Wheel spacers and safety?
- Thread starter mallard
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S p a r k y
New member
Some will say no! Mine have been on for almost 45k or so, no probs here! Two kids!
Wheel spacers that are hub centered are as safe as aftermarket wheels as long as you use a torque wrench to measure 82ft/lbs on your lug nuts. No more, no less.
Undertighten it and your lug nuts spin themselves off, overtighten it and your lugs stretch and break off.
That is all.
Undertighten it and your lug nuts spin themselves off, overtighten it and your lugs stretch and break off.
That is all.
JB40
New member
No. Many run them without issues, but then again...
Had a wheel spacer break on me tonight - Tacoma World Forums
Personally, I'd never put them on a vehicle that I transport kids in. It's an extra point of failure and as close as you can get to what meets the road other than the wheel and tire itself, plain and simple.
Edit: plus the cost is half what a set of wheels would be with the proper offset. Be a good dad and run hubcentric FJ wheels with slightly better offset or aftermarket wheels that are hubcentric. I went the FJ route.
KidVermicious
New member
OP, you've really already answered your own question - a good rule of thumb is, if you have to ask you already know the answer. If you want to know why hub adapters aren't as safe as an oem setup, it's this:
First off, your searching will help if you get your terminology straight. Wheel spacers, actual wheel spacers that are just shims that slip over your studs, get progressively more unsafe the thicker they are - once they're thick enough to do any good, they're getting thick enough to provide a significant increase in leverage on your stock studs, and I'd definitely call that unsafe.
Hub adapters, which is what I think you're probably talking about, are significantly safer because they bolt to your existing studs and provide a new set of studs to bolt the wheel to. They're functionally similar to a wheel with less backspace, and they will cause the same problems with scrub radius and leverage on the ball joints as a wheel with less backspace, but where they lose to the aftermarket wheel is in being an extra point of failure. The wheel is one piece, with one set of lugnuts and studs to sorry about. The wheel + hub adapter is two pieces, with two sets of lugnuts and studs and the integrity of the spacer itself to worry about. That doesn't necessarily make them unsafe, but it definitely makes them less safe. Safe enough to use on a road-going passenger vehicle? Probably, I use them on my truck. The best way to modify your vehicle to run the tire size you need? Probably not, but again, I'm running a set until the budget allows the wheels I want. A wise decision if all you're doing is trying to modify the look of your truck? I wouldn't say that a purely cosmetic change to your truck is worth the risk, but it's your truck. You drive it.
First off, your searching will help if you get your terminology straight. Wheel spacers, actual wheel spacers that are just shims that slip over your studs, get progressively more unsafe the thicker they are - once they're thick enough to do any good, they're getting thick enough to provide a significant increase in leverage on your stock studs, and I'd definitely call that unsafe.
Hub adapters, which is what I think you're probably talking about, are significantly safer because they bolt to your existing studs and provide a new set of studs to bolt the wheel to. They're functionally similar to a wheel with less backspace, and they will cause the same problems with scrub radius and leverage on the ball joints as a wheel with less backspace, but where they lose to the aftermarket wheel is in being an extra point of failure. The wheel is one piece, with one set of lugnuts and studs to sorry about. The wheel + hub adapter is two pieces, with two sets of lugnuts and studs and the integrity of the spacer itself to worry about. That doesn't necessarily make them unsafe, but it definitely makes them less safe. Safe enough to use on a road-going passenger vehicle? Probably, I use them on my truck. The best way to modify your vehicle to run the tire size you need? Probably not, but again, I'm running a set until the budget allows the wheels I want. A wise decision if all you're doing is trying to modify the look of your truck? I wouldn't say that a purely cosmetic change to your truck is worth the risk, but it's your truck. You drive it.
fullboogie
New member
But if you read that thread to the end, the failure occurred because the guy installed lug-centric wheel spacers on a truck that required hub-centric spacers. User error = failure.
There is no chance in hell that I would run spacers. Adapters are not as bad, but I wouldn't run those either. As stated, it introduces another point of failure. The biggest problem is that if a lug nut backs out on an adapter, you won't know until your wheel passes you down the road and you may have that view from the pavement as you flip upside down.
The better choice is getting wheels that fit properly.
The better choice is getting wheels that fit properly.
JB40
New member
I did. I saw that thread as one of many pages of failure threads from googling Wheel Spacer Broke.
Are they all the same issue? Probably not. The point is that human error is possible whether it is ordering, shipping, installing, or whatever... and it is an extra point of failure, period. The consequences of the failure aren't just costly like engine/body damage, it's the wheel falling off, possibly at speed.
AZ4runner08
New member
I run 1.25 spidertrax and this thread has my attention. So far have had good luck but when I am hitting the curve on the freeway at 85 I often think about them..lol.
paddlenbike
Member
Wheel adapters are fine. Just make sure you check the torque on the adapters whenever you rotate the tires. I have yet to have one loosen, or have a tire fly off, especially since the nuts on the adapter can't fall off because they are trapped behind the flange of the wheel.
