Wheel Spacers VS Wheel Adapters : What is the difference ?

Many people thought wheel spacers and wheels adapters are identical.But in fact,they are two different things. Every wheel adapter is also a wheel spacer. But a wheel spacer is not a wheel adapter.
Read here, someone may be confused and ask what is the difference between wheel spacers and adapters ? We did a search on prime and asked some mechanics for help.Now ,let us explain this issue.


What’s wheel spacers and wheel adapters ?
Wheel spacer is a term used to describe a disc that pushes a wheel away from the hub, hence lowering the offset at which it is. A wheel adapter is usually a spacer of sorts, however a change in bolt pattern (and possibly center bore) occurs in the process. For example a common use  for wheel adapters is on older VW Jetta's and GTI's. People will put a wheel adapter on these cars that have a 4x100 bolt pattern on the hub side (that will bolt on the car's factory studs)and the wheel side of the adaptor will have studs on it in a 5x130 bolt pattern. This allows 5x130 Porsche wheels to be bolted on a 4x100 VW.
A wheel spacer is generally a smaller, universal single piece of steel/aluminum, designed to work on a variety of cars and to give minimum spacing, usually less than 1/2". They fit directly onto the studs, and are sandwiched by the wheel and the hub. Wheel adapters are usually heavier, and thicker pieces that are machined, are designed for specific applications, and generally have their own studs. The adapters bolt to the stock studs, then the wheel is bolted to the studs on the adapter. Adapters are usually used to provide spacing greater than 1/2" (I've seen adapters that are 2+ inches thick), and they can also be used to alter a bolt pattern, like if you ever want to put Vette rims on a mustang to try to make it look sorta cool.Spacers are generally only used to give a slight stance improvement, but if they get too thick then they will lower the amount of available threads on the studs, and may pose a safety risk. Adapters are much better for larger spacing, but physics tells you that you should only push the wheels out so far before they become hazardous due to downward force and the weight bearing on the suspension, that's why you sometime see the ricers with the wide wide wheels tracts and the back wheels look like this.

In simple, Adapter= indirectly does the above but more specifically allows for a change in bolt pattern say 4 lug to 5 lug. Spacer=a disc that does nothing other than push the wheel further off the hub when bolted.The primary difference between them is that a wheel adapter is used to make one wheel bolt pattern fit onto a flange of a dissimilar bolt pattern. Most examples of this would be putting a Ferrari wheel (5 on 108mm) onto a Fiero (5 on 100mm) bolt circle. Two sets of bolts hold the adapter in place. Use the proper torque and Loctite to hold the inside (hidden) lug nuts and then you will be fine.

When do you need use wheel spacers or wheel adapters?
If you intend to keep your current wheels and increase the track of your car for improved handling or looks,you should use wheel spacers only.Also,Wheel spacers are used in a couple of cases:1.When wheels do not have enough offset. A wheel spacer compensates for too little offset by pushing the wheels farther away from the hub.2.To make a lug-centric wheel (one that centers by tightening the wheel lugs rather than a hub-specific mounting surface) hub-centric.
Wheel adapters are used to push the distance of your wheels out further by adding an adapter of the same bolt pattern to your existing factory hub-wheel setup.They can also change your bolt pattern from a 5x100 to a 5x114 or even 4x100.


Here are some popular views about the difference between wheel spacers and wheel adapters .Hope this article can help you know what’s difference and when do you need use them. More information and interest about Automotive you can keep eyes on my blog, which aim to share and offer profession tutorials for most of people know automotive aftermarket. Also you can easily access a lot of information on car repair and maintenance here, fixing and repairing minor faults in vehicles is a norm.

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