sixfiveoh

dporto

If the spacer is seated fully and sitting flush on the hub, you shouldn't get any shimmy/vibration with the spacer (that you didn't have before). It's possible that due to the wider track, it's exacerbating some other weakness in your suspension - LCA's, wishbones, ball joints, tie rods etc...

DBJoe996

Since you have OEM wheels and are using spacers, remove the spacers and see if you have the steering wheel vibration. New tires may not be balanced correctly.

Atrox

Nein_11

Remove spacer and test the newly balanced tires out without them on the car. If spacers are super tight fitting on the hub or inside the wheel take a file or grinder to it until it is snug but not impossible to pull apart. I hope you went with extended lug bolts when you opted to use an 18mm spacer. Stock lugs with an 18mm spacer would most certainly be unsafe, and may even be causing your issue if they are not fully seating

sixfiveoh

That's what I was thinking. Will removing them both and then introducing them one at a time help me narrow in on which side is causing the issue, or do things need to be balanced? Is there a way to zero in on the specific suspension part that may be causing this? I have had some minor suspension squeak from the front end when driving since I bought the car but did the "push down on the front end of the car" LCA test and can't get it to squeak, so I just assumed it was the coilovers.

I did have the new tires on the car for about a week before I introduced the spacers and don't think I noticed any vibration. I guess it's possible I slung a wheel weight off when working on the car, will give it a shot with them off.

C4S, and I think it looks perfect!




Yes, using extended bolts that came with the spacers as noted.

sixfiveoh

I removed the front spacers, checked my wheels to make sure I didn't sling a weight or something, and went for a drive, noticeably less vibration, if there's any at all I wouldn't have called attention to it if I wasn't so hyperfocused on this right now.

I noticed something that might very well be the culprit though. Are the spacers supposed to be flush to the edges of the hub in width?





Would this cause something to be off balance? Do narrow and wide body 996s have different sized hubs?

Porschetech3

Since most all Porsche's use the same 5x130mm bolt pattern, the spacers are probably machined to fit a variety of rotor hub diameters,ie Boxsters, 993's 944's 928's ect, should not make any difference.

I suggest you read up on road force balance, the wheel/tire can be "ballanced" when rotating in mid air, but then be bouncing when on the ground due to varying roundness or varying sidewall stiffness. If the wheel/tire has varying roundness or sidewall stiffness the vibration will increase with spacing the wheel/tire further away from the mounting point thereby increasing the leverage.

sixfiveoh

Just swapped on another set of rims to the front that I've never had issues with, with the spacers, and experienced the same wobble. Will give a local alignment place a call about road force balancing, but maybe this is a suspension thing that's being exacerbated by the spacers? Like I said I do have a squeak coming from the front of the car under normal driving conditions. How can I check on the control arm/tie rod condition? I'm yanking the wheels from the side and top and bottom but it doesn't seem like theres much play...

SoCal911t

I know nothing about 'adaptec' as a company but your pic isn't doing anything to change my already generally low opinion of wheel spacers.

808Bill

These cars a getting old and all suspension parts will be stiff (rubber) or worn. Maybe something your no looking at.

sixfiveoh

tomcat

C4S? did you check your wheel bearings?

JimmyB

I have spacers - 15mm front, 7mm rear - on my ME, with no vibration. Started with just 7mm on the front but decided that wasn't enough; with the current setup the Carrera IIIs fill out the arches nicely.

If you've no vibration without the spacers I'd send 'em back and get a new pair, perhaps a different brand?

sixfiveoh

Yes, C4S. How can I determine if the wheel bearings are bad?

It's driving me crazy! I ordered these from motorsport-tech, they custom machined them for me so I'd be bummed if they were out of spec. I think my next step is going to be to measure them with a caliper to ensure they're consistent across.

I do know that there is ONE little burr or piece of debris, maybe 1mm across that embedded itself into the backside of one of the spacers. I scrubbed it hard with a wire brush but it wont come off. Could something this minuscule throw off the balance enough?