[AlexM240i]

I've been reading forums and watching Youtube videos about the possible side effects of installing wheel spacers. The only negative side effect i could see is the possible abnormal or early wear of the wheel bearings because of the added weight and inertia of the spacer itself.

But what about performance ? Is there any negative effect in terms of performance, acceleration, power transfer to the ground when using wheel spacers?

I'm thinking of 12mm all around in a M240i.

[Anthony235]

You could say the same thing about the people on here running heavy low offset aftermarket wheels. A 12mm spacer is nothing. I don't think BMW is known for weak wheel bearings.

I run a 20mm spacer up front. Wheel is ~19lbs and a 18x9.5 +45 (+25 with spacer). No issues so far.

[XutvJet]

You'll notice that the car is more prone to tramlining and the rear end at bit more darty when hitting mid-corner bumps. The wheels I have are basically like running 10mm spacers. You can feel the difference. If you really want to get technical, you're also changing the suspension's leverage to some extent because the wheel and tire are further outwards. Theoretically, the car will ride smoother.

[Maynard]

You may also notice changes to braking (stability, brake torque), especially during turns - spacers alter the scrub radius, which can alter the torque around the vertical axis of the wheel. I've seen extreme versions that had literally torn the suspension up during hard braking, but those were crazy-wide tuner wheels, probably at least 3-4 inches farther out and on a fairly cheapo FWD. Also need extended lug bolts/nuts. IIRC these are not allowed in racing, and I think for a good reason - wheels are the most stressed part of the car, and pretty dangerous to have s/t go wrong. If you do use them, get really good ones that are trued and balanced.

[Anthony235]

^FUD

[Maynard]

Not sure I'm up to date on my abbreviations, but if 'FUD' means 'no way' then perhaps check this out for simplistic info. You are correct that this effect is the same as running different offset, all that matters is how the contact patch is moved. Probably not very noticeable in small increments, but if you would notice a difference between 225 and 245 tire then you would probably also notice this. At higher speeds, especially under braking, this stuff can become much more important. And the dealership will surely notice it if you just happen to roach a wheel bearing or suspension link (purely by coincidence of course, but you know how dealerships can be).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_radius

[B58togo]

I have 5mm ECS Tuning spacers with my Apex EC-7's and I'm not losing sleep over any possible negative consequences. They weigh nothing, car rides smooth, and realistically, since the wheels are around 4lbs lighter each than OEM wheels, it's a non issue. Of course, when I go to put the OEM wheels (with Pilot Alpin PA4's) on this weekend, I'm sure the spacers will be stuck to the hubs, so I'll just run them through winter. Now if you're running 30mm spacers with heavy 20's and you're slammed with -4 camber, there may be side effects.

[AlexM240i]

Originally Posted by B58togo

I have 5mm ECS Tuning spacers with my Apex EC-7's and I'm not losing sleep over any possible negative consequences. They weigh nothing, car rides smooth, and realistically, since the wheels are around 4lbs lighter each than OEM wheels, it's a non issue. Of course, when I go to put the OEM wheels (with Pilot Alpin PA4's) on this weekend, I'm sure the spacers will be stuck to the hubs, so I'll just run them through winter. Now if you're running 30mm spacers with heavy 20's and you're slammed with -4 camber, there may be side effects.

My car have the M Performance 19 inch wheels (Style 405M) which are very light and i'm planning to buy 12mm spacers all around.

[Anthony235]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Not sure I'm up to date on my abbreviations, but if 'FUD' means 'no way' then perhaps check this out for simplistic info. You are correct that this effect is the same as running different offset, all that matters is how the contact patch is moved. Probably not very noticeable in small increments, but if you would notice a difference between 225 and 245 tire then you would probably also notice this. At higher speeds, especially under braking, this stuff can become much more important. And the dealership will surely notice it if you just happen to roach a wheel bearing or suspension link (purely by coincidence of course, but you know how dealerships can be).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_radius

FUD = fear, uncertainty and doubt

All of what you're saying is technically true, but it's a non-issue in the context of the original post. I guarantee you that 99.9% of people will not feel the difference of a 12mm spacer on the road. The vast majority also won't feel the difference of a 225/245 tire of the same model tire; and the ones that do won't be able to tell you which is the 225 or 245 tire in a blind test.

