The reason why suspension geometry is compromised with a shorter lower control arm is the steepness of the roll center height migration and camber gain curves. There are also aftermarket axles available in different lengths and strengths. They are quite expensive compared to previously mentioned options and should be done if actual strength of the axles is surpassed or higher misalignment is required.
The GKtech axle spacers were developed to negate the problems of blown axles on low cars with extended suspension arms. Thicknesses of 5, 10 and 15mm were chosen to be produced based on test fittings. It is very important to choose correct thickness for the application as if the spacer is too thick, the axle will also bind and not allow the wheel to droop and stay hanging in the air, causing wear on the plastic caps inside the axle housings.
A simple way to find correct spacer thickness is to unbolt the final drive flange from the axle housing and pushing the axle in as far as possible at static ride height and dividing maximum distance between the flanges by two and selecting the closest suitable spacer.
Nissan half shaft lengths are not equal and if a-symmetric wheel alignment is used then it might be required to install different thickness spacers on either side of the rear differential housing. The axle housing spacing design allows for installing the spacer without changing the OEM mounting hardware that was the main issue as custom bolts would have driven the cost of the product too high for the end user. The spacer is held in place by the shaft of the axle and to ensure noise and vibration free operation the spacer is placed between the bases of the wheel bearing and axle housing, axial play is removed by the collar that slips into the wheel bearing.
They were designed in CAD based on measurements done on the OEM components, which were also modeled for more convenient work flow. The edges of the outside diameter has reduced diameter on the sides to help removal during servicing.
The thicknesses are 5, 10 and 15mm as this provides enough spacing for most applications. Strength of the spline connection between the bearing hub and axle housing is compromised by a minimal amount and it is much more likely to break the axle housings due to the torque output of the engine. The new spacers are made from lightweight aluminium.
The 15mm is heaviest at g, followed by 10mm at g and 5mm being lightest at 54g, putting minimal effect on unsprung mass and rotational inertia. S-chassis version of the axle hub spacers did not work with GT-R model axles and specific versions were designed. The GT-R has a 3mm larger diameter splined shaft and very different housing all together. Rapid prototyping allowed locking the design down for first series of prototypes to be machined. The machined part was produced from bar stock T6 aluminium and hard anodized for wear resistances and commercial appeal.
The product was then test fitted and track tested to confirm that it performs as expected without failure.
In conclusion the axle spacer has evolved into a fully functional product with zero faults and minimal draw backs. The only drawback of the axle spacer is the reduced spline contact area, but thus far there have been no damaged axle or wheel hub splines on cars where OEM axles are still durable enough. They are relatively easy to install, depending on how seized the axle nut may be.
The simplest method for installing them is the removal of the axle from the differential carrier flange and then removing it from the car, slipping on the spacer and repeating the reverse order of disassembly. Applying copper grease on the mounting surfaces is suggested to make removal easier as it avoids sticking between steel and aluminium.
All in all this a very cost effective method of improving drivetrain reliability on lowered cars with extended arms for corrected suspension geometry. Cars with drop knuckles tend to have even longer arms for more performance and they definitely benefit from axle spacers if OEM axles are used.
Exact matches only. Search in title. The problem with this type of axle length compensation is that the added ground clearance that was achieved through the installation of the suspension lift kit is negated by lowering the front differential. A common compensation method for most owners of a lifted four-wheel drive truck is through the use of axle spacers.
Once the suspension is lifted, the axle becomes too short to reach the differential on the front drive train, the installation of axle spacers closes the gap and allows the axles to be reconnected to the differential. The axle spacers are commonly machined from steel or a strong alloy that allow the axles to retain all of the factory strength designed into the suspension system.
Longer mounting bolts are sold with the axle spacers to solve any mounting problems created by the addition of the thick spacer. It is common for some extremely radical suspension lift kits to use both a dropped differential as well as axle spacers to accommodate the lift. Some four-wheel, independently-suspended vehicles use axle spacers in all differential connections to allow both the front and rear axles to be retained.
This saves on the added cost of including longer axles with the lift kit. These kits are, however, found on a limited basis. The front suspension spacers are a much more common addition to lifted suspensions used on pick-up trucks.
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