To Space Or Not To Space

Hi lads/ladies was wanting to PIC ur brains am doing up my 92 mini 1000 am looking to run my sport pack wheels with spacers to push them out near flush with my sport pack arches but when I tried to order them from mini spares the guy said my wheel bearings would fail every 6 to 8 weeks is this true or is he just covering the company in case anything would go wrong

Spacers do put additional strain on wheel bearings, but I'm not sure about every 6-8 weeks

tens you will be ok as long as not gurt big split rims, 12 x5 I found to be ok but 13" wheels will put extra strain on the bearings.

Edited by Gadgets, 18 October 2014 - 08:09 PM.

Having seen a rear bearing failure when following my mate, I wouldn't fit them. But I think 6 weeks is pessimistic. I think the guy is just putting your safety first and exaggerating to make you aware of the potential for problems.

Spacers do put additional strain on wheel bearings, but I'm not sure about every 6-8 weeks

Ano I wouldn't mind change in them every year for mot as I feel the look would be worth it
Just when he said so often my first thought was will I lose a wheel if a hit a pot hole :-(

Spacers do put additional strain on wheel bearings, but I'm not sure about every 6-8 weeks

Ano I wouldn't mind change in them every year for mot as I feel the look would be worth it
Just when he said so often my first thought was will I lose a wheel if a hit a pot hole :-(

When my mates went, the wheel stayed attached but it flailed around in the arch. He lost control and it went up a bank. For a second I thought it was going to roll but it just span and finished pointing the wrong way round. The rear quarter was trashed and the car was scrapped (it was a while back before minis were worth much). If it had gone at a different time, on a dual carriageway for example, he may well have been seriously injured or worse. There is no way I would risk big spacers personally. It is also worth checking with your insurers as some won't touch cars with spacers on.

I spoke to a guy called Keith in Scotland I get second hand bits off and he said he had heard of a company doing 13x7 sport pack wheels which would not need spacers mine are original rover wheels I think their 13x6 surely both would put the same stress on the wheel bearings

Jebus don't want that as my son will always be with me I just really don't like the look of the wheel inside the arch think a know what ma Xmas gift is gunna be wider wheels lol
Cheers guys

the late sports pack cars had a spaced rear drums and an 8mm spacer, the fronts have no spacers.

I haven't heard that all the later sports pack minis are eating bearings any quicker than the others, but maybe they are....

What size spacers are you thinking of fitting?

the late sports pack cars had a spaced rear drums and an 8mm spacer, the fronts have no spacers.
I haven't heard that all the later sports pack minis are eating bearings any quicker than the others, but maybe they are....
What size spacers are you thinking of fitting?

Hi ideally I was lookin to go 19mm as this would bring the wheels right out to the edge of the arches I really don't like the look of the wheel inside the arch keep going out to look at it I didn't realise they sat so far inside the arch doesn't help am missing the spacer for the rears a friend has 1 inch spacers within spare at home gunna stick them on and have a look am only going to drive the car one day a week as I have another car and van I just know if I leave it as is every time I walk up to the car I'll kick ma self a didn't go for dif arches

that's a big spacer, lots of people against the big spacers, all I would say is make sure you've still got enough thread engagement on the wheels nuts!

so what's different about your set up that requires such large spacers?

I dunno my cars a 92 city 1000 it had sport pack arches on it and I liked the look of the sport pack wheel any pics I have cn of them don't look as far in as mine their proper rover wheels ano the spacers come with longer studs the guy given me them says his other car has done 8000 miles OK with the same set up

that's a big spacer, lots of people against the big spacers, all I would say is make sure you've still got enough thread engagement on the wheels nuts!
so what's different about your set up that requires such large spacers?

I've been running 13x8s since the beginning of April this year, and i've got 10mm spacers on the rear.

As long as you have the correct amount of thread engagement and you do your wheel nuts up to the correct settings you'll be fine.

 

I've not had a single bearing issue.

Edited by Yams, 19 October 2014 - 10:06 PM.

the late sports pack cars had a spaced rear drums and an 8mm spacer, the fronts have no spacers.
I haven't heard that all the later sports pack minis are eating bearings any quicker than the others, but maybe they are....
What size spacers are you thinking of fitting?

Hi ideally I was lookin to go 19mm as this would bring the wheels right out to the edge of the arches I really don't like the look of the wheel inside the arch keep going out to look at it I didn't realise they sat so far inside the arch doesn't help am missing the spacer for the rears a friend has 1 inch spacers within spare at home gunna stick them on and have a look am only going to drive the car one day a week as I have another car and van I just know if I leave it as is every time I walk up to the car I'll kick ma self a didn't go for dif arches

Is that 19mm on top of the GT/Super minifin width? Or on standard non spaced drums.

the late sports pack cars had a spaced rear drums and an 8mm spacer, the fronts have no spacers.
I haven't heard that all the later sports pack minis are eating bearings any quicker than the others, but maybe they are....
What size spacers are you thinking of fitting?

Hi ideally I was lookin to go 19mm as this would bring the wheels right out to the edge of the arches I really don't like the look of the wheel inside the arch keep going out to look at it I didn't realise they sat so far inside the arch doesn't help am missing the spacer for the rears a friend has 1 inch spacers within spare at home gunna stick them on and have a look am only going to drive the car one day a week as I have another car and van I just know if I leave it as is every time I walk up to the car I'll kick ma self a didn't go for dif arches

Is that 19mm on top of the GT/Super minifin width? Or on standard non spaced drums.

Hi that's on standard drums my wheels are literally bout 2mm off the rear shocks ano their should have been a small spacer as standard for the rear but sadly didn't come with mine