Model 3 Performance Spacers

[CorneliusRox]

I wasn't trying to be argumentative either! Just passing along bolted joint knowledge!

If you follow the torque sequence and specification for the wheel, you should be good. If the tapers were machined correctly, and it's torqued right, the clamp load should be enough where it never slips or comes close to slipping.

Some reasons to double check would be:
1) If a stud was not fully seated/pressed in during manufacturing. You might achieve torque on the stud and then later have a road event that would pull it the rest of the way and you'd lose clamp load.
2) You had some improperly machined surfaces
3) You were possibly racing this and putting it through some 'higher effort than designed for' conditions that would stress a joint past yield. This is unlikely though.

 

[Ren.OG]

Just installed 5mm spacers all around and it looks pretty good. The rears could prob go another 5mm before it starts to poke.

 

[clerks]

Thanks.
I think I’m going to go 5mm front and 14mm rear.

seen some pics and that seems perfect to me.

How do you make 14mm fit? I thought we needed 18 to 20 to clear?

 

[m a x i m u s]

How do you make 14mm fit? I thought we needed 18 to 20 to clear?

You need to have longer studs installed on your hub and use slip on spacers. I believe I saw on here someone that did it.

 

[MaxwellN22]

How do you make 14mm fit? I thought we needed 18 to 20 to clear?

Ended up getting aftermarket wheels with custom offsets. I’ve seen others do the 5mm and 14mm with uberturbines and it looked good to me.

the Ubers are a little winders than previous years 20’s

 

[Foxjordan22]

Update. Got the 15mm front on without the studs hitting the wheels. 20mm in rear no problem. Here are the pics. Might try 25mm rear.

 

[CorneliusRox]

Looks great! Depending on the angle, I thought my 15mm fronts were too far out. Yours look pretty perfect.

 

[Giggles]

@CorneliusRox I'm also a 21 M3P owner in MN. Can you DM me? I'm new here and don't have the ability to DM you. Was hoping to ask you a couple questions about your spacers and suspension set up.

 

[m a x i m u s]

I hereby confirm that the Bonoss 20mm spacers fit well on the 2021 TM3P and 20" OEM Überturbine wheels.
The front is fitted with no-name universal 5mm spacers from Amazon.
The car is lowered with springs from T-Sportline. 1" front and 1.2" rear.

I assume you used slip on 5mm spacers, were the stock studs long enough? How many threads do you have left beyond the nut? I saw somewhere in this monster thread something about this but I can’t find it now and wanted to confirm.

 

[clerks]

Just FYI. I have a 2021 Model 3 Performance and the 15mm BLOXSPORT's fit. I tossed their 15mm on the front and 20mm on the rear.
That being said, 15mm on the front was too much. I need to get some hubcentric 5mm spacers for the front. I think 8mm would be perfect, but that's not going to work without pressing in some custom length studs and I don't feel like messing with ti that much.

If

I assume you used slip on 5mm spacers, were the stock studs long enough? How many threads do you have left beyond the nut? I saw somewhere in this monster thread something about this but I can’t find it now and wanted to confirm.

5mm slip ons are fine with the stock studs. Don’t go bigger. I tried 8mm and no dice. Stick with 5 and you’ll be fine. Traverse Ridge Racing makes a set of 5mm with the cut out for the notch. Highly recommend them.

 

[m a x i m u s]

If

5mm slip ons are fine with the stock studs. Don’t go bigger. I tried 8mm and no dice. Stick with 5 and you’ll be fine. Traverse Ridge Racing makes a set of 5mm with the cut out for the notch. Highly recommend them.

Thanks, man. By “notch” do you mean the rotor retaining bolt? I thought that could just be removed, no?

 

[clerks]

Thanks, man. By “notch” do you mean the rotor retaining bolt? I thought that could just be removed, no?

No I meant the special lip cut out over the hub. The performance model has a stepped hub so your spacer needs to be counterbored to accommodate it or it won’t sit flush. Traverse sells them premade and ready to roll.

here is a description:

Due to the unique ridge found at the back of the hub on the Model 3 with the performance upgrade (equipped with red brake calipers), this wheel spacer / hub adapter is required or aftermarket wheels will not seat properly against the rotor housing, causing a very unsafe situation. The spacer was professionally machined by Traverse Ridge Racing to fit perfectly around the larger portion of the hub (or ridge) and essentially eliminates it. When installed, the spacer gets sandwiched between the back of the wheel and the rotor housing, ensuring that your wheels fit tightly and squarely on your car. DO NOT attempt to mount our wheels or any other aftermarket wheels without our spacer, unless the wheels were specifically machined to account for the 3mm ridge on the hub. Other generic spacers on the market will not fit snug and may cause vibration at higher speeds.

