Spacers and Tire Shop OMG!

[4RunnerB4]

I installed my 3/2 lift last weekend. I went to the tire shop to install my 285/70R17 BFG A/T w/stock wheels today. I did NOT mod the wheel wells/mud flaps because I wanted to see what was rubbing to see how best to tackle it.

The tire shop removed my front wheels and FREAKED when they saw my spacers. They did mount the front wheels with the 285s and informed me I was rubbing (which I expected) BUT they flat refused to install the tires because of the spacers. After 4 hours at the tire place I went home empty handed.

Can I remove the spacers/do the fender well mods and go back or is this a waste of time??? HELP.... I paid for my tires and they are still at the tire shop.

 

[Casper421]

Take the spacers off, get tires installed then reinstall spacers when you get home.

 

[knightsfs4]

^^ You can do what Casper said, OR you can tell them to f*** off and say you'll take your business elsewhere. Unless you've already paid for the tires, then do what Casper stated. My tire shop wouldn't do them either, but I told them I would just go to a different shop and the manager kept me from walking out of the door.

 

[wvuviv30]

Can you ask for a refund and then find a new shop?
What about taking the tires home and have another shop mount them?

The only issue I see removing/adding the spacers is alignment.

Where did you go?
I've never had an issue getting tires installed after a lift and getting aligned. I've lifted: 88 Bronco II, 94 4Runner, 98 Tacoma & 04 4Runner

 

[knightsfs4]

Can you ask for a refund and then find a new shop?
What about taking the tires home and have another shop mount them?

The only issue I see removing/adding the spacers is alignment.

Where did you go?
I've never had an issue getting tires installed after a lift and getting aligned. I've lifted: 88 Bronco II, 94 4Runner, 98 Tacoma & 04 4Runner

:wtf:

 

[berettashot117]

Can you ask for a refund and then find a new shop?
What about taking the tires home and have another shop mount them?

The only issue I see removing/adding the spacers is alignment.

Where did you go?
I've never had an issue getting tires installed after a lift and getting aligned. I've lifted: 88 Bronco II, 94 4Runner, 98 Tacoma & 04 4Runner

there is no alignment issue.. wrong #1

 

[Casper421]

Unless you've already paid for the tires, then do what Casper stated.

HELP.... I paid for my tires and they are still at the tire shop.

It might help if you read the entire post. :

 

[knightsfs4]

Damn, slippin dog.. :cheers:

 

[chayos00]

What's funny for me is the shop that was doing my alignment told me I needed wheel spacers, or risk damaging the sidewall on the UCA. But it also helps when the guys have trucks that they've lifted and wheel too.

 

[jediwebdude]

Discount Tire did the same thing to me. I ordered my off-road tires from them. When it came time to put them on, they refused because I had SpiderTrax on. They quoted some lame corporate policy. In the end, they removed the spacers and put the tires on. When I got home, I had to re-install the spacers.

 

[DC runner]

Shops don't touch spacers due to liability.

Don't yell at the shop. Yell at the culture that created it. Probably what happened is early modder's did things wrong and someone tried to blame a tire shop. They won't touch it now.

So. Pull the spacers, get the tires installed and then do it at home.

 

[KidVermicious]

Get your money back and take your business elsewhere, if you can. If not, take off the spacers and get the tires installed, then write scathing reviews in the online yellow pages and everywhere else you can think of. The nanny-culture needs to be fought, not accepted.

 

[blue4run]

Les Schwab wont touch my 4Runner because of the spacers, they dont even want it at their shop at all! They also only do/work on their Revtec lifts.
Went down the road to Big O they have been great!
So take your tires to a shop that wants your business.
You can take the spacers off but depends on rims? You may have rubbing.
I have 1.25 Spacers and FJ wheels on a 06 and have had to fix many rubbing problems.(My tires stick out pretty good pushed the rubbing futher out and worse) If your stock the upper control arm maybe a issue. You will also have fender liner rubbing. Front flaps are probably the first thing to go. I also had body mount rubbing and the fender rubbing. Just saying maybe be prepared for rubbing up front.
Good Luck, There is usually a better shop look around.

