Spacers??
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Spacers??
- Thread starter Daniel1381
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73CJ
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I prefer aluminum. 
No really, what spacers are we talking about?
No really, what spacers are we talking about?
Daniel1381
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Sorry for tires like a wide trac on my jeep
Old Dog
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BusaDave9
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They can help when you have oversized tires that rub.
1 or 1.5 inch spacers are fine. Any more than that and they are not good for the front end. With the wheels out farther there is more strain on the ball joints.
1 or 1.5 inch spacers are fine. Any more than that and they are not good for the front end. With the wheels out farther there is more strain on the ball joints.
Last edited:
elwood blues
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If you're going to run wheel spacers spend the money and get good ones, don't buy the $25.95 ones off of ebay.
I run spidertrax spacers on my XJ, I've never had an issue with them, but they're $100 a pair, but you get what you pay for.
Jeep 1.25" Thick Wheel Spacers
I run spidertrax spacers on my XJ, I've never had an issue with them, but they're $100 a pair, but you get what you pay for.
Jeep 1.25" Thick Wheel Spacers
Out of my mind CJ5
Active Jeeper
just curious, whats wrong with the cheap ones? arent they just a block of alumnium? sorry if thats a really stupid question
elwood blues
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The biggest difference between a good set, like the spidertrax ones, and the cheap ones are that the spidertrax spacers are hub centric. The bulk of the load is carried on the hub, just like your stock wheels do, on a cheap set the bulk of the load is carried on the lug studs.
The only really stupid question is the one you don't ask.
The only really stupid question is the one you don't ask.
dauntless89
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my 31x10.50s were rubbing in places that a lift wouldn't have helped (front on the springs when turned, rear on the inner tub walls under flex). i put 2" spacers on mine and i'm a fan. after about 3 inches of lift, and i'd have to break something in a big way before they'll rub now. (that just means i need bigger tires, right? 
)
you can feel LOTS of added stability in turns, which makes a big difference if your rig, like mine, doesn't have sway bars. that stability is also nice on the trail.
)you can feel LOTS of added stability in turns, which makes a big difference if your rig, like mine, doesn't have sway bars. that stability is also nice on the trail.
jamie
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what wheel spacers did you use? ive been interested in trying some, but dont know where to start
dauntless89
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no idea, got them used off craigslist for $60.
spidertrax seems to have a good reputation though. if i had to buy new that's where i'd go.
BusaDave9
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I just installed Alloy USA 1.25 inch wheel spacers.
Alloy USA 11302 - Alloy USA 1.25" Wheel Spacer Kit for 55-86 Jeep® CJ-5, CJ-6, CJ-7 & CJ-8 Scrambler with 5x5.5" Bolt Pattern - Quadratec
I was hoping they would have the lip to to hold the center of the wheel like the picture above but instead they were more like this:
No big deal. Because of the locking hubs on a CJ what I got was the best I could expect for the front. In hindsight I guess I could have looked for different 5 on 5.5 spacers for the rear that had a lip.
So then I go to install the spacers and I find I can't use the socket set I usually use. Look at the picture of the red spacers above. There isn't much room for a socket in the recessed holes. And there is zero room for any other type of wrench. I end up using some thinner, cheaper sockets to install the spacers. The sockets still jam in there as I try to tighten the lug nuts. The key is to tighten them very gradually in a star pattern. Only finger tight at first.
I used non-removable LockTite. You will almost never need to remove these (especially up front). You will have to remove the rear to work on the brakes but these are some nuts you dont want to come loose. It's easy to check the lug nuts holding on the wheels but to check the nuts on the spacers you have to remove the wheels. Still it is a must that you remove your wheels to check the nuts on the spacers after about 50 miles.
Even with all the care I took to install the nuts for the spacers my socket still got stuck after I tightened down the nuts. There just wasn't enough room for anything less than the thinnest sockets. So what I did was after I had the spacers tightened up I grabed my socket with Vice-Grips and hit the Vice-Grips with a mallet to drive it out. I guess I could have widened the hole with a Dremmel tool but I don't like grinding on a new part.
BTW the reason I installed the spacers is because of the new tires I bought. I had 35x12.5-R15 BFG Radials and I installed 36x12.5-15 Bias Ply SuperSwamper SX. The new Bias Ply were wider because they bulged out and rubbed.
Before:
After:
The above picture is before I installed the wheel spacers. You can see even in the rear the new tires almost hit the springs when sitting still.
I was hoping they would have the lip to to hold the center of the wheel like the picture above but instead they were more like this:
So then I go to install the spacers and I find I can't use the socket set I usually use. Look at the picture of the red spacers above. There isn't much room for a socket in the recessed holes. And there is zero room for any other type of wrench. I end up using some thinner, cheaper sockets to install the spacers. The sockets still jam in there as I try to tighten the lug nuts. The key is to tighten them very gradually in a star pattern. Only finger tight at first.
I used non-removable LockTite. You will almost never need to remove these (especially up front). You will have to remove the rear to work on the brakes but these are some nuts you dont want to come loose. It's easy to check the lug nuts holding on the wheels but to check the nuts on the spacers you have to remove the wheels. Still it is a must that you remove your wheels to check the nuts on the spacers after about 50 miles.
Even with all the care I took to install the nuts for the spacers my socket still got stuck after I tightened down the nuts. There just wasn't enough room for anything less than the thinnest sockets. So what I did was after I had the spacers tightened up I grabed my socket with Vice-Grips and hit the Vice-Grips with a mallet to drive it out. I guess I could have widened the hole with a Dremmel tool but I don't like grinding on a new part.
BTW the reason I installed the spacers is because of the new tires I bought. I had 35x12.5-R15 BFG Radials and I installed 36x12.5-15 Bias Ply SuperSwamper SX. The new Bias Ply were wider because they bulged out and rubbed.
Before:
After:
The above picture is before I installed the wheel spacers. You can see even in the rear the new tires almost hit the springs when sitting still.
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