Positives and negatives to hub spacers?

[CASTREX]

There are no REAL down sides... just a little change in the overall handling characteristics of your car.
You'll see... by adding 13mm spacers ( that should be your choice for stock wheels) you are adding over an inch of track to the rear of your car.
That added track will improve your stability and rear traction. It will make you feel more comfortable at high speed. This will probably make the car more oversteery than already is, but that's not a bad thing for a daily driver as is safer for the overall driver. On a tight auto x course on the other side you usually want to decrease the rear traction to reduce that factory oversteer... but that is another story...


Get the 13mm for the stock wheels... a worthy mod IMO.

[2009BBPliftback]

Originally Posted by CASTREX

There are no REAL down sides... just a little change in the overall handling characteristics of your car.
You'll see... by adding 13mm spacers ( that should be your choice for stock wheels) you are adding over an inch of track to the rear of your car.
That added track will improve your stability and rear traction. It will make you feel more comfortable at high speed. This will probably make the car more oversteery than already is, but that's not a bad thing for a daily driver as is safer for the overall driver. On a tight auto x course on the other side you usually want to decrease the rear traction to reduce that factory oversteer... but that is another story...


Get the 13mm for the stock wheels... a worthy mod IMO.

I'm sorry I always thought the general rule was Understeer was much easier to control than Oversteer. Understeer is Plowing forward and Oversteer is when the rear end steps out. If I had to guess the wider track would reduce oversteer but i could be wrong.

[CASTREX]

Originally Posted by 2009BBPliftback

I'm sorry I always thought the general rule was Understeer was much easier to control than Oversteer. Understeer is Plowing forward and Oversteer is when the rear end steps out. If I had to guess the wider track would reduce oversteer but i could be wrong.

If you carefully read my post, that is exactly what I said.

Decreased oversteer = Increased understeer

Increased understeer = Decreased oversteer.


When you increase the rear track your are some what improving the rear traction and therefore increasing understeer.

I also said this is actually a good thing for the average driver as it won't change the way the car handles and it will improve the high speed stability making the driver feel more confortable.


Experienced drivers who want to modify the handling of the car for more oversteer will still take benefits from the rear spacers but will add other factors such to higher rear rates, sway bars, front spacers to achieve the desired handling.

[expo2]

I recently purchased a set of 13mm PG spacers for my stock setup. Can anyone tell me where the (4) shims (washers with one flat side) are intended to go? Maybe (2) shims on the bottom pair of bolts to provide camber?

[Tamago]

Originally Posted by expo2

I recently purchased a set of 13mm PG spacers for my stock setup. Can anyone tell me where the (4) shims (washers with one flat side) are intended to go? Maybe (2) shims on the bottom pair of bolts to provide camber?

yes, that's where they go, but not required. if you are running a low offset wheel (which you're not), you may experience rubbing on the passenger side. .