Your thoughts on wheel spacers

[OlympiaFJ60]

I like them, and use them. They aren't any different than more backspacing. Get a good quality set, keep them as thin as possible. You can run 1" on the 60 series with stock wheel studs and not have to trim the studs. I have been running the 1" with tacoma steal wheels without a problem.

 

[redthies]

Seems like most people have the same opinion. Having had spacers on my 03 Tundra with 6" lift and 35s, and having had said spacers (VERY high quality 7076T1 hubcentric made by local engineering firm...) leave the vehicle while pulling my loaded toy hauler through the redwoods in norcal, I would say, stay the hell away from them. A set of wheels is a lot cheaper than what I went through.

 

[SimonInAustralia]

From a handling/performance point of view the ideal set up is slightly wider in the front than the rear. I'm fairly certain that this is why the GM trucks were set up this way.

What are the benefits? Better tracking when in a dynamic situation (i.e. accident avoidance or a slalom type of maneuver). To get a feel for this, think about a kid's tricycle. Quite unstable at any appeciable speed. Reverse it so that the two wheels are in the front and a single trailing wheel. Stable.

Supposably also better in soft sand, so the rear wheel is following in the track of the front wheel.

 

[Box Rocket]

From a handling/performance point of view the ideal set up is slightly wider in the front than the rear. I'm fairly certain that this is why the GM trucks were set up this way.

Now that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. GM and handling/performance should NEVER be used in the same sentence. Period.


As for the spacers, its definitely a better route to go with different wheels to get the wider stance. But if a spacer is used, be sure to use ones that (as others have pointed out) have their own lugs and use the original lugs to attach the spacer. And be in a habit of re-torq-ing the lug nuts regularly.

 

[Root Moose]

Now that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. GM and handling/performance should NEVER be used in the same sentence. Period.

LOL

I was wondering if anyone was going to pick at that.

GM does a lot of research into vehicle dynamics. It's just that the bean counters never let the engineers doing things properly I think. It was a real eye opener reading "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics" by Milliken and Milliken. What, GM has been doing all this research for eons and they still produce those cars!? Nutty.

 

[RHINO]

i hear the arguement about increased bearing load from spacers, but rarely hear it about offset wheels. its all the same, doesnt matter how you do it from the bearings point of view.

having said that i prefer offset wheels to spacers just cause i dont like ADDING, bolts, nuts and aluminum in the mix, keep it simple. i run offset rims and need to change my trunnion bearings every couple years,, but so far the wheel bearings have been up to the task.