Actually, the main purpose of wheel spacers is to improve the incorrect offset of an aftermarket wheel. This is usually done when the new wheel has too much positive offset, but you still want to install it on your vehicle. In rear wheel drive cars, wheels usually have negative or zero offsets; you need to do a little modification on your vehicle’s hubs if you want to use wheels with positive offset.
If this is the case, you can use wheel spacers on your car’s hubs (the thickness actually depends on how much wider track you want). Using a wheel with too much positive offset on a rear-drive car might cause the wheel and tire to rub onto or hit the suspension components and braking systems on the front while steering since the hubs on a rear wheel-drive cars are set farther into the wheel well.
1-inch wheel spacers made of billet aluminum are highly recommended because they are as durable as aftermarket aluminum wheels. Steel wheel spacers are much heavier and tend to put more stress on your vehicle’s hubs.
There’s also the aesthetic aspect. For some car and truck owners, the stock track measurement of their vehicles is enough. However, for those who want to make their vehicles look and perform a little better, they can widen the track by two inches using 1-inch wheel spacers.
Usually, widening the rear track is enough for most car enthusiasts, but some truck and sport-utility vehicle owners don’t think this is enough, so they widen the track on all four corners. They even lift their trucks and SUVs up for more ground clearance and install bigger tires.
Yep, widening the track of your vehicle does not only make it look more badass, it makes your vehicle more stable due to the wider stance.
If you do decide to install 1” wheel spacers on your vehicle for whatever reason, here are some tips:
- Always take note of the bolt pattern. The bolt pattern of the 1-inch wheel spacer should be the same as your vehicle’s, otherwise, you won’t be able to attach both the spacers and the wheel.
- The 1-inch wheel spacer’s center bore should be the same, or as close to the measurement of the wheel’s and wheel hub’s center bores.
- Tighten the 1-inch wheel spacers properly so it will not come loose, especially when the vehicle is moving.
- Check if your wheel has four, five, or six holes, your 1-inch wheel spacers should have the same number of holes.
You can find many different brands of wheel spacers online. Brands like Orion Motortech, Spidertrax, Rugged Ridge, and GoPlus are very popular and are carried by most automotive accessory shops.
If you do need to install 1-inch wheel spacers on your car, be sure to do it properly! Take it to a reputable tuning center or garage if you feel you can’t do it yourself.
