Wheel Spacers for JL Rubicon

[72Blazer]

I think it’s a better/safer/cleaner way to go. (Some tire retailers refuse to mount wheels onto a vehicle with spacers. I don’t think the claimed risks are 100% imaginary.)

Better/ safer/ cleaner? Discount balances and rotates my wheels and tires and they recheck the torque specs on the spacers when they do.

Sponsored

 

[Whaler27]

Better/ safer/ cleaner? Discount balances and rotates my wheels and tires and they recheck the torque specs on the spacers when they do.

You’ll note that I said ”some” retailers won’t mount... (Les Schwab Tires for example.)

Google “wheel spacers safe”. You’ll find some, like 4-wheel parts, that will sell some spacers/adaptors, not sell other spacers/adaptors, but are willing to install none. Others claim they are all perfectly safe if properly installed and routinely checked. Some will discuss failure rates, often noting that the spacers that are thinner and machined out of a solid piece of aluminum are stronger than those that are cast and/or thicker. Almost all wIll acknowledge that spacers create greater leverage that accelerates wear on ball joints. Almost all agree the spacers add complexity to a simple wheel-vehicle interface.

You obviously prefer adding wheel spacers to purchasing a wheel with the desired offset. I’ve never known anybody who considered that the superior solution, but I’m not trying to argue you out of your preference. I just prefer to mount my wheels directly to my vehicles without introducing anything between them.

More generally, I often consider the simpler, lower risk, fewer-part solution to be “cleaner”.

I’d never buy recaps either, but I know lots of folks who do it and live to advocate for it as a sensible solution. I respect their right to do that. To each his own, I always say.

 

[72Blazer]

Wall of text

You’ll note my current setup/ situation as was posted earlier. I also don’t make a mention that spacers are superior. I’ve just made a point they’re a good option to the alternative/ budget minded

 

[Zandcwhite]

The increased leverage is obvious, as is the fact that over sized tires also increase leverage and wear. What the "do it right, just buy new wheels with the backspacing you want" crowd seem to either ignore or are actually oblivious to is the FACT that decreased backspacing creates the same leverage increase. It doesn't matter if you run a 1.5" spacer on a factory wheel with 6.2" backspacing or you run a wheel with 4.7" backspacing of the same width. The length of the fulcrum is identical. I see anti-spacer guys running wheels with 3.5" of backspacing harping on a guy with a 2" spacer about ball joint wear and scrub radius? I've never even seen a 2.75" spacer, but that's the leverage equivalent of the "right way" wheel choice. A quality, hub centric wheel spacer, properly installed with locktite and torqued to spec is fine.

 

[Whaler27]

You’ll note my current setup/ situation as was posted earlier. I also don’t make a mention that spacers are superior. I’ve just made a point they’re a good option to the alternative/ budget minded

I understand your position. I never said spacers wouldn’t work. Recaps work too, but they‘re not for me. I’d prefer to work a bit more and buy new tires.

All I said is I think mounting wheels with the desired offset is a better/safer/cleaner solution. Apparently you and Zach disagree — you don’t think wheels with the proper offset is a better (superior) solution. I’m not trying to convince you or Zach. We obviously disagree. I’m good with that! Just giving the OP my .02

 

[Thehammer9899]

I opted not to go down the spacer road and swapped out my stock Rubicon wheels for a set of Venomrex VR501’s that I had already bought. The offset gives it the slightly wider stance I was hoping for. Here are some pics.

 

[WilhelmSR]

I can't speak for spacers on the JL but I ran 1.5" on my JK with 35's for 6 years and wheeled it a lot and never had a problem.

 

[Thehammer9899]

1.5" spacers on our jlur with 37's have been great so far. No more tire rub, steering is fine, ball joints are fine. They've been on for 6 months and about 10k miles. We've run holcomb creek and John Bull with them. I've had 2" spacers on my 2017 rebel on 35's for ~3 years and 60k miles. The truck has towed as heavy as 8k lbs, hauled a 2500lb pallet over 100 miles, been bombed across the mojave desert at 100 mph, and has ~93k total miles on it. Still running the factory ball joints and unit bearing. Good thing I didn't read that there's no way my set up would work and would be a maintenance nightmare on the internet before doing it I guess? A quality hub centric wheel spacer is no worse than running a wheel of the same backspacing. The factory rubicon wheels have a 6" backspacing, the same guys who tell you that the 1.5" wheels spacer will eat ball joints and unit bearings have no problem running wheels with 4.5" backspacing or even less sometimes. It's the same thing.

Thank you for the advice. Great looking Jeep!

 

[JL2021guy]

Do it. Put 1-1/4” spacers on my stock Rubicon wheels and 37” tires

You have profile pic of fender and wheel

 

[Lightguy]

You have profile pic of fender and wheel

WHo's 1.25" spacers - I've been looking everywhere for them.? Did you have to grind down the studs?

 

[gbot520]

1.5" spacers on our jlur with 37's have been great so far. No more tire rub, steering is fine, ball joints are fine. They've been on for 6 months and about 10k miles. We've run holcomb creek and John Bull with them. I've had 2" spacers on my 2017 rebel on 35's for ~3 years and 60k miles. The truck has towed as heavy as 8k lbs, hauled a 2500lb pallet over 100 miles, been bombed across the mojave desert at 100 mph, and has ~93k total miles on it. Still running the factory ball joints and unit bearing. Good thing I didn't read that there's no way my set up would work and would be a maintenance nightmare on the internet before doing it I guess? A quality hub centric wheel spacer is no worse than running a wheel of the same backspacing. The factory rubicon wheels have a 6" backspacing, the same guys who tell you that the 1.5" wheels spacer will eat ball joints and unit bearings have no problem running wheels with 4.5" backspacing or even less sometimes. It's the same thing.

What brand is your 1.5in spacer? Can’t find too many at 1.5

 

[Zandcwhite]

What brand is your 1.5in spacer? Can’t find too many at 1.5

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0896W8MNQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Amazon specials, quality hub centric with grade 12.9 studs. They even came with the blue loctite you should run on a wheel spacer.

 

[c20040215]

What brand is your 1.5in spacer? Can’t find too many at 1.5

https://www.motorsport-tech.com/bora.html

I run 1.25" from this company. Spacers and adaptors are all they do.
They are made to order so you can choose your desired thickness. A bit more expensive but great quality!

 

[JLUSDIEM]

I ran 1.75 spacers on 35’s on my sahara for about a year with no issues before I got new wheels.

 

[JCarlos]

Do it. Put 1-1/4” spacers on my stock Rubicon wheels and 37” tires

Do you remember the brand of your 1 1/4” spacers?

Sponsored