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Caliper to wheel spoke clearance. How close is too close?
Long story short, i bought a set of wheels that don't fit my LS400 BBK. They are aggressive, so i'm trying to keep the lowest possible spacer but still be safe.
I tried on a 7mm spacer yesterday, and the wheel spins freely when its torqued down, and I took it for a ride around the block and I didn't hear rubbing (but then again my car is super loud). However, there is a hair of clearance between the wheel spoke and widest part of the LS caliper. They don't touch but they are damn close.
Is there a rule of thumb as to how close or how far a caliper should be from the wheel spoke?
I dont want any knockback or hub flex or anything, especially when I'm beating on the car at high speeds. Or am I just being paranoid?
And does a new pad make a difference as far as caliper width is concerned? My pads are at about 50% i would assume...
No, I havn't had it happen to me. But I know when bearings go bad over time they can get worse and cause the wheel hub to wobble while driving. Since the calipers are mounted to the suspension, the wobbling wheel can potentially hit the caliper
well if you put in new pads the caliper will be out more, the caliper clamps to the upright but the sliding part with the pads still goes in as pads wear and out again when you put in new pads.
i just ran into the same issue with g37 wheels, they were real close and i knicked the wheels pulling out of the garage before i realized the thunk thunk thunk noise was the caliper hitting the spoke. i put on 5mm spacers and it cleared them but ultimately for better flushness put on extended studs and 12mm spacers.
3mm is the minimum clearance the Brembo recommends with their BBK. A wheel bearing failure will not cause the caliper to hit the wheel unless you let things get ridiculously bad and if you do that, shame on you. Wheel bearings make a lot of noise when the are going bad and give you plenty of warning.
No, I havn't had it happen to me. But I know when bearings go bad over time they can get worse and cause the wheel hub to wobble while driving. Since the calipers are mounted to the suspension, the wobbling wheel can potentially hit the caliper
Ok, Gotcha. thanks.
Originally Posted by estomax
well if you put in new pads the caliper will be out more, the caliper clamps to the upright but the sliding part with the pads still goes in as pads wear and out again when you put in new pads.
i just ran into the same issue with g37 wheels, they were real close and i knicked the wheels pulling out of the garage before i realized the thunk thunk thunk noise was the caliper hitting the spoke. i put on 5mm spacers and it cleared them but ultimately for better flushness put on extended studs and 12mm spacers.
I've had many people tell me that The caliper does not move when you put new pads in. And I think I'll be going with an 8mm spacer instead.
Originally Posted by 1A1
3mm is the minimum clearance the Brembo recommends with their BBK. A wheel bearing failure will not cause the caliper to hit the wheel unless you let things get ridiculously bad and if you do that, shame on you. Wheel bearings make a lot of noise when the are going bad and give you plenty of warning.
Steve K.
Ok thanks, Steve. I will get a bigger spacer, just to be safe. And thank you for the info about wheel bearings
it depends on the caliper you have, if it has pistons on both sides, then the caliper stays fixed as pads wear, but if it is a piston on one side and a slider on the other, then that moves in as the pad wears. Think about it in your application and don't go off of what people say
with the 8mm spacer are you going to use stock studs? make sure you get at least 12mm of lug nut thread engagement or you are risking you and others' safety. Also, make sure the spacer is hub centric on both sides or you could experience a shaky steering wheel.
LS400 calipers have pistons on both sides so they stay fixed for example.
Isn't the outer face of the caliper always a fixed position and the inside is the slider, if applicable? I'm trying to picture various designs and can't think of any exceptions... I'm certainly no expert, though.
it depends on the caliper you have, if it has pistons on both sides, then the caliper stays fixed as pads wear, but if it is a piston on one side and a slider on the other, then that moves in as the pad wears. Think about it in your application and don't go off of what people say
with the 8mm spacer are you going to use stock studs? make sure you get at least 12mm of lug nut thread engagement or you are risking you and others' safety. Also, make sure the spacer is hub centric on both sides or you could experience a shaky steering wheel.
LS400 calipers have pistons on both sides so they stay fixed for example.
good luck
Marko
Thank you, man. Yes, I have LS400 calipers in front, so i guess I have nothing to worry about there.
And I have Ichiba extended studs, because I was already usinig a 10mm spacer for the 350Z wheels I had before. I just contacted Otis Inc LA and they will make me a custom 8mm spacer with 60.1 hub bore and a 73.1 neck so the wheel can be bolted to that. Not cheap, since its $100 for only 2 spacers, but worth it.
nice, looks like you got it covered, i had to get custom two sided spacers for my Audi too, that is the right solution you are going with! the price is about right for two, i paid 160 for 4 i think, but that was 3 years ago.
t2d2 a brake caliper that floats on both ends for example is this one, where the inside piston pushes and pulls the outside in as the pads wear. the caliper mount is fixed, and the pads go on the slider which adjusts itself as the pads wear. the outer pad attaches to the outside of the slider so as the pad wears down it has to move inwards or it wouldn't touch the rotor. not applicable for anyone with LS400 calipers of course, this was an example off my hyundai lol.
Those LS400 calipers are 100% solid and bolted down, they will never move once mounted, the pistons are the only moving parts in there. I feel like 3MM is safe from Brembo but honestly, if it isn't making contact with the wheel, your solid. The caliper will NEVER move, I'm surprised people are saying this? C'mon guys..
01-16-16, 09:14 AM
Caliper to wheel spoke clearance. How close is too close?
