[Slow & Leaky]

This is a fun topic, there's so many logical answers

didya know that many high level drag cars of the rail and flopper variety run adapters? Look in the pits at your next event, pay attention when the wheels are off. They're all over. Here's a place that makes em

http://www.wheeladapter.com/index.php

But moving beyond the quality of the spacer, what about bearing geometry/loading for a corner carver?......

One might say that trips to steak houses and strip clubs isn't going to be as hard on a C3 as the track use they were designed for. (although the trip home from the strip club could be another story) So the bearings are able to take that punishment in the form of poor geometry instead of sustained lateral Gs.

Others might point out that we cheer anyone with 10-12" deep dish old-school wheels, and they're also horrible for bearing geometry/load. If we'd had the internets in the 80s this thread would be about deep dish cragars eating up wheel bearings on daily drivers.

To me, the real catch of spacers is the need to remove the wheel to check spacer torque. That's probably to blame for more spacer failures than anything else.

I think the popularity of dubs has created more high quality spacer options for musclecar enthusiasts but also opened the floodgates for cheap chineese junk. Don't be the guy who'll only spend 80 on a set of spacers then complains their junk. Of course they are.

Counterpoints please..... :cheers:

 

[Slow & Leaky]

Is there some other way to "see it"?

The reputation developed in the days before front wheel drive offset wheels. Put this discussion in the context of 1975 rim availability and yes, adapters will increase bearing loads by moving the tire outward.


This nugget of wisdom becomes accepted, then wheels change available offsets and folks don't understand the physics of it all.

The other angle is once you move away from factory performance cars like vettes the reason for adapters is to install tires which are huge when compared to originals. (like VW bug in the 70s) Those cars will see increased bearing loads just because the tire sticks twice as hard before sliding. The layman then associates increased bearing failure with the adapter. It's definitely involved but not really to blame.