Wheelspacers

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Joost van der Velden
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Wheelspacers

#1 Post by Joost van der Velden »

Maybe a stupid question but where are wheel spacers used for?
Porsche 356 BT6 S90 1962
VW Beetle 1302S 1971
Porsche 911 SC 1980

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Richard Beecher
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Location: central michigan

#2 Post by Richard Beecher »

I use wheel spacers on the rear when I have installed 51/2 and6 inch wide wheels on the C coupe and Cabriolet. If spacers are not used the inner rin of the wheel will contact the shock mount
Richard Beecher

Norm Miller
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Wheelspacers

#3 Post by Norm Miller »

Joost,

On the Carrera GT the rear wheels are spaced outward to compensate for the wide front brake drums.
On the 356B's I've spaced all the wheels to give a better look especialy with stock rims.
I haven't messed with the C cars wheels.

Norm

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Greg Spreeman
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#4 Post by Greg Spreeman »

Richard,

I'm putting on 195/65/15 tires. Will they work without spacers?
Greg Spreeman
1965 356SC Coupe
1964 356C Coupe
2001 996 Cabriolet

Gone but not forgotten:
1970 914
1965 356C Sunroof Coupe
1989 911 Carerra

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Al Zim
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WHEEL SPACERS

#5 Post by Al Zim »

I use them because I like the looks of the wheel as it is closer to the fender. driving behind a 356 and looking at the skinny wheel well inside the car is just b... Ugly. al zim
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Ashley Page
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Re: WHEEL SPACERS

#6 Post by Ashley Page »

Al Zim wrote:I use them because I like the looks of the wheel as it is closer to the fender. driving behind a 356 and looking at the skinny wheel well inside the car is just b... Ugly. al zim
Does Zim's offer a selection of longer wheel studs?

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Pat Daily
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#7 Post by Pat Daily »

Al

Do you have spacers and the appropriate studs?
Pat Daily
Midlothian, VA
356B coupe (121123 aka "Fast Frieda") 

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Joost van der Velden
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Re: WHEEL SPACERS

#8 Post by Joost van der Velden »

Al Zim wrote:I use them because I like the looks of the wheel as it is closer to the fender. driving behind a 356 and looking at the skinny wheel well inside the car is just b... Ugly. al zim
I agree....what dimension of spacer is normally used for the back of the car (4,5 inch wheels) where the wheels do not get too close to the fenders?
Porsche 356 BT6 S90 1962
VW Beetle 1302S 1971
Porsche 911 SC 1980

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Wheelspacers

#9 Post by Guest »

It depends which type of body you have, Reutter or Karmann.
Years ago I checked with a "taylor-tape-measure" to compare a
( for me) visible difference of the car's backside.
I measured from the edge of the rear side windows down to the fender,
the Karmann-body had 15 mm more in length than the Reutter
at each side. Don't know what they made at Karmann, stretched the metal...?

At my Karmann-body I've 5 1/2 rims with 195/65/15 tires and
25 mm spacers as discs (Porsche-part-# 477 501 701) and longer
studs ( part-# 901 331 671 01) and there is space as wide as a finger
between the tire and the fender.
A friend with his Reutter-body has 185-tires on 5 1/2 rims w/o spacers
and the tire is almost touching the fender !!

So, before using spacers make some measurements.

Rolf

George Dunn
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Wheelspacers

#10 Post by George Dunn »

All,
Mine is a '65 C Cab(Porsche manufacture after they had purchased the
Reutter body works); wheel spacers are not always needed or necessary.
I have been running Michelin Primacy 195x65x15 on all 4 wheels which
are 5.5 inch stock early 911 rims, for several years, about 20K
miles/30K KMs. I use no spacers and have the stock wheel studs still
installed. The tires nicely fit in the wheel housing cavities with no
clearance or rubbing issues, nor are they almost touching any fender.
I did replace the front wheel stops and estimate that they required
almost one additional thread more than the original stock wheel stops.
Compared with stock 165x78x15 tires on 4.5 inch wheels, these 195's
can feel heavy thru the steering, but this can be mitigated with
additional tweaking and equipment. Details available separately.
Good luck, George in Atlanta


On 4/30/08, Rolf G. Krogmeyer <porsche-356@arcor.de> wrote:
It depends which type of body you have, Reutter or Karmann.
Years ago I checked with a "taylor-tape-measure" to compare a
( for me) visible difference of the car's backside.
I measured from the edge of the rear side windows down to the fender,
the Karmann-body had 15 mm more in length than the Reutter
at each side. Don't know what they made at Karmann, stretched the metal...?

