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Anon

My son has bought a set of second hand mag wheels and tyres for his car.

Unfortunately the offset is wrong and the tyres rub on the shock absorbers. From our research a set of 10mm spacers would fix the problem perfectly.

Can you tell me what the legal requirements are for fitting aftermarket spacers to a car.

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 8 April 2010

jbiddle

I have to say this all sounds very scary to be honest.

If the wheels cleared the shock absorbers by the narrowest of margins your son could be driving the car believing everything was OK.

The correct offset is very important, as it forms part of the car's overall steering geometry. While fitting after market mags can make a car look great, it can also make it very unsafe particularly at high speeds or when the suspension is worked aggressively.

Spacers can be fitted provided the car has a Low Volume Vehicle Compliance approval plate.

Contact a LVV certifier in your region to discuss exactly what can and can't be done.

Make sure your son gets this sorted properly for his and other road user safety.