BE CAREFUL if you install wheel spacers

[typehxr1]

I had Spidertraxx 1.25" spacers on all 4 wheels for about 10-12 days. .... installed myself and followed the instructions to a T (proper torque specs, thread locker).

Friday on my way to work with the cruise control set to 80mph, my front drivers side wheel came off. By the grace of God and me not panicking, I was able to come to a stop on the shoulder without hurting myself, someone else, or wrecking my 4Runner. My wheel crossed both southbound lanes I was traveling in, the grassy median, and both northbound lanes before stopping 20 feet of the road in the ditch. The wheel didn't hit anyone either.

Because my vehicle came with new tires when I purchased it used from a Ford dealership, I was not interested in replacing brand new tires with larger ones or buying rims with a different offset. I took the cheap route and installed spacers and the decision could have cost me my life.

Proceed with caution my friends. I hope this post helps someone. Posted pics from tapatalk app for the first time and not sure if I is it right.

 

[Travtaz997]

Holy F.....

Glad I was not on that road with you. But also glad no one was hurt..

 

[morphious]

Thank God everybody is OK!

That said something seems strange, your front hub has NO wheel studs. I can't believe all 6 studs sheared at the rotor, perfectly. What lbs were those lugs torqued to? Were the studs removed and reverse mounted?

 

[typehxr1]

All 6 sheared...frickin' crazy! I didn't touch the stock studs. I can't recall what the specs were to attach the spacer to the stock studs and the the lug nuts to the spacer studs as I do not have the paperwork in front of me, but 90 ft lbs for one and 100 for the other are coming to mind. All lug nuts were still tight and attached to the wheel and spacer on the wheel that came off. Not delaying my purchase of disability insurance any longer...whew!

 

[ghostridr]

Man, that must of been a doozy.... Glad to hear you kept things in control as best you could in that emergency situation. This is the 2nd post I've seen where a member's front driver side wheel broke off due to use of spacers.

Were there any forewarning before the wheel shot off going @ 80mph, like any shaking or odd sounds right before it happened?

I'm glad I took spidertrax spacers off for this exact reason. Too risky for my taste.

 

[typehxr1]

If I would have seen that post, I never would have gotten them. Yes, I did. My tires seemed louder than normal for the given speed. It wasn't very long after that when the wheel broke off. Might have been 2-4 minutes.

 

[typehxr1]

Fwiw, I am having ALL of the existing stick wheel studs replaced as I do not want to risk riding around on them with the stress they have been subjected to. Might want to consider that as well to be safe.

 

[gshadow325]

I am sorry to tell you this but your failure was due to improper installation. Spider trax spacers are hub centric and lug centric. Your lugs were not properly torqued down to the vehicle hub. When the wheel comes off the hub, the vehicles weight ïs now on the lugs. Thus shearing them off. I have a lot of experience with spacers and adapters on other vehicles and I have sold plenty of sets of them too.

Common ways of these failing is the installer puts them on a rusty hub and the spacer does not slide on the hub correctly. It needs to go on smoothly. Not tight, not snug and if it does some sand paper will get the rust off.

Did you file insurance claim?

I send all my cars out torqued to 125ft lbs.

Lucky we are here to even have this discussion!

 

[WXman]

Wow. I've seen these shear off like that on the trail, but that's the first one I've seen do that on the highway.

 

[earthrealm]

wow!..glad u werent hurt!.........pls can u remeber what exactly u did to retain control...would like to have that info incase one finds himself in a similar scenario....(i wish not!)

 

[Brilliant]

Thanks for sharing your experiance. Its easy to install them improperly. Been running spacers for years on my 4runner, and close to 10 years on the car.

 

[zopperman]

Fwiw, I am having ALL of the existing stick wheel studs replaced as I do not want to risk riding around on them with the stress they have been subjected to. Might want to consider that as well to be safe.

I'd also replace a bunch of other parts. I don't know if I'd trust that LCA after that drop, knuckle, rotor, cv etc... Anything visible screwed up?

Glad you're ok but I have to agree with gshadow, looks like you may have messed up the install. Did you use a torque wrench and actually do it to 83 foot pounds? I know the mechanics will often zip them back in with an impact

 

[theliman]

Thanks for sharing your experiance. Its easy to install them improperly. Been running spacers for years on my 4runner, and close to 10 years on the car.

Can you elaborate on some of the common ways to improperly install for those of us who will be installing soon?

 

[A_HuL]

One thing i can add to the people about to install spacers is after a couple of days, take your wheels off and make sure everything is still tight to make sure they were properly installed. OP glad your okay man i would have freaked out.

 

[S p a r k y]

Glad you and everyone are ok. Thanks for posting, this will help some of us atleast check to make sure ours are still on good. Everyone, don't forget loctite as well!

 

[chmura]

I'm glad you are okay, that must have been a scary movement!

I'm not to found of spacers myself.

Glad I bought the 2013 4runner TE wheels as these wheels have a better offset than the standard 4th gen wheels. Thus not needing any spacers.

I would recommend you doing the same get a new set of wheels from the FJ Cruiser of 5th Gen 4runner. No spacers needed!

 

[gshadow325]

Can you elaborate on some of the common ways to improperly install for those of us who will be installing soon?

i know i certainly can.

Here is my convertible rocking 19x9.5" front, 19x 11.5 rears Volk Racing 2piece forged wheels meant for a porsche 997


here are the spacers i currently have in stock. My personal stash at home for my own cars.


spidertrax are made hub centric and lug centric.
-spidertrax spacers need to go onto your factory hubs smoothly with no binding
-binding usually occurs at the center part like in the picture below outlined in red.
-spacers/adapters need to be torqued to min 90ft lbs, i personally do mine to 125ft lbs



-spacers/adapters need to sit flush with the brake rotor hub
-spacer/adapters need to be retorqued after 100 miles
-depending on the adapter, proper lug nuts need to be used. if its a cone seat or ball seat, the right lug needs to be used.

here is my convetible with spacers/adapters on it


or the best way to protect yourself.

Dont DIY, but the product from a retailer and have that same retailer install it for you. Get a reciept stating the work performed for your records. Something happens in the next few hundred miles, you have accountability.

 

[theliman]

or the best way to protect yourself.

Dont DIY, but the product from a retailer and have that same retailer install it for you. Get a reciept stating the work performed for your records. Something happens in the next few hundred miles, you have accountability.

might go this route. love the look of the stock wheels, and getting lost in trying to figure out a replacement. spidertrax still seem solid if properly installed.

thinking about accountability though, seems like they could dodge it by claiming the product is only intended for off-road use?

 

[theliman]

I'm still not exactly sure what happened here. Assuming that the spacer is a high-quality product and will not just "break," I don't see how the spacer/wheel combo is any more likely to come off than if only the wheel was on the stock hub.

Doesn't the spacer install onto the hub exactly as the wheel would? Why did the spacer come off? (and what would have been different about a wheel installed directly on the hub?)

 

[shadow247]

might go this route. love the look of the stock wheels, and getting lost in trying to figure out a replacement. spidertrax still seem solid if properly installed.

thinking about accountability though, seems like they could dodge it by claiming the product is only intended for off-road use?

This is how they will get out of any lawsuit, but if you can prove gross negligence, that generally goes out the window.