Quote:
Originally Posted by Alarmin
Forgive my noobness as I've never really messed with wheels but am loving what I'm seeing the photos - what are the benefits of wheel spacers other than the apparent stance upgrade? Are there any notable cons?
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Per the Google machine: “By widening the wheel offset (and pushing the wheels further away from the chassis), the wheel spacers reduce body roll. This helps improve your tires' lateral grip. The tires are more evenly loaded, which leads to better handling of the car and faster acceleration coming out of a corner.” Also, spacers arguably improve the aesthetics to help the tires align more flush with the fenders.
The cons are noted quite extensively in this thread. The most obvious con is that your tires can rub against the fender lining and/or wheel well which is not only audible from the cabin, but can cause unnecessary and unsafe tire degradation. You can resolve these issues by reshaping (using heat) or cutting into the fender lining, but this is not recommended. Aside from that, if not installed properly with a lubricant, the spacers might adhere to the hub resulting in a more difficult and delicate disassembly. All of these scenarios are easily avoidable if you do your homework and stay within the recommended spacer sizes identified herein.
I received the Pirellis from factory but will eventually switch to the Michelins. I have done a ton of research on this topic and listed my preferred setup below for convenience. Both setups should result in no rubbing issues or the need for cutting/heating the fender linings.
Pirellis (with KW HAS)
10mm front
12mm rear
Michelins (with KW HAS)
15mm front
13mm rear