Whether you want a more aggressive look for your truck or install bigger sets of tires, a wheel spacer is an obvious solution. A spacer allows the wheels to get further from the hub so they would be slightly ahead of the fender.
That also enables you to manage more clearance for bigger wheels. What you need are the best wheel spacers for trucks that suit your vehicle perfectly. We’ve highlighted four products you can consider and summarized the buying guide for you below.
4 best wheel spacers for trucks review
Photo | Title | Buy |
---|---|---|
Spidertrax WHS007 Blue Wheel Spacer Kit | Check Prices | |
Rough Country 2" Wheel Spacer (fits) 88-20 Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 1500 | Check Prices | |
ZHTEAPR 4pc 12mm Universal Wheel Spacers for Most 4 Lug 5 Lug Vehicle | Check Prices | |
Orion Motor Tech 8x6.5 Wheel Spacers 2 inches with 9/16-18 Studs Compatible with 1994-2011 | Check Prices |
For transparency, please note that some of the links on this website are Amazon Associate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. The use of such links comes at no additional cost to you.
1. Spidertrax WHS007 wheel spacer review
Spidertrax WHS007 is a wheel spacer & adapters kit that works for specific trucks. It’s a hub-centric wheel spacer directly sourced from a billet aluminum mill in the USA.
Well, we can say that this blue wheel spacer has a solid structure but more importantly, it has all the qualities to put clearance on your truck’s fenders. It can be used to space out both the front and rear wheels of your truck.
Precisely Concentric
Not only we’ve tried the wheel spacers but we’ve also measured them and found that they’re reliably concentric. They’re so precise so you won’t be able to get wrong with the installation as it perfectly fits the seating and the hub. This way, you can safely install Spidertrax WHS007 on the hub smoothly and no more estimating or trial & error.
Even though hub-centric wheel spacers are generally accurate, you might still find some sloppy products in the market. Spidertrax WHS007 fixes this issue and you can expect a high accuracy on your setup.
This way, you can expect a minimum vibration and a safe driving experience with the wheel spacers and larger tires installed.
Front & Rear Compatibility
Spidertrax WHS007 can work on both the front and rear wheels of your truck. This way, you can use the same quality of wheel spacers for all of your wheels. If you need the same thickness for both sets, your purchase of two packs of Spidertrax WHS007 would be more economical.
However, you’d still need to check your truck’s compatibility with the wheel spacers. It’s because Spidertrax WHS007 is a vehicle-specific hub-centric wheel spacer so you must ensure they perfectly fit the hub of your vehicle.
Easy Installation
Spacing out your wheels with Spidertrax WHS007 is super easy, thanks to the complete kit and high accuracy of the product. If it’s compatible with your truck, you don’t need any adjustment but using a hand is highly recommended for installing the wheel spacers.
Verdict
Spidertrax WHS007 is a great hub-centric wheel spacer kit that’s specifically compatible with your truck. It’s an economical way to space the front or rear wheels for sure. On the other hand, it’s very easy to install the kit by hand and requires no additional parts to work.
2. Rough Country wheel Spacer
Rough Country is a two-inch aluminum wheel spacer that allows you to install wider tires on your trucks. It offers both functionality and usability especially for truck owners that desire a more aggressive look of their vehicle or larger wheels.
As for truck applications, this wheel spacer deserves to be on this list for strong reasons.
Reliably Strong Construction
Among different materials used for wheel spacers, T6 aluminum is the most recommended. It offers both strength and lightweight which are pivotal for truck applications. The material is strong enough for larger wheels and resistant to corrosion that can deal with wet or offroad very well.
Even when you install this wheel spacer, you can certainly feel the quality of the product. However, the manufacturer also put the disclaimer that we’re fully responsible for checking the tightness of the bolts and nuts for every 500 miles. You’d need to get a professional examination every three thousand miles as well.
Preinstalled Studs
Having preinstalled studs in wheel spacers like this RC product is advantageous for truck owners. You won’t need to buy and install studs while risking a slight inaccuracy on the connections. Truck owners can expect perfectly fit wheel spacer installation. Even though this eases the installation, you’re still urged to get professional help to put the wheel spacers in place on your truck.
Hub Centric Advantages
Above all, you can take advantage of the RC wheel spacer’s hub-centric design for sure. Truck owners can expect low vibration when driving their vehicle with the wheel spacers installed. Rough Country has many wheel spacer products but they’re vehicle specific and not all of them are hub-centric. This way, you need to check your truck’s compatibility with specific RC wheel spacers.
