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I've read a bunch of threads at Pirate4X4 and other sites - most think they are okay as long as they are the steel spacers, and not the aluminum. They actually came stock on some motorhomes.
The reason I am considering these is that I have reduced my turning radius by going with bigger tires (12.50 wide on 4.75" backspacing on a 8.5 wide rim). My tires were hitting the leaf springs in hard turns. I had to remove the stock steering stops and install longer stop bolts. I could live with what i have now, but it would be nice to have a smaller turning radius.
My concern is that the front wheel track would be 2" wider than stock. EDIT: Actually would be 1" (1/2" per side). Would this even be noticeable when driving? As you know the front track is already wider than the back in stock configuration.
I have an F250 (8 lug). What do you guys think? Anyone using spacers now?
Subscribed. I, too, have the tires hitting the frame.
But, I think you mean you've increased your turning radius, rather than decreased it.
Thanks for the correction.
I've been reading about these spacers for a while now. Other than the cost, I don't see (and have not read about) any problems with using a short spacer (under 2").
The concerns/comments some have over putting more load on the outer wheel bearing from using a spacer is not really an issue since the 4.75" backspacing on my new wheels moves the center-line of the wheel inward (a 4.5" backspace would equal a 0 offset with these wheels), and the spacer just moves it back toward the outside (although it would still be 1/2" more outward than stock). But the F250 has plenty strong enough bearings so this is not a concern.
Ideally, one would use the same size spacers front and back to keep the factory tire "tracking ratio" the same - but I'm not sure that even matters when the change is only 1" or 1-1/4".
Might make sure they were made specifically for Ford applications. Fords are different from other brands in that their wheels are hub-centric instead of lug centric. That means Fords depend on the flare of the hub to keep the wheel centered and from wobbling. If you don't use a spacer with a flare, you will have problems later.
Here's a picture for you:
See the space between the wheel and the hub on the non-hub-centric image?
The spacers I'm looking at (link in first post) are both hub-centric and lug-centric according the website.
But I'm glad you brought this up. I was not concerned or looking at the center bore specs of my new wheels before your post.
I just looked it up - I have (Method Racing Wheels, model "304 Double Standard") that have a center bore of 131 mm (5.159"). The spacers I'm looking at have a center hub of 4.885" (124.08 mm). So they will not fit properly (at least the center hub size will not support/center my wheels). I need to call the spacer company and see if they have spacers with a center bore that matches my wheel size (or look elsewhere) or just rely on a lug-centric fit.
They said they can machine the spacer to the correct size to match my wheel center bore - no extra cost.
Having hub-centric mouting is a good idea for these oversize/heavy tires. So for the front that make sense.
Thinking about the rear - I wounder how/if I would be able to the use the "center cap" (that plastic chrome cover that fits in the wheel's center, if I also had hub-centric mounting. Would the wheel's center cap still fit. Mine go in from the back and are just held in by friction, rather than having the screws in the front like a stock steel wheel might have. I'm not planning on doing spacers on the rear now -so moot question.
I know I'm new to the site but I have experience with this. My father owned a 1969 Oldsmobile Delta 88 years ago and he put wheel spacers / bolt pattern adapters on it so he could mount 5x4 3/4 lug wheels on it instead of the stock 5x5 lug wheels. A few weeks after he mounted the new wheels one of the spacers worked loose while he was driving down the road and his car ground to a screeching halt. Thankfully he was only going about 35 mph.
This wasn't due to improper torque or improper use, my father and I are both mechanically savvy. It was due to the fact that wheel spacers are a bad idea.
If you are rubbing your tires on your suspension then your tires are too big. Lift your truck properly or go to a smaller wheel/tire size and you will be golden.
I suspect your father was using "aluminum" spacers and not "steel". I have read stories like yours about aluminum.
There are a lot of guys running steel spacers on their 4x4s (go to Pirate4x4.com and search for "wheel spacer") that really pound their trucks and have not reported any problems.
Yes my tires are too big (37 x 12.50) - my truck is lifted properly. But I should have bought wheels with less backspacing. But that bridge has been crossed.
There are a lot of guys running steel spacers on their 4x4s (go to Pirate4x4.com and search for "wheel spacer") that really pound their trucks and have not reported any problems.
Yes my tires are too big (37 x 12.50) - my truck is lifted properly.
Cool, I didn't know they were commonly used on trucks.
Sorry, I didn't even notice that your truck was lifted. I didn't mean to imply that you did it haphazardly.
If you decide to use wheels pacers at least get well rated ones and make sure you install them per the manufacturer's instructions with a torque wrench.
If you decide to use wheels pacers at least get well rated ones and make sure you install them per the manufacturer's instructions with a torque wrench.
Might make sure they were made specifically for Ford applications. Fords are different from other brands in that their wheels are hub-centric instead of lug centric. That means Fords depend on the flare of the hub to keep the wheel centered and from wobbling. If you don't use a spacer with a flare, you will have problems later....
How true is that really? Modern hub-centric wheels use flat lug nuts that just clamp the wheel axially and do nothing to center the wheel. Older Fords use tapered lug nuts that fit in tapered holes in the wheel which seem to do a very good job of centering the wheel, just like all lug-centric applications. Yes the hub is also a tighter clearance, but that seems more like a belt-and-suspenders deal than saying that old Fords aren't lug-centric.
Anecdotally, when I bought my Bronco it had "Jeep" wheels which cleared the hubs by a lot. No idea how long they had been on there, but everything still looked good. And I had "Jeep" steel wheels on my '95 F-150 for close to 100K miles. The tapers in the wheels still looked good when I sold that.
I know that a couple of success stories don't mean it's not an issue. But saying that old Fords aren't lug-centric isn't completely true.
Are the studs you have now long enough to "experiment" and see if the small amount you are going to move the tire is going to have any noticeable benefit? I am thinking you could jack the front of the truck up, put some large nuts or something to act as spacers and then lightly tighten that up with your lugs and the few threads you have left. Then leaving the wheel off the ground go in and turn the wheel to see how much you get out of it. You will probably have to take the other side tire/wheel off so it would not hit and mess up your experiment.
That's a good idea. I'll try that this weekend. But I don't think I have much extra stud. My aluminum wheels are rather thick. But I won't be driving on it, so I just need enough meat to get a lug nut on to hold the tire firmly in place while I swing it side to side.
I tried to "rep" you, Franklin2, for the excellent suggestion [he could actually use lug nuts from the rear wheels as spacers], but was told to "spread the love".
Thanks.