 

[black_120]

Most big chain tires shops like Discount Tire, wont touch anything with spacers or adapters. It has been this way for years. I know some mom and pop places that have no issues with spacers but they dont own a road force balance machine.

I prefer to load my wheels and tires up and do it myself when I get home. I feel much more confident that I torqued and loctite'd the spacers myself.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

We live in a culture of people suing companies for things that are there own fault so more and more companies are putting out guidlines on what things they will or won't do due to these liabilities. Don't fault the companies as they are just protecting themselves.

 

[Sungod]

They are not just protecting themselves. They are protecting you as well. Spacers are bad news. You should get wheels that fit properly. There are somethings you shouldn't go cheap with and safety is #1. I see using wheel spacers in the same light as using exhaust pipe for a roll cage. It is great until it fails.

 

[wvuviv30]

Wait... what spacers are they freaking out about? (The original post isn’t clear as to what spacers they are talking about.)

If it was a 3/2" suspension spacer lift; then removing this will cause an alignment issue.

If you are running wheel spacers; then remove the wheel spacers and have the tire shop mount the new tires. Hopefully they don’t rub the UCA.

Another option you have is, if you have another vehicle, pull the tires and wheels off the 4Runner and then take them to the shop and have them swap out the tires.

 

[krupnation]

They are not just protecting themselves. They are protecting you as well. Spacers are bad news. You should get wheels that fit properly. There are somethings you shouldn't go cheap with and safety is #1. I see using wheel spacers in the same light as using exhaust pipe for a roll cage. It is great until it fails.

Please explain why wheel spacers are such "bad news"? If they are such bad news and I'm going to die because I have them on the truck then why does Spidertrax and All Pro still produce and sell them at an alarming rate? Not everyone has $1000 to drop on new wheels so the spacer option is the next best thing to make larger tires fit. I've never heard of a spacer failing.

I've had Spidertrax on my truck for a year now with no issues what-so-ever. I even had my 285's installed at Discount Tire and they were so nice they even retorqued my spacers for me and let me know. :shrug:

 

[Sungod]

Please explain why wheel spacers are such "bad news"? If they are such bad news and I'm going to die because I have them on the truck then why does Spidertrax and All Pro still produce and sell them at an alarming rate? Not everyone has $1000 to drop on new wheels so the spacer option is the next best thing to make larger tires fit. I've never heard of a spacer failing.

I've had Spidertrax on my truck for a year now with no issues what-so-ever. I even had my 285's installed at Discount Tire and they were so nice they even retorqued my spacers for me and let me know. :shrug:

They are always great until you have a problem and if you have a problem with with spacers that typically means the loss of a wheel. That is not something I would want to have a problem with. If you can't afford the right parts you probably shouldn't be playing when your safety is at risk.

In a situation like this, I and most people don't care because you will most likely only injur or kill yourself. Good luck finding a 'you don't get paid unless we win your case' lawyer that is interested in going after a small time company like all pro when your wheel flies off at 80 miles per hour and you end up in a ditch.

 

[chaz]

wheel spacers have been a source of debate for years, personally i think the ones today are much better than years ago,& are safe so long as the person checks & retorque's them if needed, (some guy's dont even check for loose lug nuts) but i can also see possible problems if a person gets the wrong kind or doesnt install em incorrectly. thats one reason why some shops wont take the chance of working on a vec. that has em so they cant be blamed for anything. each state has the right to set whats legal or not, what passes in one may not in another & alot of people don't think to check or dont care before installing them or doing any mods in general. as far as ive heard, in case of an accident where the driver is at fault, an insurance company can decline to pay if the vehicle has illegal modifications. the driver might then have to prove that the modifications weren't responsible for the accident.