Verdict
The hub-centric wheel spacer has everything you need to get outer wheels and more clearance in the fender area. With extensive products from the manufacturer, it’s very important to get the most suitable Rough Country wheel spacer for your truck.
3. ZHTEAPR universal wheel spacers
ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS is a universal lug-centric wheel spacer that comes in a pack of four spacers and three different thickness variants(12 mm, 8mm, and 5mm). The wheel spacers fit most trucks including yours since it adopts the universal concept of the spacer. It also offers easy installation for either four or five lug vehicles.
Wide Compatibility
As previously mentioned, ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS is a universal lug-centric wheel. Unlike other spacers with precise holes for nuts, this spacer allows a lot of adjustment. They even fit your hub whether it has four or five lugs that allow the spacers to fit most vehicles including a range of trucks.
Multiple Thickness Variants
ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS is available in three different thicknesses including 12mm, 8mm, and 5mm. This way, you can achieve the proper thickness with more options for your front and rear wheels with combinations.
The thinnest variant allows you to make a slight spacing adjustment on your wheels while the thickest can move them even further.
Along with the universal fitment, ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS also offers lightweight construction with the use of aluminum material. However, we’ve found that ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS is practically the lightest wheel spacer in this list because they have bigger “holes” than those hub-centric wheel spacers.
Bolt-on Installation
The bolt-on installation actually allows you to install the spacers with minimal tools but it also draws some concerns.
Since ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS is a lug-centric wheel spacer kit, you’d need to focus on properly installing them to the hub since they’re not perfectly fitted like hub-centric wheel spacers. You better bring a measurement gauge and re-measure the position every time you settle a bolt.
On the other hand, the incorrect installation may affect driving and could be life endangering. You’d get a lot of vibration coming from your wheels when lug-centric wheel spacers like ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS aren’t properly installed. So, we recommend you get a professional installer to help you.
Verdict
The lug-centric wheel spacers offer universality that would fit most trucks including yours. Even though compatibility won’t be an issue, ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS certainly needs more work for proper installations.
4. OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers
OrionMotorTech comes with other vehicle-specific wheel spacers that work on many trucks of different brands. These include Jeep Wrangler, Ford, Dodge Nitro, Mustang, and so forth. If you find your truck is compatible with this wheel spacer, you can benefit from the high quality and overall functionality.
Enhance Balance and Stability
OrionMotorTech designs its wheel spacers to provide the ultimate functionality of a lug-centric. With proper installation, these spacers allow you to have a more stable handling and better high traction control. Whether you want to install wider and/or larger tires with high traction, you won’t lose handling if these spacers are installed on your wheels.
From a technical specification standpoint, we can say that OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers has ensured safety. With a pre-installed 10.9 grade bolt and 6061-T6 aluminum billet material, the spacers have solid construction to support their functionality. They’d be very durable and give reliable support for a longer time.
Easy Installation
Unlike most lug-centric wheel spacers, OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers are less hassle to install. It’s because the manufacturer has specifically designed this product for home mechanics. Still, we’ve found that you’d need to properly fit wheel spacers with the hub and re-measure every time you’ve settled a bolt.
More importantly, you’d need to check the compatibility of your truck with the spacers. Even though it’s a lug-centric spacer, it’s still vehicle-specific, not universal like ZHTEAPR ZTE001WS for sure. Contact the manufacturer to get the exact compatibility status of your truck with these wheel spacers.
Economical
OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers comes in an economical pack of two spacers with a complete package that includes spacer units, bolts, and nuts. They’re decently precise so you won’t find unmatched parts when installing the spacers. You can install the set either for the front or rear wheel with no problem. We’re also quite surprised that these wheel spacers are considerably affordable.
Verdict
As for vehicle-specific lug-centric, OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers offers wider compatibility. The precise and high-quality materials allow them to perform like hub-centric wheel spacers. However, it’s pretty obvious that the proper installation is the key to optimally benefiting from OrionMotorTech Wheel Spacers. Proper tools are required and professional help is still highly recommended.
Spidertrax, Rough Country, ZHTEAPR, OrionMotorTech Differences
For transparency, please note that some of the links on this website are Amazon Associate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. The use of such links comes at no additional cost to you.
How to Buy Best Wheel Spacers For Trucks
With tons of wheel spacer products, you’d need a proper guide to buy the best wheel spacers for trucks for sure. Just like other auto components or accessories, there’s a range of differences in quality.
What you need is the one that caters to your needs and hopefully suits your budget. Wherever you go online or to auto shops, you better consider some factors below as your guide.