Again, the heavy low offset wheels people run on here probably do more to hurt the bearings than simply adding a 12mm spacer.

I've ran spacers on most all of my track cars with repeated 140mph>60mph at the limit braking. Run a reputable hubcentric spacer and you should have no worries (and don't be this guy):

[Maynard]

Yes, that looks a lot like the car that I saw after it had basically ripped the hubs/spindles apart. Agreed that this is largely a moot point, or I assume so, at these types of sizes; and your point about it being quality hub-centric unit is key. Still wouldn't run them myself unless I had to for some reason, but less risky than lots of other cosmetic mods.

[AlexM240i]

I'll go with the Burger Motorsport spacers.

Thanks for all your knowledge.

[x233]

If this had been an issue, say someone ruined their suspension or wheel bearing or something like that as a result of use of spacers or lower offset wheels, it no doubt would have come up somewhere on this forum. I don't think anyone ever mentioned such an incident. With so many F22 cars out there running non-oem offsets. Therefore, non-issue, especially with only moderate offset changes that our cars allow.

ps: one issue I personally encountered running spacers was on one occasion I almost lost my front wheels because my longer lugs that came with 5 mm spacers would keep coming loose for some reason (and I am very certain I tightened them up properly each time).
I tried different wheels and lugs but kept the spacers and it never occurred to me again. I decided it must have been the lugs problem. the other possible explanation could be that with 5 mm spacers (and it's only the case with 5 mm ones) there's only about 2 mm of the hub left that the wheel can center on so it's quite marginal.

still, I would choose lower offset wheels over spacers anytime for the sole reason of not having to use longer lugs. (the only spacers you can safely use with the short oem lugs are 3 mm ones)

[9t2hoo]

Originally Posted by x233

If this had been an issue, say someone ruined their suspension or wheel bearing or something like that as a result of use of spacers or lower offset wheels, it no doubt would have come up somewhere on this forum. I don't think anyone ever mentioned such an incident. With so many F22 cars out there running non-oem offsets. Therefore, non-issue, especially with only moderate offset changes that our cars allow.

ps: one issue I personally encountered running spacers was on one occasion I almost lost my front wheels because my longer lugs that came with 5 mm spacers would keep coming loose for some reason (and I am very certain I tightened them up properly each time).
I tried different wheels and lugs but kept the spacers and it never occurred to me again. I decided it must have been the lugs problem. the other possible explanation could be that with 5 mm spacers (and it's only the case with 5 mm ones) there's only about 2 mm of the hub left that the wheel can center on so it's quite marginal.

still, I would choose lower offset wheels over spacers anytime for the sole reason of not having to use longer lugs. (the only spacers you can safely use with the short oem lugs are 3 mm ones)

I ran 10 mm spacers on the front wheels of an E92 for a few years and developed a vibration at speeds over 50 mph. It went away when I took them off.

[Anthony235]

Originally Posted by x233

If this had been an issue, say someone ruined their suspension or wheel bearing or something like that as a result of use of spacers or lower offset wheels, it no doubt would have come up somewhere on this forum. I don't think anyone ever mentioned such an incident. With so many F22 cars out there running non-oem offsets. Therefore, non-issue, especially with only moderate offset changes that our cars allow.

ps: one issue I personally encountered running spacers was on one occasion I almost lost my front wheels because my longer lugs that came with 5 mm spacers would keep coming loose for some reason (and I am very certain I tightened them up properly each time).
I tried different wheels and lugs but kept the spacers and it never occurred to me again. I decided it must have been the lugs problem. the other possible explanation could be that with 5 mm spacers (and it's only the case with 5 mm ones) there's only about 2 mm of the hub left that the wheel can center on so it's quite marginal.

still, I would choose lower offset wheels over spacers anytime for the sole reason of not having to use longer lugs. (the only spacers you can safely use with the short oem lugs are 3 mm ones)

Agree with the bold for sure. I only run a front spacer to clear my 255 square setup and to allow me to still rotate my wheels/tires. I have also converted to extended studs instead of using OEM style lug bolts.