5/16" wheel spacer

[theSpoon]

does anyone see any problem with using a 5/16" wheel spacer on the rear axel without getting longer bolts? i don't plan on doing any 4 wheeling but the roads around here are pretty bumpy. the package said as long as 1/2in of the thread is on the lugs it will be fine, I measured it and it looks pretty close to 1/2in thread then again I don't want to have a break down involving the rear lugs/bolts/rims.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

What's the reason for the spacers?

 

[theSpoon]

no specific reason, i'm just fine without them but I got them for pretty much nothing. their on there now and i just drove like 5 miles with them on and it seems fine, I just don't know if theres a problem with prolonged use its a pretty close fit.

 

[Electrohacker]

then why not just get longer wheel studs? if they seem close it sounds like cheap insurance

the wheel spacers could help stability

 

[danwaters]

I ran 3/16 inch spacers in the front of mine while I still had stock wheels. When you put Fabtech lift spindles on they elivate the tie road enough to contact the 15in stock offset wheel. I thought I barely had enough thread left on the studs. I guess as long as you continue to check on them theyll be ok. What is the reason for the spacers. its not even an inch of width total?

 

[theSpoon]

theres no real reason for the spacers, I just got them for almost nothing so I figured i'd stick them on the rear. If I do go with longer studs I'll probably want to space them out further for stability, I do plan to upgrade to 33's or 35's this summer so I may have to space them out. I have cragar black 15in wheels with D holes on her, and I've been checking the lugs almost every time I get in or out of the car and they seem to be fine.
I'll probably look into getting longer studs and larger spacers when I lift and run larger tires. I don't really know much about replacing the studs they seem to be pressed into the hub so replacing them is going to take a bit of searching.

 

[Electrohacker]

they are pressed but hey knock out with a BFH

any auto parts store will carry them

to reinstall all you have to do is draw them into the hub with a nut

 

[danwaters]

Exactly. You can hit them out with a hammer no problem after spraying some penetrating lube on them depending on how old the truck is and the condition of the hubs. And as Elektrohacker said, you just suck them in with a wheel nut

 

[theSpoon]

and I would guess they're not very expensive then? Next chance I get ill go down and buy some. they don't really have to be longer than the stock bolts just threaded all the way to the end, theres that last bit of it where its not threaded and thats sitting just about flush with the lugs.

should 5/16" wheel spacers make a noticeable difference? whats a good size spacer to gain more stability, especially while cornering? I'm just doing the rear right now and I may go with enough spacing to push the tire to the edge of the fender.

 

[techboj]

You said you didn't need them to start with --- so why use them at all?

5/16 is just a little over 1/4 of an inch on either side and I don't see any advantage at all. If you were having some fitment issues or rubbing and as a last resort - then maybe. But as it currently stands, even if you got them fro practically nothing, why bother going through the expense and hassle of changing out lugs. Changing the lugs would cost more time and money than the spacers themselves.

If you intend to change or upgrade to bigger tires later on, then it's better to do it properly -- and that is by using a correct offset wheel. Going to 33 or 35 if using the stock wheel may involve more than just a quarter inch spacer for clearance (depending on the tire)

There was another poster who asked a similar question only a few days ago.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273224. I think she was intending to do the same as you. (Just move the rear wheels outward a bit more). Although her idea of spacers are those that came with their own lug bolts and attaches using the original lugs nuts, rather than just being "sandwiched" between the wheel and hub/rotor face

 

[KPSquared]

Putting the spacers on makes NO sense... Now your going to spend money and time so you can use something that has no purpose that you got for free...

It's like finding a key on the street then going and trying to buy a truck to match because the key was free and you need to use it.

Either way, if you feel you need to continue using them, and you're not sure that the current studs are long enough, then go buy new studs, hammer the old ones out and get safe. Not enough thread could spell disaster for you and someone else on the road...

Like the previous post says, if you have to use spacers, at least get the kind that bolt on with their own lugs. Either way, they are illegal to run where I live...