Wheel spacers are a common upgrade that is budget-friendly and offers several benefits to SUVs and off-roading vehicles. It is generally an aftermarket car part that helps in creating a space between the wheel hub assembly and the wheel itself. The wheel spacers not only give your vehicle a new look but also improved handling making your car more stable while driving.
Read on to find more details about what are wheel spacers, their purpose along with their pros and cons.
What is the Purpose of Wheel Spacers
Many car enthusiasts consider wheel spacers as the simple way to get a perfect upgrade to make a car look expensive. Usually, 5mm to 30mm wheels tend to be pushed inwards to achieve better drag and fuel efficiency. That’s when wheel spacers come in.
Wheel spacers provide the space between wheel and wheel hub by slightly pushing them outward. However, it is important to note here that car wheel spacers don’t move that wheel hub assembly, they only help move the wheel. This results in a sufficient gap between the wheel well and the wheel.
Also, make sure the wheel spacers must be designed specifically for your vehicle type and match its bolt pattern. They create a more backspacing and negative offset to give your vehicle an aggressive look.
Types of Wheel Spacers
There are two types of wheel spacers available in the market. These include; hub-centric and lug-centric.
- Hub centric: The hub-centric wheel spacer is completely safe to put on your vehicle. The type of wheel spacer bolts onto the hub assembly and slides over the wheel studs. The hub-centric spacer fits on the wheel centring flange on the hub.
- Lug centric: The type of wheel spacers are attached with the help of lug nuts. Lug centric wheel spacer looks like a large washer that fits in between the hub and wheel.
Pros and Cons of Wheel Spacers
Let’s go over the advantages and disadvantages of wheel spacers:
Pros of Wheel Spacers
Here are some of the pros of using wheel spacers in a vehicle:
Better Appearance
As mentioned earlier, wheel spacers give your vehicle a perfect stance. They push out the tyres outside and make them look perfectly aligned. Also, aggressive spacers can add to the style and make your vehicle stand out among the stocked ones. However, if the wheel spacers are too wide, they can make your vehicle look odd.
Improved Handling
One of the primary benefits of wheel spacers is providing improved handling to performance-oriented drivers. The spacers set the vehicle track wider than usual, which helps in improving the overall stability. The car becomes more stable after widening the distance between the left and right wheels. This change improves the overall handling and makes grip and cornering better.
Proper Wheel Fitment
The wheel spacers also ensure that all the wheels are properly fit to a vehicle. If you really like a set of wheels that are not correctly offset for your vehicle, you can use alloy wheel spacers to fit them properly. The wheel spacers not only set the wheel forward but can also operate the inside fender liner. Besides, you can also use wheel spacers if your car’s rim hitting the control arms or suspension needs to be fixed.
Cons of Wheel Spacers
Besides pros, there are also some cons of using wheel spacers.
Component Wear
Wheel spacers are likely to increase the wear and tear of the hub components and suspension. There will be more stress on car suspension because the wheels are set farther away from the vehicle. Also, due to wheel spacers, the wheels won’t be touching the ball bearing. This ultimately reduces the lifespan of wheel bearings and makes them go bad earlier.
Change Characteristics of Steering and Suspension
Your car steering wheel will be hard to turn and require more effort by becoming a bit heavier because the wheels are away from the wheel hub. Additionally, the shock absorber will also not absorb small bumps and shocks on the harsh road.
Decreased Ride Quality
Last but not the least, your ride quality may also decrease due to the spacers. The auto manufacturers design their vehicles for optimum performance. However, installing spacers can make the design a bit out of balance. Also, having a wheel farther out from the suspension components can reduce the ride quality and cause wheel vibration while driving.
With this, we conclude our guide on wheel spacers. Now that you know all the advantages and disadvantages of wheel spacers, it is important to seek a professional opinion before installing them.
If you are looking for a used car for sale in the UAE with wheel spacers, check out the mentioned listings.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blogs to get more information on auto parts and their usage.
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