wheel spacers

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c_fergy137

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Just wondering has anyone ever delt with wheel spacers before.i dont have a rubbing problem or anything i just like the look of the tires sticking out further without having to buy wider rims and tires. thanks chris

 

stinger

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Just wondering has anyone ever delt with wheel spacers before.i dont have a rubbing problem or anything i just like the look of the tires sticking out further without having to buy wider rims and tires. thanks chris

my cousin had some and the damn things kept breaking lugs and coming loose just driving on the street :eek: /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

Seabronc

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It is not a good thing to do. Previously mentioned breakage, is due to shifting the weight load off the center of the tire too far. It is also rough on the suspension components and causes excessive wear.

Good luck,

:)>-

 

crazyhorse85

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I'm sure it's not the answer your looking for but i'd just spend the little extra money on wider wheels....They anit cheap if you buy a good set but still not worth the hassle with having to send money on other front end parts that you end up breaking....

 

Broncobill78

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Just wondering has anyone ever delt with wheel spacers before.i dont have a rubbing problem or anything i just like the look of the tires sticking out further without having to buy wider rims and tires. thanks chris

Wheel spacers are a bad idea in general but particularly so with trucks. They're fairly popular with the guys in the go-fast crowd, especially with imports (1700lb cars with 13" tires) but just because others get away with using them doesn't make it a good idea. The size & weight of our tires works against you as well as the abuse that a lot of trucks see off-road. They're *really* ******* front wheel bearings. As previously mentioned the way to get the look you want is with physically wider tires and rims with enough backspacing to move the tire out farther. Personally I've never seen the attraction of that look or what's cool about making your truck look like giant water-bug. I know it works for the S-10 guys but I just don't get it. For the Bronco's I like a 35" tire with a width in the 14"-to-17" range with a 6" lift and a set of flares that's the look I've always liked. A tire 14" wide lets you get away with a standard set of flares (unless the local law-enforcement types tend to let that sort of thing slide in which case you can get away without needing flares) and something 17"/18" gets you into Bushwhacker territory. I've run 38.5x17 Ground Hawgs with only a 2" suspension lift and Bushwhacker cut-out flares (the lift was installed when I got the truck, since it was something of a beater to drive while finishing another project I just ran the tires/rims I had on-hand, left the suspension alone & traded an old 351M/C6 combo for the bushwhackers) and the truck looked pretty damn good. What you have to remember here is that by introducing a spacer between the rim & the drum/rotor you create a lever effect that puts tremendous strain on the wheel studs which is why you frequently see them break or see the lug nuts repeatedly loosen & back off. Loctite treats the symptom but does nothing about the underlying problem. There *is* no way to get around it which is why the factory, OEM suppliers and reputable shops never use them. Unfortunately wheel spacers are sorta like front lift blocks, they're a bad idea and inherently unsafe but you'll always be able to find *someone* out there who'll tell you that they ran them for years and never ad a problem. Using wheel spacers on a 3-ton truck is just plain ole' bad ju-ju, no two ways about it.

 
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c_fergy137

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Thanks for the answers. i guess i will go with a wider tire and rim now i have a 33- 12.50 what should be a decent size that wont stick out to far. could i keep a 12.50 and just get a different offset rim.

 

Broncobill78

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You should be able to find 33's in 14" or 15" widths. You might be able to use what you have now depending on how wide your current rims are, you'll have to ck with the tire shops to be sure the tires you choose will fit the rims you have (the rims you have now might not be wide enough to run the tires you choose, can't really say without knowing what you have). On the other hand you can keep the 12.50's and swap to a rim with different backspacing that pushes them out more, but again you'd have to ck with the tire & rim shop/website to see just how much backspacing you can get & how much is available on rims that you like. Backspacing is one of those variables that changes a lot. Some rim mfg's offer a lot of options & others don't. You'll have to find a rim you like & see how much backspacing it's available with & if it isn't enough you'll just have to keep looking until you find a style you like that's available with enough backspace to get the look you want. There are a number of ways to get the look you're wanting.

 

Seabronc

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Steve83 said:
There's nothing wrong with spacers, if they're installed & used properly. I'm running Dodge 16" rims with MUCH more backspacing than Fords, so I need spacers to put the tires back where they belong. When I install them, I'll locknut the inner lugnuts so the spacers stay on the hubs.
rim16t.jpg . 16grinding.jpg
That's true Steve but c-furgey is not wanting to use them for what they are designed for.We all know that they have a specific purpose and when used that way they are OK but that is not what this guy wanted them for.

Ergo he should not use them for the reasons previously stated.

:)>-

 
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rednck7736

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I like the look of the tire sticking out the fenders just a littler bit.But I know how I am on a truck and wopuld not wanna do the wheel spacers.I would have done broke it off.Lie what was said earlier if you wan tto keep your same size tire hutn for a rim with a different back spaceing.Thats what I am going to do with my next set.Keep my 12.50 wide tire and find a off set rim to push it out just past the edge of teh feders.And its a little easier to turn that 12.50 tire verses a 14 wide and up tire in the mud. I like how the mud and dirt flies up off the tires without have to turn the wheel to get it to sling it all up in the air .But its kinda ruff on the paint. Fender flarers are no fun.They just cover up the tire and help keep the truck clean.But states require fender flarers,they are no fun.

 

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