# Does anybody make a 2mm wheel spacer?



## Caleb (May 19, 1999)

I am looking for a 2mm wheel spacer. Does anybody make one of these. The smallest ones I have seen are 5mm. I am looking to go from 40mm offset back to stock 38mm offset.


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## Sheep (Dec 21, 2000)

*Re: Does anybody make a 2mm wheel spacer? (Caleb)*

I have never seen such that thin, and not so sure it wouldn't be susceptible to stress cracking....it's unpractical for a company to make a spacer so thin. 2mm is so inconsequential you'd not even notice it so why would you want to "make up" such a small difference? Even the OEM wheels on my Jetta 4 had different offsets.....17" Longbeaches were ET38, but fullsize 16" spare was ET42.
I replaced them with 18x8 Borbets ET35, with 8mm spacers on rear only. Here's link for you to see effect.
http://www.imagestation.com/al...idx=9
http://www.imagestation.com/al...idx=2
Gosh, you could make your own 2mm spacers out of posterboard sprayed with multicoats of plastic coating if you're that desperate, or even finding some flexible plastic sheeting.
Keep in mind, that if you don't use anti-seize on backside of an alum spacer and around hub's lip, it will only take a few weeks of wet weather (expecially with salt on winter roads) for the spacer to electrolytically weld itself to the steel hub. With a 2mm spacer, you'd NEVER get the thing off without ruining it! Even with the antiseize, you still need to pull wheels and spacers occasionally to clean and respray again.


_Modified by Sheep at 12:10 AM 2-26-2004_


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## Caleb (May 19, 1999)

*Re: Does anybody make a 2mm wheel spacer? (Sheep)*

Well I have a huge long story about my wheels and how my car drives all screwed up if I put on my summer wheels compared to my winter wheels. I will post my experience if you want but I warn you it is a hell of a story. Basically I have concluded that 2mm makes all the difference in the world on my car.


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## Sheep (Dec 21, 2000)

*Re: Does anybody make a 2mm wheel spacer? (Caleb)*

You said nothing originally regarding summer/winter wheels, so I didn't know the whole situation, therefore I addressed a generalized scenario not knowing details. Concerning winter/summer wheels....you didn't mention what material in your different sets, size of wheels, weights, or type of tire and tread. Those variables can factor HUGELY into the handling of car and not even remotely be related to 2mm offset difference.








Since I've pushed my previous 1.8T Jetta in competition to speeds well over 120mph on winding course, I know wheel offset increases ranging anywhere from 3-8mm along with some basic susp upgrades vastly improved the handling/control/stability, etc of this car. That's my experience....and the same is being borne out to a greater degree with this TT and I've not even done springs/dampers yet.


_Modified by Sheep at 12:54 AM 2-26-2004_


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## Caleb (May 19, 1999)

*Re: Does anybody make a 2mm wheel spacer? (Sheep)*

Ok here's my story. My '91 GTI originally came with 14x6" wheels with ET38 and 185/60/14 tires. They are ok with the exception that they are bent up real bad due to the previous owner. I originally had some Dunlop D60A2 tires on them but after one winter I decided those things were just dangerous. So I swapped the tires out for some Mastercraft Avenger GT's that I got from my tire guy down the road. They are ok for a run of the mill tire. At this point all is good. I later put on some Aquatread tires because the Avenger GT tires wore out and I got a hell of a deal on some used Aquatread II tires. No matter what tires I put on the teardrops the car still drove just fine. 
So I decide a good while later when I get some money that I want aftermarket wheels. I end up getting a set of 15x7" TSW Hockenhiems with ET40 and put 195/50/15 rubber on them. I put on the same Mastercraft Avenger GT tire that was on my factory teardrop rims. I notice that after putting on my TSW wheels that the car now tracks real bad on uneven pavement and also torque steers more. I am kind of pissed off. After thinking about it all I can think that would cause this is the different offset.
The TSW's act as my summer wheels and tires and the factory teardrops act as my winter wheels and tires. I can swap out to the winter set and the tracking and excessive torque steer go away. Well basically time goes on and since my teardrops are bent up so bad they are leaking air around the bead of the tire where it seals up against the wheel. I decide to swap the winter teardrops out with a set of factory steel wheels that my dad had laying around. These are the exact same size and offset as the other factory teardrops. So I swap my Aquatread II tires onto these factory steel rims and all is good. Car still drives just fine with the winter set on but everytime I put on the summer TSW's all goes to hell.
Basically as far as the factory winter sets go I went from a aluminum teardrop with three different tires on them at different points and all was good. Then I switched over to some factory steel wheels with the same size and specs. I have the same rubber on those as I did with the teardrops.
The summer wheels are aluminum TSW's that are an inch wider and 2mm more offset than the winter wheels. I have had the same exact brand tires on the winter and summer sets before so I know that tire is not the issue.
The only differences I can see is the inch of width and the 2mm more offset. I don't think the width has anything to do with it because the inch of width won't change the track of the car or the scrub radius but the 2mm offset will.
So there is my story. I don't mean to sound like a ass or anything but I have dealt with this thing for a couple of years and it is really annoying me. If you can throw in any useful input go ahead. I actually welcome it. I hope I can get this problem squared away.
Also I feel it important to mention that my moms '87 Jetta which is exactly the same chassis, suspension, and most everything else as my car was orignially equiped with 13x5.5" wheels ET38 and 175/70/13 rubber. She has since upgraded to 14x6" wheels ET38 and 185/60/14 rubber. So she has added a half inch width to her car and it didn't change a thing. So I have doubts that the full inch width on my car effected anything.


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