Most know that their tires will eventually need to be replaced as part of general vehicle maintenance tasks, but the wheels around which the tires are wrapped simply exist as a matter of preference. As such, wheel spacers also referred by many as wheel adapters are usually of little concern to most people. Wheel spacers are devices that are fitted to the wheel assembly hub of a vehicle to increase the distance between the wheel itself and the inner wheel well.
In other words, wheel adapters are added to the wheel assembly to increase how far they stick out from your vehicle, increasing its track width. There are several different types of wheel spacers which have their own set of benefits and downfalls:. There are two types of wheels on vehicles: Lug-centric wheels and hub centric wheels.
Whatever type of wheels you have, your vehicle will need to match up with the type of spacers you may choose to buy. Hub-centric means that the wheel bore and axle line up perfectly, and lug nuts are used to secure the wheel to the mounting plate.
Floating spacers are placed between the wheel and hub of your vehicle, but use the same factory wheel studs to secure the wheel in place. For this reason, they are usually used to accommodate minimal wheel extension. Bolt-on spacers are generally used for larger wheel extension. These types of spacers bolt onto the hub of your vehicle, causing its wheels to be bolted on the spacer. Though spacers are not usually critical components, they often serve as correctional devices, expand compatibility options, or serve to enhance the appearance of your vehicle.
The most basic function of wheel spacers is that they can give your vehicle a unique, more aggressive look. This often simply comes down to personal preference. It is rare that wheel spacers are equipped for the sole purpose of making a vehicle look different, but it is nevertheless a cheap and simple modification that can give your vehicle a unique appearance without having to do much more than that.
This can be important on a truck or SUV with a high center of gravity. The farther away from the center of a vehicle the wheels are placed, the less likely the vehicle will be to roll over. Hub Centric Spacers.
ATV Wheel Spacers :. You have no items in your shopping cart. My Account Sign in. Cart Loading Products Viewed Loading Popular Tires BF Goodrich. Continental Wheels. Mickey Thompson. Popular Wheels American Racing. Black Rhino. However, this would take a long time to have any adverse effects due to the minimal offset changes you are making. Hi, I have a new Landrover Defender. I am not sure what the stock scrub radius is, however I am assuming it is near zero with the stock oem rim and tire set up.
It has oem 8. I am looking at replacing the rims and tires with a rim that is also 8. I used the tire-calculator at Wheel-Size. Would this Like to get your thoughts on this might affect the driving and vehicle. Note: Rim and tire clearance to fenders, wheel wells and suspension appear to not be an issue. Look forward to your comments. Hi John, Thanks for the comment. An increase in scrub radius will present the issues outlined in the article. However, on a Landrover, the effects are less present due to the style of use of the car.
The scenario where scrub radius becomes an issue with off road cars is in situations where the wheels are encountering large undulations such as rocks or mud banks and the force on the tyre is trying to turn the wheels. The scrub radius will allow the input to have more effect on the steering wheel which could lead to instability.
However, for mainly road use the effects will be minimal. Hi Chic, Thanks for the comment. Is the car understeering or oversteering? I have a civic type r with the clever dual axis front suspension to reduce torque steer. I was thinking of adding 20mm spacers front and rear purely for aesthetic reasons but also I guess to improve ride comfort but suspect this will induce increased torque steer. What do you think? Hi Niall, thanks for the comment.
Yes you might induce some extra torque steer with the 20mm spacers on the front. The 20mm spacer will also still affect your scrub radius causing it to suffer form the same issues outlined in the article. Hello, lowered 35mm golf gti mk7 only springs stock dampers. OEM 19 inch rims sit way in the bodywork so gone for 10mm front, 15mm rear hub-centric spacers. Drives pretty much the same but now looks awesome. S: road use only, if would ever see track spaces would come off for this.
Thanks for the great post giving peace of mind. Hello, my Ford Focus mk4 have Should i suffer from understeer, or should i get 20mm all around. Is daily driving car. Thanks for the comment. The increase in rear track will slightly encourage understeer. The only issues present would be those outlined in the article. Being 10mm the effects will be less due to being at the smaller end of the spacer scale.
Hi there. From a safety perspective what should my considerations be when fitting 30mm spacers into my LandRover Defender? Or is it more an issue of wear and tear? HI Chris, thanks for the comment. Also it might cause the tyre to catch on the front arch liners when turning the wheels due to the increased scrub radius.
Hi there, I have a mk7. I have been told that the best set of spacers to get a flush look with the wheel archs look is to have 13mm on 16mm on the rear. Thanks very much for your time.
Will a 22mm spacer on the rear only, on a car used for road use only, have much of a detrimental affect on the rear wheel bearings? The car has been 4 wheel aligned to factory set up, with the spacers fitted. Hi, thanks for the comment. Yes they will over time as will any spacer but it just depends on the use of the car, mileage and road conditions etc.
I have a honda with double wishbone suspension. I have adjustable upper control arms with camber set to 0 on both sides. Would making the camber more negative or toeing it in slightly help with this torque steer and brake pull from the offset difference? Yes toeing in the front will certainly help with the torque steer.
Also adding some negative camber would be advisable as 0 degrees will not handle well at all. I appreciate the reply. This write up helped me understand this quite a bit. I believe I will go with a taller tire as well. Skip to content. Like this: Like Loading Drift Car Set Up.
Thanks and look forward to your reply Loading Thanks Loading Hi Cesare, Thanks for your comment. Thanks Suspension Secrets Loading Hi Cesare, Installing spacers on the front will provide more track width and therefore likely reduce understeer and increases the tendency to oversteer.
Thanks and Regards Loading Hi Christian, Yes the effects upon the rear axle are not as bad as the front axle.
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