Wheel Spacers to emulate Insight?

[cfg83]

Hello -

The Honda Insight has a smaller wheel track in the rear to help it's aerodynamics. Now, I would think that on a stock car, it is very difficult to reduce the wheel track (and the width!!!) of the rear of the car, but I do know that you can increase the wheel track on the front of the car because of this :

http://home.earthlink.net/~cfg83/gassavers/wheel_spacers.jpg

I saw this here :

http://www.spswebpage.com/store/index.php?cat=s_series&sub=Suspension%20Accessories&sid=24f44c3709be630ff8b56d40aa4627a0

Now, my opinion is that the real Aero-savings is coming from the tapering teardrop shape of the Insight, but I would like to pose the question of whether emulating the *relationship* between the front and the rear track of the Insight would be of Aero-benefit or not.

I say no, because if you can't have the teardrop shape of the car, it is better to have the front and rear wheels "inline".

CarloSW2

[SVOboy]

I say no as well.

Also, you'd need to consider the pain in the *** of putting new wheel studs on, which is annoying with civics. At least EFs, that is.

[MetroMPG]

Now, my opinion is that the real Aero-savings is coming from the tapering teardrop shape of the Insight, but I would like to pose the question of whether emulating the *relationship* between the front and the rear track of the Insight would be of Aero-benefit or not.

Offsetting the wheels won't help without the benefit of the tapered shape. It might even make things worse, since you're increasing projected frontal area, and slightly upping the rear tires' rolling resistance on wet roads (they'd be partially forging their own way through the water, rather than just following the fronts).

[onegammyleg]

Thre previous answers have said it all , but a bit about wheel spacers , Don't use them unless you have to.
Spacers (which are illegal in many parts) increase the loads on the wheel bearings and when used on the front increase steering effort.
This increases dramaticaly as you move the centre of the tyre outward from the rotating point of the steering knuckle assembly.
It feels bad , and is dangerous , ....same applies to aftermarket wheels that have incorrect offset for that vehicle.

Only use spacers to bring steeing geometry back to normal and only as a last option.

[cfg83]

Hi Everyone -

Thanks for the info. Useless and dangerous too :o !

CarloSW2

[Silveredwings]

This increases dramaticaly as you move the centre of the tyre outward from the rotating point of the steering knuckle assembly.
It feels bad , and is dangerous , ....same applies to aftermarket wheels that have incorrect offset for that vehicle.

This would be especially evident if one wheel was skidding and the other one was not. The result is more likely than normal to cause the car to swerve if you hit the brakes. :thumbdown:

[DaX]

I say no as well.

Also, you'd need to consider the pain in the *** of putting new wheel studs on, which is annoying with civics. At least EFs, that is.

It's cake if you have a 30 ton press. :D 30 minute job.

[JanGeo]

I think if you check the specs on your vehicles you may find that the front and rear wheel tracks are not the same width anyway. Usually the front is wider than the rear. . . funny thing is the Geo I HAD was shaped wider in front and narrower in the rear but you only really noticed it from above.

[onegammyleg]

Hi Silveredwings

My fathers had a car with the wrong offset mag wheels fitted (so as to fit wider tyres) and on acceleration it darted from left to right like a crazy snake , it amplifed the torque steering affect you can get with FWD , and as you said, braking was also affected .
Overall ,it was a shocking thing to drive , untill stock offset wheels were put back on.