Are wheel spacers safe? Will they affect the comfort? Do wheel spacers really improve the handling? Can you get wheel spacers for your four-wheel vehicle? Well, well, well, there are hundreds of questions like this! But in short, all you want to know is- are wheel spacers good or bad?
So, today, we will discuss your plan of installing wheel spacers. We won’t stay if it is worth it or not! You will know it once we tell you all about it!
Wheel Spacers Pros and Cons
People want to add wheel spacers for the added benefits that can take your vehicle to the next level from the stock factory vehicles. But let’s clear out the confusion and then decide if adding them is worth it or not!
Pros of Wheel Spacers
First of all, we will deal with the positive aspects of wheel spacers. Yes, there are a lot but we will talk about only the core pros.
Improvement in Handling
Whenever you deal with the wheel spacer, one of the very first prospects in the list of advantages is the improvement in handling. Yes, to an extent, it is for the performance-oriented drivers. You will surely see improved handling after adding the wheel spacers.
With this addition, you can widen the distance between the wheels of both sides. When there will be more difference between the right wheels and the left wheels, you get the car more planted!
And this will result in better grip and cornering. And finally, you get improved handling. If you want to enjoy this improvement in your Silverado, go and check wheel spacers for Silverado, these are the best in line!
Adding Large Brake Calipers
At times, you might want to add large brake calipers to your vehicle. But whenever you deal with the performance brakes, you will see that these are a lot wider than the ones of the stock set. What can you do then? Wheel spacers are the solution!
Whenever you plan on adding large brake calipers, wheel spacers can be beneficial. When you add these, you will get more room for the large caliper. On the other hand, if you go for the factory wheel space, this won’t fit! So, the only solution you have is the wheel spacer! However, there is confusion regarding adding spacers for the four-wheel vehicles.
So, are wheels spacers for 4X4 and off-roading trucks? In short, yes, they are safe. Yes, they will increase the scrub radius. And this is why we recommend you settle for the hub-centric ones! Once you add them, you are just as safe as you were with the wheels without spacers!
The Outlook
We won’t disagree that a good sum of people adds wheel spacers to provide their vehicle a unique stance. And yes, once you try it on, you will know how much change it brings to your vehicle. When you will add mild spacers to your vehicle, the wheels will flush with the factory fender flared. And some people find it attractive.
On the other hand, some have a thing for the aftermarket style, no doubt. Adding a lot of aftermarket styles can provide your vehicle with a new look. Among the stock vehicles, yours will look unique for sure! And for this aftermarket style, people choose wheel spacers.
Adding Wider Wheels/Tires
Well, who doesn’t love to give their vehicle a beast-look? And nothing can add more spice to this idea than larger or wider tires or wheels. If you have a road-focused car, you can simply plan on adding wider tires. This doesn’t only look good but also provides you with additional traction.
In this case, better handling is also an addition! And for this, you can rely on wheel spacers. Can you add larger wheels if you are an off-roader? Yes, why not! Most off-roaders love the idea of adding taller tires. No doubt, the factory tires are a bit short.
But if you want to add these to your factory tires, they will rub against the wheel wells. The rubbing to the fender flares will cost you severe damage in the future. But you can add the taller tires without the complicated of rubbing against the fender flared. This is when the wheel spacers come in. So, there will be no rubbing and you still will be having fun with the larger wheels.
Cons of Wheel Spacers
We agree that wheel spacers are amazing when it comes to improved handling or adding larger wheels. But we also agree that to some extent you can face some difficulties too. Let’s discuss the cons too so that you do not regret adding wheel spacers.
Steering Effort Increment
So, you already know that you are getting improved handling with the wheel spacers. But this comes with the cost of increased steering effort. Are wheel spacers bad for your truck even if they bring improvement in handling? Well, we will explain this!
When you add wheel spacers, it’s natural that the wheels will be farther apart from each other. As a result, more steering wheel input will be required for getting turning the tires. In short, when it comes to turning, you will need a bit more steering effort.
As the tire scrub radius is extended here, you have to face this downside. Or you can say that the angle of the steering axis with your wheels is increased and this downside is compensation. If you are going for low speeds, you will surely notice the difference. But if you are dealing with modern power steering, you might be able to avoid it too!
Suspension Components Wearing
With the wheel spacers added, the vehicle wheels will be farther away from each other. And for this, more strain will be required on the suspension. As there is more distance between the wheels now, the wheels bearings and other such components will wear out faster than before.
Now when you are dealing with the spacers, you might be confused about a common question- do spacers affect alignment? Well, at times, yes it does. Along with this, if you are worried about the suspension warranty, make sure you double-check the idea.
Because chances are, spacers will affect the suspension warranty of your vehicle too. As we have already told you, there’s a lot of think before you add spacers or any such aftermarket addition to your vehicle.
If you want to get some benefits of wheels spacers but you want to cut down some negatives, you can rely on wheel adapters too. Check out wheel spacers vs. wheel adapters to decide which one is more preferable for you!
Ride Quality Fall
When you get improved handling, you might be already glad of your wheel spacers. But after a while, you will surely notice the ride quality deterioration. Just think about the engineers that designed your vehicle. Well, the factory components are added with a lot of thought.
They could have just added additional components just to increase one aspect. But they didn’t because it’s all about balance. They have balanced and figured out all the possible positive and negative aspects. When you are adding spacers to your vehicle, you are adding new components.
This will bring a bit of change in the balance, you get it already right? You are increasing the distance between the wheels with the help of the spacers. In this procedure, you are taking the wheels away from the suspension components.
Then, in this case, you have to agree to the fall in the ride quality of your car. We can simply tell you that the more you increase the size of the spacers, the worse the ride quality will be.
In short, you won’t be as comfortable in your vehicle as you were before adding the spacers! But they are not unsafe! People often ask- are 3-inch wheel spacers safe or not. Well, if you are installing the spacers correctly, you don’t need to worry about safety at all!
Wrap Up
There are pros and cons of wheel spacers, no doubt. But when it comes to enjoying only the factory settings and components, it might bore you. Installing something new to your vehicle and trying them out won’t gonna hurt! On the other hand, wheel spacers are inexpensive! They have got a lot of benefits, why not try them out?
