Added spacers, car vibrates on highway now help

[CCUSACKM3]

Looking for help!


Hopefully I am putting this into the right section. I recently bought my 2018 F80 M3 (love it) and did KW HAS kit + 12mm bimmerworld spacers front and rear.

After putting on the spacers the car wont stop vibrating above 70mph. I can feel it shaking/vibrating most noticeably through the pedals and steering wheels. Where should I investigate first? The car has extended lug bolts torqued down at 140 NM. It has to be the spacers because I had the kw kit on for almost 2 weeks before the spacers and had no vibrations until the spacers went on.

[D_SheerDrivingPleasure]

Sounds like a spacer is not sitting flush on the wheel hub. Try removing the wheels and inspecting for gaps.

[mapster37]

before installing the spacers its imperative that the contact surfaces are 100%clean= (hub and wheel) otherwise you have issues that u are describing

[TouringM3]

Originally Posted by mapster37

before installing the spacers its imperative that the contact surfaces are 100%clean= (hub and wheel) otherwise you have issues that u are describing

On that note – i highly recommend getting a wire brush attachment for your power drill, and using that to clean the hub face.

(It also does wonders for your metal brake hats)

[Suds]

I found spacers difficult to mount with lug bolts and went with wheel studs plus nuts.
So the torquing sequence of the lug bolts may need to be considered so that wheel sits square to the hub.

[dms-01]

I experienced the same thing with KW v3 and 3mm H&R spacers and I've never experienced that in my life of spacers on this car and other cars. Took them
off and the vibration went away and have yet to try and reinstall them. But stock 666s and 12/10mm spacers no vibrations. LM-Rs + 3mm vibrates, no spacers no vibrations.

[Nickodarius]

I don't recommend spacers less than 12 mm as they often aren't hub centric and don't have enough lip. They need to a fully match up to the hub.

[CCUSACKM3]

Thank you all for the responses.

I do have the 666M wheels on it, and 12mm spacers front and rear with extended lug bolts. The surface was cleaned pretty well before putting them on but maybe not well enough

[dms-01]

Originally Posted by CCUSACKM3

Thank you all for the responses.

I do have the 666M wheels on it, and 12mm spacers front and rear with extended lug bolts. The surface was cleaned pretty well before putting them on but maybe not well enough

I don't know why a clean surface would matter? The hub surface mates fine to the wheel without the spacer so why would it need to be any different with the spacer in between the wheel and he hub?

[CCUSACKM3]

In theory having a clean surface can only help but your guess is good as mine as to why that would cause the issue if at all. This is my first time dealing with spacers and love the look but will punt them in the trash if I cant get the car to ride well.

[dawei213]

Outside of rotational play, how much play do you have with the spacer on the hub? Ideally, you can only rotate it and have it not shift left/right/up/down.

[whitstap]

Torque the wheels while the tire is off the ground (you will need someone or something to hold the brakes for the fronts the rear can be done with e brake... this will ensure the spacer is flush with the hub regardless of thickness, hubcenctricity or whether bolts or studs are used

[dms-01]

I still don't get it because I had no issues with 10/12mm spacers and 666 wheels without the KWs (MS springs). Granted I installed the KWs, put 3mm spacers on with LM-Rs and it vibrated pretty bad above 80. I just don't know what would cause that other than the bolts not being long enough? Surface shouldn't matter because the wheel against the hub works just fine. Its just when the spacer is set between the wheel and the hub the issue occurs.

Looking around people say they just amplify an already existing condition, wheel out of balance, round or something like that but I still don't see how a spacer is going to provide a night and day difference if that is the case.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by dms-01

I still don't get it because I had no issues with 10/12mm spacers and 666 wheels without the KWs (MS springs). Granted I installed the KWs, put 3mm spacers on with LM-Rs and it vibrated pretty bad above 80. I just don't know what would cause that other than the bolts not being long enough? Surface shouldn't matter because the wheel against the hub works just fine. Its just when the spacer is set between the wheel and the hub the issue occurs.

