Hub Centric Spacers

The offsets of your wheel can be positive, zero, or even negative. While stock wheels are often manufactured with a slightly positive offset, a negative offset is sometimes desirable by car owners seeking to mount wider custom aftermarket wheels on their vehicle. An incorrect offset on your wheels can lead to several problems ranging from poor handling to instability. If the offset of your wheel is too low, your wheels might rub against the fenders and cause some serious issues. However, if they are very high, chances are that the wheels would interfere with the inner suspension components. it is therefore of great importance that wheels are set to have the right amount of offset. While the aforementioned problem can be resolved by changing the whole wheel, wheel spacers provide a relatively easier and safer way to adjust your wheel offset to the desired level.

Spacers are usually of two main variants; Hub centric spacers and the lug centric spacers. Hub centric spacers are widely recommended by experts as they are relatively easier to install and less prone to surrounding vibration. These spacers are designed to fit perfectly over the hub of the car, it essentially has a common centerline with the hub of the wheel. Although they tend to be relatively more expensive than the lug centric variant, hub centric spacers are arguably safer to use. They are also available as either slip-on or bolt-on or slip-on with extended studs.

Installation and safety concern

Amidst concerns on the safety of wheel spacers, spacers are quite popular among car owners and enthusiasts. The expert opinion is that spacers are safe to use provided a faulty installation is avoided. Whether you are using a set of hub centric spacers or their lug centric counterpart, installation best practices must be duly followed. Spacer related mishaps are largely attributed to the faulty installation of the spacers. The torque requirement must be duly considered and installation should be done by experts.

Some countries require that TUV approved spacers are used, you can consult with your certified auto dealer on the availability of SCC spacers and other TUV approved spacers.