Custom aluminum wheel spacers?

[Tekime]

Anyone know of a good place to get simple wheel spacers turned for a reasonable price? Might just hit up a local shop, but also would love a source to upload CAD and get single runs made that didn't have some enormous base fee. Does such a thing exist?

Side note: how do you feel about washers as gap spacers? Aside from looking somewhat unprofessional, if the fit is perfect what issues would you have? I've found quite a few people through my Internet research that have run washers for extended times with no issues.

Basically the rear spacers for the Talon hub on my CR85 rear big wheel are the wrong size. I cut the right spacer down and found two washers for the left side to extend the other spacer. Fit is now perfect but ideally I'd like some proper spacers made up. I have an inquiry out to Talon but they are UK based and don't list spacers individually.

[MUZ720]

Any local machine shop should be able to make spacers for you without to much hassle. Just supply the correct measurements, had a shop make mine in central mass. For short money after all it's just a aluminum tube. Took him about five/ten minutes at the end of his day. Washers work as well but as you said dont look as nice. Found some nice small spacers on ebay as well. Good luck.

[typeone]

go for stainless if you get a custom set turned, won't be cheap but they'll last forever ... if you end up going aluminum, have them Type III hard-coat anodized. untreated or light-coat anodized aluminum spacers will wear quickly allowing water + silt to get in mucking up your bearings and axle. i'm going through this right now with the RR, everything was new mid season. junk now. the seals cut into the aluminum spacers in no time flat.

if it were me, i would acquire the correct spacers without the need for washers. you've done too nice of a job to wedge those in the mix.

i'll see if i can find a reference i heard about recently but like MUZ720 said, any local machine shop should be able to bust those out easily with the correct measurements.

[Kurlon]

Contact Dubya USA, they're the US importer for Talon and should be able to get you sorted.

[Tekime]

Great, I'll hit up Dubya as well.

If all else fails I'll prob take your advice typeone and go for SS at a nearby shop if it isn't ridiculous money. The OEM and Talon spacers are hardened steel so they have probably thought this through and know aluminum doesn't cut it. Still surprised those spacers didn't last a season, wow! The seals were actually wearing away the aluminum, or was there wear on the inner surface from the axle contributing to it as well?

Edit: actually, weirdly enough when I look at the newer Talon pro billet and Evo hubs, they have aluminum spacers. But the kit for my particular bike shows SS spacers.

[Kurlon]

Most of my wheel spacers are aluminum, and it usually is seal wear that shows up first on them. For some of my bikes, the solution is ditch the seals. The aluminum ones last long 'enough' that I think most people prefer them for the slight weight savings, especially on already light machines like MX bikes. Almost every part in that application is already considered a wear item so adding spacers to that list isn't a big deal.

[Tekime]

Makes sense. Don't know if I'm ready to ditch my seals

If they were a readily available part or inexpensive enough to buy spares I'd be fine with aluminum and saving a few grams. I guess I don't have a strong preference either way apart from ditching those washers.

Just spoke with Dubya and they are doing some investigative work. I guess Talon changed their hub design so the new style spacers require swapping out the collar or something...

TBD

[Kurlon]

Hah, that solution is reserved for my road race wheels, dries only. All my other wheels I retain the seals.

[Paul_E_D]

Oddly enough, my CRF150 custom is rear wheel/sprocket spacer hell.

[typeone]

The OEM and Talon spacers are hardened steel so they have probably thought this through and know aluminum doesn't cut it.

right, there are a handful of kits that use an aluminum body and steel collar to help combat rapid wear in wet/muddy conditions.

Still surprised those spacers didn't last a season, wow! The seals were actually wearing away the aluminum, or was there wear on the inner surface from the axle contributing to it as well?

spacers didn't even last 5mo. granted, we had a very wet and muddy season, but all parts, except for the axle, were brand new and installed together. the seals dug right through the decorative anodizing and into the spacer so only the outer edge.

these spacers weren't OEM, those lasted a long time, but the full-coverage spacers that have a tight tolerance to the hub. as i suspected, they just held silty shit water inside making the wear happen faster. do not recommend ... but they were an experiment so, whatevs

i'm now moving to SKF spacers (hard ano) and their wheel seal kit that rotates with the hub ... i've also purchased new OEM axles front and rear ... reminds me, need to update my winter maint thread

[nhbubba]

+1 to dubya. A while back I bought a set of wheels for my WR without doing enough homework. They were labeled WR but it turns out they were set up for a YZ which had a different axle size and spacing for that year. I thought I was borked and was sweating getting measurements and having someone turn me some stuff. Once I got in touch with someone at Dubya they had a kit on its way for downright reasonable money. All is perfect. Honestly better than the stock Yamaha parts for the stock wheels.

I only know enough about calipers to be a danger to myself. I was convinced I was going to end up taking shitty measurements and having paperweights turned.

[Tekime]

Never heard of those SKF seals before, please share results. Seals just rubbing away on a rotating shaft has always... rubbed me the wrong way. I'd like to know what pressure they were running in that spray test!

Cole @ Dubya was very willing to help and followed up with notes in a few hours. Sent them the additional pics they requested, and this dicey sketch they didn't request. Started measuring it out in anticipation of having one made.

I also don't trust myself with the calipers much, I just measure repeatedly.. luckily just spacers I can probably deal with 1/10mm error margin.

[jasnmar]

I was convinced I was going to end up taking shitty measurements and having paperweights turned.

You should ping me next time you need a set of paper weights turned.
I mean, I'm not a qualified Machinists, but I'm very expensive. :-)

[Tekime]

Dubya hooked it up - I needed to get a new center axle tube for the "new style" spacers. Ran about $50 but this wheel should be set up properly for good now.

Took a few days to work out - apparently they are currently setting up 22 sets of wheels for KTM for some quads.. something fun was brewing over there.