# Spacers for TTS?



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Hi,

I have a TTS with mag ride, on OEM springs, with the 19" Le Mans, 255 tyres.

Can anyone suggest spacer sizes? I was thinking 12mm? I don't want rub.

Thanks, Jack.


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Check the gap you have between tyre & arch now & get suitable spacers for that gap.
Hoggy.


----------



## qooqiiu (Oct 12, 2007)

With 52 off set wheels. And 245 tyres. You'll *probably* be ok with 12mm spacers.

I run 8mm all round with 255 section tyres and only under hard cornering is there occasional rub n the rear. But there was always rub in the rear even with no spacers when cornering hard. I would defiantly get your wheel balanced with the spacers on the wheels and mark them so the holes line up so if they're ever taken off then you can put them back on exactly as they were balanced. It does make a difference.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Do these look correct?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H-R-10mm-Hub ... 1438.l2649


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

JFidddy said:


> Do these look correct?
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H-R-10mm-Hub ... 1438.l2649


Hi, Mtec are better & much cheaper than those. These are 15mm but have a look for 10mm as I'm off out now.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-TT-Mk1- ... 468dc36451

Hoggy.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Hoggy said:


> JFidddy said:
> 
> 
> > Do these look correct?
> ...


Thanks.

I just picked H&R because I knew the name, and there are tons of cheaper ones on eBay that don't give me much confidence, but if you recommend these.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

I notice some people run slightly bigger at the rear, do the rears sit in a little further or is it just because those wheels don't turn so no risk of rub and adds a tiny bit more stance?


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Not sure about the MK2 but the MK1 is narrower at the rear.
Yes there is less clearance at front because of the steering.
Hoggy.


----------



## qooqiiu (Oct 12, 2007)

Visually the rears do look more inboard than the fronts so a bigger spacer in the rear would even things up.

Google TT mk2 rear bumper tab trimming.

With a Wider track on the rear the car will be more likely to understeer and on a understeery car to begin with that's not ideal. If however you're only going for looks then go for it.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Probably just stick to 10mm all round then, seeing as I'm also looking at WALK and alignment.


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

JFidddy said:


> Probably just stick to 10mm all round then, seeing as I'm also looking at WALK and alignment.


Hi, I'm surprised no MK2 owners have replied with spacer size they have fitted, as many have fitted them.
Have you measured the gap you have at present?
Hoggy.


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

I run 10mm spacers on the rear of my TTS when I have summer tires on (Audi OEM wheels ET52). Slight rub on hard bumps.

I think 8mm would be perfect to eliminate rubbing, but 10mm seems to be the minimum spacer size that allows for a concentric centering ring to be built into the spacer (without it there is a chance your spacer mounts slightly off-center causing tire balance issues)


----------



## qooqiiu (Oct 12, 2007)

H&R which I have are the only firm to my knowledge to make a 8mm hubcentric spacer. Most others as said start from 10mm.


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

JFidddy said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a TTS with mag ride, on OEM springs, with the 19" Le Mans, 245 tyres.
> 
> ...


I'm guessing you're not lowered, just standard TTS height? I have the same width tyres on 19" RS Rotors and lowered more than you. I can confirm that 15mm on the back and 12mm on the front are working well for me. There's very occasional rubbing on full lock when I'm rolling off my driveway into a dip in the road. This is manageable so doesn't affect everyday driving. I have another set of 15mm spacers to replace the front ones so that I can have 15mm all around. All my spacers are H&R and I only every fit H&R ones, and sometimes Eibach ones too. These are about the best out there and are proper magnesium alloy, both strong and light. Other's manufacture spacers from aluminium billet which I've found to be terrible and the spigot ring often splits, deforms or buckles. The cheapest ones are steel and these just add unnecessary weight. H&R ones may cost 3 times the price, but it's not worth skimping in my view. Used H&R ones would be preferable to cheap ones off ebay or something.

Also, every car seems to be different and you may want to experiment by trial and error. I knew someone for example selling a 2013 TTS lowered -30mm on Vogtland springs with 20mm spacers and 255 tyres. He told me he got no rubbing on full lock but the rear tab in his rear arch had been bent up, and the only time he got a bit of a rub is when he went down and back up a steep hill; but then with the mag ride on he didn't.


----------



## DPM (Mar 2, 2006)

As above, H&R will be the only brand with 8mm available in a hub centric fitment.

Damian @ DPM Performance


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

DPM said:


> As above, H&R will be the only brand with 8mm available in a hub centric fitment.
> 
> Damian @ DPM Performance


yes, but those 8mm ones are problematic because there's not much clearance for the hub spigot. H&R mention this in their technical specs - the spigot needs to be less than 11mm or something to be fully covered and allow the spacer to sit flush on the hub face. On my Golf the spacer didn't clear the hub spigot by a couple off mm, not sure about the TT. The 10mm version is a no brainer though and much safer all round.


