Wheel Spacers Buying Guide

Wheel Spacers Buying Guide

Having been trading for over 40 years, we’ve seen a lot of trends and products come and go. However, wheel spacers have constantly been in demand throughout. Admittedly we don’t sell as many for MG Metros any more, but some have a very long history such as VW Golf, Mini and BMW 3 Series. We now offer a massive range of widths of spacer for just about every car on UK roads, over 3,000 product lines. We specialise in the very highest quality products from Eibach and H&R, where safety and performance are imperative. But why do people continue to buy wheel spacers and what do you need to look out for when choosing the right set for your car?

Why use wheel spacers?

There are a number of reasons why someone may want, or need, a pair or set of four wheel spacers. The main ones are:
- to give clearance of the brake calipers when upgrading your car’s stopping power
- increase the track width of the car’s wheel axle for greater stability and less body roll
- move the wheels out to fill the arches for a sportier, aggressive or ‘euro’ stance and look
- fit a different set of wheels with a different ‘offset’ or 'stud pattern'(see our “Alloy Wheel Buying Guide” for an explanation of wheel offsets and stud patterns).

Are wheel spacers safe?

Now, this is a critical point. Fit the right spacers and fit them correctly and they are 100% safe and even TUV approved (exacting standard of quality assurance certification, originating from Germany). Buy cheap spacers, or universal shims, and there’s a risk. Buy spacers too wide, don’t fit extended fixings or just fit them incorrectly and there’s an even bigger risk. It is so important that you choose the right product for your specific car and get the width and fixings right. Luckily this guide will help, plus we have a team of experts on hand to help you and offer a personal service (call 01582 787377 or email [email protected]). We can also offer a full fitting service at any of our expert Fitting Centres.

The golden rule is: do the spacers fit snuggly onto my wheel hub, do the nuts or bots offer at least 6 complete turns and does the fitted wheel foul on any bodywork or brake components? We list all of the wheel spacers for specific make, model and variant on our website (click here), so you can filter to your car and be assured they are designed to fit the car. However, some larger spacers are designed to be used on vehicles that have been modified, for example where bigger wheel arches have been installed. Other modifications such as bigger brakes, lowered suspension and aftermarket wheels also have to be taken into consideration.

How wide can I go?

This depends on the available space within your wheel arch. Often it’s a good idea to measure the gap between the tyre and the wheel arch whilst the intended wheels are fitted (if possible) and the car is sat on flat ground. Our most popular kits are 10mm to 15mm wide per spacer. Be careful when buying spacers to check if you are looking at ‘total track width’ (both spacers widths together) or the width per spacer.

What does "Hubcentric" mean?

Now, this is a critical consideration when looking at wheel spacers. ‘Hubcentric’ means that the spacers are machined to perfectly fit onto your vehicles specific wheel hub diameter. This means that there is no chance of the spacer being fitted slightly off centre which would cause vibration and ultimately be dangerous. Not only do hubcentric spacers fit perfectly onto the wheel hub, but they usually have a new hub (AKA a 'lip', ‘nose’ or ‘collar’) machined onto the front face for the wheel to locate onto. Again, this prevents any wobble and means the weight of the car is not being supported by purely the wheel bolts or studs. It's worth noting that spacers that are smaller than 10mm do not normally have a lip on them. This is because they are difficult to machine when the spacer is this small, and the original hub of the vehicle should be large enough for the wheel to locate onto, even with a 5mm or 8mm spacer fitted.

All of our H&R Trak+ and Eibach Pro-Spacer kits are hub centric and machined to fit the wheel hub perfectly.

What types of hubcentric wheel spacer are available?

There are few different types of kit available, usually dictated by the width of the spacer and if the car uses wheel studs or bolts screwed into the hub.

1. Pass through spacers. The spacer locates onto the wheel hub and then the wheel bolt passes through the spacer and into the wheel hub. Typically this system allows for spacers that are between 3mm and 20mm in width per spacer. Longer wheel bolts will be required to allow for the extra spacer width. These can be purchased online or over the phone, when placing the order for your spacers. H&R refer to these as ‘DR’ or ‘DRS’ systems (click here for an explanation of H&R Trak+ spacer kit types). Eibach refer to these as ‘System 1, 2, 5 or 6’ (click here for an explanation of Eibach Pro-Spacer kit types)
2. Screw System spacers. The spacer locates onto the wheel hub and it is fixed in place using specialist bolts (supplied with kit), the existing stud and specialist nuts (supplied in kit) or extended studs with specialist nuts (also, both supplied). This forms a solid extension of the wheel hub. The alloy wheel is then fixed to the spacer using the original wheel bolts or nuts. Typically this system allows for spacers that are 20mm or more in width per spacer.

What are the best wheel spacers?

We very strongly recommend ‘hub centric’ wheel spacers that are tailored for the specific vehicle. The best spacers include fitting kits and are made from high tensile strength lightweight aluminium alloy. Our chosen partners are Eibach and H&R, as they offer all these properties and are made to the very highest standards possible in Germany. We are yet to see any better options available anywhere in the World.

Can spacers alter the car’s stud pattern?

Yes, there are specialist spacers available between 15mm and 50mm wide per spacer, that can provide a new stud pattern. These can be known as ‘PCD Adapters’. This is really useful if you want to fit OEM wheels from a different car manufacturer onto another make. For example, it has been popular to fit 5 stud Porsche wheels onto various Volkswagen models. You obviously need to consider what width of spacers you can fit as well as what stud pattern (PCD) you need to adapt from and to.

You can see the full range of H&R PCD Adapters by clicking here and then filter to the model of car you have. You can then select the stud pattern you want to change the wheel hub to. Remember, we're here to help you find the perfect product for your requriements.

Eibach Pro-Spacers Systems Explained

This table outlines the differences between the various Eibach Pro-Spacer Wheel Spacer Kits kits:

	Bolts or Studs as standard?	Spacer Type	Collar	Extended Fixings Included	Width Per Spacer (mm)	Steel Bushings
System 1	Either	Pass-through	No	No	5-10mm	N/A
System 2	Either	Pass-through	Yes	No	7-20mm	N/A
System 3	Bolts	Screw-System	Yes	No	20-30mm	No
System 4	Studs	Screw-System	Yes	N/A	20-30mm	N/A
System 5	Studs	Pass-through	No	No	5-8mm	N/A
System 6	Studs	Pass-through	Yes	No	10-20mm	N/A
System 7	Bolts	Screw-System	Yes	No	20-30mm	Yes
System 8	Studs	Screw-System	No	N/A	20-30mm	N/A

H&R Trak+ Spacers Systems Explained

This table outlines the differences between the various H&R Trak+ Wheel Spacers kits:

	Bolts or Studs as standard	Spacer Type	Collar	Extended Fixings Included	Width Per Spacer (mm)	Steel Bushings
DR	Either	Pass-through	Yes	No	3-23mm	N/A
DRS	Studs	Pass-through	Yes	Yes	5-20mm	N/A
DRA	Bolts	Screw-fit	Yes	N/A	20-45mm	N/A
DRM	Studs	Screw-fit	Yes	Yes	15-65mm	N/A

If you have any questions relating to wheel spacers for your vehicle, please get in touch with us – there really isn’t a question we haven’t answered before and we’re really happy to help.

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