If your vehicle requires additional clearance for performance brakes, an optional wheel spacer is used to provide the extra clearance required for spare tire fitment. Often, car models will only require a spacer when installing the spare on the front axle of the vehicle. Although, some may require the spacer to be used with the spare on both the front and rear axles for spare tire fitment.
1. Follow included Installation Instructions to safely raise the car preparing for the removal and install of the spare wheel.
2. Once the factory wheel is removed, locate the optional wheel spacer similar to the one shown. (Fig 1.1) Once located, please remove the 5 lug nuts from the threaded studs protruding from the spacer and set these aside.
3. With the spacer’s studs facing away from the car’s hub, place the spacer over the car’s lug bolt holes.
○ Please Note- For BMW owners, use your vehicle’s factory lug bolts for step #4, and for Mercedes owners, use the lug bolts supplied with your Modern Spare kit.
4. Holding the spacer in place, take the car’s factory lug bolts (BMW) or supplied lug bolts (Mercedes) and hand tighten them into the lug bolt holes, securing the spacer to the wheel hub.
WARNING! Hand-tightened lugs are not adequate for vehicle operation.
5. Once hand tight, use the lug wrench to tighten the lugs down in the traditional cross pattern sequence.
*Important Note* Some cars may require the front hub/brake rotor to be secured stationary in order to properly tighten the lug bolts used to secure the wheel spacer. To do this, have a helper depress the car’s brake pedal to engage the brakes making the front rotor locked in place while tightening the lugs. OR if alone, insert an object (such as a screwdriver) into the cooling veins of the brake rotor and rotating it until the screwdriver is locked against the brake caliper.
WARNING!
If an object is used to secure the brake rotor, it must be removed before operating the vehicle, or damage or injury is likely to occur.
6. Torque the lug bolts to the same specifications as the factory wheel torque settings. This is normally in 100-140 ft pounds. Please refer to the vehicle owner’s manual for exact torque settings.
7. Once sufficiently tight, place the Modern Spare wheel over the studs protruding from the installed spacer. Please refer to the General Instruction sheet to identify which of the two bolt patterns found on the Modern Spare wheel is used for your car.
8. Once the wheel is in place, use the lug nuts previously found on the spacer and place them on the spacer studs and hand tighten. Use a lug wrench to tighten the lugs onto the studs in the same
cross pattern method used on the spacer, making the wheel secure.
It is recommended to first secure the wheel “snug tight” and then to fully tighten the lug nuts once the vehicle is on the ground and no longer supported by the scissor jack.
9. Torque wheel to same specs as found in step 6
10. Continue following included spare tire kit installation instructions.
If you have any questions regarding wheel spacer installation, please contact us via our website
(www.modernspare.com) or (801) 896-3395
(801) 896-3395
(9AM – 5PM M-F MST)
Sales Assistance –sales@modernspare.com
Own a Modern Spare and need Product Support? helpdesk@modernspare.com