A More Stable BMW: How to Install Wheel Spacers

Looking for an inexpensive way to upgrade your BMW and make it look and feel more aggressive? There's no denying that a car with a wider stance and bigger tires can give your BMW an edgy customized look. So how can you achieve this without moving the wheel and hub assembly outboard?

You can accomplish a wide stance look by installing wheel spacers on your vehicle. Do this and you can improve more than just the looks of your BMW.

If you got this far and are wondering how to install wheel spacers on your vehicle, read on to find out how.

What Are Wheel Spacers?

Wheel spacers are metal ring spacers that fit between the hub and the wheel of your vehicle. They come in many sizes depending on how far you want your wheels to stick out for the wheel well. High-quality wheel spacers are made of billet aluminum and are very strong and durable.

They're bolted onto the studs of the axel and have their own studs for the tire to bolt onto. Wheel spacers are used to change the patterns of wheel bolts and to widen and offset your vehicle's wheels.

Adding width to your wheel offset will give your BMW better control in turns as well. They are a great way to increase track width and are used on racing vehicles for better handling.

How to Install Wheel Spacers

Step 1: Make sure to park your BMW on a hard level surface. Try to avoid gravel or dirt surfaces. First, loosen the lug bolts that hold your tires in place.

Choose a wheel and then jack that corner of the car up until you can fit a jack stand under the car. Do this step to all four corners until your BMW is completely lifted and supported by 4 jack stands.

Step 2: Remove the already loosened lug bolt from all four tires. Pull the tires from the hub and set them aside where they will be out of the way.

Clean the lug studs and the hub itself with a spray degreaser. If they're extremely dirty, spend some time with a wire brush removing any build-up.

Step 3: Start with one wheel at a time. For hub-centric spacers, line the holes of the spacer up with the hub holes, and slide it on, making sure it sits firmly up against the hub. 

Step 4: Roll your wheel over to the hub and align the holes of your wheel with the holes of your spacer and hub. Carefully lift your tire up to the hub and use your extended lug bolts to hand tighten your tire in place. Once the tire is set, torque down the lug bolts to your car's specification.

Step 5: Once you have one wheel done, repeat steps 1 through 4 until all four wheels have been properly spaced. Take your jack and carefully lower all four wheels to the ground. Boom!—you're done 

Time for the Race Track

Now you know how to install wheel spacers for your BMW. Time to go test out those turns on a race track. You'll definitely turn heads with your BMW's customized look!

If you found this article useful, check out our tips and DIY repairs with Mercedes parts.