After installing a wheel spacer, the protruding OEM studs may cause the wheel not to sit flush against the hub flange. Should I cut the OEM studs for wheel spacers? Is it safe to grind them down so they don’t stick past the spacers? In fact, whether you are required to grind the OEM studs is determined by the depth of the wheel pockets. Simply speaking, if the pockets of your wheels are deep enough for your studs, you don’t have to cut any studs. The wheel pockets depth + spacer thick ≥ stud length, then the wheel spacers will fit properly. Giving an example, if the depth of the wheel pocket is 10mm, and the OEM stud length is 26mm, then installing 25mm (1″) wheel spacers will perfectly fit (10+25 ≥ 26).

What if the Wheel Pocket Doesn’t Fit Along?

Changing to thicker wheel spacers is a good solution. Because the thicker wheel spacer is, the less wheel stud should protrude through the lug holes. For most vehicles, using more than 30mm wheel spacers will not have such a predicament whether your wheels have pockets or not. If your wheels have shallow pockets or a flat surface, then cutting off the wheel studs will work well. Wind one of the spacer’s nuts to the bottom of the stud. Using an angle grinder or hack saw to cut in line with the thread (flush with the lug nut), clean up any burrs with a file, and then unwind the nut which then cleans the threads up. Spray a little lube on the threads and back off that open-end lug that you put on first. That will help clean the threads you just cut. It is also possible to extend the width and depth of the wheel pockets on a grinder/pneumatic. It is highly recommended to process this according to the wheel structure and the advice of the experts.

BONOSS Wheel Spacers Tacoma Hub Spacers Measure the Wheel Pocket

BONOSS Forged Active Cooling Nissan Patrol Wheel Spacers Y62 30mm Before and After (3)

Is it Safe to Cut OEM Wheel Studs for Wheel Spacers?

Yes, as long as you operate correctly and ensure a full thread engagement, cutting studs to fit wheel spacers is safe and reliable. Avoid using an acetylene torch to cut your wheel studs, or the studs will lose strength. Since the spacer is secured by the OEM studs, and the wheel is fastened by the provided studs of wheel spacer, grinding OEM studs to fit spacers will not shorten the thread engagement and weaken the strength. BONOSS wheel studs are Grade 12.9 (higher strength than the OEM ones are) and are strong enough to bear more force. Get this project done in a reputable tire shop, or under the guidance of a professional, then you are good to go. By the way, if you are using slip-on wheel spacers, and the extended wheel studs are too long for the stock closed-end lug nuts. Changing to open-end lug nuts will perfectly solve this problem.