New GTS owner

[CatmanV2]

I went with no simply because the price for a few pieces of machined aluminium was excessive. I had spacers on my 4200

C

 

[safrane]

Given the cost of bearing hubs and the potential extra strain spacers can place on them by increasing the pivot point I would say no... stop being vain.

 

[Andyk]

You guys are amazing thank you. I am still on the fence when it comes to spacers. I have heard some true horror stories. mostly YouTube says they are unsafe and not as the manufacturer attended.

However, they look so good and gives the impression of a lowered car. because you se more of the stance and wheel.

ultimately, you guys are the experts, I'll go with what you say.

Yes - completely safe look awesome or
No - get over yourself and live with it?

please what should I do?

Al long as they are from a good company you shouldn't have any issues with them. Had some on an M3 and the new owner still have them on a after 6 years and never had an issue. Still maintain the GT needs them....Saw a 4.2 this week and it just looked wrong with those wheels so far under the arches. Worth mentioning that Porsche offered spacers as an option on the 911 so wouldn't imagine them to be unsafe.

 

[Alexpie]

As above, make sure they are from a reputable manufacturer and follow the recommended procedure with regards to correct torques, and re-torquing after a few hundred miles. Use a wire brush and make sure the bearing face between the hub and the spacer is clean. You can also use copper grease and thread lock if you want.

I'm fairly certain spacers aren't going to damage the suspension. I thought about this quite a bit before I put them on mine. The difference in the increased track is pretty negligible in terms of leverage. Think of it this way, how much easier would it be to do up a bolt using a 25mm long bar as opposed to by hand? If anything at all it would be a tiny amount, and when you relate that back to the suspension it should all be well within the load tolerance of all the components in the suspension that it would have any effect on. Obviously if you put on whacking great spacers and extended the arches, the strain on the components would grow exponentially the wider the track. Most of the horror stories about spacers I have read is guys in the US putting them on big 4x4's and trucks and increasing the track by 70mm a side or something ridiculous, which I would definitely agree would have an adverse effect on the suspension enough to push something to break. Yes the amount you need to increase the track on these cars will increase the strain on the suspension, but by three parts of f*** all, and I would argue not enough to cause component failure more than normal wear and tear.

I thought the H&R ones I got were really nice bits of kit for the money. I've got toolmakers and a CNC shop at my disposal with work, so I thought about making some. But once I weighed up the time it would take modelling them, programming the CNC, buying the bolts and the helicoils and anodising the spacers after machining, it really wasn't worth doing when its like £340 for a full set.

 

[B51NGH]

Too All, thank you.

I just needed the confidence to say yes. And the argument for and against is valid. However, considering the advice above and yes iam vain (but it's a Maserati, and it needs to look it's best) I have decided I will go for the spacers.

Thank you all for your input.

 

[JonW]

We've got SM Car covers coming in the summer too.

Indoor, black spandex, with SM logo made to the same specs as OEM for 3200, 4200, GS, Spyder, GT & QP circa £175

Ive decide that I don't like my job anymore and making SM goods is more rewarding

Thread revival - Are the indoor covers still happening?