I would not run a spacer--the type that does not have it's own lugs.
Rocket61
New member
Spidertrax are technically wheel adapters. As long as they're installed properly with no gaps on a clean surface and torqued down to spec with a generous amount of high-temp loctite (red), you won't have any problems. I've heard more stories of wheels coming off (without adapters) because the lugs weren't torqued to spec than wheel adapters breaking.
mallard
New member
OP, you've really already answered your own question - a good rule of thumb is, if you have to ask you already know the answer. If you want to know why hub adapters aren't as safe as an oem setup, it's this:
First off, your searching will help if you get your terminology straight. Wheel spacers, actual wheel spacers that are just shims that slip over your studs, get progressively more unsafe the thicker they are - once they're thick enough to do any good, they're getting thick enough to provide a significant increase in leverage on your stock studs, and I'd definitely call that unsafe.
Hub adapters, which is what I think you're probably talking about, are significantly safer because they bolt to your existing studs and provide a new set of studs to bolt the wheel to. They're functionally similar to a wheel with less backspace, and they will cause the same problems with scrub radius and leverage on the ball joints as a wheel with less backspace, but where they lose to the aftermarket wheel is in being an extra point of failure. The wheel is one piece, with one set of lugnuts and studs to sorry about. The wheel + hub adapter is two pieces, with two sets of lugnuts and studs and the integrity of the spacer itself to worry about. That doesn't necessarily make them unsafe, but it definitely makes them less safe. Safe enough to use on a road-going passenger vehicle? Probably, I use them on my truck. The best way to modify your vehicle to run the tire size you need? Probably not, but again, I'm running a set until the budget allows the wheels I want. A wise decision if all you're doing is trying to modify the look of your truck? I wouldn't say that a purely cosmetic change to your truck is worth the risk, but it's your truck. You drive it.
Thank you. I value this response.
Fix it for you :thumb:
I am not typically the nervous Nelly or overly cautious type but in the case of wheel spacers... while I understand the appeal, I don't feel the reward is worth the risk. YMMV?
Hi fellow Austin 4Runner buddy. I was hesitant to install spacers myself. I read up a lot on JAs 4Runner website. This guy is a 4Runner genius, and has a lot of useful 4Runner information. I'd trust this guy on my 4Runner any day. I pulled the trigger and had them installed at 4Wheel Parts off Anderson Lane. That was 1.5 years ago and I have not had any issues. I love the stock look of 4Runners but the wheel offset was the one thing that bothered me a little. I wanted to stick with the same wheels and this route was a better solution for me.
wnelax04sr5
New member
for what its worth
ive had spidertrax 1.25 on for over 20k now. this past spring i was driving over 100 miles a day for work, on the highway, between 70-80 mph consistently. I have a dual axle trailer that i tow on a weekly basis, loaded to about 4k. I have never had an issue, and if you do have an issue with the lug centric wheel adapters, its more than likely user error. install correctly with loctite and check them whenever you have a wheel off.
ive had spidertrax 1.25 on for over 20k now. this past spring i was driving over 100 miles a day for work, on the highway, between 70-80 mph consistently. I have a dual axle trailer that i tow on a weekly basis, loaded to about 4k. I have never had an issue, and if you do have an issue with the lug centric wheel adapters, its more than likely user error. install correctly with loctite and check them whenever you have a wheel off.
JB40
New member
There you go OP. 4runner geniuses trust wheel spacers, and these two guys ran them for 100 miles per day, or 1.5 years without a problem.
Go ahead and trust your kids safety to spacers because these guys haven't had any problems.
I tried to get some people to post that have had spacer failures at 80mph, but they were all dead. Sorry.
Go ahead and trust your kids safety to spacers because these guys haven't had any problems.
I tried to get some people to post that have had spacer failures at 80mph, but they were all dead. Sorry.
AZ4runner08
New member
This is a pretty stern statement but nothing to back it up. Perhaps if you really do know a few folks that died from them then back it up with some true facts. I would be more than happy to hear about it other then your general statement.
KidVermicious
New member
Dork. He's making fun of the goofballs upthread who think anecdotes = data.
I just put wheel spacers on my 4Runner and don't have any concerns about it.
I've had wheel spacers on my Aston Martin for years with 30k miles. I've had them at speeds of 170mph and put them through racetrack stresses. Zero issues, zero concerns.
Just my own experience.
EDIT: To be clear, I am running hub adapters (most people, myself included, use the terms interchangeably, even if it isn't technically correct). I have hub adaptors on both of my vehicles.
I've had wheel spacers on my Aston Martin for years with 30k miles. I've had them at speeds of 170mph and put them through racetrack stresses. Zero issues, zero concerns.
Just my own experience.
EDIT: To be clear, I am running hub adapters (most people, myself included, use the terms interchangeably, even if it isn't technically correct). I have hub adaptors on both of my vehicles.
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