Spidertrax wheel spacer; problems or no problems?

steepcreekfreak · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:48 am

I tell you once you start modding it never ends. Got the lift. Got the tires. Got UBJ contact so I got Al's A Arms and a better alignment. Now my MTR's are rubbing my new a arms at full turn. The hits just keep on comin'. I guess I should have gotten a lower backspace rim instead of using my stockers. Hindsight 20/20. The mtr's were fine with the OEM's. I think the better alignment has increased my rubbing on the sway. Now I am looking at spacers to get the tire off the a arm and little bit I get on the sway bar.

Any who has them how have they reated you? Love em' hate em'?

I know that they increase the leverage load on the hub bearings. From my understanding of physics(my dads a physics teacher), A spacer is no different than a lower backspace rim. It is all about distance from center of tire to the hub.
What I am concerned about is the structural regidity and strenght. I am adding a zone of possible failure with a spacer.

Anyone ever heard of or encounter a wheel failure due to a spacer? I am going to go with spidertrax which are not cast they are cnc. I did some internet searches but came up blank for any failure reports.

Thanks for the info!

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:05 pm

hey,

I was looking into these a while ago. I did not get anyone telling me not to use them. Pretty much everyone said that it does increase stress on the bearings, but no one had heard of any catastrophic failure or anything. Your bearings just might wear out a little bit faster...

Heres a set for sale on ROF. http://www.rubiconownersforum.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=47887

Also check out Northridge 4x4, as they usually have them when everyone else is sold out.[/url]

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:25 pm

I have them on my Rubicon and have had no problems to date. If you are going to buy them, Spidertrax seem to be the most well respected of all the choices available.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:46 pm

I have Spidertrax on mine. They did shift the rubbing spot to another location. I have the 1.25" spacers which I think I went too far. The tires stick out a little past the flairs. I haven't been off road with them yet but I think the tires will hit the edge of the flairs instead of going into the wells.

Terry

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:01 pm

I have about 100 miles on my spidertrax now. Bought them used from a Rubi owner who ran them for a year with no problems. They had quite a discussion over on ROF about spidertrax and various spacers and of spidertrax are the most trusted ones. Yes running them may put extra load on the bearings but as someone said no more than a wheel with a different back spacing. After I installed mine a guy up the street walked by and said "See I told you bigger tires would look better" Just the way they sit it looks great even with 245-70s

steepcreekfreak · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:44 pm

Thanks fellas,

Ordered front and rears today. 100 bucks each.

I did more research and apparently the bad rep comes from spacers that shorten the lug bolts by just taking up space and/or putting non hub centric spacers on centric hubs. This puts the load on the lugs and not the hub rim. Or cheap cast spacers that fail under stress. Results are not good.

From what I found the spidertrax's have a spotless safety record. They mate with the hub on one side and the rim on the other like a lego more or less. This supports the vehicle weight not the lugs. Plus you gotta use locktite on the Lugs.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:02 pm

Sounds good then!

Be sure to post some pics after the installation.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:01 pm

When you get the spidertrax get some extra locktite, everyone seems to think that they dont really sent enough with them new. Since mine were used I am not sure but everything I have read said to put extra on. They are very well made, and fit good. Yes the bad ones are just spacers, you loose some of the threads on the lugs nuts putting more stress on them. They are also cast which is not as strong of course. Tighten to 100 ft lbs and you are good to go! :wink:

humptyjumped · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:55 pm

I have been wondering about these too...

A little concerned about the strength of aluminum....

Wouldn't it be better if they were machined outta steel?

jerbacher · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:57 pm

humptyjumped wrote:

I have been wondering about these too...

A little concerned about the strength of aluminum....

Wouldn't it be better if they were machined outta steel?

wheels are aluminum and they dont go breaking all the time...

humptyjumped · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:01 am

jerbacher wrote:

humptyjumped wrote:

I have been wondering about these too...

A little concerned about the strength of aluminum....

Wouldn't it be better if they were machined outta steel?

wheels are aluminum and they dont go breaking all the time...

true.... but steel wheels are stronger.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:00 am

I agree with them not giving enough Locktite. When you open the box you can tell right away.

Terry

steepcreekfreak · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:48 am

yeah i figured that. luckily i am a qpc auditor for an industrial supply company. I get tools and stuff really cheap. I already bought a fresh bottle of maximium hold loctite.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:08 pm

I got them on mine and love them they kick the wheels out even with the flares. I have the spidertrax 1.25" ones which i think give it the perfect stance. No rubbing on the sway bar some minor rubbing on the fog light door area. I've heated it up and tried to move it a few times still have some more to do. Other than that no problems.

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

Does Spidertrax make a 1" version? I think that would give the 17X7.5 rims with 245/70R17's around the same stance as the 245/75R16 MTR's on the Moabs or stock 16's with the 1.25" spacer. I'm very good at math, but really could stand a lesson in backspacing. I would like to get the tires as close to even with the flares, but not beyond. And not with a bunch of rubbing. Thanks.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:24 pm

KY Liberty wrote:

Does Spidertrax make a 1" version? I think that would give the 17X7.5 rims with 245/70R17's around the same stance as the 245/75R16 MTR's on the Moabs or stock 16's with the 1.25" spacer. I'm very good at math, but really could stand a lesson in backspacing. I would like to get the tires as close to even with the flares, but not beyond. And not with a bunch of rubbing. Thanks.

dont think they make a 1" for jeeps at least i dont see one.

http://www.spidertrax.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.18/.f

Spidertrax wheel spacer; problems or no problems?

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