Wheel Spacers? Pros and Cons

I also run 1.25" Spidertrax spacers tp help supplement the overall width of my skinny 33's on TRDOR rims.

Truck is very heavy. Spacers are not a legitimate weak point as some may say. They have numerous uses to help you achieve what you want.

I enjoy them.

1.25” Spacers by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

 

Hey you got the buggy back done!

I still haven't burnt on the shock relocation, though I have been running your old AGHH v3's for a few months now and thank for for them every time I drive my truck.

I have a set of 1.25" Spidertrax spacers for when I do the shock relocation.

Did you get extended ARP wheelstuds when you ran spacers?

 

It’s a huge difference for sure! Relocate adds an extra bit of travel, too. Nah I still have spacers in the back and I didn’t bother extending the studs. Probably should, they’re pretty short back there haha maybe I can get the swampers and beadlocks to shear one off, but I doubt it haha

 

I ran spacers for many years on several XJ's without a single issue. Like many have said stick to the well known brands even though the prices have gone up considerably lately. I recently installed a set of spidertrax 1.25 spacers on the truck because after the rear extended travel install my tires where hitting the shock body when I flexed.

Pic reference is 17x9 Dakars -25 offset with the 1.25 spacer, decent poke nothing ridiculous. By my standard if the brake caliper/drum is seen on the inside of the wheel, as in the wheel is pushed out so far out the braking system is exposed out side the wheel, it has crossed into "that shit is stupid land".

 

Can you or anyone else explain to me why you think spacers put undue stress on the suspension but wheels with the same amount of offset don’t? Moment forces would be identical.

 

It is because you are moving the attachment point out several inches. While correct offset wheels does also increase the stress it is not as much as spacers do. You will never see correct fitting wheels push the bolt face out to get correct offset. While spacers/adapters can work. The problem is they introduce an unnecessary point of failure. Sure you can run them without issue, but there is always a chance that you will have an issue. If you do have an issue and you can find many horror stories out there, it can have some pretty serious consequences. These failures are unexpected and unpredictable which is what make these products bad. You will never face that issue with the correct wheels.

You can make the argument that there are a number of things which cause risk. That is true, but a wheel falling off at 75mph isn't quite as risky as your AC stopping.

 

No, adding a properly installed spacer mimics a wheel with the same offset. Bearings and suspension components will see the same load as an equivalent offset wheel.

 

You didn’t address my question. Again, - 12mm spacers vs -12mm wheels. What is the difference on bearing points? Not ancillary thoughts but tell me how the forces and loads are different.

 

I did, I'm just not sure you either understand the concept or want to accept the physics. Here is a simple test for you to do at home to understand. Take a 5 lbs weight and hold it close to your chest, see how long you can hold it. Now take that same 5lbs weight and hold it straight out. See how much heavier that weight gets when it is further out. That is what is happening when you push your wheels further out using spacers. You do increase the stress when you use the correct offset wheels, but that stress is made even more when you use spacers to get that increase.

 

Installed 1.25" spidertrax on stock trdor/wheels with a 1/2" spacer in the front coils and 265 75 r16's and they work perfectly aligned with the fenders and look great. Super happy with them. No rubbing yet, will report back after doing some offroading.

 

How? By using your experiment analogy, it would be holding a 5 lb weight at arm's length, or holding a 5 lb weight at the end of a spacer the length of your arm.

The mounting face is moved x amount in or out in both cases. Location of force applied to the wheel hub/spokes/barrel on the wheel with the spacer will be different than its original design, most likely reducing margin to failure by some small amount.

 

You're saying to compare holding a 5lb weight straight out vs near your chest. He asked what's the difference between -12mm spacers vs -12mm offset rims, so that would be like holding a 5lb weight straight out in both scenarios meaning there is little to no difference in forces between the two. If spacing is the exact same, then indeed it would create identical bending moments. This is also assuming the material types are the same between the rim and spacer. Though I do agree about creating an extra failure point.

 

I'm sorry, but this just isn't true. IF the spacer gets loose or isn't installed correctly, then sure, there would be added risk. But correctly installed spacers will perform exactly the same as a wheel offset of the same distance.

 

I’ll throw a little gas on the fire. Offset means nothing without knowing the wheel width. Backspacing will be an accurate reference point between different widths.

Also, moving the wheel with backspace or spacers an equal amount will create the same stresses. Adding spacers does create more failure points, but if properly torqued I doubt anyone will ever reach their breaking point and if you do, I bet you’ll be worried about something much worse than that.

 

Haaaa, please explain to me why this isn't true? I gave you a simple example that should show you why it is true. You simply don't want to believe, I get it, but you really can't argue with the Law of the Lever. If you are correct then our whole world is confused.

 

A lever is a lever whether it's a wheel with -20 offset or if it's a spacer wheel combo that equates to -20 offset.

 

Not our whole world. Just anyone who believes that 12mm of spacer offset is any different than 12mm of wheel offset.

 

Cons?
-increased deflection leverage
-increased SAI offset
-lower effective spring rate
-additional positive scrub
-*possible on-vehicle balance problems due to tolerance stacking; especially if used with aftermarket lug centric wheels that do not have perfectly coinciding centers for the bolt circle and hub bore
-increased bearing load and changes how the inner and outer bearings are loaded

If it's a question of spacer or new wheels, get the spacers; no effective difference except for *.

Either way, you're going to need to cut stuff, especially with stock suspension.

 

Pros. It works and if it helps achieve what you need for clearance or aesthetics, then go for it. I've used name brands and off brands, they seemed to have worked all the same. Only name brands offer lifetime warranty on their adapters from what I've seen.

Cons. Internet horror stories of people telling you of experiences that their brother's (off road bro), sister' cousins' baby daddy's mommas uncle had on his one Chevy didn't fit right 6x139.7 because 6 bolt pattern are the same and somehow all spacer adapters are bad.