Wheel spacers have a direct relationship with wheel offset. Running a standard +55 offset rim with a 1.5-inch wheel spacer has a similar effect as running a +17 offset rim. Hence, a 1.5-inch spacer is about 38mm wheel offset in negative. If you intend to add 1.5-inch wheel spacers, bolt-on ones are much safer. The spacer bolts directly to your hub and then the wheel is secured directly to your spacer. Both spacer and the wheel are held on with a full stud engagement instead of having half the stud taken up with spacer. This saves the budget of buying a set of extended wheel bolts. Ensuring they are properly torqued because this provides much less chance of wheels falling off.
Is It Safe to Run 1.5-inch Wheel Spacers?
There is a common misconception: “Running spacers puts more load on the hub, bearings than offsetting the rim. This is because it is moving the weight center further from the hub.” Actually, this is incorrect. 1.5-inch spacer makes no difference. Whether you add a 1.5-inch spacer, or buy wheels with -38mm offset, the rim is still the same 38mm extra from the vehicle hub. The wheel bolts apply a clamping force to secure the spacer and wheel to the vehicle hub. When the wheel bolts are properly tightened, they will stretch elastically (like very stiff springs) to keep everything in the right place. Installing a 1.5-inch wheel spacer between the hub and wheel will not change these Physical principles. As long as you use high-quality spacers and install them properly to prevent flexing and loss of clamp force, 1.5-inch wheel spacers are a very safe mod for your vehicle.
Will 1.5-inch Wheel Spacers Cause Rubbing Iusses?
Over 10 years, BONOSS sells quality hub-centric wheel spacers and adapters for sedans, SUVs, trucks enthusiasts worldwide. As long as you set up correctly, 1.5-inch spacers will not cause any rubbing issues. If you’re considering purchasing a set of 1.5-inch spacers for your wheels, here are some buying tips from the BONOSS tech guys:
- To keep wheels from rubbing against the fender and wheel well line, measuring from the inside lip of the fender well to the inside of the straight edge. This distance is the size spacer you will need to get the wheels flush with the fender and the maximum distance that wheels will not rub the fender.
- 1.5-inch wheel spacers will make the offset even lower and push the wheel even further outside the fender. If your wheels have too low of an offset, to avoid rubbing issues, it is better to use thinner wheel spacers such as 5mm – 10mm spacers.
- A 1.5-inch spacer is no different than a wheel, if it is torqued properly it will never come off. Follow the guide of included instructions when installing these parts. These 1.5-inch wheel spacers need to be installed securely. At the final installation step, a torque wrench should be used to torque the wheel bolts to the appropriate tension.
