Do you create problems if use wheel spacers?

[Blu_stallion]

I run that exact setup OP. Extended studs a most and grab some open end lug nuts while you're at it. That way you can take the spacers off and go back to street wheels and tires too if needed.

Street on top without spacers, track on bottom with spacers.

25mm Spacer with longer studs

Unrelated but just wanted to say your (and most other) orange GT350 with the black R wheels look so good. Beautiful car man. Hang on to it, she's special.

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[bnightstar]

You should be torquing lugs nuts just before you go out for the next session when everything has had time to cool down. When it is hot they are likely not going to show if they have lost torque because everything is stretched. It's when they cool and relax they will show they backed off. Also not performing a cool down lap and hot parking is bad for everything in the car. Even idling through the pits for a few minutes makes a huge difference.

I do appreciate your time on this issue Tim. I do cool down laps for sure with a lot slower tempo without hitting brakes on 5th etc. Most of my issues as discussed is the fact that my local track is very small 2 km and the pavement is in bad condition. Also I honestly think considering by the looks of it I don't have wheel hub issues since 2021 that the issues were combination of bad half shaft CV joint and Shops that were not torquing the lug nuts to 150 ft-lbs. And maybe lack of experience on my part.

The tool for installing them is like 30 bucks, you could also use some washers and grease if that's too much. Or buy them with pre-installed extended studs

I'd bet that terrible weight of stock PP wheels is the main contributing factor in accelerated destruction of your hubs.

Same as Tim, I'm having a bit of hard time to connect the dots in your posts in this thread, especially in regards to original question.

I was saying that maintaining front wheel hubs could get annoying fast especially if like me you are not mechanically inclined and have to pay for this service.

This is the key @bnightstar
Sounds like you've had lots of wheel bearing issues due to lug nuts backing off and it sounds like you might not be re-torqueing them after sessions due to fears of causing further damage.

I think the beginning of the issue was a curb excursion on the street with 80 km/h that probably bend the half shaft without me realising it (good chance there is still something bend on the back), this lead to initial replacement of 3 wheel hubs and 2 wheels. After that mostly was damage control eventually replacing the half shaft fixed the issue and changing to not Ford Lug Nuts as well (strongly suggest getting a set of better lug nuts). I don't re-torque on track as well so that might have also helped but this is by the looks not an issue anymore so not spending lot of time thinking about it.

As we all know I have a strong stance against spacers but that's mostly because I don't want to deal with additional things that could fail which is why I bought ET26 wheels on the front.

 

[Egparson202]

@bnightstar - I appreciate your transparency and desire to contribute to the community. I’m happy to hear that you have largely solved the issues that you had before replacing the wheels and CV’s and are pretty much trouble free at this point. Your rationale for opting to use offsets that are specific for the fronts is understandable.

That said, I’ve run a lot of sessions on a square setup:

• 19x11 52mm offset @APEX Race Parts SM10’s
• factory hubs
• @Optimum Performance extended studs and slip on spacers on the front.

I need to reach out to Tim to get his thoughts on the life expectancy of the studs and hub assemblies, but so far I’ve had no issues with lug nuts or axle nuts losing torque or studs or wheel bearings failing. When I do replace the rear hubs I’ll absolutely be adding the additional retaining nut for peace of mind.

High quality hub-centric spacers that match the hubs and wheels are not a problem.

 

[rocsteady]

Thanks again for all the replies and assistance. I ordered 25mm spacers and extended studs with help from the guys at Optimum Performance. Looking forward to getting it out to NJMP in the spring after installing front and rear tow hooks and jacking rails to make life easier all around.

 

[rocsteady]

Was going back through this thread trying to find something and realized had to go through two pages of @bnightstar back and forth with an unrelated problem that was eventually attributed to running into a curb . No offense meant, but I found that pretty funny this time through:

”I think the beginning of the issue was a curb excursion on the street with 80 km/h that probably bend the half shaft without me realizing it (good chance there is still something bend on the back), this lead to initial replacement of 3 wheel hubs and 2 wheels.”

 

[shogun32]

think the beginning of the issue was a curb excursion on the street with 80 km/h that probably bend the half shaft

A 3 mph curb strike in a parking lost cost me $4000 so I'll gladly take his kind...

