huntsonora
Explorer
I see a lot of people have mixed feelings about wheel spacers but would love to hear what you guys think about them
Are wheel spacers safe?
- Thread starter huntsonora
- Start date
Kmrtnsn
Explorer
My stepdad ran a tire shop when I was growing up and I worked there part time for a spell. I'm going to tow the company line; no wheel spacers sold, installed, or serviced. If your vehicle came in with wheel spacers then you supervised the re-installation and torquing of your lugnuts and you were sent down the road. Policy? Buy the right '**********' wheel, your cost-cutting was not going to leave the business civilly liable.
cruiseroutfit
Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Wheel spacer and wheel adapters are two totally different things as I consider them. A wheel spacer is a slip-on spacer (usually 1/4" think) that simply fits on the stock lug-nuts, thus causing you to lose 1/4" worth of thread engagement which isn't cool. Wheel adapters on the other hand physically bolt onto the hub with the original lug nuts and then have their own clocked set of lug studs be it in a similar (or identical 
) pattern or all-together different such as from 5 on 5.5" to 6 on 5.5", etc. Wheel adapters as I define them are safe imo and they are even legal for use in Utah on the roads whereas slip-on spacers are not. I've run spacers on a few setups (primarily when wheels are simply not an option i.e. the 100 Series) and have had zero issues. Tire stores including the standard Big-O/Discount varieties have had no issues, mounting, balancing, rotating, etc on vehicles with wheel adapters and I have no caveats running quality ones on my personal rigs nor a customers.
) pattern or all-together different such as from 5 on 5.5" to 6 on 5.5", etc. Wheel adapters as I define them are safe imo and they are even legal for use in Utah on the roads whereas slip-on spacers are not. I've run spacers on a few setups (primarily when wheels are simply not an option i.e. the 100 Series) and have had zero issues. Tire stores including the standard Big-O/Discount varieties have had no issues, mounting, balancing, rotating, etc on vehicles with wheel adapters and I have no caveats running quality ones on my personal rigs nor a customers.
cruiseroutfit
Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Hub-centric is important so long as the wheel and vehicles existing hub are designed for hub-centric components. If not a quality lug-centric 'adapter' is perfectly acceptable imo.
Idahoan
Adventurer
Silver dude
Xplorer
Seems if installed properly they are relatively trouble free. Just gotta remember that you're relying on two sets of lugs. So it has double the potential of failure. If you've never had issues before and properly torque it isn't a issue.
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SiliconTi
Stuck in the Mud
OK, I'll chime in.
I have been running hub-centric spacers for a couple years with no issues. They are SpiderTrax, so not cheap. I have Loc-Tite on the treads. I check them a coupe times a year. Zero issue.
Are they safe? Yes, if maintained.
There is a metallurgist on JK-Forum that tested the spacer and factory wheel for strength. The wheel failed before the spacer.
Would I rather have new wheels? Yes, but just can not see spending the money on them for my needs.
I have been running hub-centric spacers for a couple years with no issues. They are SpiderTrax, so not cheap. I have Loc-Tite on the treads. I check them a coupe times a year. Zero issue.
Are they safe? Yes, if maintained.
There is a metallurgist on JK-Forum that tested the spacer and factory wheel for strength. The wheel failed before the spacer.
Would I rather have new wheels? Yes, but just can not see spending the money on them for my needs.
ExploringNH
Explorer
I see this being a 20 page thread, like most other threads that cover this subject, but here is my personal opinion anyway.
I've run cheap spacers on my vehicles for years and have never had an issue. I see hundreds of Jeeps and Toyotas each year on the trails, many who run spacers. These same vehicles are most often daily drivers. I have seen two failures (that I can recall) since 2007 and both times was due to a failure to properly torque the spacer.
