For BMW customers, wheel spacers can help achieve better driving control. However, some customers do not know how much thickness to choose when choosing wheel spacers. Can you achieve a full vehicle appearance with 10 mm wheel spacers? Do I need to install the same thickness wheel spacers for the rear and front wheels? Can I choose thicker wheel spacers? 10mm wheel spacers are indeed the choice of most BMW 5 Series owners, but perhaps 12mm is also a good choice.
The easiest way to choose the thickness of wheel spacers is to use a straightedge to fit the wheel, make sure the two points of the straightedge touch the inside of the wheel and fender and then measure the distance from the inside of the fender to the tire to get the approximate distance of the wheel flush with the fender. Google also provides GIF that can show how to do it. Wheel clearance is determined by the height of the car and the horizontal space between the tire and the inner wall of the fender. Installing wheel spacers will push the wheels outward a certain distance (the distance is determined by the thickness of the wheel spacers), and a larger track value does not mean better.
When wheel spacers are installed, the wheels will be flush with the fender at the correct tire pressure for better handling feel and fuller vehicle appearance. Based on the height of the chassis suspension, it is not a good idea to use wheel spacers to get too wide a track, as the vehicle will bounce up and down when driving over bumpy roads and an overly wide track may cause the wheels to rub against the fender. We recommend installing wheel spacers to achieve a flush fit (except for off-road or other special needs).
Do the wheel spacers need to be the same for the front and rear wheels?
Wheel spacers do not necessarily have the same thickness values for the front and rear wheels. In most cases, depending on the actual measurements, the distance between the front and rear hubs and the fender may be different and the track may be different. If the front and rear hubs need to be flush with the fender it may be necessary to choose different values for the front and rear. Usually, the rear wheels are 2mm-5mm thicker than the front wheel spacers, but it is possible to choose the same data for the front and rear. In the driving process, the wider front wheel track will get better cornering stability and handling and will have more visual impact on appearance. In the installation of wheel spacers, the vehicle steering radius may increase a little, but in real driving, the process can be omitted. The rear wheels, since they are not involved in the steering, naturally do not have the scrub radius effects.
In the case of the BMW 5 series installation, 10mm wheel spacers were installed on the front wheels to achieve a flush appearance. After selecting the appropriate wheel spacers, the corresponding extended wheel bolts were selected, and BONOSS provided the corresponding extended bolts for installation. The grade 12.9 forged SCM440 extended wheel bolts are certified by authorities including SGS and TUV for their excellent mechanical and material properties and are able to meet the daily commuting needs of the vehicle.
TUV and SGS’s actual test reports performance parameters are as follows.
Tensile Strength ≥ 1220MPa
Ultimate Tensile Load ≥ 152000N
Proof Load ≥ 121000N
Limited Life Range Test ≥ 2000000 Stress Cycles Without Damage
Neutral Salt Spray Test ≥ 192H
For a detailed test report, please check SGS or TUV.
