You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Tires and WheelsDiscussions and experienced advice about tires, wheels, traction control, proper balancing, improving tire life and more.
This is a discussion thread titled "Wheel Spacers", within the Tires and Wheels forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
There is nothing wrong with wheel spacers. Many top auto tuners use them. Just make sure they are strong and that you have strong lugs...not the cheapies.
In fact H&R who is a European auto spring maker, makes wheel spacers for cars.
I just think people are scared of them because they are on trucks. Don't think there is any problem w/ them. Check w/ your local wheel/tire shop.
Thanks for the info. I have a set of American Racing Baja wheels that came off my totaled silverado. The lug pattern is the same but the hub center is smaller. I wanted to know if the spacers would be safe to use on my Tundra.
Are you saying that you want to use spacers because the center hole of the wheel will not clear your hub? If so, don't do it. Spacers are bad news. The only half way decent spacers are the ones that bolt to your existing lugs, and even those are questionable. Take Hovisimo's advice, buy the correct wheel.
Thanks for the reply RobXS, I am going to take yours and hovisimo's advice. The MT Classics look just like the Bajas so i will sell one and buy the other. Thanks again for all your help.
Are you saying that you want to use spacers because the center hole of the wheel will not clear your hub? If so, don't do it. Spacers are bad news. The only half way decent spacers are the ones that bolt to your existing lugs, and even those are questionable. Take Hovisimo's advice, buy the correct wheel.
First, let's get our terminology correct. Wheel spacers and wheel adapters are two different things.
I have attached pictures of both spacers and adapters (spacers.jpg and adapters.jpg)
Spacers sit between your hub and your wheel. Spacers should be no more than, say, a half-inch thick because the thicker the spacer, the less stud there is to crank the lug nuts on to. And if there is insufficient lug length, the lug nuts can't be torqued properly resulting in the possibility that the nuts could come off and your wheel would soon follow. Not a good scenario even under the best of curcumstances.
Adapters, on the other hand, actually bolt to the studs on the hub. The adapters themselves have their own set of studs that the wheel bolts on to. With adapters, you have the full length of the stud for proper torquing of the lug nuts.
A properly sized wheel is always the best way to go. But if you have rubbing on the UCA or a similar problem, adapters are the only way to go.
BTW, I'm running 1.5-inch adapters and they work fine.
All a man really needs for happiness in this world is a good woman, a faithful dog, and a big-a$$ed set of tires on his truck.
__________________________________________________
Ride: 2001 Tundra SR5, 4WD, The Lean Mean Green Machine, Lift, Front: Bilstein 5100 Adjustable Shocks w/ Total Chaos Diff Drop, Lift, Rear: 1" Wheeler's Blocks, Wheels: Chromed Factory 4Runner Rims, 17", Tires: Bridgestone Revos, 285/70R-17, Performance: Unichip, Borla Exhaust, Optima Yellow-top Battery, Flux Capacitor, Interior: Dog Hair on Back Seat, Coffee Stains on Console, Bling: TRD Grille, Westin Nerf Bars, Clear Corners & Eurotails, Debadged, Audio: Scion T1808 Head Unit, Audiovox XM Express, Shark Fin Antenna, Other: Viair 450C compressor, 2.5 Gallon air tank, Kleinn Pro Series 4-Trumpet air horns, Eye Candy: Hottie Wife in Passenger Seat, Security System: Two Very Large Dogs
Anyone have any experience or comments on use of wheel spacers?
Boy you opened a can of worms, synthetic vs. conventional, spacers vs. coilovers, adapters vs. new rims, etc. Everyone will have an opinion. I will give you my opinion as you wanted opinions from someone who actually had experience with them. Now my experience is not with wheel spacers but rather with wheel adapters so here is my experience.
I put 1.5 inch WheelAdapter.com - Wheel Spacers, Wheel Adapters, Used Wheels adapters on my 03 Tundra about 2 years ago. I have now run them more than 25000 miles without issue. No vibration or anything. I used them to push the tires out to the edge of the gigantic TRD flares.
Check out my pics and you can see how they changed the entire look of the truck. For those of us who like the stock rims they are a perfect solution to do what I wanted done. If you do get them, no matter who you buy them from you may want to make sure you get the ones with that are hub centric to the wheel as well as the vehicle. They will have a little lip on them.
I check them every 5000 miles when I rotate my tires. I have never found a loose lug nut. They were always snugged to Toyota specs as they were the first day I put them on.
Many have run the cheaper ebay ones without problems as well.
I love mine. Good luck.
__________________
2003 TRD Stepside 2WD LSD, 275 Revos, 1 inch Daystar spacer up front, TRD AALs in the back, 1.5 inch Wheeladapter.com wheel adapters, Truxedo tonneau cover, Rhino Lining, Self-Dimming Mirror w/Compass & Temperature, RS3200 Alarm Upgrade, Stant 11506 Locking Gas Cap, Hellwig Anti-Sway Bar, Magnaflow 12586 on the way
I switched from the stock alloys to American Racing 767's.
I had to use 1/4" spacers on the front to clear the brake calipers.
Because the steelies are thinner than the alloys are there was still a ton of thread left for the lugnut. In fact I had to get extra deep lugnut to tighten the wheels enough.
BTW, I'm running 1.5-inch adapters and they work fine.