This is just my theory, but what I believe is happening to give spacers a bad name is that people do not re-torque them! When you install new wheels, especially aluminum wheels, you need to go back and retorque after a few miles. The same needs to happen with wheel spacers. The trouble is that wheel spacers are hard to get to so people neglect to do it. The lugs on the spacer loosen up after some time and then the wheel passes you on the highway. If instructions are followed, wheels and spacers are properly torqued and re-torqued, things should be fine. I use the word "should" because I can only speak from my experience. I know there are thousands of stories on the net of people who's wheel spacers have failed for absolutely no reason. Another thing that can happen is using the wrong lugs on the spacers. Many people have steel wheels and switch to aluminum. Sometimes people want to save money and use their steel wheel lug nuts on the aluminum spacers. This will not work well. The lugs will dig into the aluminum and even though there is very little clamping pressure you will reach your torque value on a wrench because of them digging in. This leads to loose spacers from day 1. This also leads to them loosening up much faster because they have very little surface area to hold onto. Use the proper lugs for the application.
Many Dual wheel trucks come from the factory with wheel spacers installed. If they can do it and offer a warranty and have to deal with a constant threat of baseless litigation, I don't see how the aftermarket can't do it as well.
I've run cheap spacers on my vehicles for years and have never had an issue. I see hundreds of Jeeps and Toyotas each year on the trails, many who run spacers. These same vehicles are most often daily drivers. I have seen two failures (that I can recall) since 2007 and both times was due to a failure to properly torque the spacer.
This is just my theory, but what I believe is happening to give spacers a bad name is that people do not re-torque them! When you install new wheels, especially aluminum wheels, you need to go back and retorque after a few miles. The same needs to happen with wheel spacers. The trouble is that wheel spacers are hard to get to so people neglect to do it. The lugs on the spacer loosen up after some time and then the wheel passes you on the highway. If instructions are followed, wheels and spacers are properly torqued and re-torqued, things should be fine. I use the word "should" because I can only speak from my experience. I know there are thousands of stories on the net of people who's wheel spacers have failed for absolutely no reason. Another thing that can happen is using the wrong lugs on the spacers. Many people have steel wheels and switch to aluminum. Sometimes people want to save money and use their steel wheel lug nuts on the aluminum spacers. This will not work well. The lugs will dig into the aluminum and even though there is very little clamping pressure you will reach your torque value on a wrench because of them digging in. This leads to loose spacers from day 1. This also leads to them loosening up much faster because they have very little surface area to hold onto. Use the proper lugs for the application.
Many Dual wheel trucks come from the factory with wheel spacers installed. If they can do it and offer a warranty and have to deal with a constant threat of baseless litigation, I don't see how the aftermarket can't do it as well.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
X3
Adding another layer of mechanical complexity, more unsprung weight, and more points of potential failure to a critical dynamic point on a vehicle...?
You can get a decent set of wheels for a few bucks more than good spacers.
98dango
Expedition Leader
Spacers are not always a your to cheap to buy wheels. With my toyota I was in search of front axle width. The rear axle on 86 and up trucks are wider than the front of solid axle pre 86 trucks. So for the truck to drive properly spacers where needed. My wife's chevy on the other hand. She wanted it wider I had 4 of them for her exact truck I pulled from a truck when I worked at a car lot. I figured why the he'll not keeps the tire off the frame cost me nothing and made her happy.
At the end of the day there a love them or hate them item as any modification to your rig if it works for you then it works.
At the end of the day there a love them or hate them item as any modification to your rig if it works for you then it works.
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I think if re-torquing lugs on a wheel is adding to much "complexity" to your vehicle then maybe you should stay off the trail and drive a prius.
Everytime after you go wheeling you should be checking for proper torque on bolts and parts underneath your vehicle, and if you go through water should at least be checking your diff fluids, if not replacing the fluid, which in my opinion is a lot more complex then leaning on one end a bar until you hear click.
Everytime after you go wheeling you should be checking for proper torque on bolts and parts underneath your vehicle, and if you go through water should at least be checking your diff fluids, if not replacing the fluid, which in my opinion is a lot more complex then leaning on one end a bar until you hear click.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Mechanical complexity means that there are more parts, more stress on members, more shear forces at play, more potential failure points.
It doesn't mean that it has become more difficult to maintain.
It doesn't mean that it has become more difficult to maintain.