In defining what kind of wheel spacers are good, we should reflect on the opposite side of the question, what kind of wheel spacers cause failures, and find out what kind of wheel spacers are good from these possible causes of wheel spacers failure. Under normal use, wheel spacers should be used for a long time, a time frame of decades or more, and we recommend that you check the condition of your vehicle regularly before reaching the ten-year warranty period. Although they can be used for a long time, we have found in many forums that some owners have purchased poor-quality wheel spacers or have had wheel spacers fail for other reasons, and we have analyzed these reasons below.

Cause of Wheel Spacers Fail

  • Lug nuts/wheel bolts not torqued to standard;
  • Lug nuts/wheel bolts that do not fit the spacers are broken due to poor quality;
  • Wheel spacers are not correctly centered on the hub assembly;
  • Wheel spacers not fitted correctly, wheel spacers not fully seated on hub assembly or rim.

What Wheel Spacers Are Good and Worth Buying (1)

Lug Nuts/Wheel Bolts Not Torqued to Standard

The matching lug nuts/wheel bolts are components on the wheel spacers. Firstly, if these accessories are purchased separately, it may not be possible to ensure that they match the wheel spacers data and BONOSS always recommends that they are purchased as a set. Secondly, whether the matching lug nuts or wheel bolts are fitted using the correct tools is also a major issue.

We have found in individual tuning shops that employees use an electric air Impact wrench for quick installation, and although this tool can quickly get the lug nuts or wheel bolts in place, it can happen that the air Impact wrench is over-torqued, causing the lug nuts or wheel bolts to be jammed in before they are aligned on the mounting position, and damage to the threads is a condition that most non-professional shops overlook, and over time and with the stresses transmitted through the drivetrain damaged threads can lead to serious conditions. Furthermore, this type of thread damage does not only occur when installing wheel spacers but can also occur when removing the wheel for servicing.

What Wheel Spacers Are Good and Worth Buying (3)

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BONOSS recommends the use of a torque wrench for lug nuts and wheel bolts. The different threaded bolts and nuts should be fitted with the corresponding torque values. Using the recommended torque values on the product box will ensure the safe use of wheel spacers, as is expected of a good wheel spacers kit.

Lug Nuts/Wheel Bolts That Do Not Fit the Spacers Are Broken Due to Poor Quality

Accidents caused by poor quality wheel spacers lug nuts/wheel bolts are also a common problem with wheel spacers in the forum. Most of the poor-quality lug nuts and wheel bolts are made from iron, alloy steel below grade 10.9, and other materials, the materials used to make wheel bolts are strictly graded. Qualified lug nuts or wheel bolts are required to be made from grade 10.9 alloy steel, better materials may be grade 12.9 alloy steel, BONOSS uses grade 12.9 SCM440 high-performance material which far exceeds industry standards. Even when the material is of a high grade, there is a significant difference between using a casting or forging process, with the forging process bringing out the best performance in the material.

In addition to the strength of the raw material, there is also the rust prevention process, which not only exposes the lug nuts and wheel bolts to acidic rain and other road liquids over time but also tests the service life of the wheel spacers and their components. The wheel spacers and wheel bolts are Hard Anodised and have an NSS of 192 hours.

What Wheel Spacers Are Good and Worth Buying (2)

In the next article, we will analyze why wheel spacers with hub centric are better and then make sure that your wheel spacers are properly fitted to the hub assembly and hub.