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The Daily Insight

Are wheel spacers legal in Australia?

Author

Sarah Cherry

Updated on March 15, 2026

The fact is, wheel spacers are illegal in Australia unless the manufacturer fitted them. The End. Wheel spacers can increase your 4WDs track and stability; they're also illegal to fit and more trouble than they're worth.

Hereof, are wheel spacers legal?

And like other states, the wheels can't protrude from the bodywork of the car when they're in the straight ahead position. You're also not allowed to fit wheel spacers – unless they are factory fitted – while steering limit stops can't be adjusted to allow the fitting of larger rims or tyres.

Additionally, are wheel spacers illegal in WA? 5. Fitting spacers between wheels and hubs additional to any provided by the vehicle manufacturer. Making modifications to an axle, axles or suspension such that any part of the vehicle other than the tyre or rim will contact a road surface in the case of the deflation of any tyre.

In this way, are wheel spacers bad?

Some experts say that wheel spacer is very unsafe to use as the load from a wheel is transferred to the axle through the friction of the clamped joint and not through the wheel stud. The wheel stud can only bend, if the lug nuts are not adequately torqued.

Are cheap wheel spacers safe?

No, wheel spacers are perfectly safe if installed properly and on the proper application. The most common cause for failures is not due to the actual wheel spacers but install issues; incorrect hub bore (wheel to spacer or spacer to hub), incorrect torque value on wheel bolts or lug nuts, etc.

Related Question Answers

Do wheel spacers affect alignment?

Yes, spacers affect the alignment. Spacers (or wheels with odd offsets) may also technically affect your suspension warranty.

Do wheel spacers affect anything?

They are a cheap and easy way to improve wheel fitment and increase the track width of your car. However, they are also a fast and easy way to ruin the geometry of your car and can badly affect your handling.

Do wheel spacers affect ride quality?

Do Spacers Affect Ride Comfort. They shouldn't i havent noticed any difference in ride comfort because of them. They add more unsprung weight, albeit not a whole lot, to the hubs. And can affect the longevity of your wheel bearings.

Can I stack wheel spacers?

Yes, you can stack them. Just make sure you have enough thread left.

Do wheel spacers affect handling?

Installing wheels spacers is common within the tuning scene. They are a cheap and easy way to improve wheel fitment and increase the track width of your car. However, they are also a fast and easy way to ruin the geometry of your car and can badly affect your handling.

What does spacers do for your car?

Typically used to install larger tires, wheel spacers are devices that fit over a vehicle's holding bracket to create extra clearance between the wheel and the wheel hub assembly. In other words, wheel spacers increase the offset or the distance between the wheel and the wheel hub assembly.

Are 5mm spacers safe?

It will be safe. While I have switched to extended studs which makes it less of an issue, 5mm spacers are not going to affect the holding power of the lug bolts much. If you are concerned, you can buy 10 extended lug bolts to recapture what is lost.

Do wheel spacers ruin bearings?

While wheel spacers will cause extra wear on you wheel bearings, they aren't any more harmful that wheels with less backspacing I've had 1.5" wheel spacers on my WJ for a year and haven't had any problems so far (knock on wood). Just be sure to install them properly and check the torque often.

Do I need to get an alignment after wheel spacers?

No you do not need an alignment if you are just adding spacers. If you are changing something in your suspension then you would need an alignment. You also don't need an alignment if you are running larger/wider wheels (unless you rub and want to adjust them).

Do wheel spacers hurt your truck?

Wheel spacers are used when the offset of the wheel is not ideal for the end package that you want. Whether it's because of too narrow of axles or not enough wheel offset, wheel spacers can put your tires and wheels where you want them to be under your fender. So, are they dangerous to use? In a one-word summation, no.

Do wheel spacers prevent tire rub?

If the wheel offset isn't a match, then tire rubbing is very possible. Wheel spacers can be used for aesthetic, performance, and fitment purposes. Spacers allow a larger wheel and tire to be fitted without rubbing by creating clearance to interior wheel well components.

Do wheel spacers cause vibration?

As we all know, change one thing, it affects others.In fact ,wheel spacers in themselves don't cause vibration,they are just increasing the cars sensitivity to a pre-existing problem. Wheel spacers could be magnifying an existing imbalance or out-of-round condition in tires.

