Rear wheel spacers?

[Bronco bobby]

I am looking for info on spacers for the rear wheels to make the width the same as the front. My van is an 09 Ford E350. I need 1 1/2" to 2" each side. I ordered some from Roughcountry and they did not fit. Does anyone have a part number or reputable company that sells them?

 

[desertspeed]

There's a company in the inland empire (Corona maybe??) that makes really high quality aluminum spacers, which I would strongly recommend over steel (lighter weight, corrosion resistant). They can make them both lug and hub centric.

Let me see if I can find the name of the company- I ordered some from them several years ago.

Edit- Not the company I was thinking of, but these come recommended:

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/wheel_adapters.html

 

[djbonsu]

Chris from Ujoint also sells these spacers. Check out his website.

 

[Bronco bobby]

I was just on the ujoint site. Some people swear by steel and others like the aluminum. Decisions decisions.

 

[ujoint]

Steel is better, less chance of the studs stripping and they're stronger. Ours are machined billet steel.

 

[tgreening]

I make a living repairing heavy steel and I will say this. If my butt is depending on the strength of something whose size is fairly fixed, I will take steel every time. To me wheel studs pressed into a 2" thick chunk of steel gives me way more warm fuzzies than being preesed into a 2" chunk of aluminum.

What are your hubs? Steel. Steel and aluminum do not mix. It will degrade from the contact. If you are concerned about corrosion have the spacers powder coated. I did.

Generally the rear end is narrower for a reason. Unless you've swapped in a rear end that is way narrower than the factory i'd leave it be. At best I'd bring the rear to within an inch per side of the front width, and call it a day. Spacers are best kept to as little as you can get away with.

 

[ujoint]

All good points. The main reason that you most commonly see 2" spacers is so the factory studs don't need to be trimmed.

 

[desertspeed]

I make a living repairing heavy steel and I will say this. If my butt is depending on the strength of something whose size is fairly fixed, I will take steel every time. To me wheel studs pressed into a 2" thick chunk of steel gives me way more warm fuzzies than being preesed into a 2" chunk of aluminum.

What are your hubs? Steel. Steel and aluminum do not mix. It will degrade from the contact. If you are concerned about corrosion have the spacers powder coated. I did.

Generally the rear end is narrower for a reason. Unless you've swapped in a rear end that is way narrower than the factory i'd leave it be. At best I'd bring the rear to within an inch per side of the front width, and call it a day. Spacers are best kept to as little as you can get away with.

I, and many others, have used aluminum spacers on vehicles that will see way, way more abuse than any of our vans without issues for years. You will bend the axle, break an axle shaft (on a non-floater), or break a wheel before ever doing any damage to a quality aluminum spacer.

Absolutely correct on the spacing, rear should be 1-2" narrower than the front.

 

[tgreening]

All good points. The main reason that you most commonly see 2" spacers is so the factory studs don't need to be trimmed.

I can't remember the spacers I bought off hand, but it was either 2" or 2 1/2". At least they were supposed to be, I never actually checked, but whatever they were I still had to take a cut off wheel to all the studs and whack off (giggity) about a 1/4" or so. Didnt learn that till after I scratched up one of me freshly powder coated rims. Such is life. From a 1992 Wheeled Coach with to the best of my knowledge D70. Just fyi and all.

I did a bunch of measuring and guess-timating on the spacer size, wanting to go as little as possible and still get the axle where I wanted it, and in the end figured I could have used about an inch less and still been happy.

 

[Bronco bobby]

Ujoint:
Do you have the spacers in stock (2009 E350 passenger with stock bolt pattern) or is it something you have to get machined? And I would be curious about price if you don't mind posting, otherwise I could call.

 

[ujoint]

We make to order since there are a few variables. They usually ship in 1-2 days though. Price is $349 plus a little freight.

 

[Bronco bobby]

Thanks ujoint

 

[RickM]

Does anyone know the thread pattern of the E350? I have a 2013 btw but I think it is 9/16, not metric like the F series trucks.

 

[Arctic Travelller]

Why narrower in the rear?

Absolutely correct on the spacing, rear should be 1-2" narrower than the front.

Could someone explain to me why that is? Thanks....................

 

[stormlover]

Could someone explain to me why that is? Thanks....................

As I understand it, it's a tracking issue. In a turn the rear wheels roll in a smaller arc. It put's less stress on the drivetrain and makes turning easier. I would think it would be even more exacerbated with a Detroit Locker.