Wheel spacers can help install aftermarket wheels properly and help them perform better. They can also improve handling and rollover resistance, keeping your vehicle from vibrating strangely on the road. Since wheel spacers push the rims out, many enthusiasts would like to get some nice spacers along with new wheels and tires for a more aggressive and muscular stance. They change the position of the wheels. But no, they will not affect your alignment.
You will not need an alignment if you just add wheel spacers. The main factors involved in setting the alignment to specification are caster, camber, and toe. Once they are set up properly, the direction and the angles that the tires point in is fixed. Adding wheel spacers will not change the alignment specs as all the suspension components will still retain their basic geometric relationships with each other.
Can Wheel Spacers Fix Tire Rubbing?
Wheel spacers are useful for tire rubbing issues. When fitting wider wheels or using a lower suspension setup, there is a possibility that the tires of your car will rub up against the fenders in tackling corners, or traversing undulating sections of road. This is because the original chassis structure has been arranged, any changes may cause rub problems. By creating more clearance from interior suspension components to the wheels, wheel spacers allow larger rims and tires to be fitted without rubbing.
When replacing wheels, one of the most difficult things to get right is wheel offset. Tire rubbing will happen if the wheel offset does not match. For instance, high-offset wheels are likely to stick into the inner wheel arches, which makes them hit the shock absorbers, fenders, or other parts. With the help of wheel spacers, you can fix the wrong offset. Getting the wheel offset right, you will have safe and enjoyable driving.
Do I Need Longer Bolts for Wheel Spacers?
Mostly, you would need new extended wheel bolts when adding wheel spacers. They are designed to allow full thread penetration. Only properly fastened can these bolts keep your spacers and wheels centered and balanced. As a rule of thumb, you need a bolt that is longer by the thickness of the spacer (e.g., a 15mm spacer will need a 15mm longer wheel bolt). Some aftermarket wheels will have a thicker mounting pad. You may need even longer wheel bolts.
BONOSS extended wheel bolts consist of a disc-shaped spacer and a core grade 12.9 standard bolt. The spacer works to evenly distribute the load of the bolt to discourage loosening. To protect washers from corrosion-related failure, BONOSS treats them with advanced anodizing coating. Since the floating seats are not fixed, they can be replaced to fit different aftermarket wheels. In addition, they can effectively prevent your beautiful wheels from being scratched by the bolts.
