31 replies to this topic

[R1minimagic]

One thing to bear in mind is the difference between the load going into the wheel bearing at the front vs the back of a mini.

On the front the main force is at 90 degrees to the bearing races as the suspension goes up and down whereas the rear, being a trailing arm and camber not changing with suspension movement, the force is along the bearing race so the failure mode would be different.

There is also a considerable weight difference between front and rear.

I think in most cases, the main reason that the bearings fail is due to heat e.g. front a sticking brake caliper, or rear shoes. The grease melts and runs out, then the bearings fail/seize

[Cooperman]

If spacers are used to correct offset in non-original wheels there should be no big issue so long as good quality studs ae used and the spacers are well-designed.
The problem comes when the offset of the wheels movers outboard by the same amount as the spacer thickness. In that case there is a loading case which is not as designed for in the original design and the revised design case should be re-calculated to see what the different loads are on the bearings and stub axles. This shoulkd result in higher grade material for the studs, suitable spacer design to provide stud support and more frequent inspections of the bearings.
Now, when this is done for racing the car will be stripped regularly and checked. Additionally, critical failure will be on a track so innocent 3rd parties won't become involved.
It would seem unwise to use big spacers and standard offset wheels which increase the mean track dimension on a road car using parts which probably have not been subject to design calculations to check for strength.