----------



## DPM (Mar 2, 2006)

efunc said:


> DPM said:
> 
> 
> > As above, H&R will be the only brand with 8mm available in a hub centric fitment.
> ...


Going off H&R's own spec, the 8mm spacers surprisingly have more internal clearance then the 10mm for the hub lip.

Damian @ DPM Performance


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

8mm 1655573 supports a maximum hub clearance of only 12mm
10mm 2055573A supports a maximum hub clearance of 15mm with exactly the same inner bevel angle
10mm 2055571A supports a maximum hub clearance of 15.5mm

with 15mm spacers you can have a hub spigot of up to 17mm.


----------



## DPM (Mar 2, 2006)

Where were those part numbers listed? Going off the catalogue provided by H&R the part numbers are showing slightly different for the TT 8J.

Damian @ DPM Performance


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

They have various for different years and chassis, it can be quite confusing! Which ones have you got? I'll try to read mine off my hubs when I get a chance.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

efunc said:


> JFidddy said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> ...


Do you have any pictures of your car @efunc?


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

Sorry, not really. At least none that would help you that much in terms of stance and lowering. I'll see if I can find some, or I'll just try and take some when I get a chance over the weekend.


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

I'm not sure if you can make out much here to be honest but just grabbed a couple of shots before it got dark and found another couple of older shots too:


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Just to confirm, you've got a TT converted to TTS kit?

The reason I ask is I have a standard TTS on Mag Shocks, so want to confirm that we would definitely have the same ride height before I think about getting 15mm.


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

JFidddy said:


> The reason I ask is I have a standard TTS on Mag Shocks, so want to confirm that we would definitely have the same ride height before I think about getting 15mm.


IMO, Running 15mm would be risky on a stock set-up.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I get slight rubbing if I hit a pothole or hard dip with 10mm (TTS with magride) On a previous set of tires I managed to shave a bit of the tire's sidewall after a nasty bump with magride off. I imagine I would have destroyed the tire if the wheel had stuck out any further.

If I were going do it all again, I'd probably go down to 8mm now that I know someone is making 8mm concentric spacers (not sure these were even available when I bought my 10's)


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

JFidddy said:


> Just to confirm, you've got a TT converted to TTS kit?
> 
> The reason I ask is I have a standard TTS on Mag Shocks, so want to confirm that we would definitely have the same ride height before I think about getting 15mm.


As said, my car is a TT lowered about -25mm, yours is a stock TTS, so approx -10mm. So I'm lower than you. In all other respects they are the same, ie 245 tyre width for slightly more stretch and arch clearance compared to 255.

If you go for either 15 or 12mm spacers I would imagine you'd be fine. I could even give 20mm spacers a shot but the 15mm ones are fine for the look and feel I wanted to achieve. I haven't removed the rear arch/bumper tab which provides additional clearance, but if I had any issues that would be the first thing I would do to give me more room.


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

efunc said:


> snip ---> In all other respects they are the same, ie 245 tyre width for slightly more stretch and arch clearance compared to 255.
> 
> If you go for either 15 or 12mm spacers I would imagine you'd be fine. I could even give 20mm spacers a shot but the 15mm ones are fine for the look and feel I wanted to achieve. I haven't removed the rear arch/bumper tab which provides additional clearance, but if I had any issues that would be the first thing I would do to give me more room.


Ah, missed this the first time. Assumed OP was running OEM spec'ed tires on his TTS.
I'm running 255's so my sidewalls are not stretched and tire diameter is slightly larger to boot. (Qooqiiu also commented on this difference - hats off to both) 
[smiley=toff.gif]


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

I promised I'd go and check what spacers I had fitted and I just did, so now I need to update this thread. I swapped around the spacers so often a few years ago that I wasn't sure what was on anymore! It turns out the current setup I have, as pictured above, are

rear: 

*Eibach Part Number S90-2-12-003
Total Track Widening: 24mm (12mm Each Side)*

front:

*H&R 2055571
Total Track Widening: 20mm (10mm Each Side)*

There are 2 versions of the 2055571. The ones that I have are the Version B ones that work on the TT and clear the hub/spigot chamfer- 
10 mm (version A) : H&R 2055571 (6.5x45 °) 
10 mm (version B) : H&R 2055571 (4x45 °)

I also have the H&R 3055571 15mm ones waiting to go on but forgot to do it last summer! I'll move the 12mm ones to the front and put the 15mm ones on the rear at some point.


----------



## Jsimba (Sep 15, 2018)

I have 15mm spacers on the rear of my TTS, running with a stock magride set up.