 

[19gtaz]

https://www.opmustang.com/store/p426/Axle_Hub_Jam_Locking_Nut_-_Rear_2015-2023_S550_Mustang.html#/

Would it be a good idea to add a rear axle hub jam nut to a street car that is not taken to the track?

 

[Optimum Performance]

Would it be a good idea to add a rear axle hub jam nut to a street car that is not taken to the track?

If you have ever experienced a hub failure due to loose axle nuts it is.

 

[19gtaz]

If you have ever experienced a hub failure due to loose axle nuts it is.

Seems like cheap insturance to me. Thanks.

 

[rocsteady]

If you have ever experienced a hub failure due to loose axle nuts it is.

Nope, and don’t want to; ordered jam nuts from you guys today.

 

[bnightstar]

Was going back through this thread trying to find something and realized had to go through two pages of @bnightstar back and forth with an unrelated problem that was eventually attributed to running into a curb . No offense meant, but I found that pretty funny this time through:

”I think the beginning of the issue was a curb excursion on the street with 80 km/h that probably bend the half shaft without me realizing it (good chance there is still something bend on the back), this lead to initial replacement of 3 wheel hubs and 2 wheels.”

to be fair I know how hard i hit curbs on track (way more than 80 km/h). The issue as I see it is that going on track the lug nuts loose clamping force then if you don't get them tight enough eventually the wheel hub bearing got the hit. I now religiously check lug nuts and they are loose more than you would have thought for something that is 150 ft lbs. I also try to replace my lug nuts and I'm on aftermarket ones that don't have the caps issues that Ford OEM ones does.

P.S. regarding that particular incident I guess that's when my Knuckle to toe bearing bushings teared. Hopefully this will be replaced with FP bearings soon.

 

[NightmareMoon]

to be fair I know how hard i hit curbs on track (way more than 80 km/h). The issue as I see it is that going on track the lug nuts loose clamping force then if you don't get them tight enough eventually the wheel hub bearing got the hit. I now religiously check lug nuts and they are loose more than you would have thought for something that is 150 ft lbs. I also try to replace my lug nuts and I'm on aftermarket ones that don't have the caps issues that Ford OEM ones does.

P.S. regarding that particular incident I guess that's when my Knuckle to toe bearing bushings teared. Hopefully this will be replaced with FP bearings soon.

Checking your lugs is always a good idea. I've actually been impressed mine hold torque as well as they do. That's a little odd you were having problems with them loosening. I've really not seen this at all. I wonder what's different.

I use OPMustang GT4 studs on the front, stock studs rear, and I mostly use Ford Performance open lug nuts when tracking with Apex or SVE wheels. I've got OPMustang spacers on the front and thin 3mm spacers on the rear. Always with 150ft lbs.

 

[2morrow]

Your good OP. Been doing this for several years now with 0 issues.

 

[Flyhalf]

We all race with 25-30 mm slip in spacers .
Proven and effective.
To clear 11" front with squared setup you need
1. Et50-52 wheels.
2. 25mm min spacer ( i recommend 28)
3 longer studs to accomondate the extra space of the spacer
4 open lug nuts
5. Camber plate to bring wheels at -2.8 camber min. (no camber does not destroy tires)
1. APEX WHEELS ARE MY BEST.
2 3 4 u can buy at OPMUSTANGS.COM
5 i love VORSHLAG

900$ INVESTMENT TOTAL ish (plus wheels)

 

[bnightstar]

Checking your lugs is always a good idea. I've actually been impressed mine hold torque as well as they do. That's a little odd you were having problems with them loosening. I've really not seen this at all. I wonder what's different.

I use OPMustang GT4 studs on the front, stock studs rear, and I mostly use Ford Performance open lug nuts when tracking with Apex or SVE wheels. I've got OPMustang spacers on the front and thin 3mm spacers on the rear. Always with 150ft lbs.

Literally everything I'm on OEM Wheel Hubs, with some cheap closed lug nuts (not from Ford). My APEX wheels are ET26/ET52 so I don't use spacers. Still both front and rear lug nuts lose torque after track days with is to be expected considering I'm overheating R12 front pads and boiling brake fluid every day.

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