Spacers for Alloy Wheels

[Lizbiebrowne]

My Fiat Ducato has alloy wheels which I believe are an aftermarket addition. When I had a wheel bearing replaced last year the mechanic pointed out that the alloy wheels don’t fit flush to the hub because, whilst the hub has a square profile, the inside of the alloy wheel that fits against the hub has a bevel profile that holds the alloy wheel a few mm off the hub.

The mechanic recommended machining the alloy wheels to remove the bevel but I was wondering about fitting a spacer like these instead:

Spacers for Fiat Ducato [Mk2] 01-06 | WheelPartsDirect.com

UK's #1 wheel accessory retailer. See all of the available Spacers for Fiat Ducato [Mk2] 01-06 fitted with Aftermarket Wheels

wheelpartsdirect.com

Does anyone have any thoughts? TIA.

 

[dunnah01]

You'll need longer bolts and a check on the wheel final offset but otherwise ok

 

[Sue and Rick]

The bevel will still be on the alloy wheel and if the spacer is just flat you're not getting rid of the problem. Possibly putting more strain on the bearing moving the wheel further out.

 

[Pausim]

Don’t forget to tell your insurance company about the modifications.

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

The bevel will still be on the alloy wheel and if the spacer is just flat you're not getting rid of the problem. Possibly putting more strain on the bearing moving the wheel further out.

As long as the diameter of the spacer is less than that of the hub the bevel will sit in the gap between the spacer and hub. The alloy wheel will be in contact with the hub./spacer rather than having the small gap currently present. I hope that makes sense.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

Lizbiebrowne You say that the alloy wheel is held away from the hub by a few mm, but when the bolts are in and torqued up the wheel will be stressed to the point that it does contact the hub but not in an ideal way, the centre of the wheel should sit over the of the hub and give alignment and support to the wheel, as far as I can see the wheels are not right for the hub and anything you do is a bodge and risks having problems further down the line.

There is a funster who fitted alloys to his Fiat hubs and the wheels came with a plastic spacer to align the hub and the wheel he only realised there was a problem when it started breaking wheel studs.

 

[Lenny HB]

The current situation sounds dangerous to me and I can't see spacers solving the problem.
As the incorrect wheels have been fitted they may not even be the correct load rating.

The only real answer is to fit new wheels that are correct for the vehicle. Surely your life is worth more than a few quid.

 

[funflair]

As long as the diameter of the spacer is less than that of the hub the bevel will sit in the gap between the spacer and hub. The alloy wheel will be in contact with the hub./spacer rather than having the small gap currently present. I hope that makes sense.

If I understand correctly you are saying that at the moment the wheel fits as shown below,

If you fill the gap with a spacer you are suggesting you will get a better face to face contact between the wheel and the hub face which is true but at the risk of losing and support between the centre of the wheel and the hub so all the load forces have to be taken by the wheel studs, which I think is far from ideal and you run the risk of problems down the line.

 

[Lenny HB]

If I understand correctly you are saying that at the moment the wheel fits as shown below,

View attachment 1004090

If you fill the gap with a spacer you are suggesting you will get a better face to face contact between the wheel and the hub face which is true but at the risk of losing and support between the centre of the wheel and the hub so all the load forces have to be taken by the wheel studs, which I think is far from ideal.

Put like that it sound lethal, surprised with how it is at the moment the bolts haven't sheared.
If fitting new wheels which I think is essential, you need to fit new bolts the exsisting ones will have been over stressed.

 

[pappajohn]

Surely your life is worth more than a few hundred quid.

Corrected that for you Lenny.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

If I understand correctly you are saying that at the moment the wheel fits as shown below,

View attachment 1004090

If you fill the gap with a spacer you are suggesting you will get a better face to face contact between the wheel and the hub face which is true but at the risk of losing and support between the centre of the wheel and the hub so all the load forces have to be taken by the wheel studs, which I think is far from ideal and you run the risk of problems down the line.

Thanks for taking the time to draw the diagram - my situation looks more like this (somewhat exaggerated):

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks for taking the time to draw the diagram - my situation looks more like this (somewhat exaggerated):

View attachment 1004454

I can't see the problem with your drawing.

