The Truth About Wheel Spacers

You hear a lot of rumors about the risks of wheel spacers. But how many people do you personally aware of who have actually undergone an issue with them? Wheel spacers are used when the offset of the wheel is not ideal for the end package that you want. There are times when wheel spacers are necessary, whether it's due to too narrow axles or insufficient wheel offset.

In general, wheel spacers are safe to use since the wheel studs do not support a vehicle's weight. A vehicle’s wheels are actually held to their corresponding hubs with a clamping force that is achieved through the tightening of each wheel’s lug nuts. This allows all force to be transferred through each of a vehicle’s hubs and their corresponding axles.

Wheel spacers: Are they safe to use?

So, a vehicle’s weight is not cast upon any wheel spacer that might be installed. On the contrary, wheel spacers simply serve as an extension of a vehicle’s stock hub faces.

To guarantee the integrity of the wheel spacers, you should only purchase those manufactured by reputable companies and made out of billet aluminum.

Moreover, it is essential that enough wheel stud remains exposed through the face of any spacer that is used, so that the threads can engage properly. This optimizes the above-mentioned clamping force.

 

1.Hub-Centric vs Lug-Centric

Wheel gaskets can be divided into two categories, hub-centric and lug-centric. The difference between the two is as follows.

Hub Centric

Spacers that mount to a vehicle's hub are hub-centric, just as hub-centric wheels are. This mounting flange's center hole diameter corresponds to the wheel or spacer's center hole diameter.

When tightened down, the alignment between these two surfaces keeps a wheel or spacer centered on the hub. Hub-centric wheels or spacers do not require the use of conical-style lug nuts.

Lug-Centric

Lug-centric wheel spacers rely on the use of conically shaped lug nuts to center a wheel or spacer to its corresponding hub. The lug nuts self-center when tightened, so there is no room for misalignment when they are tightened.

Additionally, lug-centric hubs lack a centralized mounting flange, and most wheels and spacers of this design have larger inside diameters.

 

2.Wheel Spacer vs Wheel Adapter

While wheel spacers simply increase a vehicle’s wheel offset, wheel adaptors modify a vehicle’s bolt pattern. Wheel adaptors are often employed when attempting to utilize aftermarket wheels that vary from a vehicle’s stock bolt pattern. 

For instance, a wheel adaptor can be used on a vehicle with a 4-bolt pattern, when attempting to use 6-bolt wheels. Wheel adaptors also tend to provide at least some degree of offset, due to their natural thickness.

 

3.Do Wheel Spacers Affect Alignment?

 

Wheel spacers: Are they safe to use?

The installation of properly milled wheel spacers does not affect the alignment of a vehicle. However, this is only true if the vehicle's caster, camber, or toe have not been adjusted for other reasons.

In addition, adding wheel spacers means adding more components, and the more components, the greater the risk of failure. Ensure that all of the spacers' bolts and nuts are properly tightened and torqued, and you should never run into problems.

If you have simply installed a set of wheel spacers with no further modification, then your alignment will be unaffected, as you have simply moved your wheels outward.

 

4.Will Wheel Spacers Void Your Warranty?

In many conditions, the installation of wheel spacers can and will affect your vehicle’s warranty. However, in almost every instance, this only pertains to items that are prone to accelerated wear because of the use of wheel spacers.

For example, a dealership or manufacturer is quite unlikely to warranty a faulty unit bearing if wheel spacers have been installed. On the other hand, anything unrelated to spacer usage, such as engine related issues, would still be covered in a typical manner.

A spacer installation's impact on the vehicle's warranty ultimately depends on the specific vehicle manufacturer and the dealership where the installation is performed.

At the end of the day, the extent to which spacer installation affects your vehicle’s warranty is solely up to the discretion of the dealership that is visited, and the specific vehicle manufacturer.