1st gen steelies on 3rd gen 4Runner.. Is it possible?

[jmcn]

Hello all, still new to the forum but am slowly figuring this out... Yay!

Anyways, I've always loved the look of 1st gen pickup/4runner steel wheels and bought a set for cheap to try on my 3rd gen 4runner. When I test fitted the old style wheel on the front, I found I had a clearance issue with my caliper... Not much more than a few mm. My truck currently has stock 15" steel wheels on it already so I didn't expect any rubbing. Has anyone else tried a swap like this? Maybe with 2nd gen 4runner wheels on a 3rd gen or something like that? The possible solutions in my mind are: mild wheel spacers to offset the backspacing, or VERY slight grinding of the caliper.. Perhaps both.
Any thoughts are welcome!
Thanks!

Here's what the wheels I bought look like:

 

[audiness]

wheel spacers?

 

[KidVermicious]

Take a flap wheel to the caliper. Much safer than wheel spacers.

 

[jmcn]

Thanks for the feedback. I test fitted a 1/4 inch wheel spacer I had laying around today and that solved the problem. Is 1/4 enough to cause issues?

 

[White 4x4runner]

Take a flap wheel to the caliper. Much safer than wheel spacers.

Please explain why you believe wheel spacers are so dangerous.

 

[KidVermicious]

Please explain why you believe wheel spacers are so dangerous.

Don't put words in my mouth and don't be a confrontational prick. If the fifty million threads we've already had on the subject aren't enough to convince you that wheel spacers are riskier than no wheel spacers, then I couldn't help you even if I wanted to.

jmcn, guys that get too defensive about their trucks like White 4x4runner here will tell you that spacers are perfectly safe. In reality, it's a simple fact of physics that pushing your wheel farther out on the lug studs increases the leverage applied by the wheel mating surface to the studs and ball joints, leading to higher stresses. "Hub adapter" style spacers like Spidertrax don't stress the studs the same way but they will still increase your scrub radius and put higher stresses on your ball joints. A wheel with more backspace will also stress the ball joints, but without the added point of possible failure of a spacer.

Anybody who tells you spacers aren't any riskier than a stock setup is just plain ignorant and should be ignored. The real question is "are the benefits worth the risk", and that's going to have a different answer for everybody. Personally, I would not run a simple disk style spacer like you've got. I would and do run a hub adapter spacer on my fronts, but I don't lie to myself that it's perfectly safe either - it's a temporary measure until I get around to widening my front axle.

So it's your call. Lots of guys run those disk spacers with no trouble at all, and it's likely that you could do the same and never ever see your front wheel passing you on the interstate. But you could also clearance your caliper instead of running the spacer and do without the added risk completely.

 

[White 4x4runner]

i havent looked threw any of those threads about why to not use spacers. and seriously? a "confrontational prick" yeah i may have put words in your mouth but i didnt start off with calling you names or and crap like that. your being the prick by callin me a prick. i dont run spacers on my runner because i have no need. i do have 1'' ebay spacers on my volvo and no ive never had a single facking issue with them. and yes i abuse the hell out of the car everytime i get in it. wether it be autox, drift or just driving a mountain. so on the street. i see zero issue with wheel spacers. as far as off road. i have no idea because i dont have experience with them all i do know is its a different kind of abuse they would see so who knows. on a 4runner they may not be the smartest idea. so if you wanna be a tough guy and try starting shit then just go **** yourself man. i simply asked in different words why you disagree with using them.

Don't put words in my mouth and don't be a confrontational prick. If the fifty million threads we've already had on the subject aren't enough to convince you that wheel spacers are riskier than no wheel spacers, then I couldn't help you even if I wanted to.

jmcn, guys that get too defensive about their trucks like White 4x4runner here will tell you that spacers are perfectly safe. In reality, it's a simple fact of physics that pushing your wheel farther out on the lug studs increases the leverage applied by the wheel mating surface to the studs and ball joints, leading to higher stresses. "Hub adapter" style spacers like Spidertrax don't stress the studs the same way but they will still increase your scrub radius and put higher stresses on your ball joints. A wheel with more backspace will also stress the ball joints, but without the added point of possible failure of a spacer.

