How to Install Wheel Spacers
Installing wheel spacers can be a straightforward process if done correctly. Improperly installed wheel spacers can lead to an accident while driving. Here is a general guide on how to install wheel spacers.
Before You Begin
Wheel spacer installation should only be done by those with proper training and experience, so employing a professional technician is highly recommended. These instructions are a general guide and may not be specific to your vehicle.
Confirm Wheel Spacers Fitment
Make sure your new wheel spacers properly fit your vehicle and wheel application. Failure to use the correct wheel spacers will result in unsafe driving conditions that can lead to wheel loss while driving.
For press-on wheel spacers, check the following specifications:
- Vehicle and wheel bolt pattern
- Wheel spacer width
- Center bore or hub bore
For bolt-on wheel spacers, check the following specifications:
- Vehicle and wheel bolt pattern
- Wheel spacer width
- Center bore or hub bore
- Thread size and pitch
Prepare for Wheel Spacer Installation
After confirming your wheel spacer fitment, prepare your vehicle and wheels to install wheel spacers.
- Park your vehicle on a hard and level surface and apply parking brake.
- Using a lug wrench with a proper socket, loosen the lug nuts or bolts, but do not remove them from the wheel.
- Raise up your vehicle as per your vehicle owner's manual.
- Carefully remove the lug bolts or nuts, then remove the wheel.
- Clean the surface of the vehicle's hub and the back of the wheel to remove all rust and corrosion with a wire brush. All surfaces must be clean so the wheel spacer sits perfectly flat on the vehicle mounting surface and against the wheel to avoid wheel vibration.
Install Wheel Spacers
- Place the wheel spacer onto the hub, ensuring that it is centered and sits flush against the hub.
- For bolt-on wheel spacers, install the spacer by first finger tightening the supplied open end lug nuts in a star or criss cross pattern until you cannot hand tighten anymore. Once all lugs have been tightened to meet minimum thread engagement and your wheel spacer is sitting flush against the hub surface, use a calibrated torque wrench to torque the lugs to vehicle manufacturer specifications in a star or criss cross pattern.
- Place the wheel onto the wheel spacer, install lug nuts or bolts and tighten them with your hand in a star or criss cross pattern until you cannot hand tighten anymore.
- When you cannot tighten nuts or bolts with a hand anymore, use a wrench to tighten them to meet a minimum thread engagement.
- Once all lug nuts or bolts have been tightened and the wheel is sitting flush against the hub surface, lower the vehicle to ground and tighten all lug nuts or bolts using a calibrated torque wrench to the proper torque specifications as indicated in your vehicle owner's manual. Apply torque evenly by repeating the criss cross or star pattern until the desired torque is reached.
After Installation
During the first 100 miles, check and re-torque as many times as necessary for your wheel spacers to seat properly to ensure a safe and comfortable drive.
Learn how to install wheel adapters.
All listed guides, data and/or calculations are for informational purposes only. LugBoltPattern.com does not warrant or make any representations regarding the accuracy of or the results of the use of this information.