Many drivers give little thought to the sizes of wheel spacers except for cosmetic purposes. But wheel spacer size does matter. Using improper spacers can be costly and sometimes even dangerous. Mostly, car manufacturers will leave specific wheel clearance for a sight wheel size change. Therefore, there is a safe wheel spacer size for every car. This clearance can be different from vehicle to vehicle. You may measure the wheel gap to get a perfect wheel spacer size.

Simply put, the thicker wheel spacers you install, the more your wheels and tires will sit outwards from the suspension. As a track width increases, the more stability your vehicle has on the road. This increase in contact with the pavement gives your vehicle more to hold onto, increasing its handling and ability to maneuver. However, it is not always thicker spacers better. Sometimes, you have to consider the fenders. For example, making the fenders still cover the wheels is a good idea.

What Is A Safe Wheel Spacer Size How Big Are BONOSS Wheel Spacers for Rims Cai (1)

Why You Should Not Make Tires Stick Out Past Fenders?

People would like to use thicker wheel spacers to stick the wheels and tires out past the fenders. Some customizations enhance performance, whereas others just look cool. Both front and rear fenders are important. They are actually very important parts that prevent the rolling mud or debris from hitting anyone or anything. In most cases, it is not a good idea for the tire to stick out past the fender.

The safe size wheel spacer should keep the wheels and tires staying in the fender arches. If you really want a wider stance, there are a few things you can do. First of all, you could get custom wider fenders that come out further, giving you more room to play with. Normally, wider fenders are covered in a wide-body kit. Without wheel spacers, your wheels may hit the inner fenders. So, you would need thicker wheel spacers.

What Is A Safe Wheel Spacer Size How Big Are BONOSS Wheel Spacers for Rims Cai (2)

What Determine Safe Wheel Spacer Size?

A hub-centric wheel spacer is often machined with a middle center ring. This ring has a certain height which is made according to the height of the vehicle hub protrusion. For instance, if your vehicle hub height is 14mm, then the spacer will need a 14mm hub-centric ring to fit. Too shallow, the wheel spacer can’t be installed properly. When it comes to bolt-on wheel spacers, in addition to the hub height, the rim pocket depth also determines how big a wheel spacer is safe. For example, if you installed a 20mm spacer and the protruding wheel bolt length is about 6mm, you would need wheels with at least 6mm pockets to contain the bolt. In fact, these two issues can be easily solved by thicker wheel spacers.