The topic of the day is, are wheel spacers necessary for 4x4ers and overlanders, what are the benefits of adding spacers to your 4×4, and if it is good or bad, and safe for off-roading too.
Wheel spacers are metal discs that move the wheel outward from the vehicle hubs. It sets the wheels and tire further apart, but, it would improve your traction and the stability of your 4×4 vehicle. Wheel spacers are made aluminium and feature press-in studs. The spacer bolts to your existing wheel studs and decrease the wheels backspacing
With the right quality 4×4 wheel spacers and getting it installed by a professional, you should be good to go.
Adding wheel spacers to a 4×4 can be worth it. Wheel spacers add more clearance to the vehicle if larger tyres are fitted too. It also prevents the large tyres from rubbing on the body of your bakkie or SUV. As mentioned before, the spacers increase the stability of the vehicle through a wider stance.
Most wheel spacers come in pairs. Some are 1 to 1.5 inches thick, while others are 1.4 inches or as thick as 2 inches. The amount of clearance you need on your vehicle will determine how big your spacer should be.
Would you need an alignment after your wheel spacers are installed?
This depends. If you have not had an alignment done to your vehicle in the last 2 -3 years, it is recommended after getting your wheel spacers installed. However, if your vehicle has been for an alignment prior to your wheel spacers being fitted, you won’t need to do it again once the wheel spacers are installed. In fact, wheel spacers have nothing to do with the alignment.
Think of a wheel spacer as an extension to the hub. If it is installed correctly, they do not affect your tyre wear, camber, toe, or caster. Wheel alignment is not just an adjustment of your tyres or wheels. Therefore, anything suspension related would definitely need an alignment, like shock absorbers or coilovers. Whether you adding wheel spacers or not, your rig is meant to go for an alignment after every 8000 – 9000 kms of driving.
What are the benefits of adding wheel spacers to your rig?
Wheel spacers might not look like much,but can make a huge difference. Alloy wheels will sit more flush with the arches of your vehicle, and creates a clearance between the wheels and inner parts, such as brake discs or suspension bars. It creates a wider stance, increases your wheels offset, and in some cases may improve mechanical performance.
- A larger brake clearance
- Because wheel spacers push your wheels further out from the arch of the vehicle, it allows you to fit larger brakes. A bigger set of brakes will increase the vehicles stopping power.
- Better stance to your SUV or bakkie
- By adding wheel spacers to your alloy wheels, your wheels will sit more flush than the arches of the vehicle, giving your 4×4 rig a more aggressive and powerful look on-road or off-road.
- Improved mechanical performance
- Did you know that improved mechanical performance and handling may be one of the important benefits of wheel spacers. The larger the wheel spacer is, the further your wheels sit from your arches which also increases your SUV or bakkies grip on the road and improves the traction and stability of your vehicle.
- Now for the fun part! A wider range of options for tyres and wheels
- If you decide to fit wheel spacers to your vehicle, a much larger range of custom tyres and wheels awaits you. This will make your rig ever-customisable.
Are 4×4 wheel spacers a good or bad option?
For off-road vehicles, wheels spacers help to increase help to increase the distance between the left and right wheels. This is where increase traction comes in to play. This is effective to your 4×4 when driving in stormy weather or off-roading on rocks.
Is it safe to go off-roading with wheel spacers?
If you are an off-road fanatic who loves taking on challenging 4×4 trails or desert trails, bigger tyres are one of many important roles that play a part in this. Wheel spacers are perfectly safe to go off-road. Wheel spacers also increase the track of your rig and with bigger tyres, you will have more grip. Even in rough weather conditions, or challenging terrains, your SUV or bakkie will not lose grip.
Why do many people choose to go off-roading with wheel spacers?
The reason why most 4x4ers and overlanders choose 4×4 wheel spacers is to get greater clearance and improve the off-road handling performance of the vehicle overall. Wider tyres make obstacles smaller. Like we have mentioned before, to avoid your larger tyres from rubbing against the fender of your rig or other components, wheel spacers play an important role or you would need to invest in new wheels with less backspacing. Wheel spacers push your wheels and tyres to the exact position you want, under your fender.
Do you have wheel spacers on your 4×4? Do you have a recommendation regarding where you had your wheel spacers installed? Do you have any off-road tips or stories to share regarding how investing in wheel spacers benefited your rig? Let us know in the comment section below.
