Your Experience with Spacers

I used spacers on my jeep for two years of hard wheeling and mudding. Never had a problem. Torque em on and use some blue loctite and your good to go.

 

Well that's the cost of modifying a truck.

 

I bought non overpriced wheel spacers and they have been fine.
I don't wheel on a regular basis but no issues yet.
Maybe I will take them off to inspect them.

 

The risks from mounting spacers are mostly limited to the spacer itself, adding additional studs and nuts adds potential failure points if not maintained and properly installed. If the studs are of low grade metal then there is a greater risk of shearing them off during use or install/uninstall. Other "risks" are that they aren't centric in some way and allow the wheel to rotate out of balance, but that should be noticeable.

Beyond that, in regards to wheel bearings as already stated, there is no appreciable mechanical difference in running spacers than in running a wheel with a matching offset. Ask all the guys running SCS wheels about their "guaranteed" wheel bearing failures, all of the SCS wheels push the wheels out approximately 1" over stock or more. Spacers are no different than having a deeper mounting surface on a wheel. I know the reasoning behind why people guarantee failure with spacers but its been shown time after time to not be the case. There are greater risks to your wheel bearings occurring when you decide to run tires 20+lbs heavier than stock and when you wheel your truck routinely.

OP, go with Spidertrax or BORA. Spidertrax will get you 1.25", if you want a specific offset, from .75" to 2" go with BORA. There's enough people running them w/o failure to feel safe in those choices.

 

https://youtu.be/20ADh8nm0wc

 

I've run wheel spacers on several different vehicles over the years and have not replaced one wheel bearing because of a spacer.

 

You sure you're trolling the right forum?

 

Cant watch the video since Im at work, but I see Scotty Kilmer in the image. Not really someone I would take advice from, as a mechanic myself.

Quick read if you're bored:
https://jalopnik.com/this-emmy-award-winning-youtube-mechanic-is-full-of-shi-1696524549

 

"It's basically the cheap way of modifying the suspension system on your car."

I had to stop the video after that one there. This isn't modifying suspension at all.

 

I ran wheel spacers on my 04 Chevy Trailblazer for years, still has the factory hubs installed, I've blown the transmission 3 times, broke more CV axles than I care to count and bounced it off rocks and trees and destroyed the front differential. But wheel spacers have never caused me one issue. Now that I'll be wheeling my Taco it will need some too. I doubt I'll be as rough on it as I was the Chevy, it gets expensive.

 

Are you sure they wernt the cause of the blown tranny, I mean come on 3 times and you never thought to remove the spacers?

 

That guy is full of crap.

 

Spacers really don't add and real stress to the drive line, so many other parts weaker that would fail first. Hauling heavy loads, running though deep mud and over rocks cooked the transmission. The 4L60E isn't known as a beefy transmission to begin with, great for what it was designed for but I played a little harder than it was meant to handle, should have upgraded it but I had it rebuilt for a decent price so I just went that way.

 

Sarcasm, just messing with you, and satirizing the typical responses we get on the forums for these kind of things.

 

Had them. BORA 1.25 for about 5 weeks. Really wanted to give the truck a more aggressive stance while I shopped around for a wheel and tire deal. Never had issues. Now that I got my wheels and tires I will be selling my set on here shortly once I take some pics. But honestly, having the spacers always made me feel a little uneasy. I always kept checking to make sure they didnt come loose and when driving long distance I would have this bad feeling in the back of my mind that something bad can happen and Ill lose a wheel going 70mph. I know, stupid, but that feeling never went away.

 

Not really any different than the wheel lugs. They should be checked routinely though, also like wheel lugs.

 

People are going to tell you that your wheel bearings are going to fail because of changes in angles, etc. But typically, those same people will say that running an aftermarket wheel with a different offset or back spacing than the stock wheel is just fine. These both have the same effect on angles and force on steering/axle components. Many people have run spacers successfully with no issues, both on road and off road - on Tacomas, as well as other vehicles. Can/will it wear out some components faster than stock wheels with no spacers? Sure - maybe. It is going to grenade on you right away? No. I ran spacer for 10k miles before getting aftermarket wheels with an offset that accomplished the same thing. 17k miles now and nothing has fallen apart yet. Might I have some kind of issue sooner now? Quite possibly - but I doubt I'll have an issue (knock on wood) anytime SOON. Am I willing to go that route for the look/function that I want - yes.

 

If you keep mashing that pedal on the left you will eventually have to change those pads that make you stop. LOL

I have used spider traxx spacers on a trail jeep for like 10 years now, and on my Tacoma for about 30,000 miles now. There has been no abnormal wear in either vehicle so far, but I imagine that all wheel bearings will need to be replaced eventually... spacers or not.

 

Bwaaaahahahaaha!

 

That 4L60E is TRASH! I put 3 in my Silverado. Always wanted the 80.