What are wheel spacers and are there any benefits in applying them to your vehicle? If you are new or want to divulge further into the vehicle modification and customization realm, then read along! This blog will inform you all about wheel spacers, the purposes of the different types available, and precautions needed to assure compatibility with your vehicle!
Wheel spacers are annular discs that are installed between the hubs and the wheels. The objective of installing wheel spacers is to widen the offset of the wheels, broadening the vehicle's track in doing so. There are many benefits to installing this popular aftermarket part which includes the following:
- Improves Handling
- Intensifies Performance
- Accommodates Larger Wheels
- Enhances Aesthetics & Appearance
- Ensures Fitment of a Particular Set of Wheels
Improves handling? Sounds cool, but how do they improve handling? Well, explaining in simple terms, By widening the offset of the wheels, the wheel spacers reduce body roll. This helps develop your tires' lateral grip. This enables the tires to be more evenly loaded. By permitting that, one now has access to better handling of the vehicle. An additional benefit is that by installing wheel spacers, one can achieve faster acceleration coming out of a corner. You can consider your traction leveled up from gold to platinum with these on your vehicle!
Next, one can install larger tires on your vehicle. Lots of people think that some wheel sizes are unavailable for their makes and models, but with wheel spacers, the limits get unbound. Vehicles are built with a certain configuration that limits the modifications one can make, but wheel spacers increase the amount of space between your vehicle and its wheels. One can now easily select the desired tire size with them! A side benefit that comes from the non-customization purpose, is that the wheel spacers eliminate fitment issues when installing tires with incorrect offset.
What other reason do you need for installing wheel spacers other than they make your vehicle look grand? Wheel spacers enhance the look of your vehicle. That’s a benefit that most people won’t deny. By pushing your wheels outward, one can impose a bold, dynamic, and aggressive aesthetic to your vehicle.
Hub-Centric Wheel Spacers VS Lug-Centric Wheel Spacers
There are two types of wheel spacers available that one can pick from. They are the hub-centric wheel spacers and the lug-centric wheel spacers. The hub-centric wheel spacers come with a lip and are centered by the center bore of the wheel. The Lug-centric wheel spacers are centered by the torque of the lug bolts. Take a look at the chart below to see the differences!
Lastly, one must check vehicle compatibility before purchasing your wheel spacers! This is a step people may forget to take or get confused in doing, be rest assured, the chart below will help you understand the component one must pay attention to! So please make sure you take the proper measurements. A technical note that is worth reminding, is that the factory wheel studs may need to be shortened to ensure safe fitment of the wheel.
Taking all of this information into consideration, one can now consider the addition of wheel spacers to your vehicle. If you are interested, then check out American Automotive’s wheel spacers available for your make and model! Explore other parts to customize your ride at American Automotive today!