As others have said here, there is a bit of a scrape if I go over a speed bump too enthusiastically, but aside from that I haven't had any signs of rubbing whatsoever. Taking the bumps with more caution results in no issues.

Aesthetically though, I think the stance of the car is much better than standard. I guess it depends on a) your driving style, and b) what else you have done with suspension etc.


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

Jsimba said:


> I have 15mm spacers on the rear of my TTS, running with a stock magride set up.


Great. Some pictures of your car stance would be handy too then. Any spacers on the front, or just the rears?


----------



## p1tse (Sep 20, 2004)

why did you choose to run 245 profile tyres when OE spec is 255 35 19?


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

p1tse said:


> why did you choose to run 245 profile tyres when OE spec is 255 35 19?


moderate tyre stretch and more clearance.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

p1tse said:


> why did you choose to run 245 profile tyres when OE spec is 255 35 19?


They were on the car when I bought it. They're OE Dunlops so not budget or anything, not sure why the owner before me went to 245.

Should I go back to 255 when I get the chance? Does it make much difference?


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

Typically 245 is the width used on 18" rims not 19" (i.e. 245/40-R18).

If your sidewall ratio is still 35 and the rim diameter is 19" your tire diameter will be slightly smaller and your odometer will be off a little.

Since this thread is about about spacers. 245's will require at least 5mm more thickness just to make up for what you lost by running a narrower tire. Maybe if you had the correctly sized tires you wouldn't feel the need to add spacers in the first place?


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

Nevermind, I'm a pleb, I actually have 255. 

I still want some spacing though.

I think I'm going to go with 10mm front and rear, seems like it's not pushing it too far. I'd prefer the look of larger rear, but if it's going to affect the handling then then it's not worth it.


----------



## p1tse (Sep 20, 2004)

JFidddy said:


> Nevermind, I'm a pleb, I actually have 255.
> 
> I still want some spacing though.
> 
> I think I'm going to go with 10mm front and rear, seems like it's not pushing it too far. I'd prefer the look of larger rear, but if it's going to affect the handling then then it's not worth it.


Ha ha

How much are spacers going to set you back?

I agree it's nice when it sits more flush but if known that it doesn't scrub


----------



## Lewicfonkey (Apr 22, 2018)

Iv been looking at forge spacers from awesome gti 11mm all corners and it's about 120 does anything else need to be purchased or does everything come ready to stick on?


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Lewicfonkey said:


> Iv been looking at forge spacers from awesome gti 11mm all corners and it's about 120 does anything else need to be purchased or does everything come ready to stick on?


Hi, Are the extended bolts included?
Hoggy.


----------



## Lewicfonkey (Apr 22, 2018)

Hoggy said:


> Lewicfonkey said:
> 
> 
> > Iv been looking at forge spacers from awesome gti 11mm all corners and it's about 120 does anything else need to be purchased or does everything come ready to stick on?
> ...


Wheel bolts are not included... I guess I need them aswell? What's the difference between tapered and radius seat with the bolts


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Lewicfonkey said:


> Hoggy said:
> 
> 
> > Lewicfonkey said:
> ...


Hi, You will need extended bolts, standard is 27mm + the spacer thicknesss.
OEM wheels use Radius bolts & most aftermarket use tapered bolts.
Radius on the left.








Hoggy.


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

Lewicfonkey said:


> Wheel bolts are not included... I guess I need them aswell? What's the difference between tapered and radius seat with the bolts


Taper and radius'd bolts are not interchangeable.

The terms describe the shape of the bolt head. Tapered bolts have straight sides that are cut at an angle. You usually find these used on after market wheels. 
Radius bolt heads are shaped like a semi-circle and typically used on OEM rims ( to confuse things even more, there are 3 different radii sizes - Audi mostly uses R13).

The mating surfaces of your rim and bolt need to match in order to spread-out and apply proper holding force to keep the wheels on the car. Using the wrong bolt can damage your rim and / or lead to wheel separation.

Secondly, bolt length is also critical. Too short and there are not enough threads protruding into the hub to secure the wheel. Too long and the bolt can foul your brakes. 
An OEM TT / TTS rim would be 14mm x 1.5 R13 ball seat 17mm hex (bolt head size). Rule of thumb is you want ~17mm of thread to stick out past the back of the rim. If you added a 10 mm spacer you would add 10 mm to the factory length.

Lastly, don't buy cheap bolts from unknown manufacturers ( i.e through eBay) as you have no idea what tensile strength the bolts are rated for.


