If you have basic mechanical proficiency, you can install wheel spacers yourself and save money. It is not difficult and some experienced people can complete it within an hour. And this guide will show you how installing bolt-on spacers can be done safely, quickly, and easily. For safety reasons, it is always crucial to have quality wheel spacers. So, before the installation, make sure that they meet the proper bolt pattern specifications, or they won’t fit on your wheels.
1. Park your car on a level, flat surface. Put your car into first gear in your car and then apply the handbrake. For automatic transmissions, put the car into “park”. Place pieces of wood or large rocks in front and in the back of the tire to keep the car from sudden rolling.
2. Use the cross wrench to loosen all of the lug nuts in a “Star” shape pattern but don’t fully remove them.
3. Use your jack to lift the wheel off the ground (a few centimeters is enough). Remember to place jack stands to support each end of the car. If you have access to an auto garage, you can instead raise the whole car off the ground with a lift.
4. Use the cross wrench to remove all of the lug nuts. Carefully take the wheel off the hub and place it aside temporarily.
5. It is a good time to clean the vehicle hub. Spray degreaser on the brake rotor. Use the wire brush to remove any rust and dirt from the wheel hub. Wide down the entire surface to ensure it is smooth. This needs to be done thoroughly because any rust will cause the wheel spacers to be installed not completely parallel to the hub.
6. Match the holes of the wheel spacers with the stud bolts on the car and set the spacer on the studs. You can slightly shake the spacer to check if it is firmly seated and flush against the hub. Start using a torque wrench to fasten the spacer with the provided lug nuts.
7. Now put on the wheel. Refit the OE lug nuts. Use the cross wrench to tighten them on the wheel spacer. Make sure they are firm but do not torque the lug nuts fully.
8. Remove the jack stands. Lower the car slowly until the tire makes contact with the ground completely, and then remove the jack. It shouldn’t be able to turn anymore.
9. Use a torque wrench to tighten up the lug nut to the stipulated torque. Always tighten them in a criss-cross pattern. This ensures that the wheel is seated correctly and snugly.
10. Repeat these steps for all of the other wheels.
11. Once you finish installing all the wheel spacers, drive the vehicle back and forth slowly to ensure that the wheels rotate for a few laps. Then turn off the engine, and use the torque wrench with a specified torque value to tighten each lug nut again. Make sure all the lug nuts work well.