 

[CorneliusRox]

Traverse Ridge Racing makes a set of 5mm with the cut out for the notch. Highly recommend them.

I wish you would have posted this yesterday before I bought some generic ones! I ordered up some that are the correct hub diameter, and I have a lather if I really have to cur a special chamfer. I just hate wasting the time!

It sounds like the M3P has the rotor set back 3mm to make room for the larger brakes and there's a shoulder because of it. Looks like I'm chopping 3mm off my spacers...

 

[clerks]

I wish you would have posted this yesterday before I bought some generic ones! I ordered up some that are the correct hub diameter, and I have a lather if I really have to cur a special chamfer. I just hate wasting the time!

It sounds like the M3P has the rotor set back 3mm to make room for the larger brakes and there's a shoulder because of it. Looks like I'm chopping 3mm off my spacers...

It will be a whole lot cheaper to just buy from Traverse with the notch.

 

[m a x i m u s]

No I meant the special lip cut out over the hub. The performance model has a stepped hub so your spacer needs to be counterbored to accommodate it or it won’t sit flush. Traverse sells them premade and ready to roll.

here is a description:

Due to the unique ridge found at the back of the hub on the Model 3 with the performance upgrade (equipped with red brake calipers), this wheel spacer / hub adapter is required or aftermarket wheels will not seat properly against the rotor housing, causing a very unsafe situation. The spacer was professionally machined by Traverse Ridge Racing to fit perfectly around the larger portion of the hub (or ridge) and essentially eliminates it. When installed, the spacer gets sandwiched between the back of the wheel and the rotor housing, ensuring that your wheels fit tightly and squarely on your car. DO NOT attempt to mount our wheels or any other aftermarket wheels without our spacer, unless the wheels were specifically machined to account for the 3mm ridge on the hub. Other generic spacers on the market will not fit snug and may cause vibration at higher speeds.

Interesting. I wonder if brands such as Blox and H&R take this into account for the Performance hub? I ordered 18mm for the rear…

 

[Ren.OG]

I wish you would have posted this yesterday before I bought some generic ones

These were posted earlier in the thread:
Model Plus 5mm spacers
I installed these on my M3P a couple days ago and they are hub-centric. They even have proper orientation so you can't mess it up.

Its always best to read every page of these informative threads. People have been at this for years now.

 

[m a x i m u s]

So just curious, is this "notch" that's cut out an actual stepped notch, or is the center bore hole on the spacer just larger to clear the step? I checked various pics at TRR and M+ and I can't tell.

 

[Ren.OG]

or is the center bore hole on the spacer just larger to clear the step?

Its larger.
Make sure bored side faces out.
There's about 2mm of flat to catch the hub.

 

[m a x i m u s]

Its larger.
Make sure bored side faces out.
There's about 2mm of flat to catch the hub.

View attachment 691573

Thanks for the pic. Looking at that, I would think as long as the hole on the spacer is large enough for the entire hub+stepped lip to pass through it should be fine, no? The wheel would sit on the existing hub, and the wheel will be torqued down and sandwich the spacer between wheel and rotor. Or am I missing something?

 

[CorneliusRox]

It will be a whole lot cheaper to just buy from Traverse with the notch.

Lathe* Not sure why my phone said "Lather". Sounds like Mike Tyson trying to say "Laser." It'll be free. Like 5min of setup time with a dial indicator and I'll remove a little material.

These were posted earlier in the thread:
Model Plus 5mm spacers
I installed these on my M3P a couple days ago and they are hub-centric. They even have proper orientation so you can't mess it up.

Its always best to read every page of these informative threads. People have been at this for years now.

I was half kidding when I said I wish he would have said it yesterday. It's no big deal. If these $22 spacers don't work at all, looks like I eat $22! But I'm sure I can make them fit
18 pages is too much to read for just wheel spacers anyways! I was just looking for peoples pictures because I was too lazy to go swap stuff on my car.

EDIT: I do like Danny though. I suppose I should have started there!