For anyone who is looking to customize their vehicle, there are several things you can do. Of course, you can begin with getting it repainted or by adding a few decals.
You can also change the interior and put in a much better audio system.
But there is one change you can make that could really alter the look of a vehicle – installing much larger tires. In order to do this, you’ll need to invest in high-quality wheel spacers.
Not only will fitting aluminum wheel spacers give your vehicle a unique look, they can also help to improve the car’s ride and performance.
With so many different brands of wheel spacers now available, which ones should you choose?
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best wheel spacers brands you can buy now. Before we do, let us explain a little more about the different kinds available and the benefits of fitting such equipment to your vehicle to make it look unique.
Types of Spacers you can get for your Vehicle’s Wheels
When it comes to this equipment, there are two types you can use.
Type 1 – Bolt-On
With a bolt-on spacer, you fasten the studs on your car’s wheels and bolt them directly onto the wheel hub.
If you intend to use this type of wheel spacer, before you make your purchase, you must make sure that they are compatible with the wheels on your vehicle. They must also be compatible with the pattern of the wheel’s lug nut.
Type 2 – Slip-On
These simply slide on the wheel studs and provide sufficient room to fit the wheel back on.
You need to be careful as you may find that there is not enough room for you to fit the wheels back on. You need to look closely at the size of the wheels on your car or truck before you purchase these.
In turn, if there isn’t enough room for the factory wheels to go back on, then there will not be enough space for you to fasten the lug nuts securely.
You may find you need to buy some extended studs that the spacers will then be able to slip onto. This will help make sure when you put the wheels back on, they remain in place securely.
Benefits of Wheel Spacers
As we’ve already discussed, many people who wish to change their car and give it a unique look, will opt to use spacers to fit wider or larger tires onto their vehicle without any clearance issues.
Looks aside, what are some of the benefits of wheel spacers?
Help to Improve Vehicle Handling
You will find that using spacers will help with your car’s turning capabilities. As a result, you’ll find that your car or truck corners are far better.
The addition of this extra space allows the wheels to maneuver more easily. As the wheels themselves are further apart, it helps to ensure that the weight of the car or truck is distributed more equally between them.
Enhances The Car’s Looks
If you use high-quality spacers on your vehicle, with the right wheel bolt pattern, it will alter the look of your vehicle. Even adding a small amount of additional space between the wheel hub and rim can make a big difference.
It will lead to the wheels sticking out an extra few inches past the edge of the fenders, while providing better tire clearance.
The whole idea of this design is to give any vehicle a more fierce and sporty look.
Allows you to Put on Wider or Larger Tires
Fitting larger or wider tires onto a vehicle provides you with not only a great way to change its look, but also will help improve the vehicle’s speed, control, and handling. This, in turn, will provide you with a more enjoyable driving experience.
You will find that most custom wheels aren’t suitable for fitting onto a standard car. But the installation of wheel spacers will allow you to install larger wheels and tires without the risk of them rubbing against the axle, frame, or any other part of your car.
Why are Wheel Spacers Vital?
The right kind of space for wheels is vital, as they help ensure that the tires fit correctly inside the wheel wells (the way the manufacturer intended). Especially when you choose to fit the same wheels your truck or car used.
If you aren’t careful and fit larger tires onto your vehicle without using a spacer, they can rub against the car’s shocks, brake calipers, or fenders.
This can increase the risk of damage to your vehicle, while also increasing the chances of you being involved in an accident, considering you have much less control of your vehicle.
As mentioned above, they are a crucial component in relation to how a vehicle looks. If the wheels sit too far inside the wheel arches, they will make them look smaller than they are.
If the wheels are pushed out just a little from the arches, it can help make your car or truck look a little more muscular. The great thing is that you can make the tires on your vehicle look wider without needing to actually fit wider ones.
Advice on Buying Wheel Spacers
When it comes to buying performance upgrades for your vehicle, there are certain things you need to consider. Below we take a look at what these are, to ensure you buy the right kind of wheel spacers for your vehicle.
What is your Vehicle’s Bolt Pattern?
This is essential to consider if you want to fit spacers to your vehicle’s wheels. Referred to as PCD, you need to look at the number of fasteners required to attach the wheels to the hubs. You also need to look at how far in millimeters they are from the furthest point of the circle.
However, you don’t need to measure this as there are only a few different bolt patterns to choose from. You simply need to look through the owner’s manual for your vehicle to find out what type of bolt pattern the vehicle has.