- Compatibility: Before anything else, you must ensure that the wheel spacer is compatible with your truck. Many products are vehicle specific which means that they’re compatible with a specific range of trucks. Even so-called universal wheel spacers have their own range of compatibility.
- Wheel Goals: These refer to what you want to achieve from installing wheel spacers on your truck. Let’s say you want to install larger tires, you must measure the clearance you need to achieve with wheel spacers. You might also want a more aggressive look where wheels slightly come out of the fender.
- Brands: There are multiple wheel spacer brands that offer various products with different qualities. If you have recommendations or preferences on particular brands about their reliability, durability, or performance, you can certainly accommodate them. However, you shouldn’t give up technical specifications for brands.
- Types of Wheel Spacers: You can either choose lug-centric or hub-centric wheel spacers, bolt-on or slip-on wheel spacers. Hub-centric wheels are generally more preferred because the bore perfectly fits the hub that making installation less hassle. If you choose slip-on wheel spacers, you’d likely need to purchase additional studs to make safe extension and clearance.
- Materials: T-6 billet aluminum is generally a good quality material used to build reliable wheel spacers for trucks. It provides the wheel spacers with strength and durability while allowing them to keep their shape through high traction.
- Thickness: Despite the bore and outer diameter measurements, you should consider the thickness. It refers to how far you want to further your wheels from the hub. If you need it further, then you’d consequently need thicker wheel spacers.
- Inclusions: Just like purchasing other auto components, you must check what’s included in the package. The kit usually includes pre-installed nuts, bolts, studs, and wheel spacer units. If the bolts aren’t included, you’d need to buy them separately and you must ensure compatibility.
- Warranty: Reputable manufacturers typically back up their wheel spacers with a warranty. When purchasing one, consider what’s covered in the terms of the warranty including the procedure.
- Prices: You can now wrap those factors by setting a budget you want to invest in wheel spacers. Compare the prices and technical specifications of different products to ensure you get the best value for your money.
FAQ
Is it bad to put wheel spacers on a truck?
Wheel spacers work by furthering the wheels of your truck from its hub. Hub-centric wheel spacers are more preferred because the bore completely fits the hub. Therefore, these spacers are vehicle-specific. As long as it’s high quality and properly installed, the use of wheel spacers on trucks is completely safe. Only use compatible wheel spacers on your truck.
Do wheel spacers affect performance?
When correctly installed, wheel spacers can improve control and handling of your vehicle especially when you install larger wheels on the hubs. It helps balance your control over the car when cornering with high traction. However, poorly installed or incompatible wheel spacers can potentially decrease performance and drive safety issues.
Can you put wheel spacers on the back only?
Wheel spacers typically come in pairs or sets of four, so yes, you can definitely put them on the front or back only. However, you must only install the wheel spacers from the same set for the right and left wheels. You can put up to 2-inch wheel spacers on the back wheels of your truck to match the front wheels.
Do wheel spacers affect ride quality?
While it doesn’t significantly affect the ride quality, you may still need some time to familiarize the new handling experience. It works by furthering the wheel and the frame but it can considerably affect your cruising when larger tires with high tractions are installed. Poorly installed wheel spacers would indeed decrease the ride quality.
How often should you check wheel spacers?
Wheel spacers come in different qualities and you would never know the condition without visual inspection. You need to regularly check your wheel spacers every 3000-6000 miles to ensure they’re in perfect condition.
On the other hand, you’d need to check them straightforwardly when you experience handling issues or after a long/harsh trip.
Why do wheel spacers come in pairs?
Yes, wheel spacers typically come in pairs to ensure you install them both for either back or front wheels. You must not use different sizes of spacers for the right and left wheels of your truck. The pair ensures you get an even spacing result and you better get another pair for replacements when the time comes.
Are one-inch wheel spacers safe?
One-inch wheel spacers are completely safe for your trucks but if you need thicker wheel spacers, you better choose the bolt-on version. This type of spacer has pre-installed studs that extend the hub so they can be installed properly. It ensures the safe clearance of the whole installation.
Final Word
When it comes to wheel spacers for your truck, you need to find compatible and high-quality products. There are different factors you can consider to find the best wheel spacers for trucks that suit your requirements and preferences.
It’s safe to use wheel spacers on trucks as long as you use the correct products and install them properly. You can choose wheel spacers for trucks from our list above. Regardless of wheel spacers you buy, it’s still recommended to get professional help to install them.
As a mechanical engineer, it’s easy for David to explain the functionality of the tool. David test most of the tools before writing a review. its help him to learn something new and suggest the best product for you.