Complete Guide about Wheel Spacers

Wheel spacers can be an easy and affordable solution to give your car a more aggressive stance or improve handling. They are thin adapters placed between the wheel hub and the wheel, pushing the wheel outwards. It widens the track width of your car, giving it a wider stance and improving handling. In this guide, we’ll look and everything you need to know about them. Go with KSP wheel spacers here.

What are Wheel Spacers? 

Wheel spacers increase the distance between the wheel’s hub and the rim. It increases the offset of the revolution, making it sit further out from the car’s body. It gives the car a wider stance and improves the vehicle’s handling.

Why use Wheel Spacers?

There are a few reasons why you should use wheel spacers:

1. If you’ve installed new wheels and tires that don’t quite fit flush with the body of your car, wheel spacers can be used to correct this issue.
2. Wheel spacers can achieve this if you want to give your vehicle a more aggressive stance.
3. If you improve handling, wheel spacers can help by widening the track width of the car, which can improve stability and reduce body roll.

Types of Wheel Spacers

There are two main types of wheel spacers: hub-centric and lug-centric. Hub-centric wheel spacers are designed to fit snugly onto the hub of the wheel, which helps to center the wheel more accurately. On the other hand, lug-centric wheel spacers are centered by the lug nuts that hold the wheel in place.

Choosing the Right Size Choosing the right size of wheel spacers is important to ensure that they fit your car properly. You’ll need to measure the distance between the wheel hub and the inside of the wheel. This will give you the thickness of the wheel spacer that you need to fit. It’s important to note that you should never use wheel spacers thicker than your car’s studs.

How to install wheel spacers

Installing wheel spacers is a relatively simple process that can be completed in a few easy steps. Here is a general guide to help you install wheel spacers:

1. Choose the right size wheel spacer for your vehicle. Measure the hub and wheel bore diameter to ensure that you select the correct size.
2. Remove the wheel from the vehicle. Loosen the lug nuts but do not remove them completely.
3. Clean the hub and rotor or drum surface where the spacer will be installed.
4. Install the wheel spacer over the hub and onto the wheel studs. Make sure the spacer is fully seated on the hub.
5. Install the lug nuts onto the studs and tighten them by hand. Do not use a power tool for this step.
6. Use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to the manufacturer’s recommended torque specification. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern to ensure an even drawing.
7. Reinstall the wheel onto the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts to the manufacturer’s recommended torque specification.
8. Repeat steps 2-7 if you want to install the spacers.
9. After driving the vehicle for a short distance, recheck the lug nuts’ torque to ensure they have not come loose.

Note: If you need more confidence in your ability to install wheel spacers, it is recommended that you have a professional mechanic or tire technician install them for you.

The drawback of spacers of wheels

While wheel spacers can provide certain benefits, such as improved handling and aesthetics, they also have potential drawbacks. Here are some of the most common disadvantages of using them:

1. Increased stress on suspension components: They increase the distance between the wheel and the hub, which can cause additional pressure on the suspension components. This can lead to premature wear and tear on these parts.
2. Increased stress on wheel bearings: They also increase the leverage on the wheel bearings, which can cause them to wear out faster than they would otherwise.
3. Changes in steering response: They can alter the vehicle’s steering response by changing the scrub radius (the distance between the tire’s contact patch and the steering axis). This can lead to changes in the vehicle’s handling characteristics.
4. Potential for wheel detachment: If they are not installed correctly or of sufficient quality, they can cause the wheel to detach from the vehicle while driving.
5. Potential for damage to wheels and tires: Using them can also cause damage to the wheels and tires due to the increased stress placed on them. It can lead to premature wear and tear or even failure of these components.

While wheel spacers can provide certain benefits, they should be used cautiously and only with the proper knowledge and installation techniques to avoid these potential drawbacks.

Can Spacers Cause Vibration

Yes, wheel spacers can cause vibration in some cases. There are a few reasons why this might occur:

1. Improper installation: If the them stay not installed correctly, they can cause vibrations. For example, if the spacer is not seated properly on the hub, this can cause the wheel to wobble, which can result in vibrations.
2. Unbalanced wheels and tires: If the wheels and tires stay not balanced properly, this can also cause vibrations. They can make it more difficult to balance the wheels and tires, especially if they are of different sizes or if the vehicle has a staggered wheel setup.
3. Incompatible with the vehicle: In some cases, certain them may not be compatible with the vehicle’s suspension or wheel setup, which can cause vibrations.
4. Worn suspension components: They can increase the stress on the suspension components, which can cause them to wear out faster than they would otherwise. If these components stay worn, this can also cause vibrations.

If you are experiencing vibrations after installing them, it is important to identify the root cause of the issue and address it before continuing to drive the vehicle. This may require the assistance of a professional mechanic or tire technician.

Conclusion

In conclusion, wheel spacers can be an easy and affordable way to improve the handling and appearance of your car. However, choosing the right wheel spacer size and type is important to ensure they are installed properly. If you need clarification on installing spacers of wheels yourself, it’s best to seek the help of a professional mechanic to ensure that the job is done correctly.