Anybody who tells you spacers aren't any riskier than a stock setup is just plain ignorant and should be ignored. The real question is "are the benefits worth the risk", and that's going to have a different answer for everybody. Personally, I would not run a simple disk style spacer like you've got. I would and do run a hub adapter spacer on my fronts, but I don't lie to myself that it's perfectly safe either - it's a temporary measure until I get around to widening my front axle.

So it's your call. Lots of guys run those disk spacers with no trouble at all, and it's likely that you could do the same and never ever see your front wheel passing you on the interstate. But you could also clearance your caliper instead of running the spacer and do without the added risk completely.

 

[GhostRing]

*rummage rummage* where did I put that Ron Burgandy meme...?

 

[steezemcqueen]

Don't put words in my mouth and don't be a confrontational prick. If the fifty million threads we've already had on the subject aren't enough to convince you that wheel spacers are riskier than no wheel spacers, then I couldn't help you even if I wanted to.

jmcn, guys that get too defensive about their trucks like White 4x4runner here will tell you that spacers are perfectly safe. In reality, it's a simple fact of physics that pushing your wheel farther out on the lug studs increases the leverage applied by the wheel mating surface to the studs and ball joints, leading to higher stresses. "Hub adapter" style spacers like Spidertrax don't stress the studs the same way but they will still increase your scrub radius and put higher stresses on your ball joints. A wheel with more backspace will also stress the ball joints, but without the added point of possible failure of a spacer.

Anybody who tells you spacers aren't any riskier than a stock setup is just plain ignorant and should be ignored. The real question is "are the benefits worth the risk", and that's going to have a different answer for everybody. Personally, I would not run a simple disk style spacer like you've got. I would and do run a hub adapter spacer on my fronts, but I don't lie to myself that it's perfectly safe either - it's a temporary measure until I get around to widening my front axle.

So it's your call. Lots of guys run those disk spacers with no trouble at all, and it's likely that you could do the same and never ever see your front wheel passing you on the interstate. But you could also clearance your caliper instead of running the spacer and do without the added risk completely.

i havent looked threw any of those threads about why to not use spacers. and seriously? a "confrontational prick" yeah i may have put words in your mouth but i didnt start off with calling you names or and crap like that. your being the prick by callin me a prick. i dont run spacers on my runner because i have no need. i do have 1'' ebay spacers on my volvo and no ive never had a single facking issue with them. and yes i abuse the hell out of the car everytime i get in it. wether it be autox, drift or just driving a mountain. so on the street. i see zero issue with wheel spacers. as far as off road. i have no idea because i dont have experience with them all i do know is its a different kind of abuse they would see so who knows. on a 4runner they may not be the smartest idea. so if you wanna be a tough guy and try starting shit then just go **** yourself man. i simply asked in different words why you disagree with using them.

Both of you chill out. This is your warning.

 

[White 4x4runner]

Ok party pooper

Both of you chill out. This is your warning.

 

[BlackCat914]

Both of you chill out. This is your warning.

YA! Lets send them to the principals office!

 

[Steve240]

Nothing wrong with higher stress as long as it's below the yield of the studs.

 

[hungryeddy]

t4r.org is becoming YT reaaaaaal fast

 

[jmcn]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I think I'll give some trimming a go and see if I can't make it work that way, just to be on the safe side. From what I see, spacers as mild as the ones I have will not really present a serious issue. I appreciate the points that KidVermicious made in that respect.

It sucks we had to argue about it so intensely though.

 

[White 4x4runner]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I think I'll give some trimming a go and see if I can't make it work that way, just to be on the safe side. From what I see, spacers as mild as the ones I have will not really present a serious issue. I appreciate the points that KidVermicious made in that respect.

It sucks we had to argue about it so intensely though.

Dunno if you watch the show boondocks but all it was was a "nigga moment"