Just to answer a question spotted on here, running spacers is the same as using a lower offset wheel in terms of loads and track etc.
If you could find a higher offset wheel that was wide, and filled your arches, you might be in luck, but I will add myself to the list of thinking fitting spacers has just exagerated alignment issues that were likely already there.
With regards the effect on ride, the easy way to think about that is levers. If you widen the track to increase the length of the lever on the suspension, so in effect you make it a bit softer, broadly speaking.