I'm wondering what wheels you are running with those 1.5 inch adapters? I have a set of OEM 2006 Tundra rims that are hitting the UCA...but I'm not sure what width adapter I need. I'm pretty sure my wheels have 4.5" of backspacing. If I ad a 1.5" adapter to that, it should give me 3" of total backspacing...isn't that a little too much? I want to keep the OEM rims, so aftermarket rims are out of the question. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm wondering what wheels you are running with those 1.5 inch adapters? I have a set of OEM 2006 Tundra rims that are hitting the UCA...but I'm not sure what width adapter I need. I'm pretty sure my wheels have 4.5" of backspacing. If I ad a 1.5" adapter to that, it should give me 3" of total backspacing...isn't that a little too much? I want to keep the OEM rims, so aftermarket rims are out of the question. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm running 17" factory rims (I think they are actually made by Enkei) that came off of a 4Runner, and 285/70-17s. Without the adapters, the tires contact the UCA, even at a standstill.
All a man really needs for happiness in this world is a good woman, a faithful dog, and a big-a$$ed set of tires on his truck.
__________________________________________________
Ride: 2001 Tundra SR5, 4WD, The Lean Mean Green Machine, Lift, Front: Bilstein 5100 Adjustable Shocks w/ Total Chaos Diff Drop, Lift, Rear: 1" Wheeler's Blocks, Wheels: Chromed Factory 4Runner Rims, 17", Tires: Bridgestone Revos, 285/70R-17, Performance: Unichip, Borla Exhaust, Optima Yellow-top Battery, Flux Capacitor, Interior: Dog Hair on Back Seat, Coffee Stains on Console, Bling: TRD Grille, Westin Nerf Bars, Clear Corners & Eurotails, Debadged, Audio: Scion T1808 Head Unit, Audiovox XM Express, Shark Fin Antenna, Other: Viair 450C compressor, 2.5 Gallon air tank, Kleinn Pro Series 4-Trumpet air horns, Eye Candy: Hottie Wife in Passenger Seat, Security System: Two Very Large Dogs
I just installed 265/70/17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on oem TACOMA TRD/4RUNNER wheels and I have about a 1/2" clearance between the uca and the inside top of the tire. I installed the 5100 bilsteins one notch from the highest lift. Should I put wheel adapters on? If so, what size and where is the best place to buy them? I know theres some on ebay for $70.00 plus shipping. Also, are you running the same in the rear?
I'm running the Marlin Crawler 1.25" wheel adaptors. I also bought new wheels with the correct backspacing. The reason why I got them was to get the "wider" look. So it's not like I'm going the cheap route especially since my wheels alone were $1750. My tires were another $1000. The ones from Marling Crawler also come with longer studs compared to the OEM ones. I measured the wheel adaptor at 1.187". I heard the stock lug studs were only .875". So the wheel adaptors gave me longer studs which mean more thread engangement which equals a more secure wheel. I also check my adaptors every month and they are always snug to 83.5 ft. lbs. I also take my truck off-road and they have held up fine. How could these things be questionable if they are used on off-road rigs that see more flex and stress on parts than our normal daily drivers?
Trust me, if I didn't believe in their strength, then these things would be off my truck and thrown away.
__________________ MTR's and WELD DUNE 6's for sale. PM me for info.
I just installed 265/70/17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on oem TACOMA TRD/4RUNNER wheels and I have about a 1/2" clearance between the uca and the inside top of the tire. I installed the 5100 bilsteins one notch from the highest lift. Should I put wheel adapters on? If so, what size and where is the best place to buy them? I know theres some on ebay for $70.00 plus shipping. Also, are you running the same in the rear?
Thanks in advance!
If you have 1/2" clearance between the UCA and the tire, you should be OK.
Here is an idea. Put a dab of washable white latex paint on the edge of the UCA closest to the tire sidewall, then take it for a spin while the paint is still wet. When you get back home, look and see if any paint rubbed off on to the tire. If not, you are probably OK without spacers/adapters.
Yes, I have adapters on the rear as well; not for clearance, but to keep the front and rear wheel tracks more-or-less equal.
All a man really needs for happiness in this world is a good woman, a faithful dog, and a big-a$$ed set of tires on his truck.
__________________________________________________
Ride: 2001 Tundra SR5, 4WD, The Lean Mean Green Machine, Lift, Front: Bilstein 5100 Adjustable Shocks w/ Total Chaos Diff Drop, Lift, Rear: 1" Wheeler's Blocks, Wheels: Chromed Factory 4Runner Rims, 17", Tires: Bridgestone Revos, 285/70R-17, Performance: Unichip, Borla Exhaust, Optima Yellow-top Battery, Flux Capacitor, Interior: Dog Hair on Back Seat, Coffee Stains on Console, Bling: TRD Grille, Westin Nerf Bars, Clear Corners & Eurotails, Debadged, Audio: Scion T1808 Head Unit, Audiovox XM Express, Shark Fin Antenna, Other: Viair 450C compressor, 2.5 Gallon air tank, Kleinn Pro Series 4-Trumpet air horns, Eye Candy: Hottie Wife in Passenger Seat, Security System: Two Very Large Dogs
Wheel Spacers
I also take my truck off-road and they have held up fine. How could these things be questionable if they are used on off-road rigs that see more flex and stress on parts than our normal daily drivers?
Linear Mode
