Hey all. Recently i purchased an 05 base model w/ 20in rims (255/35/20 tires). The car is at the dealership currently and the told me the car has one spacer in front and 2 in back (each spacher is about 1/2 inch thick).

They said the custom wheels needed the spacers to fit properly. However they kind of scared me by saying saying that the you have lost about 1" of connection from wheel to car.

Am I in any danger of the wheels falling off or coming loose b/c of the spacers. Does any body use a spacer. What is the purpose of these things.

 

A better choice than spacers is a wheel that fits properly. Consider the way that the wheel mounts to the hub: 4 bolts. Add a spacer and you now have 8 bolts per wheel. With a 1 inch spacer the wheel is moved 1 inch from where it should be.

 

A wheel that fits perfectly is the best answer, but people have been racing on wheel spacers for a while now with little-no instance of mishap.

However, that is assuming the wheel spacers are of good quality and have stud extensions... From the sounds of your dealer, someone just put on the generic 10mm spacers on your car without any stud extensions, thus your wheel isn't connected to the stud as it should be (its 1" out on the original stud).

I would replace those spacers with H&R or Project KICS spacers. These come with stud extensions. I have 10-20k on my KICS spacers with no issues. And many people, including people who track their cars, have had spacers for longer and under much more stress than daily driving...

In short, as long as the spacers are quality pieces and have extended studs, you will be fine. It doesn't sound like you have 'quality' spacers though. More like ebay cheapos that are going to get you in trouble.

I'd sell the 20s and buy some 18 or 19 rims that fit properly?