How much does it cost to install wheel spacers?

As they said wheel spacers you just jack up the wrangler, take the wheel off and then bolt on the spacer. Its easy, and straight forward. If you end up bringing it to a shop, they are going to charge you top price for the parts, and then labor. Depending on the shop, it can be anywhere from $200-$400 in labor.

Do wheel spacers affect gas mileage?

Theoretically, if you increase the weight of the wheel (rotational inertia) with a spacer and decrease aerodynamics by pushing the tire out past the fender flare (drag), you should have a slight decrease in efficiency and a decrease in MPG.

Do wheel spacers need to be Hubcentric?

Yes, you absolutely need to ensure any spacers mate with the wheel center bore and wheel hub precisely, either by being the correct diameter themselves or with hubcentric rings to make up the difference in size. Wheel spacers effectively change the offset of your wheels without making you buy new wheels.

What are the pros and cons of wheel spacers?

Wheel Spacers Pros and Cons
  • Fitment. Wheel spacers are most commonly used to ensure that a particular set of wheels will fit properly on a vehicle if the wheels have the incorrect offset.
  • Appearance. Another reason that wheel spacers are used is to make a vehicle look better.
  • Performance.
  • Component Wear.
  • Heavier Steering.

Is 3 inch lift kit legal?

Right? Body lifts can't use more than a 3-inch spacer and are not allowed to raise the body more than 4 inches above the frame, after all the components are installed.

Is a 3 inch lift legal in WA?

This is the maximum legal lift kit height in WA as long as you run the factory size tyre. For those of you out there that are running bigger than a 2” lift, your vehicle is illegal. If you have bigger tyres than standard and a 2 inch lift (or bigger), your vehicle is also illegal.

How far can tires stick out past fenders in WA?

Relying on just this rule, you might get the impression that the tire can stick out past the fender as long as there is a mud flap behind it. However, Washington Administrative Code 204-10-022 provides additional details, including the requirement that the fender cover the entire tread width of the tire.

Are 35 inch Tyres legal in WA?

Take the above post on Facebook, where they imply that 35 inch tyres do not belong on our roads. This is misleading; its only partially true. For many 4WD's you cannot run them, but if you have engineering you can, and there are several 4WD's that come out with larger tyres and are perfectly legal to run 35's.

Are extended shackles legal in WA?

Extended shackles are useful for providing lift to leaf springs and are an enhancement for many vehicles. In Western Australia they are not legal for on road use and are designed for off road use only.

Are 4 inch lifts legal?

4X4 suspension lift laws changed! Duncan Gay, the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight in NSW, has recently announced via Facebook, that the laws surrounding vehicle suspension lifts have changed. Now, you can lift your 4X4 a total of 75mm: 50mm through the suspension, and 25mm through the tyres.

Are body lifts legal in WA?

In WA, you can only lift your vehicle 50mm by way of lift kit, body lift and tyres (in combination). Essentially, anyone in WA running a 2 inch lift with bigger tyres has an illegal vehicle.

Are wheel spacers illegal in Victoria?

Wheel spacers are NOT illegal to own..you just can't use them on your vehicle on Victorian roads. Track is measured from centre of tyre tread across from side to side. Maximum track increase is 25mm allowable.

Are wheel spacers safe for daily driving?

As long as you use decent ones, you should be fine. The main reason to run them is for clearance issues using stock (high offset) wheels on wide tires, but it really doesn't matter why. If they are safe, and they seem to be, then they are.

Should you use wheel spacers?

Wheel spacers are used when the offset of the wheel is not ideal for the end package that you want. Whether it's because of too narrow of axles or not enough wheel offset, wheel spacers can put your tires and wheels where you want them to be under your fender.

How often should you re torque wheel spacers?

General rule of thumb is to re-torque after 60-80 miles of driving. Which means you'll have to install your spacers then your wheels, drive around for 60-80 miles, re-torque your spacers, drive for another 60-80 miles then re-torque your wheels. You'll find sometimes they'll loosen up and sometimes they're fine.

Can you use washers as wheel spacers?

Washers have been used as spacers in the past because they can get the job done. Most people only use washers as a temporary spacer until they can replace it with a more permanent, appropriate part. If you need a spacer right away, you can use the washer and then get a different spacer to replace it.