Wheel spacers are devices that are fixed in between the wheel hub and the wheels of your vehicle. They give your car a better appearance and improve its handling. Installing wheel spacers pushes the wheels outwards and creates more surface area between the wheels and nearby components. In this article, we will discuss what wheel spacers do to your vehicle and how to install wheel spacers in your car.
Table of Contents
What Do Wheel Spacers Do To Your Vehicle?
Let us discuss in detail, why do you need to install wheel spacers in your vehicle and what changes you might experience after installing them.
1. Wheel Spacers Avoid Rubbing Of The Wheels Over The Wheel Hub
Some custom made cars or those having huge tires often face this problem of their tires rubbing over the wheel hub or the suspension components. This is due to an improper offset between the tires and the wheel hub. This could be fixed by installing wheel spacers to your car that increases the clearance between the wheels and the wheel hub and avoid contact between them.
2. The Traction Control Of Your Vehicle Is Increased
Installing the wheel spacers increases the surface area of your vehicle, thus increasing the traction control of your vehicle over the road. This is the reason wheel spacers are often used in race cars. Installing wheel spacers would provide your car with a better grip over the road and avoid slipping especially while turning or on a slippery road.
3. You Can Install Bigger Brake Kits
If you want to upgrade the brake kit of your vehicle, installing wheel spacers would allow you to do it. A normal vehicle has a rim size of 17 mm or less. Wheel spacers would increase the area between the wheel assembly and the wheel and allow you to install a bigger brake kit.
4. Wheel Spacers Will Allow You To Install Your Favorite Set Of Tires
Do you like a set of tires but can’t install them due to improper offset. You can fix this by installing wheel spacers in your car. Wheel spacers are specifically designed to provide your car with the proper offset to match it with the wheels. They push the wheels of your car a bit outwards which would also make your wheels more visible and will avoid rubbing them over the wheel hub.
5. Off-Road Performance Would Be Enhanced
Yes, installing wheel spacers would increase the off-road performance of your car. Off-roading creates a lot of wear and tear between the wheels and the wheel hub assembly. Wheel spacers would reduce this wear and tear by creating more gaps between them to avoid damage to the wheel hub and suspension components.
6. Wheel Spacers Give Your Car A Better Appearance
Apart from providing all the above advantages to your car, wheel spacers would give your car a unique look by pushing the wheels of your car out of the mainframe. The wheels of your car would be in a visually aggressive position, thus enhancing the overall appearance of your car.
How To Install Wheel Spacers?
So, if you have made your decision to install wheel spacers in your car and want to install them by yourself, we will help you with it. Follow the steps below carefully to install wheel spacers in your car.
Step 1: Park your vehicle at a safe spot and jack up your car to lift it. Place a jack stand under the lifted side and repeat this for all sides.
Step 2: Remove the nut lugs using a lug wrench and remove the tires and keep them aside. Spray a good quality degreaser over the studs and wipe it off. Clean the wheel hub if it’s greasy or dirty.
Step 3: Place the wheel spacer over the studs and place the holes into it. See if the wheel spacer perfectly fits into the studs and it’s of proper size.
Step 4: Now it’s time to fix the wheel spacer using lug nuts. Take the wheel and place it against the wheel spacer. Take the lug nuts and fix them in all the holes.
Step 5: Now, tighten each lug nut by 30 Newton meters while the car is still jacked up. Check for any clearance issues by steering the wheel.
Step 6: Repeat all the above steps for all the tires and once the tires are fixed with nuts up to 30 Newton meters, place the car down by removing the jack.
Step 7: Again check for clearance issues by rotating the steering wheel. If, there are no issues, tighten the nuts further up to 120 Newton meters such that they are firmly tight.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed the wheel spacers and now it’s time for a test drive. Take your car for a test drive and check the nut lugs again.
Check out the video below that would help you understand the given steps properly.
Some Things To Know After You Install Wheel Spacers
After you install wheel spacers, you might feel the steering wheel a bit heavier than before. This is due to the widened surface area of your car after installing the wheel spacers. This, in turn, widens the track of your vehicle. But after you get used to it, there won’t be a problem.
Also, you would experience more shocks on a bumpy or an uneven road. This is because the wheel spacers slightly affect the working of the suspension unit due to the increased space between the wheels and the suspension.
Frequently Asked Questions-
So, here are some of the frequently asked questions about our wheel spacers easy to install, when should I check my wheel spacers etc?-
Are Wheel Spacers Easy To Install?
Wheel spacers are easy to install you just have the requirement of a few hand tools to lift your car.
Do I Need To Do Alignment After Installing Spacers?
No, alignment is not needed after installing Spacers.
Do I Need Anti Seize For Spacers?
Yes, you needed anti-seize for spacers to all mating surfaces.
Can You Put Wheel Spacers On The Front Only?
Yes, you can put wheel spacers on the front only as it will not have any disadvantages and an alignment every time you take them off.
When Should I Check My Wheel Spacers?
You should check wheel spacers every 6000 miles.
Do Spacers Ruin Wheel Bearings?
When you install wheel spacers on a car then it will increase the leverage on the wheel bearing. This decreases the life of the wheel bearing as they wear faster, increasing rolling resistance.
How Long Does It Take To Install Spacers?
It can take almost one to two weeks for installing spacers.
What Size Wheel Spacers Do I Need?
The size of wheel spacers should be equal to the thickness of the washers which should be used. Therefore if a spacer larger than 5mm is required then you may need to purchase wheel spacers with log studs.
Is It Safe To Use 2 Inch Wheel Spacers?
Yes, it is safe to use 2-inch Wheel spacers and will not cause any problems,e vibrations.
Final Words-
So, we have discussed in this article what wheel spacers do and how to install wheel spacers correctly in your car. Remember, if you face any problem while installing, get help from a professional.
Also, make sure you buy the proper set of wheel spacers that are made to fit the wheel hub of your car. You might experience some discomfort while driving at first, but once you get used to the change in the wheel pattern, it will make your driving more comfortable and safe.
If you like this article and have any queries, let us know in the comment section below.
Cheers!
