• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Wheel spacer for a BJ8 needed, help please

Share this page

AUSMHLY

AUSMHLY

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I need to add a 1/4 inch spacer to my left rear hub.
I'm searching for a spacer that will have the same diameter as the BJ8 hub, and the correct bolt pattern. (What is the bolt pattern?)

Sites like Summit Racing offer quite a few, but I don't know which will fit. (If you know of one of Summits that would fit, what would their product number be?) Here's a link to Summit:

https://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=wheel%20spacer&dds=1

Would someone know of a spacer that would be a good fit?
If so, could you provide a link.

Cheers,
Roger
 
You want a 5 on 5 (5 studs on a 5" bolt circle), 1/4" thick.

I'm sure you'll have to buy them in pairs.

I used this type, with integral studs, when balancing out the rear track with the front when I had the disc wheels. The type you need will go over your existing studs, so make sure they're long enough!

IMG_7476.jpg


Spacers got a bad name in the 50s-60s, but they're used on LOTS of high performance (MUCH higher than a Healey is capable of) applications today without any trouble. My own 99 M Rdstr uses them 4-5 mos. out of every year (for the past ten years) when I fit snowtires, as a result of the deep offset OE rear wheels.

The most important thing is proper application and tightening; WITH A TORQUE WRENCH! And then periodic checks to make sure they're still as secure as when you fitted them.

If you're using a 1/4" spacer, you need lug studs/bolts a 1/4" longer. Period.
 
If only one side rubs, there may be a problem with your rear end housing placement,make sure housing is centered on leave springs(centering bolt). Also make sure pan-hard rod is adjusted to spec.Also I believe Randy's pics show adapters, not spacers,spacers are usually 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick& are slotted for various bolt patterns. We use them on occasion for clearance with oversize brakes or wheels. Most auto parts carry them. chewers Genos2
 
Geno, they're still spacers, 5 on 5 to 5 on 5. An adapter would convert between 5 on 5 to another pattern/bolt circle.

When spacers get that thick, it's not uncommon to have them configured as mine were (they've been relegated to a box in the basement since refitting wire wheels last month).
 
Did anyone notice the shine on Roger's wheel well? I guess everyone knows Roger and takes it for granted.
 
Randy Forbes said:
You want a 5 on 5 (5 studs on a 5" bolt circle), 1/4" thick.
I'm sure you'll have to buy them in pairs.

If you're using a 1/4" spacer, you need lug studs/bolts a 1/4" longer. Period.
Click to expand...

Hi Randy,
I only need a spacer for the left rear.
I agree, I should replace the wheel studs with ones that are 1/4" longer.

Can someone provide me the information or a link to where I would buy 5 studs? I need to know the specs for the stud to put into a search.

Party on.
 
Can I move the rear axle to the left?
I have enough clearance with the right wheel to move the axle to the left.
Is the rear axle tapered so that clamps attached to the leaf spring in only one place or can I slide the two clamps along the axle allowing me to move it.
Are the two clamps the only parts that position the rear axle?

Could that be the cause of the problem?
Or is it that the body is off on the frame.

Rock on,
Roger
 
Hi Roger,
I'll echo the other guys about checking the rear suspension. It seems odd to me that this problem would crop up this long after finishing your car. It warrants tracking down the root cause. One thing I didn't see mentioned is the axle not being square to the frame. Check the clearance on the front of the right wheel also. Have you noticed the steering wheel is not centered while driving in a straight line?
 
roger i agree with greg, and one can center the axle from side to side, you should while your in there check that both "shock link assemblys" are put in right side up, it is possible to have one or both in the wrong way.
 
Greg, Anthony,

The steering wheel is straight. The car drives straight. Even wear on all tires.

I find it strange that I just noticed that the left tire makes contact with the wheel well. I think that I must have hit a pot hole or hard bump that made the contact. Yet there are the rubber stops under the rear end and under the wheel well to stop travel, right?

I asked my mechanic to take a look see. He thinks it's because the car was hit left front and right rear sometime before I got it. He thinks the body was not put on properly when repaired. He thinks that's the problem. He recommended the spacer. Mechanic says the wheels angle in little when they travel up if only one side hits a bump. I can see from looking down the rear of the body, that the left wheel is in farther than the right. So that may explaine why it rubs when full travel occurs on the left side.

I'm wondering if the situation is the rear end was not centered or it was centered on the frame. But being the body MAY BE off on the frame, then moving the rear end more to the left on the frame would help out with the misalignment of the body.

That's why I brought up the movement of the rear end.

I appreciate your help guys, as always.
r
 
I wouldn't rely on the eyeball method. Get a tape and measure the distance from the frame to maybe the inside of the spring mounting bracket on the axle. Compare both sides. That should tell you if it is the axle or the body structure that is off.
 
I had similar clearance problems when I had the bump stops rienforced, lost about 1/8 inch in each wheel arch and had rubbing when cornering hard. I got some steel spacers (1/8 inch) made up by a local machine shop, the standard studs were long enough with the standard lock nuts, it's been fine since.
 
Roger,
I had a similar problem under hard cornering when I put 195/70's on our BJ8. Had a friend cut the centers out of some old rear splines and used the outer flange as a spacer. I started getting leaks from the rear axle seals on a fairly consistent basis. Pulled the spacers out, drove a little more tamely and haven't had a rubbing or leaking problem since.
 
Roger, you keep talking like the body wasn't put on the frame correctly, and I just can't get my head around that.

You do know that these are constructed more like a unibody chassis versus a separate frame/body?

I mean, they <span style="font-style: italic">can</span> be separated, but not something I'd recommend.

Edit: for clarity, this is one (1) single welded assembly...

Healey_Chassis.sized.jpg
 
Randy, I cant' get my head around it either. Just repeating what the Healey mechanic said. He's been a British mechanic for over 40 years. He's almost always spot on.

I'm coloring outside the lines here by asking my own question about maybe it's the rear end.

And maybe it's not hitting a pot hole, but my pushing the car through some of the corners. Can you blame me, it's so much fun.

I will jack the car up tomorrow and take the measurements.
Nice to see you guys taking interest in my situation.
Who am I kidding thinking my car will ever REALLY be done.
I did have a nice stretch there where I wasn't working on something.
Party on.
roger
 
Back
Top