I wanna know what you guys think about wheel spacers. If you have them do you like how they look? pics would help. I've only found them for $100 for two, can you get them cheaper? i know... i'm cheap

 

Never used them, but IMO if you plan on wheelin the jeep . . .I'd go for offset wheels (3.75 BS) . .Adding a spacer could lead to a posible "weak spot"
BUT . .if you're just going for form over function . .go ahead.

 

weak spot? SPOBI.

its no different than adding wheels with more BS.

 

Look for used. Guys on Jeepforum are sellin all 4 for 100 plus shipping.

 

you can get four on ebay new for 100 bucks shipped.

 

def incorrect information.


ebay seller: sscramblin

youre welcome

 

SO a couple of post saying I'm wrong huh? . . .Well . .like I said . .Its my opinion. Any time adding unnessesary "fasteners" has potential for being a weak spot. It is not the same as offset wheels. The addition of spacers rely on another set of lugs and IN MY OPINION I'd rather have the piece of mind that my wheels are attached to my hub, not attached to a spacer thats attached to the hub.
Its kinda along the same lines as adding a splice to wire . .Yeah it works just fine, but there's the potential that the splice can be a weak spot.
Like I said, its my opinion, A guy was asking for thoughts . .I gave my thoughts. He can take my thoughts the way he wants . . .No need to flame a guy for adding his .02

 

I have 1.5" spacers on my XJ because I liked the stock 10 hole aluminum wheels. Mine were $45 apiece from (www.trailsport4x4.com). These things are solid billet aluminum and I figure one of my stocker rims would break before these spacers will. I like them. They have worked great on long highway trips and in the worst sloppy off road conditions, for 4 years, so far....knocking on my wood head. I just like the stock rims and when I wanted to put wider tires on them this is what had to be done and the spacers work fine. I just am sure to re-torque the spacer bolts everytime I have the wheels off for any other maintenance.

 

Yep and if you want extra security some loctite on the threads..

 

Ok. So because you have an opinion, and not actual fact, people coming in to say its wrong are now "flaming you"?

How about the fact there are 2 sides to an "opinion"

Tell you what, go find me one spacer failure where the spacer broke off as a result of it being a "weak point", ANYWHERE, that doesnt revolve around installer negligence, and ill consider my "opinion" incorrect.

Myself and countless others i know of have run spacers (myself in the 2" & 1.25" variety) and have never once had anything even approaching the realm of dangerous/destructive happen. Daily driving/wheeling in the rocks for years.

You gave your thoughts, i gave mine as did others, it wasnt wrong of either of us to give it, but i am here to share mine and others personal experience on that matter.

 

The following is an excellent discussion on the use of wheel spacers
by two mechanical gurus of the NorCal Shelby Club, Don Wollasen and
Scott Griffith (Skod).

The discussion took place on Jun 14, 1998

Shane


------------------ Dave Dwelley asked: --------------------------

Why are wheel manufacturers so uptight about wheel spacers? I'm at
the point where I'm buying wheels for the Falcon, and because it's
fenders are so tight, I'll need to get the offset just right - that almost
assures I'll need wheel spacers. I can see how a 2" spacer might
overstress the wheel studs, but 1/8"? I don't even lose the ability to
center the wheel on the axle center! Not that most of the aftermarket
wheels seem to care - they all seem to use the lugs, not the center,
to align to the hub.

-------------------- Scott Griffith replied: ---------------------

The same reason that we frown so heavily on wheel spacers on track
cars: they really *are* dangerous, and they really do create
additional loadings in the studs that can quickly exceed the ultimate
tensile or ultimate bending strength of the studs and lead to an
outright, catastophic failure.

When you have a wheel bolted directly to a rotor (or a drum) with no
spacer, there is only one single shear plane. If there is slippage at
that plane, you induce a bending load in the stud. You also increase
the tension load in the stud by a value proportional to the sine of
the bend angle. However, the bending moment is applied essentially
right at the stud root- the loads are contained to the shear plane, so
the total bending load is controllable, and relatively small, since
the offset is nearly zero. It is essentially a pure shear load.

But if you interpose a spacer, then there are now two shear planes.
The makes slippage of the wheel with respect to the drum/rotor much
more likely with braking or drive loads, since there are two sets of
surfaces to clamp. But much worse than that, the bending load is no
longer applied right at the root of the stud. It is now applied
whatever the spacer thickness is *away* from the stud root. The
bending load is thus proportional to the spacer thickness, and if that
thichkess is nonzero, the load goes up *fast*. Even worse, the
increase in the tension load is proportional to the square of the sine
of the bend angle (if I remember correctly), and that value goes up
*unbelievably* fast with increasing bend angle. At that point, the only
question is whether the stud will fail from accelerated fatigue
cracking due to the bending loads, or just fail in a brittle mode from
the tension overload. This is not a contest you want taking place on
your car.

Bottom line is that running a 1/8" spacer probably reduces the
ultimate strength of the assembly by a factor of 2, and the fatigue
life goes to hell as well. With a 1/2" spacer, the loads can exceed
the ultimate strength of even the best quality studs, and the fatigue
life is nonexistent.

 

^not a 4x4 . . . but it was the first webpage found when I looked. Not breakage, but it just further's that there are other people who are not into spacers.

 

i just looked at some wheel adapters because i have some nice wheels but they have a 4.75 5 bolt pattern not the cherokee 4.50 5 bolt so i found a place that has adapters for that and you can pick how thick you want them so its a spacer and adapter all in one.. it was like 45 each depending on how thick you wanted it
http://adaptitusa.com/index.asp?Page...PROD&ProdID=18
theres the link if anyone wants to take a look. i have no clue how strong they are but i trust them for all im doing with the jeep

 

This is some good advice. thank you all. And i will take everyones opinion into consideration. Crizza makes a good point though. It just makes sense that there would be more stress on that spot. but since everyone seems to like them i think i could be tempted. does having them on affect how the vehicle drives any?

 

The only thing installing my spacers changed was the tires rubbing on the rear leaf springs and front lower control arms when I made turns.