Wheel spacers are a great way to modify your car, whether for aesthetic or performance reasons. They’re commonly used for aesthetic reasons, to make wheels fit the car better, and create a more comprehensive look.
Even though they’re easily made and widely used, wheel spacers are still thought of as unnecessary modifications that alter the handling in a negative way. This is actually far from the truth. Just by widening the track of a car, its center of gravity is lowered, making it perform better in tight corners.
In this article, we’ll talk about wheel spacers, what they do, which materials are the best wheel spacers made of, and lastly, whether they’re safe to use or not. Let’s jump right into it.
What Are Wheel Spacers and What Are They Used For?
Wheel spacers are aftermarket components used to create a wider stance of a vehicle. Although they’re simple parts, they’re most commonly made from aluminum. Mounting wheel spacers is very simple and is an ideal upgrade for enthusiasts who like working on their own cars.
There are two primary uses for wheel spacers. The first, and most common use for wheel spacers is for better appearance. Many vehicle models have wheels tucked under the chassis which, you’ll admit, doesn’t look very appealing. Also, replacing wheels with aftermarket ones can lead to this effect, which is why wheel spacers are the ideal solution to provide the stance you’ve been looking for.
The second reason for using wheel spacers is driving stability. By widening the car’s track, handling is greatly improved because the car’s center of gravity is lowered. For performance-oriented drivers, wheel spacers are among the first modifications on any car.
Types of Wheel Spacers
There are two main types of wheel spacers – hub-centric and lug-centric. These two types of spacers have two options when it comes to mounting – bolt-on and slip-on.
The difference between hub-centric and lug-centric spacers is the way they’re positioned. Hub-centric spacers use the central flange for centering, while lug-centric spacers use the lugs to center the spacer.
When it comes to mounting, two options are available. Bolt-on spacers are bolted directly to the hub while the wheels are bolted to the spacer. Bolt-on spacers are the easiest way of mounting wheel spacers because you don’t have to worry about fitting longer wheel studs or bolts. It takes a little bit longer because you need to tighten twice as many bolts per corner compared to slip-on spacers.
There’s another important difference in wheel spacers, and that’s the material they’re made of. Because wheel spacers connect the wheel to the hub directly or indirectly, it’s of the utmost importance to choose spacers made from forged aluminum.
Pros & Cons of Fitting Wheel Spacers
Wheel spacers are amongst the most controversial modifications on any car, so to be sure whether they’re safe or not, you should know what are the pros and cons of fitting wheel spacers to your car.
The benefits of using wheel spacers include better grip and traction without many other modifications, proper aftermarket wheel, and tire fitment, and a better aesthetic of the vehicle overall.
Better grip and traction are provided by a wider stance and because the center of gravity is lower when the wheels are wider apart. Many enthusiasts, but also racing teams use spacers because of the improved traction.
The wheel fitment and better aesthetics don’t have anything to do with performance, but for enthusiasts, it’s an extremely important factor. Aftermarket wheels come in various shapes, sizes, and offsets, and in some cases, it’s required to fit the wheels with spacers for the car to look better.
There are also a few negative aspects to having wheel spacers on your car. The first, and most common thing wheels spacers cause is vibration. High-quality, precision-made, and properly fitted wheel spacers shouldn’t cause vibration, but because there are cheaper options on the market, vibrations are a common problem in cars with no-name spacers fitted.
Another reason why some people avoid using wheel spacers on their cars is that some suspension components wear out faster. This happens because the wheels are no longer centered compared to the suspension, and there’s a larger force pushing the suspension components. Even driving your car with aftermarket wheels that aren’t the same size and offset as stock can cause faster wear and tear.
Lastly, adding spacers can cause clearance issues, namely, the tires can brush against the fenders under load, damaging both the tire and the car body.
Are Wheel Spacers Safe For Driving?
Taking into consideration all the aspects of wheel spacers, it’s clear that they’re a safe modification to do on almost any car. The one thing that you need to do is install them correctly. Unless you do, you are risking a lot, especially if you like to drive your car to its limits.
Just like fitting wheels directly to the hub, fitting wheels over spacers requires long enough lug studs to attach them safely. Around 7-8 full rotations are required. In some cases, stock lug studs need to be replaced with extended ones in case wider spacers are used. Even in this case, you need to make sure that the wheels have a snug fit, so in case the studs are longer than needed, you can grind them down to a proper length.
Comparing the two types of spacers available, the safest choice you can make is hub-centric bolt-on spacers. Although the performance advancement likely won’t be obvious during regular daily driving, it will be felt on bendy roads, and at higher speeds. For regular passenger cars such as hatchbacks and limousines, spacers up to 25 millimeters are the most common. Wider spacers are usually used on heavy-duty SUVs and 4×4 vehicles.
To conclude, wheel spacers are safe, however, they’re not parts you can just mount to your car without considering the quality, lug stud length, and offset. When you choose high-quality spacers that are just the right size, your car will not only look better but it will drive better than stock.