec for the H&Rs. Probably in 80~85lb range. Like Hugh suggested, for added insurance, use some loctite (blue instead of red)

Just to clarify, the lug nuts that I experienced being loosed, were the stock lug nuts that held the wheel and the spacers together.

I rechecked the ones that lock the spacers and calipers together, after the initial retorqued, they seems to hold together. so made be the culpit is just as AU stated, the different coefficient of the wheels and the spacers, I also would suspect that there's a bigger varience in terms of surface temp. between the wheel and spacer vs. spacer and rotor head.

It's ok, I believed the spacers does worth a second or 2, I might revive this thread next time I got around track with better tires:tongue:

 

[NA1/2-R GT]

As NSXdreamer2 knows me and my track knowledge (little to none) but I would like to chime in on the experience I had when I used to have 15mm spacers on my 94. I felt very loose on sweeping turns and more understeer on tighter ones. I can definitly tell night and day when I had it removed. I think the geometry of the wheel base altered when you put the spacers in there. I believe the spacer and wider wheel is different. Or shall I put it that if you want wider track get wider wheels?... because putting 25mm spacer is not the same as having 25mm wider wheel. Again, correct me if I am wrong.

One more thing, the lug nuts using to secure the spacer to the hub tend to strip easily so be carefull tightening it toooo tight (I had to drill it out on my previous NSX).

Good write up though.

 

[titaniumdave]

If you want more grip, get wider tires. Spacers on the track scare me, I run just enough to clear my brakes, nothing more.

Get going with those 235's on the front:wink: , you will love them!