----------



## Raffe (Apr 14, 2018)

FNChaos said:


> Typically 245 is the width used on 18" rims not 19" (i.e. 245/40-R18).
> 
> If your sidewall ratio is still 35 and the rim diameter is 19" your tire diameter will be slightly smaller and your odometer will be off a little.
> 
> Since this thread is about about spacers. 245's will require at least 5mm more thickness just to make up for what you lost by running a narrower tire. Maybe if you had the correctly sized tires you wouldn't feel the need to add spacers in the first place?


245/40 R18 - Circumference 653.2mm
245/35 R19 - Circumference 654.1mm (-0.14% variation)
255/35 R19 - Circumference 661.1mm (-1.19% variation)

The 245 on the 19" wheel is the more accurate 19" size to maintain the same rolling circumference as the OEM 18" wheels.


----------



## Lewicfonkey (Apr 22, 2018)




----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Lewicfonkey, 27mm +11mm= 38mm
Hoggy.


----------



## Lewicfonkey (Apr 22, 2018)

Hoggy said:


> Hi Lewicfonkey, 27mm +11mm= 38mm
> Hoggy.


Hahaha my bad! Back to the drawing board! 
Thanks hoggy


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Lewicfonkey said:


> Hoggy said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Lewicfonkey, 27mm +11mm= 38mm
> ...


Hi, Are these 11mm spacers hubcentric?
Hoggy.


----------



## Lewicfonkey (Apr 22, 2018)

Hoggy said:


> Lewicfonkey said:
> 
> 
> > Hoggy said:
> ...


 Yes mate the forge ones off awesomegti are. is that the correct ones?


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hoggy said:


> Hi, Are these 11mm spacers hubcentric? Hoggy.





Lewicfonkey said:


> Yes mate the forge ones off awesomegti are. is that the correct ones?


Hi, Yes, hubcentric are what you need to fit.
Hoggy.


----------



## Billybobbooth (Jul 5, 2017)

I'm semi running spacers but not,
I've fitted a custom big brake kit using parts from a seat tcr racing car, the discs bells are 11mm thicker than stock discs the bell outer edge just about sits level with the outer edge of the stock hubcentric on the bearing, I've then got a custom hubcentric spacer that's 3mm so I'm running 14mm on 19" split 5 spoke stock wheels on 255/35 and have a h&r lowering kit with mag ride and I have no issues all tracked to factory camber.

my biggest i have is with the rear lowered I cant get my rear camber into spec and they sit a a slightly harsher camber but on this they rub but only on the very edge and had to slightly sand the top inner edge of the mounting bracket I have no spacer on rears but will be going to 5mm as I need the extra space to better clear the handbrake cable as I'm running 356mm rear discs


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

So I bought and fitted 10mm H&R spacers front and rear.

I'm happy with the look, they definitely help to fill out the arch better, especially if you don't want to change from the stock mag-ride setup.

I'm surprised how much rub I got on a test drive after though, with just 10mm? Do I need to grind down any bits on the arch liners etc?


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

JFidddy said:


> I'm surprised how much rub I got on a test drive after though, with just 10mm?


Why are you surprised? Others (including myself), told you that you'd likely rub @ 10mm. I suggested not going larger than 8mm.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

FNChaos said:


> JFidddy said:
> 
> 
> > I'm surprised how much rub I got on a test drive after though, with just 10mm?
> ...


Other people were talking about 12s and 15s, so 10s seemed fairly reserved.

I think I'll grind down the rear arch tabs a little and see if that helps.

It's fine if I drive normally, it's just hard cornering that made some noises.


----------



## JFidddy (Jul 9, 2018)

I cut out the rear bumper tabs this weekend, and it's definitely helped.


----------



## Eliasvill (Aug 11, 2020)

Looking for hubcentric 8mm spacers for my TT. Would I need extended bolts aswell?


----------



## efunc (Oct 12, 2008)

Yes. Around 35mm should be fine.


----------



## Knight-tts (Jan 29, 2019)

Eliasvill said:


> Looking for hubcentric 8mm spacers for my TT. Would I need extended bolts aswell?


This is the kit I bought for my TTS ,,, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-8mm-H-R- ... Swq61amT2m


----------



## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

Knight-tts said:


> Eliasvill said:
> 
> 
> > Looking for hubcentric 8mm spacers for my TT. Would I need extended bolts aswell?
> ...


Normally I would advise against buying lug bolts (or any other critical hardware for that matter) off of eBay. Too much counterfeit crap and low-quality / unspec'ed Chinese hardware being sold.

That said, the kit listed looks like a reasonable option. H&R is a good company and Bimecc claims their bolts are made from grade 10.9 steel.

The seller states, _"*Please confirm Audi model as a note on your order. This will ensure correct bolts are sent"_. If you are running OEM wheels you should receive R13 radius bolts, but if you are running aftermarket rims you will need to mention that to the seller as you most likely need tapered bolts instead.


----------

