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Wheel spacers

5K views 41 replies 17 participants last post by  Dugzilla 
#1 ·
Negatives and positives about wheel spacers.. Thinking about getting some.
 
#3 ·
The negatives is safety it's one more failure point. They are illegal in some states. If you want to check the torque on them you have to take off the wheel to check which is a PITA. That being said I would run them myself so I don't believe they are so unsafe they shouldn't be used.
 
#7 ·
Really? Spacers are illegal? Where? That's news to me. Serious question.

And yes, spacers are perfectly safe. I've beat the crap out of lots of spacers on the track, both brand name and cheap off brands, and they are no more unsafe than your oem studs. Especially if you get extended studs, open ended lugs and slip on spacers. But the ones with built in studs are just fine, but they are a little but more of a PITA because you have two sets of lugs to check the torque on.
 
#12 ·
So the corruption/confusion of terms continues..

"Wheel spacers", those things with holes in them that move the wheel/rim outboard on the wheel stud itself, are indeed illegal in many areas..

"Wheel adapters" those things that bolt to your vehicles wheel studs & provide their own attachment studs (sometimes altering bolt patterns), are NOT illegal anywhere I'm aware of..

As an example of similarly corrupt 'mechanical terms'; 'Motors' are defined as devices powered by electricity, 'Engines' are devices powered by hydrocarbons (ie-there are NO jet or rocket 'motors')..
Yet thanks to homegrown 'hot-rodders' & other mechanically illiterate wanna-be's, the term "motor oil" has become common vernacular, although technically/actually incorrect.

So are the terms 'spacers' & 'adapters' misused...
 
#13 ·
Really? Spacers are illegal? Where? That's news to me. Serious question. In PA if they're over1/4" they're also illegal. And I agreed that I would use them. I don't think that with proper precautions they are any less safe than the wheels themselves. Unless your lazy and don't check the torque on them after you instal them.
 
#14 ·
Use Spidertrax with no issues at all, it's no different than not torquing a wheel and it coming off. There's just more lug nuts to torque. Used them and abused them for years on all kinds of vehicles.
 
#16 ·
Just got em a month ago ...thumbs up. Probably plasti dip wheels soon. When I need new tires, then maybe wheels too and sell the spacers.
 
#18 ·
My wheels are rubbing on my teraflex swaybar disconnects, decided to get some spacers last week. Waiting for them to turn up. Went for 1.25inch.

I dont mind fiddling and preventative maintenance so will keep them checked.


After rashing 3 wheels within the first 5000miles I decided to keep the stock ones and wear the tires out. (sahara so no-one wants them but have been impressive so far)
 
#22 ·
If they change the bolt pattern, they are adapters. If they keep the same bolt pattern they are spacers.

You can actually bolt wheels from any other application as long as you buy the correct adapter. I've actually seen people mount humvee take offs on JKs this way.

Spacers actually come in a few different configurations. You can buy them with the studs already installed.

Or buy a kit that has the spacer block, extended studs, and open ended lug nuts. You have to press the studs out of the hub, press the new extended studs in, slip the spacer block over it, slip the wheel on, then bolt down the lugs. This is a little easier since you don't have two sets of nuts to check torque on.

The open ended lugs are so that the longer studs will pass through them.
The longer studs are so that they will make it through the new spacer and the wheel. The oem studs would be too short.

Sometimes, depending on how long your oem studs are, if you only need 1/4" or so, you can buy the 8 hole universal plates and bolt the wheel on top if you can still get the lugs on.
 
#31 ·
I would however list a wheel adapter, as a similar device. Which is included in the terminology I posted, and could be used against you if your driving in PA and your wheel falles off and you kill someone standing on the street corner. You can bet a lawyer in a court of law would hold up both devices and ask a jury if they're indeed similar. Ok damn drawn in again.
 
#36 ·
You're right.. Guilty as quoted.
I did refer to them a 'spacers' in my build, my bad for sure (& now corrected)..

I also occasionally mistakenly find myself talking 'motor oil' when it really is 'engine oil'.. doesn't change the true/actual meaning though...

The US court system (& every mechanical service manual published) recognizes the exact terminology as I've explained (whether or not you accept it)..
 
#40 ·
Fitted the spacers this weekend.

Went and picked up some red loctite as it seems with some heat it should breakdown and release. Teraflex dont come with loctite.

Front studs protruded slightly beyond the spacer surface but I didnt need to grind them as the wheels are hollow on the inside surface. Rears were shorter.

90ft lbs didnt seem that tight when on the end of the bar but with the loctite it should be good. Have good 80miles on it so far.

The tyres fit perfectly inside the fenders still which is what I wanted.
Happy so far.....

Vehicle Car Family car
 
#42 ·
I have only one experience with wheel spacers and it wasn't great. This was on my '06 TJ. First some qualifications, I bought my spacers off of ebay at the suggestion from another forum I was on at the time. This particular seller had sold many of them and had positive ratings. They were hubcentric and I had several firsthand accounts of people that had used the same part from the same seller. Mine, however, introduced horrible handling and, although I know they shouldn't, massive death wobble. I bought the Jeep new from the dealer with a 2" spacer lift installed alonf with 32x11.50 BFG AT's installed before I bought it. It handled fine and had no braking problems until shortly after I installed the spacers. It became dangerous to drive, anytime I needed to stop quick the whole Jeep would be all over the place on the road. I tried switching the spacers between wheels, tried rotating them on each wheel, basically everything I could think of to keep using them because I liked the way my Jeep looked. I had multiple alignments at different shops and dealers and nothing would make it go away... Until the day I unbolted them completely and went back to just the stock rims. All handling and braking problems went away immediately. I know this is just my experience, but I felt I should say something about it. It could have been the spacers or maybe they were amplifying an inherent problem, but all I can tell ya is before and after the spacers, my Jeep rode and handled great. While using them, I did not feel it was safe to drive.
 
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