 

[funflair]

I can't see the problem with your drawing.

It still looks like the wheel isn’t pulling up to the hub so as it settles a bit the bolts will work loose, again assuming I am reading this correctly.

 

[Lenny HB]

It still looks like the wheel isn’t pulling up to the hub so as it settles a bit the bolts will work loose, again assuming I am reading this correctly.

I can't make sense of that drawing, must be the wine.

 

[funflair]

I can't make sense of that drawing, must be the wine.

Well I’m just going on the fact that there is a gap behind the wheel where the bolts have not pulled in tight, in the drawing this is caused by the chamfer in the wheel.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

Thanks for taking the time to draw the diagram - my situation looks more like this (somewhat exaggerated):

View attachment 1004454

OK thanks for the update, still doesn’t look right though as the wheel needs to pul tight to the hub.

 

[Lenny HB]

Well I’m just going on the fact that there is a gap behind the wheel where the bolts have not pulled in tight, in the drawing this is caused by the chamfer in the wheel.

When I look at it looks like the wheel is flush to the hub that is just my interpretation of it.

If there is any gap I wouldn't want to drive it a 100yds.

 

[funflair]

When I look at it looks like the wheel is flush to the hub that is just my interpretation of it.

If there is any gap I wouldn't want to drive it a 100yds.

 

[Lenny HB]

View attachment 1004457

That looked to me like the face of the hub, one of those drawing that can be seen differently.

 

[jockaneezer]

Depending on how much "meat"there is on the wheel hub, I would look at getting them machined out rather than fit spacers.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Depending on how much "meat"there is on the wheel hub, I would look at getting them machined out rather than fit spacers.

I'd be concerned because of the problem the wheels obviously aren't suitable for van so before doing that you would need to check the load rating.
Sound like they could be for a vehicle with a smaller hub possibly a smaller lighter vehicle.

 

[Landy Andy]

Thanks for taking the time to draw the diagram - my situation looks more like this (somewhat exaggerated):

View attachment 1004454

So are you thinking the 3mm spacers?

 

[LostInSpace]

I have seen a recall notice for the spare wheel on a German motorhome.

The reason for the recall looks very much like the desciption of your problem - wrong wheel for the hub.

Quite probably, the answer is the same - replace the wheels.

 

[Minxy]

Corrected that for you Lenny.

He's forgotten he's on the forum and using 'Mi speak' instead, ie the cost of things that he tells his wife Mi rather than the real cost!

 

[Pausim]

I interpret the white on the drawing as air gap. One could fill that gap with a spacer but that would change the geometry by moving the wheel out. Machining the wheel to fit the hub might weaken the wheel. I would not be happy with either solution.

Who fitted the alloys?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

So are you thinking the 3mm spacers?

I’d need to measure by how much the chamfer is holding the wheel off the hub. As spacers are available I assume that, at least in some circumstances, they’re an appropriate item to used. But first I need to check the load rating of the wheels.

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

Depending on how much "meat"there is on the wheel hub, I would look at getting them machined out rather than fit spacers.

Yes, this is the solution recommended to me by the mechanic who noticed the problem. I guess I’d have to have the tyres removed first and then find a local engineering outfit who’d be prepared to remove the chamfer.

 

[KNWH]

As a mechanical engineer I’d be very wary of removing metal from the alloy wheels.
You certainly don’t want to create a sharp right-angled internal corner as that would lead to stress concentrations, so you would need a corner radius of at least 2-3mm say.
This would mean you’d still have a problem unless you chamfer or round off the sharp corner on the hubs, which again is something I’d be wary of.
Personally I would not risk it given the consequences of a failure.
I think you’d be better off with new correct wheels.

 

[Lenny HB]

I really don't understand all this messing about, they are clearly the wrong wheels, for your own safety just change them.

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

I really don't understand all this messing about, they are clearly the wrong wheels, for your own safety just change them.

I don’t think I am “messing about”. I’ve recognised I have a problem with my van and I’m attempting to understand that problem and determine the proper solution with the help of members of this forum - after all, isn’t that one of the principle benefits of Motorhome Fun. Meanwhile, my van is sitting on my drive doing no harm to anyone.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}