Wheel spacer vs offset wheel ride quality

So, while waiting for SCS to come out with the -38 offset wheels I want, I decided to put on a set of 1.25" spidertrax wheel spacers on my 0 offset wheels to give me an offset of -32 and a really nice stance imo.

However, ride quality has gone to shit (rough over bad road conditions) since the spacers have been installed and I was wondering if offset wheels would have the same effect to ride quality. If so, would high end suspensions, like fox with dsc or kings with dampening adjusters help with this?

I'm running bilstein 6112/5160(600lb coils) right now. The ride quality was really good, before I installed the spacers, with only 0 offset wheels.

 

Are you referring to vibes or rough ride quality? Spacers shouldn't affect ride quality, just more stress on wheel bearings, especially if you are at 3.25" backspacing. What size wheel and tires to need a 3-3.25" of backspacing?

 

A wheel offset or spacer won’t affect ride quality...

 

@Lamb_of_the_freefolk can you be more specific on why you feel ride quality has gone to shit? What is it doing now that it wasn't doing before?

The additional unsprung weight and adding length to the distance between the frame and wheel without changing control arms and shocks will impact ride quality. It's like geometry and physics and sciencey stuff.

 

Just rougher going over ruts/bumps/cracks in the road. Not as smooth as before wheel spacers. No vibs. Was running LT tires with same psi before spacers too.

 

You might be tracking. UCAs will fix that. I had spacers for a bit and they fucked up my studs.

 

I'm running high caster jbas right now. Rocking 3.4 caster, 0 camber, 0 toe on both sides. Can still bump caster to 4.5 if that would help? I thought increasing wheel base makes ride quality rougher?

 

You need to start the troubleshooting process by removing the spacers and test driving it. Maybe just removing the front spacers first. What kind of lift and setting along with tire size and type?

 

2.5" lift with 265/70r17 LT at 32 psi. I've been running this set up long before putting on the spacers. I did recently get an alignment done though. Went from 4.5 caster to 3.5 and -0.05 camber to 0

 

I'm assuming you are running spacers to get a wider stance since that current tire size(31x10") does not need either lift or spacers. Ditch the spacers to see if they causing your issues.

 

Yes it's just for a wider stance. Until i can grab a hold of some -38 offset wheels. Will take em off this weekend and see what happens. Right now, It's kind of turning me off from -38 wheels even though they look phenomenal

 

Wheelbase is the distance from the front wheel centerline to the rear wheel centerline. Track is the width side to side.

If the track is equal the ride quality with spacers and without spacers is exactly the same. If the track is equal the stress on wheel bearings is exactly the same with or without spacers.

 

I would disagree with this if you are stating that wheel offset has no affect on the wear of the wheel bearings. 3.25" BS is on the extreme side.

 

It’s all in your head man.

 

I was running spidertrax 1.25 spacers on mine with 2 inches of lift all around. I'm running the Baja shocks (pretty much the same as the 6112 but not height adjustable and a 650lb spring) with a half inch spacer on top and JBA UCA's. At first I was on stock OR wheels (they have a +25 offset) with 285/75/16 Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT's and the ride was fine and I liked the way they sat but I had been running the spacers before I put the 285/75/16's on with the stock tires and never had any issues. I put on the TRD fake bead locks on which are +10 and right away I could tell they tracked really weird due to the increased track width. The only reason I left them on was to clear the UCA's. I took the spacers off to test it out and what do you know no more rubbing. At full lock I slightly rub on the UCA towards the front but I'm perfectly fine with it. I ended up leaving the spacers off and I like the stance it has. If I go bigger in tire size I will probably have to put them back on but we will see if I do go up to 295's or not. The biggest thing that I have learned from running spacers is make sure they are installed correctly and torqued correctly. I ran them for over 3 years with no issues. Sorry for long story hope it helps.

 

295/75R16 BFG KO2’s on TRD beadlock style wheels fit the stock Baja suspension providing CMC, pinch weld and corner fender flare trimming have been done.

 

This ^^^^^!!!

 

Your just trying to make me buy new tires aren't you?

 

If this site made me spend money on shit I could live without I’m taking anyone I can with me lol

 

I hear you there!