285/70/17 Wheel Spacers Needed?
 

Ok guys, a little help if you don't mind. I have read so many threads regarding tire sizes, wheel spacers needed, wheel spacers not needed, 275's vs 285's, staying stock.....my mind is spinning. I had started a thread a few weeks ago about getting new coil springs and shocks which I have now. I was wanting to run a 285/70/17 and was told I was going to need wheel spacers. Well, like I said I have found so many posts where guys say they are running wheel spacers and others say they aren't with the 285's with everything from no rub to body chops and minimal fender liner moves. I'm thinking that I should probably get them but there is so much information that contradicts each other that I'm not sure. Thanks in advance guys. I appreciate any input.

I did not require wheel spacers to go from stock size to 285/70/17s on my TE with aftermarket UCAs. If anyone needed them it may have been to prevent rubbing on the stock UCA, but spacers will create rubbing on the fender liner and possibly the body mount if you don't have aftermarket UCAs that allow you to set the caster outside of spec.

You don't need them.

Exactly!

You probably will need to do something - aftermarket UCA's w/ additional adjustment or wheel spacers/trim/BMC.

Sometimes people get aftermarket UCA's w/ the additional adjustment AND they use spacers or get aftermarket rims w/ more backspacing, then they need to trim/BMC even though they got the UCA's.

David

They're certainly not mandatory, same as the other quality replies in this thread suggest.
However, I choose to run spacers(all pro 1.25") for two reasons:
1. I went with a 285 tire on my stock wheels with the deeper 4.5" backspacing which sits the tires pretty far inward. After install I had only ~.5" of clearance between the side biters and the edge of my after market LR UCA's (installed to help bring the wheels forward to prevent rubbing in the fender well), and I just wasn't comfortable with that. The wheel spacers obviously increase that clearance to ~2".
2. I really like the wider stance that the spacers give.

I am definitely going to be keeping the stock wheels. Looks like it's going to be the UCA's which I was planning on getting anyway. I have been looking at the Camburg's but not sure which ones yet. As I'm sure most of you know there are quite a few options so I'm just going to ahve to nail one down and go with it. I have been using Wheelers Offroad so I will be going back to them for these as well. Thanks as always guys, great group of people here always helping others out. Thanks again.

I would think spacers with stock wheels will give you more rubbing issues than without. I did a detailed post about this replete with diagrams awhile back but can't find it right now...

1engineer - I should have been more specific with my reply. I will be keeping the stock wheels, getting the UCA's, but no spacers at this point. In my mind I thought that the spacers would cause more rubbing than without. But that was the reason for my original question since there is so much information out that can be contradictory. It's a slow process but I hope to have everything installed in the next two months or so. Again, thanks to everybody for all of the great information and input.

Yeah, definitely try running without the spacers first. I think it is a difference between the SR5 and the TE as I ran my stock TE wheels for over a year on 285s without rubbing the UCA through a lot of interesting trails. I only added the Spidertrax to get a better stance and wear out my wheel bearings faster :D

you'll be fine without spacers. i have the oem uca and the same tire size. juts gotta move the front of the fender liner outward a little bit and VOILA no more rubbing.. but i want spacers to push my wheels out more. from the information i've gathered i'll probably have to do the body mount chop and maybe do a little more tucking away of the front area of the fender liners.

uca's are on the list in time. protection was mandatory for me so i bought sliders first and would like to have some skids before i swap out my spacer lift up front for a coilover setup with uca at the same time. Hope this helps!

on a side note.. i juts put on a used set of 1.25" spacers on my stock wheels with 285 duratracs and i'm now getting a HORRIBLE wobble from 45-70.. any ideas? i lightly sanded down the back side of the spacers to remove any rust build up that was on there.. and i didn't necessarily over tighten any lugs over the others.. the guy who had them before me (friend) said they were fine on his Landcruiser

Okay...little confused...just to get it straight...if I have a lifted 4runner with aftermarket UCA's...i'm clear to throw on some 285's on the stock 2015 trail wheels with no issues?!?!

In theory yes , every tire has a different profile . The more square type tire ie KOs & the like could possibly . With wheel spacers most likely , wheel spacers are mounted on the hub causing your tire to move out of the well and rub on rubber or plastic . Stock wheels mount a little more inside so alot of us like the wider stance (me) and like 1engineer & intruder said wear wheel bearings faster .Hope that muddies it up more .

I'm running 285 Toyo Open Country ATII tires on stock '14 wheels on an Icon stage 2 suspension with the tubular UCA's without any spacers. I have zero issues with rubbing. I did remove the front mud flaps and move the inner fender liners before the lift/tires as preventative measure though.

I'm not a big fan of the protruding wheels look, so I wanted to avoid spacers.