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1.5" Wheel Spacers
On the JOA Facebook thread, some 'sales man' that works for a popular 'Truck and Jeep Accessory Superstore' in AZ claimed that if you put 1.5" wheel spacers on you'll be replacing your ball joints in 2 months!! I thought it was hilarious considering his place of employment sells spacers and he's a 'sales man'.
If you're not a member of JOA you won't be able to view the thread:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/JeepOwnersOfAmerica/permalink/829388180474551/
If you're not a member of JOA you won't be able to view the thread:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/JeepOwnersOfAmerica/permalink/829388180474551/
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2,639 Posts
I bought spacers last year and heavily researched it on here and other JK forums before buying them. I had them on for 100 miles and then decided to buy new wheels with 4.75"bs. I would just like to see if there's anyone who replaced their ball joints after 2 months of using spacers and explain their usage be it big tires and heavy offroad use etc.
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16,902 Posts
Yea, that's some good BS right there... I had mine for 13 months and factory ball joints are still solid.
I am adding aftermarket wheels with the same back spacing as the stock wheels with spacers and the "leverage and wear" will be effectively the same (my new wider heavier tire will actually be slightly worse)...
You see how many Jeeps out there are running aftermarket wheels? OMG I need to invest in the ball joint companies immediately...
I am adding aftermarket wheels with the same back spacing as the stock wheels with spacers and the "leverage and wear" will be effectively the same (my new wider heavier tire will actually be slightly worse)...
You see how many Jeeps out there are running aftermarket wheels? OMG I need to invest in the ball joint companies immediately...
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2,639 Posts
Yeah, I knew you had good luck with yours. Someone was selling their Hard Rock rims and tires on JOA, and this other dude commented that if you wanted to add bigger tires you wouldn't be able to with the -0 offset of the stock rims and would need new rims and a lift. I said that you could with 1.5" spacers and a small lift and that's when the stupidity started. I blocked him and someone else carried on the convo with him. It just cracks me up that someone who works for 4 Wheel Parts would say something like that. Now I could see with large tires and heavy offroad use but he didn't specify.
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2,639 Posts
Yeah.
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38,210 Posts
^^^Maybe, he just wanted to sell the more expensive wheels.
Bigger, commission check......
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2,639 Posts
Lol probably!^^^Maybe, he just wanted to sell the more expensive wheels.
Bigger, commission check......
I love technical threads populated entirely with non-technical purely anecdotal posts.
Whether or not wheel spacers affect other components on the vehicle, no one can argue that they are the optimal solution for offset/backspacing. They are are cheaper solution that introduces complexity while changing factory engineered suspension/steering geometries.
Whether or not wheel spacers affect other components on the vehicle, no one can argue that they are the optimal solution for offset/backspacing. They are are cheaper solution that introduces complexity while changing factory engineered suspension/steering geometries.
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16,902 Posts
Non-technical posts might be humor?
Optimal for what? If someone is keeping their factory wheels, they are the optimal solution when running tires in excess of 11.0" wide.
I don't find them a cheap solution to anything... If you are keeping the factory wheels and running a larger tire, they are the only solution.
Many of the mods we do change factory engineered "stuff". Running big tires is one of them. If you want to stay with factory engineered suspension/steering geometry, by all means enjoy your stock Jeep.
It never fails. Post something factual like spacers are cheaper than wheels and somebody will come along to challenge the obvious.
If you want to run bigger tires, the optimal and more expensive solution is buying wheels with the correct offset.
If you don't find spacers a cheap solution, get a higher paying job.
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16,902 Posts
Just an FYI. Some people actually like the factory wheels and want to run bigger tires. It has nothing to do with $$$... Don't assume the way you want to build your rig is the only way a rig can be built.
And also FYI, your proper offset wheels jack up the factory engineered suspension/steering geometry the same as spacers.
You're right, it never fails.
Excuse me while I find a durometer to measure the density of your thick skull.
Spacers are cheaper than wheels with the correct offset. They are the less than optimal mechanical solution to fitting wide tires on your vehicle.
Suspension/steering changes are a separate issue as is any preference for the looks of a given wheel. But who am I kidding? Given the plethora of threads titled, "Help me find a tire with an aggressive and cool tread pattern" a lot of Jeepers value looks over capability.
Spacers are cheaper than wheels with the correct offset. They are the less than optimal mechanical solution to fitting wide tires on your vehicle.
Suspension/steering changes are a separate issue as is any preference for the looks of a given wheel. But who am I kidding? Given the plethora of threads titled, "Help me find a tire with an aggressive and cool tread pattern" a lot of Jeepers value looks over capability.
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14,582 Posts
Yup, I am one of them: I love the "stock" look, so I was running spacers for years; but didn't like (a) how much the tires went past the fender line, and (b) the shaking through the steering wheel whenever I hit a pothole, due to the added mass at the front hubs.
So I went with these Jeep Moab style wheels from Quadratec: Quadratec Exclusive 92615 2111 - Quadratec Moab Style Alloy Wheel for 07-15 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK in 17x8.5" Size with 4.7" Backspacing - Quadratec. They offer the best of both worlds: keep the clean, "stock" look, and have the right offset for 35" tires. They also are very well crafted, and at $130/wheel, they are a great value!
This sounds like a more optimal solution.
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231 Posts
No engineer, nor expert, but I will say that spacers improved the ride and handling of my stock wheels/tires greatly. I don't see how properly installed spacers add any significant additional strain over an offset wheel. Spacers are even a factory option on some cars, like Porsche.
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611 Posts
Offset rims and spacers due the same exact thing, they push the tire out.
They both cause stress to the stock ball joints
The consensus is however that rims are safer, and require less maintenance.
They both cause stress to the stock ball joints
The consensus is however that rims are safer, and require less maintenance.
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