Looking around people say they just amplify an already existing condition, wheel out of balance, round or something like that but I still don't see how a spacer is going to provide a night and day difference if that is the case.

Are centering rings installed with the LMs?

[dms-01]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Are centering rings installed with the LMs?

Yeah man. BBS PFS or whatever they are called. Do you think that has something to do with it? I know BBS spacers don't require those PFS rings but I got H&Rs instead.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by dms-01

Yeah man. BBS PFS or whatever they are called. Do you think that has something to do with it? I know BBS spacers don't require those PFS rings but I got H&Rs instead.

Depends on if you have the correct size or not. Should be 72.5mm.

[Silverlining_m2]

I don't know why spacers cause vibration but every time I've had them, regardless how well I cleaned the hubs, I had it. Usually between 80-90mph. In the end I decided heavier offset wheels and no spacers was the best answer for me.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by F82spaceship

I don't know why spacers cause vibration but every time I've had them, regardless how well I cleaned the hubs, I had it. Usually between 80-90mph. In the end I decided heavier offset wheels and no spacers was the best answer for me.

Lost of people out there running quality spacers with zero issues.

Could possibly be how the wheels are torqued down, rotors could be clean but not the mounting hubs of the wheels, whether or not the wheels require centering rings, a tire out of round/balance - there's a ton of variables. Spacers will usually exaggerate an existing issue, but get the blame most times. All areas have to be checked.

[whitstap]

Try torquing them with wheel off the ground and report back

[1000hp]

If you're putting the spacer on the hub and then installing the wheel, try putting the spacer on the wheel and then putting the wheel on the car.

If the spacers are tight going into the center bore, try tapping them into place in a star pattern with a rubber mallet. If it's not perfectly flush it will make noise. When it's perfectly flush and seated it will be silent.

[RElias21]

Unfortunately, I have A LOT of experience with your issue, so listen closely.

I installed spacers, both BMS and Macht Schnell, used and new, in 12, 15 and 18 mm sizes.
I installed these spacers on three different sets of wheels: OEM 513s, OEM 666s and OEM 763s.
I did EVERYTHING everyone here mentioned. I cleaned the hub as well as the inside surface of the rims perfectly. I installed the lugs in the star position. I tried every which way and STILL was getting the dreaded vibration between 80-90mph.

It was driving me nuts, because these cars are super sensitive to them.

I finally came across a fix off the forums, where someone mentioned that if you put the spacer on the wheel hub or on the wheel and you feel any play between the spacer and either one of those, you may get vibration irrespective of how you install.

So, what I started doing is, I wrap teflon tape on the hub lip, and I wrap teflon tape on the spacer lip. The spacer then fits really snug on the hub and the wheel fits really snug on the spacer. Sometimes I even have to hit the spacer with a mallet to get it fully on the hub because the fit is so tight. No more vibration!! Try this and report back.

[Silverlining_m2]

Originally Posted by RElias21

Unfortunately, I have A LOT of experience with your issue, so listen closely.

I installed spacers, both BMS and Macht Schnell, used and new, in 12, 15 and 18 mm sizes.
I installed these spacers on three different sets of wheels: OEM 513s, OEM 666s and OEM 763s.
I did EVERYTHING everyone here mentioned. I cleaned the hub as well as the inside surface of the rims perfectly. I installed the lugs in the star position. I tried every which way and STILL was getting the dreaded vibration between 80-90mph.

It was driving me nuts, because these cars are super sensitive to them.

I finally came across a fix off the forums, where someone mentioned that if you put the spacer on the wheel hub or on the wheel and you feel any play between the spacer and either one of those, you may get vibration irrespective of how you install.

So, what I started doing is, I wrap teflon tape on the hub lip, and I wrap teflon tape on the spacer lip. The spacer then fits really snug on the hub and the wheel fits really snug on the spacer. Sometimes I even have to hit the spacer with a mallet to get it fully on the hub because the fit is so tight. No more vibration!! Try this and report back.

Now that's interesting.