If you were to try and fit spacers on a 5 x 112 bolt pattern, and the ones you have chosen are for a 5 x 114.3 bolt pattern, they will not fit.
As you will discover, numerous sized hub-centric wheel spacers are available. You must select a set that isn’t only compatible with your vehicle, but also with the new set of tires you will be fitting.
When buying wheel spacers, look for ones with pressed-in studs and a set of lug bolts or nuts. This way, you won’t need to spend time or money purchasing more hardware once the wheel spacers have been delivered.
Also, it is best to opt for spacers made from high-grade T6 aluminum material – as they have better corrosion resistance and weigh less.
Even though these components are very hard-wearing, it is worth purchasing sets of spacers with a good warranty. You never know when something may happen because of faulty spacers you fitted.
How to Install Wheel Spacers
Before you begin, you need to make sure that you follow any special steps. This may include having to use a special thread locking compound, which helps prevent the lug nuts from coming loose over time, after fitting the wheel spacers.
In most cases, fitting such components requires you to lift each wheel off the ground using a jack. Then, you simply remove each wheel and then put on the spacer.
Once you’ve added the spacer, you simply put the wheel back on, while making sure that you tighten the nuts onto the spacers properly using the correct torque. To find the proper torque, refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
After putting the wheel on with the new studs, you torque it into place.
It is crucial that after fitting such components, you check the wheel torque. It is best to do this after you’ve driven the vehicle for around 60 miles or when you need to take off the wheels.
Which is the Best Wheel Spacer Brand?
There are plenty of great brands of wheel spacers you can buy today.
The best brand for you depends on how you intend to use them and the kind of vehicle you have.
Below we take a brief look at some brands that make the best wheel spacers you can buy.
Supreme Suspension Hub Centric
These are made from high-grade corrosion-resistant T6 aluminum for durability. You can purchase spacers with 1 or 2 inches of space between the hubs and wheels.
This spacer is ideal for use on the Dodge Ram 1500, as they fit on the wheel hubs exactly.
RockTrix 8 Rugged Ridge Black Anodised Wheel Spacers
This particular set of wheel spacers is made using a system known as CNC (Computer Numerical Control). A computer-controlled machine is used to cut these aluminium spacers to the last millimeter precisely, so proper installation can occur.
Each spacer is put through an anodizing process to prevent them from rusting, so you will fit a component that lasts for years.
The most significant advantage to using these spacers is that they fit almost any vehicle with 5-inch wheel hubs without any issue.
ECCPP Wheel Spacers
These have a five-lug fitment and are very flexible and suitable for use on certain Jeeps built between 2006 and 2012 – such as the Comanche, Wrangler, Cherokee, and Liberty. You will find that they fit on a Jeep Grand Cherokee made between 1993 and 1998.
These 2-inch thick aluminium spacers, with their anodized surface, aren’t only resistant to corrosion but are suitable for use on heavy-duty trucks and SUVs like those mentioned above.
Spidertrax S2PWHS010 Wheel Spacer Kit
Like all the other spacers we’ve discussed, these are made from T6 aluminium, which isn’t only resistant to corrosion but also very rugged and reliable.
The 1.5-inch design ensures that the new tires you fit on your vehicle have the correct tire clearance from the hubs and fenders.
They help keep the wheels you fit onto your vehicle at a distance of 1.5 inches from its hubs.
Just like the Rocktrix spacers, these are made using a computer program, so these will be cut precisely to the exact millimeter.
So, Which is the Best Wheel Spacers Brand?
We hope this guide proves helpful when deciding which kind of wheel spacers to buy for your car or truck. The best wheel spacers brand will depend on the type of vehicle you have.
Just make sure that you do check your vehicle’s compatibility in relation to the ones you are thinking of buying. Even though some brands say that their spacers are compatible with a wide range of vehicle makes and models, this may not always be the case.
The spacers we have mentioned are still worth considering, but again check with your owner’s manual to ensure that you choose a set with the correct bolt pattern of your vehicle.
When buying such components to change the look of your car and improve its handling, go for the most durable ones. If you are going to be using spacers on a vehicle that you intend to take off-road, choose a set that is going to last more than 500 miles before they need to be replaced.
Look for brands that offer a warranty on their components, as sometimes they can break. In most cases, you’ll find that brands selling high-quality wheel spacers provide a two or three-year warranty. You may even be lucky to find some that offer a warranty of up to five years.
We hope that you find this article helpful, and would love to know if it helped you when buying a set of wheel spacers for your car or truck.
