Wheel Spacers and Fender Trimming

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:06 pm

Hey guy's... see here is when I ask you a question....

I've got the Frankenlift on the ole 02' now. I had our OME kit on it, but size matters! Thanks to Quinn and all the guys at All J for a fun afternoon throwing the thing on.

Ok, so I did some fender mods, of course it has the Bull Bar on it ( I have a Renegade), and I'm still having some pretty serious sway bar rub on the 265's I put under it. Everything else seems to clear no problem (small prototype spacers in the rear....shhhh)

Anyway, I love the green rims it came stock with, so instead of buying new ones, I called my boys over at SpiderTrax and got some 5 on 4.5 1.25" billet spacers on the way out here.

So here's the question... anyone else done this yet? Is it (the tire) going to hit the back side of the front fender when I put em on? And...further more, has anyone firgured out a way to trim them (the flares) without making it look like dookie?

Couple months back, I dropped it in a hole too fast (it was a big fricken hole), and the whole damned flare popped off. Much more room for tires then, but not so easy on the eyes. Anyway, been thinking about trimming ever since... anyone got any suggestions or had any sucess doing it?

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:10 pm

ARBSeth wrote:

Anyway, I love the green rims it came stock with, so instead of buying new ones, I called my boys over at SpiderTrax and got some 5 on 4.5 1.25" billet spacers on the way out here.

Not to Hi-Jack the thread, but I want to keep my stock wheels on when i do get around to lifting and adding new tires...Keep us posted on the wheel spacers if you end up using them.

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Thu Sep 29, 2005 8:23 pm

Hey Seth, before I got your ARB bumper I had to hack up, for lack of a better word, the fenders to stop the rub. I had the same thing happen to me. I just cut away little pieces where there was rubber marks on the fender to make the space for the 265s and minimize the cutting. But I know that Calvin56 removed all the black lining of the wheel wells and has all that good stuff exposed. He does not have problems with rubbing at all.

My 265s still rub the sway bar, but nothing except spacers or new wheels can remedy that from what I gather. I am opting for the new wheels personally.

Good luck with it!

Brian

Calvin56 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:59 am **Posts:** 345

Here's my fender write up in the Fabrication section:
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=2019
bigger pictures:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2062875/5

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:38 pm

Thanks for the info guys...

I'm not worried about the North end of the wells with the spacers, I'm worried about the South Side, you know? Full steer may put the tires into the back end of the wells.

That deal you did on the front looks great, Calvin. Nice job! Did you do anything to the backside besides remove the liner? I already did that... And you're not using a spacer, huh? I kept the rims, and ordered some 1.25" ones to widen the stance a little. Your Renegage is like mine with the bigger flares... worst case, if they hit em, Sawzall it is and some door liner to clean it up. I'll keep you guys posted.

Look for the write up in 4Wheel and Sport Utility in a few months....

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:21 pm

Sounds like a sweet deal Seth. Its always cool to see KJs in 4x4 magazines, especially prestigious ones.

Calvin56 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:59 am **Posts:** 345

I have my 31" SS on different wheels- black rockcrawler type, so its 4 1/2" back spacing instead of the stock wheels. I don't have any problem stuffing the rear wheel over obstacles if one tire goes up at a time, they tilt in as they go up, so it clears my flares. It is a bit iffy if I hit something with both tires at a decent rate of speed- shouldn't be a problem. I've got other problems if I hit something hard enough to stuff both back wheels at the same time.

Front Fenders: before I removed the lining, they rubbed. It looked like a front stuffed tire would take out the lining. The rears seem to have plenty of room - the lining- most room gained. Pinch weld area might be a problem with bigger tires, even flattened. I'll have to look at it when I get home.

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:35 pm

Thanks man, your rims will run about the same distance out as mine with the spacers, so that tells me all I need to know.

I have to get this sucker done in three weeks, so if I needed to do it, I wanted to knock it out while I was waiting for the spacers. Sounds like I should be kosher, though.

DPKJ · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:42 pm

I have had Spidertrax spacers for about 30,000 miles, no problems. I have towed from Fl. to Va., twice, a 3,000 trailer with them on. I have them front and rear.

Liberator · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:42 am **Posts:** 397

Any pix of your setup?

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:54 pm

Suicide; Wheel spacers... gun in mouth? Wheel spacers... gun in mouth?...... give me the gun.

DPKJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:12 am

The Spidertrax have been to Tellico, Camp Jeep twice(on the most difficult trails), and to the local pit's any number of times. They have been in sand, mud, and water. Say what you want, but a good quality billet spacer is worth it if you want to keep your rims.

hankwood · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:21 am

i don't have spacers on my liberty, but my truck had a Centurian conversion to dual wheels done when it was new using aluminum spacers front and rear, and it now has 137,000 miles on it without any problems. it's an extended cab, 4x4 with a power stroke, so if it's a quality piece and installed right, they are proven to work.

LOST TJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 12:49 pm

Quote:

Suicide; Wheel spacers... gun in mouth? Wheel spacers... gun in mouth?...... give me the gun.

Why? Or did you just hear that and repeat it?

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 3:02 pm

"LOST" TJ wrote:

Quote:

Suicide; Wheel spacers... gun in mouth? Wheel spacers... gun in mouth?...... give me the gun.

Why? Or did you just hear that and repeat it?

No, that's original. Now as for spacers, everyone in the tire biz I've ever met said to stay away from spacers. I've also been shown images of spacers gone bad. No thanks. Oh yeah, the gun thing is much quicker.

LOST TJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:07 pm

Seriously all your kidding aside. Spacers are just like any other modifications you can buy. There are cheap bad ones that can fail on you and either kill you or chum your rig and there are the proven ones that work. The pics you've seen and the advice you have had on spacers are probably cast wheel spacers which will and do grenade on you. A good machined aluminum spacer like SpiderTrax or Mountain Offroad Engineering are proven over n over again. I have not "heard" or seen pics off this. I have seen them on countless rigs with 35"+ tires being beaten down on in the big rocks time and time again. No failures what so ever. You probably have more chance of your tire exploding on the way home from a run by being damaged during the run and rolling then dying. Just like U joints, drive shaft, your tires and all of that fun stuff, the spacers have to be taken care of by making sure the are set at the right torque and to make sure they are not wearing or damged. You have to take care of and check all the parts of your Jeep or those parts might fail. It is better to run a properly BS rim so as not to put strain on certain parts, but a good machined aluminum spacer like Spider Trax has as much chance of killing you as any unserviced part. Now back to what you were saying. Try your gun method and report back to us if it is quicker or not.
Cya

BCool · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:44 pm

I did have a bad experience with spacers on an FJ, they were not the bolt on kind like I have seen they just slipped over the studs and shortend them. I was driving and the studs on my back right rear snapped one by one as I pulled to a stop light and the FJ40 fell resting on the rim. I was very lucky I wasn't driving fast and I luckily escaped any axle damage. I was told to either get longer studs or get rid of the spacers. Talk about dangerous.

LOST TJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:55 pm

Can you recall what brand? Cast or Machined? Cheap cast spacers are dangerous. Machined Aluminum as Spider Trax are not.

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

"LOST" TJ wrote:

Can you recall what brand? Cast or Machined? Cheap cast spacers are dangerous. Machined Aluminum as Spider Trax are not.

I think he was using the simple slip on spacers that are basically like a big washer. They contain no lugs or anything.

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:36 am

I've heard that spacers are the DEVIL, well not really. But my buds at the offroad store say that they are NOT WORTH the trouble when you can just buy new wheels. Go with new wheels!

Wheel Spacers and Fender Trimming

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