At my Karmann-body I've 5 1/2 rims with 195/65/15 tires and
25 mm spacers as discs (Porsche-part-# 477 501 701) and longer
studs ( part-# 901 331 671 01) and there is space as wide as a finger
between the tire and the fender.
A friend with his Reutter-body has 185-tires on 5 1/2 rims w/o spacers
and the tire is almost touching the fender !!

So, before using spacers make some measurements.

Rolf


________________________________

Rolf G. Krogmeyer



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Mark Pribanic
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#11 Post by Mark Pribanic »

What size spacers are used on GT's? They look like they are on steroids....

Here's a pic of some stout wheel spacers on a 1961 GT in Jacksonville:

Image

My coupe has spacers that look like oversized washers. I don't have a pic on hand but can post some if anyone wants to see the differences between the GT & the ones on my coupe.
Mark Pribanic
Registry# 13617
Florida Owners Group Trustee - 2008-2010
Neptune Beach, Florida USA
Instagram: Mark.Pribanic

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Gerry McCarthy
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Location: Prospect, CT.

Wheelspacers

#12 Post by Gerry McCarthy »

Note that the GT cars have 60MM brakes in front, 40MM brakes,with20MM spacers in the rear, and special wheels with 16MM greater negative offset, giving the GT cars a tread increase of 8MM

----- Original Message ----
From: Mark Pribanic <pribanic356@yahoo.com>
To: 356talk@356registry.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:17:10 AM
Subject: [356Talk] Re: Wheelspacers

What size spacers are used on GT's? They look like they are on steroids....

Here's a pic of some stout wheel spacers on a 1961 GT in Jacksonville:

[Image: http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u235 ... C03559.jpg ]

My coupe has spacers that look like oversized washers. I don't have a pic on hand but can post some if anyone wants to see the differences between the GT & the ones on my coupe.

------------------------
Drive 'Em!

Mark Pribanic
1958 Coupe
Neptune Beach, Florida
Registry# 13617

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Gerry Mc

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Jaime Jensen
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Wheelspacers

#13 Post by Jaime Jensen »

I have a Reutter '58 Speedster and have a credit card clearance on the drivers side, 5.5 wheels,
185 x 65 tires. I would like to use the spacers as I think it might help cool the brake drums but can't do it on this car :-(

Stan


On 4/30/08, Rolf G. Krogmeyer <porsche-356@arcor.de (porsche-356@arcor.de)> wrote:
It depends which type of body you have, Reutter or Karmann.
Years ago I checked with a "taylor-tape-measure" to compare a
( for me) visible difference of the car's backside.
I measured from the edge of the rear side windows down to the fender,
the Karmann-body had 15 mm more in length than the Reutter
at each side. Don't know what they made at Karmann, stretched the metal...?

At my Karmann-body I've 5 1/2 rims with 195/65/15 tires and
25 mm spacers as discs (Porsche-part-# 477 501 701) and longer
studs ( part-# 901 331 671 01) and there is space as wide as a finger
between the tire and the fender.
A friend with his Reutter-body has 185-tires on 5 1/2 rims w/o spacers
and the tire is almost touching the fender !!

So, before using spacers make some measurements.

Rolf

------------------------
Rolf G. Krogmeyer






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Jaime Jensen
'58 Speedster

Norm Miller
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Location: Ft Collins CO

wheel spacers

#14 Post by Norm Miller »

In the early 60's when wider tires became available for racing we needed more flare on the rear wheels.

Changing the body wasn't legal.

We found that backing the car (minus bumper) squarely against a smooth wall would sufficiently bow the rear wells at the right spot for clearance.

Honest cheating at work.

That said, some cars having experienced minor trauma from the rear could be so afflicted if only on one side. Tweaking the brace between the rear panel and chassis could cure thi problem without messing up the paint.

My 59 GT has never been hit and I run the Carrera spacers in the rear with 5 1/2" off set wheels and 195-60 X15 tires and have 1/8" clearance. ( 2deg neg camber )

Norm
 

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wheel spacers

#15 Post by Guest »

Other than looks, what would be the utility of putting wheel spacers on my 62 S90 b coupe with 165/15 tires, and 4 1/2" wheels? Does the fact that I have a camber compenstor spring figure into the calculation in any way. Right now, my clearance on either side of the rear of the car is about the width of my finger. And I only care about that when I'm rubbing on the Armorall. Jim Slawson, SF Bay area

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